Keeping the Sabbath and Going to Restaurants

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Westminster Larger Catechism:

Q91: What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A91: The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.[1]

1. Rom. 12:1-2; Micah 6:8; I Sam. 15:22

Q92: What did God at first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience?
A92: The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him, besides a special command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was the moral law.[1]

1. Gen. 1:26-27; 2:17; Rom. 2:14-15; 10:5

Q93: What is the moral law?
A93: The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding everyone to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul and body,[1] and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man:[2] promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it.[3]

1. Deut. 5:1-3, 31, 33; Luke 10:26-27; Gal. 3:10; I Thess. 5:23
2. Luke 1:75; Acts 14:16
3. Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:10, 12

Q94: Is there any use of the moral law to man since the fall?
A94: Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law;[1] yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate.[2]

1. Rom. 8:3; Gal. 2:16
2. I Tim. 1:8

Q95: Of what use is the moral law to all men?
A95: The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God,[1] and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly;[2] to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives;[3] to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery,[4] and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ,[5] and of the perfection of his obedience.[6]

1. Lev. 11:44-45; 20:7-8; Rom. 7:12
2. Micah 6:8; James 2:10-11
3. Psa. 19:11-12; Rom. 3:20; 7:7
4. Rom. 3:9, 23
5. Gal. 3:21-22
6. Rom. 10:4

Q96: What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?

A96: The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to flee from wrath to come,[1] and to drive them to Christ;[2] or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable,[3] and under the curse thereof.[4]

1. I Tim. 1:9-10
2. Gal. 3:24
3. Rom. 1:20; 2:15
4. Gal. 3:10

Q97: What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?
A97: Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works,[1] so as thereby they are neither justified [2] nor condemned;[3] yet, besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good;[4] and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness,[5] and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.[6]

1. Rom. 6:14; 7:4, 6; Gal. 4:4-5
2. Rom. 3:20
3. Gal. 5:23; Rom. 8:1
4. Rom. 7:24-25; 8:3-4; Gal. 3:13-14
5. Luke 1:68-69, 74-75; Col. 1:12-14
6. Rom. 7:22; 12:2; Titus 2:11-14

Q98: Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A98: The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of stone;[1] and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. The four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man.[2]

1. Deut. 10:4; Exod. 34:1-4
2. Matt. 22:37-38, 40

Q99: What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the ten commandments?
A99: For the right understanding of the ten commandments, these rules are to be observed:
1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth everyone to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience forever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.[1]

2. That it is spiritual, and so reaches the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures.[2]
3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.[3]
4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden;[4] and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded:[5] so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included;[6] and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.[7]
5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done;[8] What he commands, is always our duty;[9] and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times.[10]
6. That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.[11]

7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places, to endeavor that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places.[12]
8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them;[13] and to take heed of partaking with others in: What is forbidden them.[14]

1. Psa. 19:7; James 2:10; Matt. 5:21-22
2. Rom. 7:14; Deut. 6:5; Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28, 33-34, 37-39, 43-44; 22:37-39
3. Col. 3:5; Amos 8:5; Prov. 1:19; I Tim. 6:10
4. Isa. 58:13; Deut. 6:13; Matt. 4:9-10; 15:4-6
5. Matt. 5:21-25; Eph. 4:28
6. Exod. 20:12; Prov. 30:17
7. Jer. 18:7-8; Exod. 20:7; Psa. 15:1, 4-5; 24:4-5
8. Job. 13:7; 36:21; Rom. 3:8; Heb. 11:25
9. Deut. 4:8-9
10. Matt. 12:7
11. Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28; 15:4-6; Heb. 10:24-25; I Thess. 5:22-23; Gal. 5:26; Col. 3:21
12. Exod. 20:10; Lev. 19:17; Gen. 18:19; Josh. 24:15; Deut. 6:6-7
13. II Cor. 1:24
14. I Tim. 5:22
 
Westminster Confession of Faith:

1. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it.a

a. Gen 1:26-27 with 2:17; Job 28:28; Eccl 7:29; Rom 2:14-15; 5:12, 19; 10:5; Gal 3:10, 12.

2. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables;a the first four commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man.b

a. Exod 34:1; Deut 5:32; 10:4; Rom 13:8-9; James 1:25; 2:8, 10-12. • b. Mat 22:37-40.

3. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a Church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;a and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties.b All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament.c

a. Gal 4:1-3; Col 2:17; Heb 9 throughout; 10:1. • b. 1 Cor 5:7; 2 Cor 6:17; Jude 1:23. • c. Dan 9:27; Eph 2:15-16; Col 2:14, 16-17.

4. To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people, not obliging any other, now, further than the general equity thereof may require.a

a. Gen 49:10 with 1 Pet 2:13-14; Exod 21 throughout; 22:1-29; Mat 5:17 with 5:38-39; 1 Cor 9:8-10.

5. The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof;a and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator who gave it.b Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen, this obligation.c

a. Rom 13:8-10; Eph 6:2; 1 John 2:3-4, 7-8. • b. James 2:10-11. • c. Mat 5:17-19; Rom 3:31; James 2:8.

6. Although true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned;a yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly;b discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives;c so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin;d together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedience.e It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin;f and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law.g The promises of it, in like manner, show them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof;h although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works:i so as a man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law, and not under grace.k

a. Acts 13:39; Rom 6:14; 8:1; Gal 2:16; 3:13; 4:4-5. • b. Psa 119:4-6; Rom 7:12, 22, 25; 1 Cor 7:19; Gal 5:14, 16, 18-23. • c. Rom 3:20; 7:7. • d. Rom 7:9, 14, 24; James 1:23-25. • e. Rom 7:24-25; 8:3-4; Gal 3:24. • f. Psa 119:101, 104, 128; James 2:11. • g. Ezra 9:13-14; Psa 89:30-34. • h. Lev 26:1, 10; 26:14 with 2 Cor 6:16; Psa 19:11; 37:11 with Mat 5:5; Eph 6:2-3. • i. Luke 17:10; Gal 2:16. • k. Rom 6:12, 14; Heb 12:28-29; 1 Pet 3:8-12 with Psa 34:12-16.

7. Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it:a the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.b

a. Gal 3:21. • b. Ezek 36:27; Heb 8:10 with Jer 31:33.
 
Exodus 20:

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
 
Nehemiah 13:

15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
 
"Compelling Muslims to rest on Sunday in their religion because of the universality of the decalogue puts the cart before the horse. What good is that?"

Three benefits, and they can be seen by paralleling the restraint civil society should make on Muslims engaging in suicide bombing. The first is, it is in the interests of civil order. The second is, it shows them quite practically that they are law-breakers and in need of salvation. The third is, it teaches a consistent pattern of righteousness, so that men are not in any doubt as to what is required of them in the way of obedience should God be pleased to call them by His grace to be His children.

Remember, our Lord once said to a person that he was not far from the kingdom of God because of his true understanding of the law.

1. I don't see a civil benefit in mandating a virtual curfew on pagans one day out of the week.

2. Only a regenerate heart can show them they fall short of righteousness.

3. They have the law written on their conscience.

Islamic law is indeed far from the kingdom of God and I submit the following very respectfully:

To abstain from lunch at restaurants on Sunday seems extreme to me.
Dining out on the Lord's Day involves the question of tempting the brethren to violate the 4th commandment. That Muslim women are completely covered involves the question of tempting the faithful to violate the 7th commandment. How are these solutions very different?
 
Thomas Case, Of Sabbath Sanctification:

Rule V.

OBJECTION. But who is able to spend the whole twenty-four hours in religious duties without any intermission?

ANSWER. None; neither is it required: for neither do we ourselves on our days spend the whole twenty-four hours in the employments of our particular places and callings; but we allow ourselves a sleeping time, and a time for preparing our food, and a time for eating and drinking, and other refreshments of nature, both for ourselves and our relations. And so doth God also, provided always,

1. That we be not over-lavish and prodigal in our indulgences to the flesh, and the concernments of the outward man, that we exceed not our limits of Christian sobriety and moderation.

