THE ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH IN CREATION.
By Elder William Covert
In our article last week it was clearly shown that Christ created all things; that not a thing exists in heaven or in the earth that he did not make, by the word of the Father. It was also learned that Christ created it all in six days. In this article we wish to notice that He who created all things in six days also rested on the seventh day, from the work of creation; and as Christ created all things, he rested from the work of creating them. It follows, therefore, that the Sabbath rest from creation is the Sabbath of Christ and should be observed as much with reference to Christ as it is with reference to the Father. In referring to this thought, Christ said, "The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath." Mark 2:28. But physical rest alone does not meet the requirement of Sabbatic observance. There is something more precious in it than refraining from labor on that day. The Maker of the Sabbath day "blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Gen. 2:3. The day was made holy by the blessing which Christ connected with it or placed upon it. To bless primarily signifies to make happy. There was special happiness put in the day for man to enjoy. The reader should notice that the blessing and the sanctification of the day are separate acts which relate to the same day, and that both things are done to the day because of the enjoyment experienced by the Creator on the rest day. But wherein was the joy of the Creator experienced? That we may better understand the matter, we will refer to another statement relating to the same thing. In Ex. 31:17 we read, "In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." Of course the Creator was not physically tired; he did not cease work that he might recuperate expended vitality. But the thought is that he was delighted in his works, and because of the delight that comes to the senses when contemplating the works of God, the Saviour made the day to be a delight for man upon which he delighted in his own works. It is the especial presence of Christ in the day that makes it holy. To show that God's presence does make holy, we will cite a few incidents in which the proposition is illustrated. Notice Ex. 3:2–5. Moses saw the burning bush, and was drawn near to behold it. Then the Lord told him to take off his shoes, because the ground upon which he was standing was holy ground. Certainly God's presence had made the place holy. Again, when Joshua was called to stand before the Captain of the Lord's host, he also was told that the ground was holy upon which he stood. Josh. 5:15. In both instances it seems to have been the presence of Jesus that made the place holy. Continuing the thought still, we cite the reader to Isa. 58:13, where the Sabbath is called by the Lord "my holy day" and "the holy of the Lord." It was made holy by the blessing put upon it by the Creator, because of the delight taken in contemplating his works in a finished creation. But in the scripture quoted above that holiness is recognized three thousand four hundred years later than creation; we therefore conclude that it is yet the Lord's holy day. Thus we see that the blessing was made permanent in the day. But it was necessary that, as man was to use the day made holy for him (for the Sabbath was made for man, Mark 2:27), he should be instructed as to how he should keep it holy; therefore the day was set apart for a holy or religious use. The setting apart of the day for that purpose is what is meant where it is said that the Lord sanctified it. In order to sanctify it, it was necessary to teach man concerning its sacredness, and to appoint its observance as a Sabbath for him. The sanctification of the Sabbath enabled man to understand its signification, nature, and obligation. This could not be done without enjoining its observance upon him. It will be seen that man was blessed before the Sabbath was blessed. Gen. 1:28. To bless a man is to make him happy. Man was made happy in possessing the good things that were given him in creation. The blessing in this matter is something that is quite real; so also must the blessing in the Sabbath day be something real. Notice also that the Sabbath is a sign of a finished creation. It was not given until creation was complete, and man was made happy in the enjoyment of these blessings. Then the Sabbath was given to man as a memorial of these blessings. His Creator desires him to especially remember what the Lord is to him, and therefore he gives to man the Sabbath as a memorial of himself. When he was asked by Moses at the burning bush what he should call his name, the reply was, "I AM THAT I AM." Christ is to man, Creator. So the Sabbath was given to man with Christ's own presence in it, that man might know that his Maker is what he is. "Hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God." Eze. 20:20. Also the reason assigned for the existence of the Sabbath, as stated in the commandment, is, "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:11. Thus it is seen that the Sabbath was given to man as a memorial of what the Lord is to man. This precious thought is made exceedingly precious to the one who observes the Sabbath because he finds the sacred presence of the Lord in the day. By this presence the Lord blends the delight that he takes in his own works with the delight that man takes in what the Lord has done for him. For this reason man can call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord. He will not find his own pleasure on this day, but he finds the pleasure of the Lord instead of his own, which is far better. We have seen in this paper that the Sabbath was made out of the seventh day of the week; that upon this day the Creator rested from his work of creation; that, as Christ made all things, he rested upon the day in the beginning; that he took especial delight in a finished creation, and that because he was thus delighted he therefore blessed the day, and then set it apart for man to use as a memorial of what the Creator is to him; that because of this blessing the presence of Him who created all things is in the day, and therefore man can call it a delight. All this is true of the Sabbath because of creation; but what effect, if any, has the work of redemption upon the subject and facts of the Sabbath? This subject will be considered next week.