24 May 2021 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Recently a motion was brought before the church to remove the membership of a gay man because he was, according to some, an adulterer. I voted against it, but it still passed by a strong margin. This man, who had been attending regularly, has said that he no […] Source: https://atoday.org/aunty-whats-the-deal-with-disfellowshipping-people/
Tuesday: Covenant Sign
“The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:16-17).
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Four times in Scripture the Sabbath is designated as a “sign” (Exodus 31:13, Exodus 31:17; Ezekiel 20:12, Ezekiel 20:20). A “sign” is not a “symbol” in the sense of a thing that naturally typifies, represents, or recalls something else, because both share similar qualities (for example, a symbol of a fist often denotes “might” or “power”). In the Bible, the Sabbath as a “sign” functioned as an outward mark or object or condition intended to convey a distinctive message. Nothing in the sign itself particularly linked it to the covenant. The Sabbath was a covenant sign “between me and you throughout your generations” (Exodus 31:13, RSV) only because God said it was.
Why would the Lord use the Sabbath as a covenant sign? What is it about the Sabbath that would make it so appropriate a symbol of the saving relationship with God? Remembering that a crucial aspect of the covenant is that we are saved by grace, that works cannot save us, what is it about the Sabbath itself that makes it such a good symbol of that relationship? (See Genesis 2:3, Hebrews 4:1-4.)
What is fascinating about the Sabbath as a sign of the covenant of grace is that for centuries the Jews have understood the Sabbath to be the sign of Messianic redemption. They saw in the Sabbath a foretaste of salvation in the Messiah. Because we understand redemption as coming only from grace, and because we understand the covenant to be a covenant of grace, the link between the Sabbath, Redemption, and the covenant is made clear (see Deuteronomy 5:13-15). Thus, contrary to common opinion, the Sabbath is a sign of God’s saving grace; it’s not a sign of salvation by works.
| How do you understand what it means to “rest” on the Sabbath? How do you rest on the Sabbath? What do you do differently on that day that makes it a “sign”? Could someone who knows you look at your life and see that the Sabbath really is a special day for you? |
Amen!
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Carlton P. Byrd Elected Southwest Region Conference President
A Facebook Announcement from the Southwest Region Conference: On Sunday, May 23, the Southwest Region Conference Executive Committee convened at the Dallas City Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church to elect a new president. The committee met and prayerfully considered several esteemed candidates. After being lead by the Holy Spirit, they ultimately voted to elect Dr. Carlton […] Source: https://atoday.org/carlton-p-byrd-elected-southwest-region-conference-president/
100 Patients At LLUMC – Murrieta Have Benefited from Minimally Invasive Surgery to Treat Atrial Fibrillation
The 100 left atrial appendage closures were performed with a device called the Watchman that treats people with the heart condition atrial fibrillation. LLUMC – Murrieta is the first and only center to reach this milestone in the southwest Riverside County community in record time. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of condition characterized by […] Source: https://atoday.org/100-patients-at-llumc-murrieta-have-benefited-from-minimally-invasive-surgery-to-treat-atrial-fibrillation/
Monday: Sabbath Before Sinai
“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” (Exodus 16:23). Skim through Exodus 16, the story of the manna provided to Israel, in the desert, before Sinai. Notice what this account reveals:
1. Only a regular portion of manna could be used each day, but on the sixth day a double portion was to be gathered.
2. No manna was given on the Sabbath.
3. The extra portion needed for the Sabbath was preserved from the sixth day unspoiled, while the manna would not keep on any other day.
What does this story reveal about the sanctity of the Sabbath before the giving of the law at Sinai? (See Exodus 16:23-28.)
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“In fact, the equation of the Sabbath with the seventh day, the statement that the Lord gave the Israelites the Sabbath, and the record that the people, at God’s command, rested on the seventh day, all point unmistakably to the primeval [at Creation] institution of the Sabbath.” — G. F. Waterman, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, vol. 5, p. 184.
There is a lot more than first meets the eye in Exodus 16 about the Sabbath. Look what it teaches us:
1. Which day is the preparation day for the Sabbath?
2. Which day of the week is the Sabbath?
3. Where did the Sabbath come from?
4. What kind of day should the Sabbath be?
5. Is the Sabbath a day of fasting?
6. Is the Sabbath a test of loyalty to God?
| How does your understanding of the Sabbath today match with what is taught about the Sabbath in Exodus 16:1-36? |
Amen!(0)
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