Lesson No. 8. Does It Matter That We Keep the Seventh Day? Why Not Any One Day in the Week?
  Text: Isaiah 48:18.
QUESTION: "Does it really  matter that we keep the seventh day of the week? If we keep one day in the week, isn't that what the Law requires?" (Romans 14:5,6)
  ANSWER: This is a good question and an important one, because many people seem to believe that God will accept any one of the seven days of the week if kept in His honor. In answering this, I would like for you to turn to Proverbs 14:12 and read it first. God says that there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. We must have Bible proof that God will accept a substitute for that which He has blessed and sanctified for man. We must have this proof that we are safe in reasoning that any one of the seven days in the week would be acceptable as obedience to the Fourth Commandment, which says "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God" (Exodus 20:8-11).
  Now let us look at Romans 14:5,6, the text given in our question. "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it . . . ." What is Paul's meaning in these verses? Does he mean that it doesn't matter whether we Christians keep a certain day or not? Did he tell us to follow either one of the persons referred to? We can better understand verses 5 and 6 if we read the first four verses. To whom is Paul speaking in these verses? "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye" (verse 1). Paul was speaking of weak brethren. These weak brethren were to be received into fellowship, but charity was to be exercised one toward another until each had gained a better knowledge of God's will (verses 2 and 3), "For one believeth that he may eat all things: another who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgeth another man's servant?" (verse 4). These weak brethren lacked understanding as to God's will on certain things. Paul was not teaching that we follow either of these weak brethren. He was admonishing those weak brethren to have love for one another until God gave them a better understanding of His will. That understanding comes through a study of God's Word, and it takes time. Paul was still speaking of weak brethren (not yet fully established in certain truths of God's Word) in verses 5 and 6. "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Is it safe to follow a weak brother's example? And if so, which one shall we follow? The one that regarded the day, or the one that esteemed every day alike? After further Bible study, one or the other must change his mind, because the Bible teaches only one way to life eternal. Let us be honest with ourselves in this matter. Can a person who has been a Christian for 15 to 20 years claim to be in the same class as the weak brethren that Paul wrote about in this chapter? Surely not. Then why will preachers sometimes use this text to get away from their obligation to keep the Sabbath day? Every man must be fully persuaded in his own mind. But what and who is to persuade a Christian? It is the Word of God and the Holy Spirit within each Christian soul. God's Word is clear about the true Sabbath day (John 5:39; 2 Timothy 2:15).
  Sunday is one of the six working days (Ezekiel 46:1).
  It does make a difference which day we keep because God blessed and sanctified "the seventh day" (Genesis 2:1-3). It is God's holy Day (Isaiah 58:13). Man cannot make a day holy. Neither can he substitute a common day for God's holy Day. There is only one holy Day in the week and the Fourth Commandment in God's Law says, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." The same Commandment says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God" (Exodus 20:8-11). Since God sanctified "the seventh day" and the Law of God commands us to keep this day holy, we are disobeying God when we keep any other day of the week. The first day of the week is not the seventh day. Those who keep the first day of the week instead of the Sabbath that God ordained are violating the Law of God, and when they work on God's holy Day they make it a double violation. It is a serious matter when we undertake to change God's Law in any way. Jesus kept the seventh day (Luke 4:16). Paul kept it too (Acts 17:2). "The Sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27). "The seventh day is the Sabbath" (Exodus 20:10). See 1 John 3:4.
  QUESTION: "Why teach people to observe the Sabbath day when Paul said to let no man judge you in respect of the sabbath days?" (Colossians 2:16,17).