2. Provided that we do not those things with common spirits. We must eat, and drink, and sleep, as part of the sabbath-work, with heavenly minds, and sabbath-affections.
 
Wilhelmus a Brakel, The Christian's Reasonable Service, Vol. III, p. 142:

Secondly, the persons by whom the sabbath must be sanctified are: "thy son...thy daughter, thy manservant...thy maidservant...thy cattle...thy stranger that is within thy gates" (Exo. 20:10). By this delineation, all men without distinction are forbidden to work. It is not sufficient that we rest ourselves, but we must also permit our children and servants to rest, and we must even oblige strangers who dwell or stay with us to rest. They are also men, and the commandment is applicable to them as well as to native residents and members of the church. Yes, even the cattle must rest, since they cannot perform work without the direction of man. God thus wishes to have complete silence upon the entire face of the earth.
 
Exodus 16 (which precedes the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20):

13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
 
Thank you Matthew and especially Andrew,

The Exodus 16 passage is very interesting. Thanks for the good homework assignment!
 
I don't have time now, won't for at least a day (Presbytery), to address any particular questions addressed to me. I will try later.

Let me just say this: instead of wrangling over the finer points of observance, and using one's conclusions on that to decide whether one ought to consider the moral propriety of Sabbath observance, it would be better to settle the question of whether the law of Sabbath is moral in nature or not. And only afterward, decide questions of application.

Bill, that is my super-short (for reasons of time) answer to your whole post, I will get back to it. But the short point is: the day of rest is Moral in nature, not ceremonial. The manner of observance was part of the OT levitical dictation for the Israelites. Strip away that which was positive under the Old Covenant administration, add the new positive (change of day), and what is left is permanent, moral law.

Peace, brethren. __________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan

This post certainly clarifies the issue precisely.

If we posit that the Sabbath , as a creation ordinance, is part of the moral law, that does not preclude any change in its administration. This is obvious, in that the seventh day was specifically set apart at creation, but that the first day is set apart since the resurrection of Christ.

The further question to me is whether such passages as Isaiah 58:13 still represent a proper administration, or proper observance of the command.

Out of all the reformed literature I have read thus far, the Heidelberg catechism seems to best reflect the spirit and texts of the NT on this issue.

Question 103. What does God require in the fourth commandment?
Answer: First, that the ministry of the gospel and the schools be maintained; (a) and that I, especially on the sabbath, that is, on the day of rest, diligently frequent the church of God, (b) to hear his word, (c) to use the sacraments, (d) publicly to call upon the Lord, (e) and contribute to the relief of the poor. (f) Secondly, that all the days of my life I cease from my evil works, and yield myself to the Lord, to work by his Holy Spirit in me: and thus begin in this life the eternal sabbath. (g)

This construct seems to take into account the NT data on the Lord's Day, without importing the OT aspects of observing the law that might be characterized as typological, or ceremonial. It allows us the read Romans 14 and Colossians 2 as written, without imposing extra assumptions into those passages.

Most importantly however, the HC points us to the eternal sabbath, which we do indeed begin to enjoy now.

Isn't our greatest rest, our rest in Christ? isn't our most difficult labor, the labor of ceasing from our own works? Don't we all struggle so much with self righteousness, or fear our own lack of compliance with God's law? The Rest we have in Christ answers both needs. No other thing will.

I still need to think, pray, and read more, but the conviction is growing on me that when one faithfully attends worship, contributes to the needs of the poor on a regular basis,etc., and strives to remain in and enjoy his rest in Christ, that person can be said to be a "Sabbath keeper" in the NT age.

BTW, I am glad that the RPCNA membership vows include a promise to observe the Lord's Day, not the Sabbath.

I have appreciated the manner in which this discussion has progressed!

Well done to all.
 
I'm only going to add a couple of short thoughts. I don't care to get into the blatant antinomian leanings of a few posters here right now. All they need to do is wrestle with what Andrew so helpfully posted (but they won't). Read my longer piece at APM.

