# Creation Ordinances



## Scott1 (Jul 21, 2010)

After hearing an excellent sermon on the creation ordinances, this has become much clearer.

The idea was these ordinance were clear from the beginning, (e.g. to Adam) and were particularized much later when the Law was given.

The four ordinances are (not in any order):

1) covenant
2) marriage
3) labor
4) sabbath

This seems all the more to reinforce the helpfulness of understanding the whole of Scripture from the standpoint of covenant (covenant theology).

What say ye?


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## Herald (Jul 21, 2010)

Scott, I heartily agree. When I was teaching through the 1689 LBCF last year I fielded questions as to the requirement for observing the Sabbath. I took them back to Genesis and pointed out that a day of holy rest was established on the seventh day. The Sabbath was affirmed in Exodus 16, _prior _to the Decalogue. The three other ordinances are equally supported as part of the creation narrative. This is a bedrock of Covenant Theology.


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## LawrenceU (Jul 21, 2010)

This is critical to understand. Although not acutally an ordinance the sanctity of life is also tied to creation. This, too, is critical to the proper interpretation of Scripture.


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## MW (Jul 21, 2010)

Making covenant a creation ordinance creates numerous problems, In my humble opinion. To begin with, it makes covenant an ontological reality rather than an economical arrangement. I think the Catechisms speak biblically when they place the first covenant under the category of providence rather than creation.

It may be better to speak of labour/Sabbath as part of a single creation ordinance, and marriage as a second ordinance. That way they serve to point forward to man's eschatological goal -- eternal rest in, and marriage with, the Creator.


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## au5t1n (Jul 21, 2010)

Brian Schwertly in his paper on the Sabbath lists these: "monogamous heterosexual marriage, the covenant headship of the husband and submission of the wife, the dominion mandate, labor, and the weekly sabbath." Probably the first two could be combined under "marriage" and maybe the dominion mandate could be stuffed under "labor"?

http://www.reformedonline.com/view/reformedonline/sabbath2.htm#5


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## jwright82 (Jul 22, 2010)

> Creation Ordinances
> After hearing an excellent sermon on the creation ordinances, this has become much clearer.
> 
> The idea was these ordinance were clear from the beginning, (e.g. to Adam) and were particularized much later when the Law was given.
> ...



I'm not so sure we can interpret creation as itself inherently covenantal, like armourbearer pointed out. Creation is creation and covenant is covenant. The first covenant that was made was made after everything was created, that at least implies a difference. But I see no reason why you can't lump those ordinances under natural law instead. Those things are all under the laws in created order.


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## Peairtach (Jul 23, 2010)

The Seven Day Week is also a creation ordinance along with the Sabbath. As far as I'm aware it was taught to Man by special revelation and can't be derived from natural revelation like the days, months and years.

Comments?


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## au5t1n (Jul 23, 2010)

Richard Tallach said:


> The Seven Day Week is also a creation ordinance along with the Sabbath. As far as I'm aware it was taught to Man by special revelation and can't be derived from natural revelation like the days, months and years.
> 
> Comments?


 
It used to be believed that there were seven spheres of heaven based on the five visible planets and the sun and moon.


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## jwright82 (Jul 23, 2010)

Richard Tallach said:


> The Seven Day Week is also a creation ordinance along with the Sabbath. As far as I'm aware it was taught to Man by special revelation and can't be derived from natural revelation like the days, months and years.
> 
> Comments?


 
Good point. The creation ordinances are like natural laws they exist and function just fine but they do not have autonomous authority, like everything they must derive their auythority from God. This might be stretching what a covenant is to call creation a covenant. I have heard the arguments in favor of it. Kline I think discusses this.


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## Peairtach (Jul 23, 2010)

One of the reasons I say that the Seven Day Week is also a creation ordinance, is that it is often/sometimes said that the Sabbath is a type of Heaven or the Heavenly Eschatalogical Kingdom, and was given to Adam as such, and remains a type into the New Covenant period. From reading Richard Gaffin on Geerhardus Vos in "Calvin on the Sabbath"(CFP), I believe this to be the case.

But although Heaven can be overall characterised by Rest, and so be the antitype of the Weekly Sabbath Rest, there is also service of God in Heaven. 

So the combination of the Six Days for work and secular pursuits and play, plus the one day of Rest is maybe what is typical of Heaven (?)

The perfect number Seven would remind Adam, even before the Fall, that week by week he was moving from a good Kingdom to a perfect Kingdom characterised by Rest from the Creation/Cultural Mandate which would be completed. And we should be reminded of that too as the repeated use of "Seven" in the Book of Revelation emphasises.

Week by week the number of the redeemed in Heaven doesn't get any smaller, and week by week we approach closer to Christ's perfect Heavenly Eschatalogical Kingdom.


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