Why
Satan Hates the Sabbath
“Upon
another Sabbath, as Jesus entered a synagogue. He saw there a man who had a
withered hand. The Pharisees watched Him, eager to see what He would do. The
Saviour well knew that in healing on the Sabbath He would be regarded as a
transgressor, but He did not hesitate to break down the wall of traditional
requirements that barricaded the Sabbath. Jesus bade the afflicted man
stand forth, and then asked, "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath days,
or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?"
It was a maxim among the Jews that a failure to do good,
when one had opportunity, was to do evil; to neglect to save life was to kill.
Thus Jesus met the rabbis on their own ground. "But they held
their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being
grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man, Stretch forth
thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the
other." Mark 3:4, 5.
When questioned, "Is
it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?" Jesus answered, "What man
shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into
a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much
then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the
Sabbath days." Matt. 12:10-12.
The spies dared not answer
Christ in the presence of the multitude, for fear of involving themselves in
difficulty. They knew that He had spoken the truth. Rather than violate
their traditions, they would leave a man to suffer, while they would relieve a
brute because of the loss to the owner if it were neglected. Thus greater care
was shown for a dumb animal than for man, who is made in the image of God. This
illustrates the working of all false religions. They originate in
man's desire to exalt himself above God, but they result in degrading man
below the brute. Every religion that
wars against the sovereignty of God defrauds man of the glory which was his at
the creation, and which is to be restored to him in Christ. Every
false religion teaches its adherents to be careless of human needs, sufferings,
and rights. The gospel places a high value upon humanity as the
purchase of the blood of Christ, and it teaches a tender regard for the wants
and woes of man. The Lord says, "I will make a man more precious than fine
gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir."
Isa. 13:12.
When Jesus turned upon the
Pharisees with the question whether it was lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill, He confronted
them with their own wicked purposes. They were hunting His life with bitter
hatred, while He was saving life and bringing happiness to multitudes. Was
it better to slay upon the Sabbath, as they were planning to do, than to heal
the afflicted, as He had done? Was it more righteous to have murder in the
heart upon God's holy day than love to all men, which finds expression in deeds
of mercy?
In the healing of the
withered hand, Jesus condemned the custom of the Jews, and left the fourth
commandment standing as God had given it. "It is lawful to do well on the
Sabbath days," He declared. By sweeping away the senseless
restrictions of the Jews, Christ honored the Sabbath, while those who
complained of Him were dishonoring God's holy day.
Those who hold that
Christ abolished the law teach that He broke the Sabbath and justified His
disciples in doing the same. Thus they are really taking the same ground as did
the caviling Jews.
In this they contradict the testimony of Christ Himself, who declared, "I
have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." John 15:10.
Neither the Saviour nor His followers broke the law of the Sabbath. Christ was
a living representative of the law. No violation of its holy precepts was found
in His life. Looking upon a nation of witnesses who were seeking occasion to
condemn Him, He could say unchallenged, "Which of you convicteth
Me of sin?" John 8:46, R. V.
The Saviour had not
come to set aside what patriarchs and prophets had spoken; for He Himself had
spoken through these representative men. All the truths of God's word came from
Him. But these
priceless gems had been placed in false settings. Their precious light had been
made to minister to error. God desired them to be removed from their
settings of error and replaced in the framework
of truth. This work only a divine hand could accomplish. By its connection with
error, the truth had been serving the cause of the enemy of God and man. Christ
had come to place it where it would glorify God, and work the salvation of
humanity.
"The Sabbath was made
for man, and not man for the Sabbath," Jesus said. The institutions that
God has established are for the benefit of mankind. "All things are for
your sakes." "Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present,
or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is
God's." 2 Cor. 4:15; 1 Cor. 3:22, 23. The law of Ten Commandments, of
which the Sabbath forms a part, God gave to His people as a blessing. "The
Lord commanded us," said Moses, "to do all these statutes, to fear
the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive."
Deut. 6:24. And through the psalmist the message was given to Israel,
"Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know
ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made
us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise."
Ps. 100:2-4. And of all who keep "the Sabbath from polluting
it," the Lord declares, "Even them will I bring to My
holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer." Isa. 56:6, 7.
"Wherefore the Son of
man is Lord also of the Sabbath." These words are full of instruction and
comfort. Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord's day. It belongs to Christ. For "all things were made by
Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:3. 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.
It declares that He who created all things in heaven
and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church,
and that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He
said, "I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me
and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them,"--make
them holy. Ezek. 20:12. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us
holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying
power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the
Israel of God.
And the Lord says, "If
thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the
Lord, honorable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." Isa. 58:13, 14. To all who receive the Sabbath as a
sign of Christ's creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing
Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the
works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it
calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the
Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, "Come
unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I
will give you rest." Matt 11:28. Desire of Ages, pp. 286-289.
Contributed by Lynn
MacDonald
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