Romans 14 has nothing to do with the question. That surrounds ceremonial aspects, not the moral law. Its absurd to think (yes, pause - ABSURD) that God would allow wicked sinful men to "choose the manner in which they get to approach Him." Let's not turn Romans 14 on its head and eisogete what should be exegeted. That won't fly. Its not "Hey, you choose your day and I'll choose mind" as if God would ALLOW that.

Second, being "free from the law" also has nothing to do with the questions at hand. Christ redeems us to lead us BACK to the law to keep it, not for justification but for sanctification. I always HATE when people say "Don't be a legalist". Ahhhh, DUH. A legalist is one who works for salvation. Rather, we should be OBDEIENT to God's desires for our sanctification, which always has, and never not has, including keeping the law. (It DOES have more than one function.)

The moral law is a reflection of God. One keeps the moral law, they will be LIKE God. One rejects the moral law, one rejects or dissolves the importance of the attributes of God. One rejects the moral law, they reject the attributes of God.

There are only 3 positions.

1) Sabbatarianism as outlined in the WCF.
2) Calvin's view where he spiritualized the 4th commandment and wanted everyone in church everyday (nobody will do that).
3) Antinomianism.

To go back to the question at hand -

NO Jewish man would every think it was OK to eat out on the Sabbath unless they were blatantly sinning.

Think about that long and hard.

Again NO JEW would think to desecrate the Sabbath that way unless they wanted to be stoned to death.

Numbers 15:33-36 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. 35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." 36 So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

Capital punishment was never linked to the ceremonial law. It is always linked to a disruption, a rejection, of the attributes of God IN the moral Law.

Second, the Jew would desecrate it if they wanted to see people beaten to death.

Nehemiah 13:21 Then I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.

For those stuck on the "What should I do on the Sabbath with vendors..." question which was what this was about in the first place - Nehemiah would have (this is a literal translation) - "stretch out my hand and rip out your stregnth". Some Hebraisms here mean the phallus. So use your imagination as to what Nehemiah would do to those who "Open Shop For Christians" on the Lord's Day.

Isaiah really summarizes this well:

Isaiah 58:13-14 13 " If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken."

I can't see how any Christian would miss what the Sabbath meant to a Jew unless they just didn't read the OT. But then there we have dispensationalism creeping in. Joe Israelites would never eat out, pick up sticks, buy ware or goods, or anything that was not directly in his control (including things of pleasure) on that day. It was not a day for "him" perse, but for God, which wound up being for him since he would be blessed by God for not doing his own pleasure, but God's.

Now we have Jesus, talking about the Sabbath, that it continues. The SABBATH DOES NOT END. Or, Jesus is a liar.

Matthew 24:20 20 "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

This would have been 40 years, even a WHOLE generation after Christ's ascension. Jesus Christ did not believe that the Sabbath ended.

How then does it fit for us and become the Lord's Day?

Hebrews 4.

