“You shall keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13, RSV).

An exceptionally rich Sabbath passage is Exodus 31:12-17, which follows the Lord’s directions for the building of the sanctuary and the establishment of its services (Exodus 25:1 to Exodus 31:11).

The concept of the Sabbath as a “sign” — a visible, external, and eternal sign between God and His people — is expressed here in this manner for the first time. The text itself contains some fascinating concepts worthy of our study. Two new ideas are joined together in this text:

Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com

Consider the sign aspect related to knowledge. The Hebrew understanding of knowledge includes intellectual, relational, and emotional aspects. “To know” did not simply mean to know a fact, particularly when a person was involved. It also meant to have a meaningful relationship with the one known. Thus to know the Lord meant to be in the right relationship with Him — to “serve” Him (1 Chronicles 28:9), to “fear” Him (Isaiah 11:2), to “believe” Him (Isaiah 43:10), to “trust” Him and “seek” Him (Psalm 9:10), and to “call on” His name (Jeremiah 10:25).

Look up each of the texts in the above paragraph. In what ways do these texts help us to understand what it means to “know” the Lord?

In addition, the Sabbath has significance as a sign of sanctification. It signifies that the Lord “sanctifies” His people (compare Leviticus 20:8) by making them “holy” (Deuteronomy 7:6).

The sanctification process is as much the work of God’s redemptive love as is the saving and redeeming work of God. Righteousness (justification) and sanctification are both activities of God: “I … the LORD … sanctify you.” (Leviticus 20:8, RSV). Thus, the Sabbath is a sign that imparts the knowledge of God as Sanctifier. “The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 350.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

Amen!(0)

The post Wednesday: Sign of Sanctification first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SabbathSchoolNet/~3/XiYcZ1LZtk4/

This quarter “The Week at a Glance” shows God’s covenant is spoken of mostly. God has made his promises (covenant) with many people in the Bible, and continues to give us promises for today, hence for a theme hymn I find that I wish to keep standing on the Promises that God has given to us all – 
Hymn 518 – Standing on the Promises as 
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less – Hymn 522.

Hymn 388 – Don’t Forget the Sabbath is a bold reminder in singing of the fourth commandment which we study this week.

There are other hymns that explain the delights of the Sabbath Day and it’s wonders:
Hymn 40 – The Dawn of God’s Dear Sabbath,
Hymn 381 – Holy Sabbath Day of Rest,
Hymn 384 – Safely Through Another Week,
Hymn 385 – Crowning Jewel of Creation,
Hymn 386 – The Sacred Anthem,
Hymn 387 – Come O Sabbath Day,
Hymn 389 – Light of Light, Enlighten Me,
Hymn 390 – We Love Thy Sabbath, Lord,
Hymn 392 – Dear Lord We Come at Set of Sun,
Hymn 394 – Far From All Care, and
Hymn 393 – Lord of the Sabbath

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing, but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Amen!(0)

The post 9: Covenant Sign – Singing with Inspiration first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SabbathSchoolNet/~3/bifPld7TOTA/

“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).

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

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.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Amen!(0)

The post Tuesday: Covenant Sign first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SabbathSchoolNet/~3/-YDHuvK9OJM/

“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:

What does this story reveal about the sanctity of the Sabbath before the giving of the law at Sinai? (See Exodus 16:23-28.)

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

“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:

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

Amen!(0)

The post Monday: Sabbath Before Sinai first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SabbathSchoolNet/~3/QiK-s8YuXsQ/

Key Thought: The Sabbath is a covenant sign that points back to Creation, the covenant of grace, and to the final recreation when God makes all things new.
May 29, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Exodus 16:23-28..

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What does this tell us about whether the Sabbath was a day of fasting or not?
3. Personal Application: If God doesn’t need rest, why would God Himself rest on the seventh-day? What purpose might this resting serve? Why or why not? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “Why was God so particular about people gathering firewood on the Sabbath? What kind of activities like gathering firewood might we be guilty of breaking the Sabbath today?.” How would you respond to your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Exodus 31:16,17.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Why did the Lord use the Sabbath as a covenant sign?
3. Personal Application: What is it about the Sabbath that makes it appropriate as a symbol of the saving relationship with God? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “How is resting on the Sabbath a sign that it is special? What do people do differently on the Sabbath that makes it a sign?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Exodus 31:13-17..

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What does it mean to “know” the Lord?
3. Personal Application: How does keeping the Sabbath help us to “know” the Lord? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “What is the Sabbath a sign of? Isn’t it a sign of works for salvation? Isn’t it the Jewish Sabbath given to them to remember the Exodus out of Egypt? What does that mean for us today?“ How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read Exodus 20:8.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. How are we to keep the Sabbath holy?
3. Personal Application: Has keeping the Sabbath helped strengthen your walk with the Lord? If nbot, what changes could you make?” Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

Amen!(2)

The post 9: Covenant Sign – Teaching Plan first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SabbathSchoolNet/~3/wTHg5bkyQVE/