REST Lesson 8 for May 23, 2009

“Sabbath… belongs to Christ… Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier… Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy… To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight.” Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, cp. 29, p. 288)

SABBATH IS HOLY BECAUSE IT WAS SET APART BY GOD “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:2-3

SABBATH IS A SIGN “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.” Ezekiel 20:12

SABBATH IS A SIGN OF CREATION “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

SABBATH IS A SIGN OF REDEMPTION “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” Deuteronomy 5:12-15

How should we keep the Sabbath? SANCTIFYING IT Ezekiel 20:20 “Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.”

HOW TO SANCTIFY THE SABBATH “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…” Isaiah 58:13

HOW TO SANCTIFY THE SABBATH DOING God’s ways. FINDING God’s pleasure. SPEAKING about God.

“…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.” Isaiah 58:14

“For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” THE LORD OF THE SABBATH “For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:8

“And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’ ” (Mark 2:27) OUR EXAMPLE

“He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read “He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.” (Luke 4:16) OUR EXAMPLE

“And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked “And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.” (John 5:9) OUR EXAMPLE

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

“The Sabbath is a token between God and His people “The Sabbath is a token between God and His people. It is a holy day, given by the Creator to man as a day upon which to rest, and reflect upon sacred things. God designed it to be observed through every age as a perpetual covenant. It was to be regarded as a peculiar treasure, a trust to be carefully cherished. As we observe the Sabbath let us remember that it is the sign which heaven has given to man that he is accepted in the Beloved; that if he is obedient, he may enter the city of God, and partake of the fruit of the tree of life. As we refrain from labor on the seventh day, we testify to the world that we are on God’s side, and are striving to live in perfect conformity to His commandments. Thus we recognize as our sovereign the God who made the world in six days and rested on the seventh.” Ellen G. White, Our High Calling, December 3