The people of God have a rest. They have always had a rest. And there is an eternal rest which we look forward to. This rest is the rest of Jesus Christ. It is accomplished by His sacrifice and His work of perfect obedience of the Law of God – the whole Law. In Hebrews 4:1-10 the text states the following, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” We ought to first take notice of the movement of the “persons.” The writer of the epistles moves from “we” to “He.” Those who believe do enter into the rest of Christ. This rest is exemplified by the resting of God on the seventh day. The pattern for the rest we enter into is the pattern of the rest from which God had entered into His rest on the seventh day. Then the writer compares God’s rest to Christ’s rest. Creation is compared to redemption; and redemption is the new creation of the Gospel era. Christ rests from His work as God did from His. Jesus rests from the humiliation He had upon the earth, and the obedience which surrounds it even to the death of the cross. The word for Jesus’ rest is katapausis, which means “rest” or to “cease”. This is significant in the light of verse 9 and 10. In verse 10 the same word is used to refer to God’s rest. So we see that Jesus’ rest and God’s rest are paralleled. God rested after creating, so in the same way, Jesus rests after redeeming. In conclusion of this idea, the writer explains that there remains a rest for the people of God since Jesus has entered into His rest, and the Old Testament Israelites of old failed to enter that rest in any complete manner. As a result of Jesus’ work, and the entering into His own rest at the right hand of the Father through the completion of His work, there is still a rest for the people of God. This verse (v. 9) is very important since it is a sentence which exemplifies the “now and not yet” idea which the Bible so frequently entails. The word for “rest” here is sabbatismos, It is not katapausis. The shift in words is intentional and quite critical. The people of God still have a “sabbatismos” or “sabbath.” They do not simply await the eternal rest in Christ which will one day be known in full, but they currently have a rest in Christ called the “sabbath.” This current Sabbath in Christ has not ceased. For how can the moral Law cease to be binding upon every conscience? Jesus has redeemed these people and they enter into a rest now with a desire to see the full rest in Him at the consummation of the age. The use of the words and the point of the words are intentional. The writer is demonstrating the binding effect of the Sabbath, which had been given at as a creation ordinance, now fulfilled in Christ, but not fully realized. Thus, the people of God still have a rest here on earth, the Sabbath, while they eager wait for their rest in eternity. This is the “now and not yet” paradigm which the New Testament frequently demonstrates on a number of different theological topics. But I believe the exegetical point is clear.
If the writer did not want to bind the consciences of all believers with a Sabbath rest, then he would have never used the analogous parallels which point backward to the day of rest which had begun at Creation. The creation ordinance is typified in the mentioning of David, and ultimately of the actual rest of Jehovah after creating the world and everything in it. He would have never have introduced the word “sabbatismos” if he has a different design than that of establishing the Christian Sabbath. And it would be foolish to think that the privilege of the Old Testament sabbath has been lost to the New Testament believers in Christ. Rather, now it has been fulfilled and made more glorious and powerful since it points to the eternal rest in Christ. Every Sabbath day which the Christian partakes in is a pointer to the eternal rest they shall ultimately have at the consummation of the world. John Owen, then, in the section dealing with verses 1-11, says this, “The whole church, all the duties, worship, and privileges of it, are founded in the person, authority, and actions of Jesus Christ. The first day of the week, the day of the resurrection of Christ, when he rested from his works, is appointed and determined for a day of rest or Sabbath unto the church, to be constantly observed in the room of the seventh day, appointed and observed from the foundation of the world and under the Old Testament.” I concur.

If you need to read something BEFORE answering so that your conversation here is intelligibly spoken (some), then try these:

Sin, The Law and the Glory of the Gospel, by Joseph Bellamy
The Lord's Day, by Joseph Pipa
The Ten Commandments, by Thomas Watson
Theses Sabbaticae, by Thomas Shepherd
A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel, by John Calqhoun
Call the Sabbath a Delight, by Walter Chantry
Celebrating the Sabbath, by Bruce Ray
The Lord's Day, by Daniel WilsonThe Grace of Law, by Ernest Kevan
The Law of God, by William Plumer
The Worship of the English Puritans, by Horton Davies
The Worship of the American Puritans, by Horton Davies
Calvin and the Sabbath, by Richard Gaffin
Hebrews, Volume 2, The Name, Original, Nature, Use, and Continuance of a Day of Sacred Rest, [Pages 265-460], By John Owen
Discussions, Volume 1, [Pages 496-550], by R. L. Dabney
Systematic Theology, by [Pages 351-357; 366-397], by R. L. Dabney
The Works of Jonathan Edwards Volume 2, 3 Sermons on the Perpetuity and Change of the Sabbath, [Pages 93-103] by Jonathan Edwards
The Marrow of Theology, [Pages 112, 283-284, 291-295, 298] by William Ames
The Collected Writings of John Murray, Volume 1 [Pages 205-225] and Volume 3, [Pages 34-35; 43, 49, 72-73, 75-76, 101, 108], by John Murray
Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Volume 2, [Pages 1-37; 77-100] by Francis Turretin
Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volume 2, [Book 2.8.29ff], by John Calvin
Systematic Theology Volume 3, [Pages 257-275; 321-340], by Charles Hodge
The Works of Richard Baxter, Volume 3, [879-926], by Richard Baxter
The Works of Ezekiel Hopkins, Volume 3 [Pages 236-267; 364-387], by Ezekiel Hopkins
Paul, An Outline of His Theology, [Pages 99-100; 106-107; 130-158; by Herman Ridderbos
The Sabbath Defended, James Milligan
 