  ANSWER: We teach people to observe the Sabbath day commanded in the Ten Commandments and blessed by God at Creation for man because Jesus did not abolish or change one word in God's holy Law. The sabbath days that Paul spoke of in Colossians 2:16,17, are different sabbath days. They are yearly sabbath days and their observance was commanded by the law of commandments contained in ordinances (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:15). The Ten Commandments say nothing about those sabbath days. Now shall we read Colossians 2:14,16,17: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to his Cross; . . . Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come: but the body is of Christ." First let us notice verse 14. Paul is speaking of the "handwriting of ordinances" that was blotted out--nailed to the Cross. Paul speaks of the same in Ephesians 2:15: "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances." This law of commandments contained in ordinances is further identified in Hebrews 9:1,9,10. In verse 1 Paul speaks of "ordinances of divine service." The margin explains "ordinances" as rites or ceremonies; verse 9 speaks of the gifts and sacrifices under the law of Moses "that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience." Verse 10: "Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances [margin: rites and ceremonies] . . . ." This makes it clear that the handwriting of ordinances that was nailed to the Cross (Colossians 2:14) was that code of laws that regulated the sacrifices--meat offerings, drink offerings--the holy days and sabbath days set apart by this law for such sacrifices. Now let us look at Colossians 2:16,17, "Let no man therefore judge you . . . ." Note the word "therefore." This refers to verse 14 where Paul said that the "handwriting of ordinances" was abolished, or nailed to the Cross. For this reason "Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come . . . ." This could not refer to the seventh-day Sabbath for two reasons: First, the seventh day is not a shadow of things to come. It was set apart as a memorial of Creation in honor of God as Creator (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11). Second, the seventh-day Sabbath is commanded in the Ten Commandments which say nothing about the meats, drinks, and new moons that are listed along with the sabbath days of Colossians 2:16,17. These were all regulated by the abolished law of verse 14. This abolished law was not the Ten Commandments and therefore the "sabbath days" in verse 16 had no connection with the seventh-day Sabbath commanded by the Ten Commandments.
  The Book of the Law: The law that was abolished was the law of commandments contained in ordinances (rites or ceremonies). This code was contained in "the book of the law" (Galatians 3:10,19,24-26). This book of the law was given by Moses (2 Chronicles 34:14). God declared and wrote the Ten Commandments upon tables of stone (Deuteronomy 4:12,13; Exodus 24:12).
  He commanded Moses to teach Israel statutes and judgments (Deuteronomy 4:14). Moses wrote this law in a book (Deuteronomy 31:9,24-26). The tables of stone were placed in the Ark by Moses in person (Deuteronomy 10:1-5). The book of the law was added because of transgression or sin (Galatians 3:19; 1 John 3:4). The "handwriting of ordinances" contained in this book of the law was abolished at the Cross of Christ (Ephesians 2:15). These ordinances regulated the gifts and sacrifices offered for sin (Hebrews 10:1-8,10-12). This same law set apart certain yearly sabbath days.
  The Yearly Sabbath Days: There were several of these yearly sabbath days set apart by Moses to be kept in their seasons. Please read chapter 23 of Leviticus. "These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons" (verse 4). The first of these yearly sabbath days was the 15th day of the first month in Israel's calendar. The Passover was killed on the 14th day of this month and then a seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the 15th day of the same month. The first and the last days of this feast were sabbath days--no servile work was to be done on them (verses 5-8). Certain sacrifices were to be offered on each day. This 15th-day sabbath was the "high" sabbath day of John 19:14,31. The first day of the seventh month was a sabbath day (Leviticus 23:24,25). The tenth day of this seventh month was the Day of Atonement. This was also a sabbath day. It was on this day that the sins of Israel were, in a type, carried out of camp--the sins of the year were, in a figure, carried away by the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:7-10; 23:27,29). This was all a type of the great and true Atonement made by Christ on the Cross. This Day of Atonement was in itself a type of the real Day of Atonement when God's Son died for our sins (Hebrews 2:9).
  There were other yearly sabbath days, but we will not take time to give each one. They were all part of the law that regulated the animal sacrifices and the other types and shadows.
  When Jesus paid the supreme and one Sacrifice for sins, this system of animal sacrifices with the many washings and rites all ended--the "law of commandments contained in ordinances" was abolished (Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14). Those yearly sabbath days which were part of that code ended too. That is why Paul said to let no man judge you in respect of those sabbath days which were a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16,17). The weekly Sabbath is still part of God's Law to be kept by man (Mark 2:27; James 2:10-12).
  The Yearly Holy Days and Sabbaths Distinct From the Creation Sabbath.
