1. Appearing before God at His
appointed times
The first outward visible sign of the true church is that of appearing before the Lord at His appointed times. For this is what the Lord spoke to
Moses saying; “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My
Sabbaths (plural) you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your
generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall
keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it
shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person
shall be cut off from among His people.’
“Work shall be done for six days,
but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work
on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore, the children of
Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their
generations as a perpetual covenant” (Exodus 31:13-16).
Let us also look at what the Lord
spoke to the prophet Ezekiel saying; “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, (again plural) to
be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who
sanctifies them” Also, “I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My
judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me
and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel
20:19-20).
Please, note carefully that, this
covenant to observe the Sabbaths is perpetual, it is from one generation to
another. It is a time which is holy both to the Lord and His people. Some people may be inclined to persuade others in believing that this
perpetual covenant is meant only to the Jews, but what is the reality and truth?
Well, this is what the Lord says; “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He
will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries;
He will provide atonement for His land and His people" (Deuteronomy
32:43).
Again, it is written; “Therefore
receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Now
I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth
of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles
might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: " For this reason I
will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name."
And again, He says: " Rejoice,
O Gentiles, with His people!" And again: " Praise the LORD, all you
Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" And again, Isaiah says: " There
shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In
Him the Gentiles shall hope" (Romans 15:7-12).
Therefore, despite the fact that the perpetual
covenant regarding the Sabbaths was between God and the children of Israel this
however, does not exclude Gentiles because they are to glorify God together
with the Jews. As a matter of fact at the death of Jesus Christ, He broke the
barrier which existed between Jews and Gentiles.
And so, we have been duly
admonished saying; “Therefore, remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh
--- who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in
the flesh by hands, that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.’
“But now in Christ Jesus you who
once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself
is our peace, who has made both (Jews and Gentiles) one, and has broken down
the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that
is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself
one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them
both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were
near: For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians
2:11-18).
Therefore, the same rule,
guidelines or protocol that are applicable to the Jews when it comes to worship
applies also to the Gentiles. For we have been duly admonished saying; “For you
are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all
one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).
The Sabbath/s therefore was made
for man (mankind) and not only for the Jews. It is also the outward sign that
ascribes to the Lord the glory due to His name as we have been duly instructed
saying; “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD”
(Leviticus
19:30; 26:2).
Please note carefully that, we are not only to observe the seventh day weekly Sabbath but also the Lord’s annual Sabbaths because, each Sabbath ascribes to the Lord the glory due to His name, they are memorials and by observing them we commemorate and perpetuate the particular event that transpired on that day. For example; on the seventh day weekly Sabbath we commemorate and express our gratitude to the Lord as the Creator.
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To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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