Promotional blurb. Actually, Calvin is way more a Sabbatarian than people generally give him credit. A very interesting article that advances the literature I think on this topic will appear in the 2007 issue of The Confessional Presbyterian:
John Calvin, the Nascent Sabbatarian: A Reconsideration of Calvin’s View of Two Key Sabbath-Issues, By Stewart E. Lauer​
2) Calvin's view where he spiritualized the 4th commandment and wanted everyone in church everyday (nobody will do that).
 
Folks...for what it is worth, I am just asking questions at this point. I don't know enough to take a firm decision. I pray that I will be able to do so as God allows me to process His word. I do appreciate the input.
 
I don't care to get into the blatant antinomian leanings of a few posters here right now.

Romans 14 has nothing to do with the question.


NO Jewish man would every think it was OK to eat out on the Sabbath unless they were blatantly sinning.

Think about that long and hard.

Again NO JEW would think to desecrate the Sabbath that way unless they wanted to be stoned to death.




I can't see how any Christian would miss what the Sabbath meant to a Jew unless they just didn't read the OT.


If you need to read something BEFORE answering so that your conversation here is intelligibly spoken (some), then try these:

Sir, I must object to your tone.

While I read some of the works you listed, I suggest you read some basic books on logical argumentation. Your unsupported assertions and name calling do not carry much weight.

:D
 
I just came across this reply and had to comment...

I am a sabbatarian but it amazes me how inconsistent people can be. I know bretheren who are Theonomic Reconstructionists who have no qualms about skipping out on scheduled church services on the Lord's Day to go shopping and, on the other hand, I know other bretheren who are not theologically sabbatarain but would not ever miss a scheduled Lord's Day service of the church (especially to go shopping).

So, while I would not see eye to eye with Blueridge Reformer's theological articulation of the sabbath, in the heart of the matter, I think we would both be singing the same tune :amen:

:ditto: :agree: And I'm not a sabbatarian. I do wish we had the old Sunday blue laws we used to have when I was a kid back in the 60's here in Virginia.
I remeber how after church we used to sit on the porch after dinner and just talk and nap untill Sunday night when we went back to church. O for those days again!
 
I just came across this reply and had to comment...

I am a sabbatarian but it amazes me how inconsistent people can be. I know bretheren who are Theonomic Reconstructionists who have no qualms about skipping out on scheduled church services on the Lord's Day to go shopping and, on the other hand, I know other bretheren who are not theologically sabbatarain but would not ever miss a scheduled Lord's Day service of the church (especially to go shopping).

So, while I would not see eye to eye with Blueridge Reformer's theological articulation of the sabbath, in the heart of the matter, I think we would both be singing the same tune :amen:
I am a sabbatarian but I have to question the relevance of your post. In the past 3 or 4 posts you made you have had some slam against theonomists? May I ask why? Do you have some axe to grind?

Anyway, Joe Morecraft and Nigel Lee are theonomists and sabbatarians.
 
I have no axe to grind. My point is, if one is a professed Theonomist (because of the positions high view of the law) I would think his standards of Sabbath observance to be quite high. I am sure there are many Theonomists who honor Christ greatly on the Sabbath.

In the context of my post here...we can all be theological power brains but if it doesn't come out in the way we live what good is it. A guy says he is not a sabbatarrian but he wishes we had the blue laws back; my point, whether he has the theology or not, he has the heart of it.

Finally, for the record, I only made one post here dealing with Theonomy. I would not call myself a Theonomist, but there are many who would drop that label on me. I am beginning to think it would probably be best to just drop the 'T' word from my vocabulary all together. I use the 'T' word much and people on both sides of that issue think I have an axe to grind with them. :banghead:


I am a sabbatarian but I have to question the relevance of your post. In the past 3 or 4 posts you made you have had some slam against theonomists? May I ask why? Do you have some axe to grind?

Anyway, Joe Morecraft and Nigel Lee are theonomists and sabbatarians.
 
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