  When God commanded those yearly feasts and sabbath days through Moses as part of the types, He made a clear distinction between them and His Creation-Memorial Sabbath Day. Read carefully Leviticus 23:4-38. In verse 37 He gave the purpose of those yearly feasts with their respective holy days of rest (sabbaths); "These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations." For what purpose? " To offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything upon his day." This is plain that the very purpose of those yearly feasts and sabbath days was for certain specified sacrifice and meat and drink offerings. In short they were part of the same type and shadows of that law that was abolished. Now for the distinction in verse 38: "Beside the sabbaths of the Lord . . . ." While the Creation Sabbath was also a holy convocation, or day of assembly (verse 3) it is clearly separated from those typical yearly sabbaths by God. For example, the Day of Atonement, which came on the tenth day of the seventh month each year. Read the details of the sacrifices and purpose of the day with those sacrifices in Leviticus chapter 16 and the reader will see that the day itself would mean nothing without those sacrifices offered year by year on that day, the day, with those sacrifices ordained for that day, foreshadowed the true day of atonement when the one and only true Sacrifice was made for sin. Read Paul's explanation (Hebrews 9:1-28; 7:22-28; and 10:1-12).
  That temporary law of ordinances foreshadowed the true Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross for the sins of the world and it ended then for it had served its purpose. It is now contrary to Christianity to obey those ordinances . . . of fleshly circumcision, to offer sacrifices, meat or drink offerings, or observe "an holy day, or new moon, or sabbath days." What sabbath days? "Which are a shadow of things to come." What things to come? "But the body is of Christ." Read carefully Colossians 2:14,16,17. Paul is clearly teaching that the sabbath days he mentions are part of the law of ordinances that are contrary to us and were nailed to the Cross of Christ. He further explains that they foreshadowed good things to come and that the real body or good things come through Christ Jesus. Since Jesus purchased the good things for us by His death, we are no longer under that Schoolmaster (Galatians 3:19-26). Read carefully, please.
  Objections: Sometimes friends will claim that those yearly sabbaths must still be kept because the text says, "which are a shadow of good things to come" (Colossians 2:17). They reason that the present tense of the verb "are" shows that they were still shadows at the time Paul wrote and therefore must yet be fulfilled.
  Answer: The context in verses 11-17 shows plainly that this is a mistake, because Paul also uses the present tense in dealing with the spiritual circumcision that took place at the time those Christians believed and were baptized (verses 11,12,13). Also in verse 14, Paul tells of the blotting out and nailing to the Cross those ordinances that required the observance of the Holy Days of verses 16,17. The time element must be the same in verses 14-17. In Hebrews 10:1-10 we have another example of the use of the present tense verb when explaining that law of types that had been abolished some years before.

CREATION SABBATH NOT A SHADOW

  The Seventh Day Creation Sabbath was not included in Colossians 2:16,17. It was not a part of those types that foreshadowed the atonement through the "body" of Christ. It was blessed and sanctified by the Creator in the beginning (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11). It was a memorial to be kept by man in honor of God in memory of Creation and in honor of the Creator (Isaiah 58:13). Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man." This was before man sinned that the Sabbath was made for man. Marriage was also given to man before sin entered. No one claims that marriage was only a type and was abolished when Jesus died for our sins. Jesus went back to Creation long before Moses' days when He said, "The Sabbath was made for man . . ." (Mark 2:27). Likewise He went back to God's Law in the beginning when He dealt with marriage and divorce (Matthew 19:1-10). He did not stop at Mt. Sinai in Moses' days but went back to God's original Law in Eden. He taught Sabbathkeeping as God required it in the beginning and also the laws regulating marriage. These are moral requirements and not shadows or types. Read Hebrews 4:3-11.
  The writer of Hebrews goes back to Creation Week and gives us a Sabbath sermon. We must enter into God's rest, or Sabbath, and that rest, or Holy Sabbath is the seventh day (verses 3,4). Some failed to enter into God's holy rest, Sabbath of the Creation, but we still "must enter . . ." because that rest ("keeping of a Sabbath"--margin) remaineth," (verses 9-11).