The Sign
(I've had this one sitting "on the desk" for a while).
I love the Old Testament. There are many in the Christian world today who dismiss the OT as outdated and irrelevant, but I am not in that group. There are some issues in the OT that do not apply directly to us (blood sacrifice for example) because Jesus came and died, fulfilling this requirement forever. However, even in those parts of the OT that have been fulfilled, or those for which we are no longer responsible to, we can still learn much in regard to the truths and principles that God established long before Jesus arrived.
I love the Old Testament. There are many in the Christian world today who dismiss the OT as outdated and irrelevant, but I am not in that group. There are some issues in the OT that do not apply directly to us (blood sacrifice for example) because Jesus came and died, fulfilling this requirement forever. However, even in those parts of the OT that have been fulfilled, or those for which we are no longer responsible to, we can still learn much in regard to the truths and principles that God established long before Jesus arrived.
The passage above is a prime example of what I am talking about. The sabbath was the holy day for the Jewish people. It was a day in which all regular work was ceased, and the people spent resting and worshipping God. The fourth commandment given by God was to honor the sabbath and keep it holy (see Exodus 20). We still should honor a "sabbath" day, although it does not coincide with OT Jewish law. Primarily in honor of Jesus' resurrection on Sunday 2,000 years ago, most believers today gather for worship on Sunday's across the globe.
This being said, I am astonished at the number of "Christians" in America today who do not participate in worship in a local church. I am a pastor, so you might expect me have this view, but if God's Word is still valid (and it is) should we not all have this view? I realize that the church is far from perfect, and there are some rascals out there that make things rough for the rest of us, but that is a small portion. There is still something powerful, something wonderful, something holy about being in God's presence with other believers.
The Hebrew word translated as "sign" in the verse above has a variety of meanings. It can mean a sign, mark, token, badge, standard, monument, memorial, warning, omen, symbol, or proof, just to name some of the shades found in its 80+ occurrences in the OT.** Run through that list for a moment. As a "sign" the sabbath is a way of showing the Lord that we really are His. As a "standard" the sabbath becomes a rallying point for believers. As a "warning" the sabbath reminds us of the Lord's promises, both the blessings and curses. As a "proof" it shows the world whom we serve.
I realize that we live in a face-pace society where many must work on Sunday and emergencies happen, but as a rule we should be in the house of God. Setting aside the "sabbath" was not optional in the Biblical culture. Why do we think it is optional now?
**Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible
This being said, I am astonished at the number of "Christians" in America today who do not participate in worship in a local church. I am a pastor, so you might expect me have this view, but if God's Word is still valid (and it is) should we not all have this view? I realize that the church is far from perfect, and there are some rascals out there that make things rough for the rest of us, but that is a small portion. There is still something powerful, something wonderful, something holy about being in God's presence with other believers.
The Hebrew word translated as "sign" in the verse above has a variety of meanings. It can mean a sign, mark, token, badge, standard, monument, memorial, warning, omen, symbol, or proof, just to name some of the shades found in its 80+ occurrences in the OT.** Run through that list for a moment. As a "sign" the sabbath is a way of showing the Lord that we really are His. As a "standard" the sabbath becomes a rallying point for believers. As a "warning" the sabbath reminds us of the Lord's promises, both the blessings and curses. As a "proof" it shows the world whom we serve.
I realize that we live in a face-pace society where many must work on Sunday and emergencies happen, but as a rule we should be in the house of God. Setting aside the "sabbath" was not optional in the Biblical culture. Why do we think it is optional now?
**Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible
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