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Sermon #103 Exodus Series Title: The
Purpose of the Sabbath Text: Exodus
31:1-18 Subject: The
Purpose of the Sabbath Date: Tuesday
Evening — July 28, 2008 Tape : Exodus
#103 Readings: Larry
Brown and Bobbie Estes Introduction: How often have you read one of the
commandments of the Old Testament and asked yourself, — ÒWhy did God
require that service?Ó — ÒWhat is the significance of that law?Ó
— ÒWhat does that ceremony teach?Ó Really, we should ask such
questions. Every law, every ceremony, every sacrifice given in the Old
Testament Scriptures was designed and commanded by God to teach us something
about the Gospel, — to show us our need of a Savior, — to show us
Who Christ is, what He would do, how God saves sinners by the obedience,
righteousness and blood of His darling Son. As that is true with regard to all
the laws God gave to Israel, it is also true with regard to all the
Tabernacle, the furnishings of the Tabernacle, the Priesthood, the Priestly
Garments and the ceremonies performed by those priests. But, when we get to
Exodus 31, the Lord God mixes one of the commandments given back in chapter
20 with erection, the furnishings and the services of the Tabernacle. He
gives specific instructions about sabbath keeping and tells us why He was so insistent
upon sabbath observance. Turn with me to Exodus 31. Here we
are taught by the Spirit of God why the sabbath days of the law were
established. The title of my message is — The Purpose of the Sabbath.
We will begin in verse 1. Workmen Provided When God has a work to be done, he
never lacks workmen, workmen he has specifically equipped to do the work to
which He calls them (Exodus
31:1-5) ÒAnd the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (2) See, I have called by name
Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: (3) And I have filled him with the
spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all
manner of workmanship, (4) To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver,
and in brass, (5) And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work
in all manner of workmanship.Ó Every
appointment of providence and of grace is the appointment of God (Ephesians
4:11, 12. Proverbs 16:33). And everything involved in or connected with the
worship of God is also by divine appointment. We do not worship God if we do
not worship Him in the manner He prescribes.
ÒBezaleelÓ means ÒShadow of God.Ó He
was chosen of God for the specific work of erecting the Tabernacle and making
all its furnishings.
The other man named for the work was Aholiab (v. 6). ÒAholiabÓ means ÒÒTent.Ó
Aholiab and Bezaleel were chosen to erect the Tabernacle, a Tent that would
be the Shadow of God. (Exodus
31:6-11) ÒAnd I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach,
of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have
put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; (7) The tabernacle of the
congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture
of the tabernacle, (8) And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick
with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, (9) And the altar of burnt offering
with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, (10) And the cloths of service, and the
holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister
in the priestÕs office, (11) And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place:
according to all
that I have commanded thee shall they do.Ó Robert Hawker wroteÉ ÒIf Bezaleel
and Aholiab be appointed to the curious
construction of the tabernacle building, the Holy Ghost will make them fit
for the employment. And when Jesus called his poor fishermen of Galilee to be
fishers of men, how soon were they qualified for the arduous work.Ó If
the Lord God so meticulously qualified these two men for the adorning the Tabernacle,
which was but a shadow of good things to come, you can be sure that He will
not call and send forth men into the work of the Gospel ministry, He will not
set in His Church preachers and pastors who lack what is needed for the work
to which He has called them. Òthe edifying of the body of ChristÓ (Ephesians 4:11-13; Jeremiah 3:15).
Let
my God send me where He will and for whatever purpose He will, if He will but
be with me, I shall soon demonstrate how His strength is made perfect in
human weakness. — ÒOur sufficiency is of God!Ó Surely Bezaleel and Aholiab are names that point
us above mere men to the Lord Jesus Himself. Was He not, when He came to dwell upon this earth, the Revealer of
God in a Tent of humanity? As such, He was and is the only qualified Workman
for the true Tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man, the Tabernacle
of which He is the Author and Finisher. He is the Foundation Stone of the
spiritual building. He has reared up an
everlasting tabernacle of redemption in His blood and righteousness, and
finished the work the Father gave Him to do. Oh, blessed
Savior, finish the work in my soul also, and make me as a fit stone for Your
Temple above! Read
onÉExodus 31:12 Sabbath
Sign (Exodus
31:12-17) ÒAnd the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (13) Speak thou also unto the children
of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you
throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
(14) Ye shall
keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall
surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be
cut off from among his people. (15) Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is
the sabbath of
rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall
surely be put to death. (16) Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath,
to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. (17) It is a sign between me and the children
of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh
day he rested, and was refreshed.Ó Though
they were building the Tabernacle, the children of Israel are here reminded
that they still must observe the sabbath. They would not be excused, even to
build the tabernacle. If they broke the sabbath, even to do GodÕs work, even
to build GodÕs Tabernacle, they were to be put to death! The Lord gives a
specific reason for this. He says, Òit is a sign between me and you
throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth
sanctify youÓ (v. 13). (Exodus
31:16-17) ÒWherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to
observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. (17) It is a sign between me and the children
of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the
seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.Ó God gave the law of the sabbath
to stand as a perpetual sign between Him and His people that it is His work
alone to sanctify and save His people. His name is Jehovah-mÕkaddesh. — ÒThe
Lord that doth sanctify you!Ó What a great name for our God! Our
sanctification is GodÕs work. It is a threefold work of grace. We are
sanctifiedÉ á
By God the Father in Election (Jude 1). á
By God the Son in Redemption (Hebrews 10:10-14). á
God the Spirit in Regeneration (2 Corinthians 5:17; 2
Peter 1:4). It
is the Triune God who makes us clean, washes us, hallows us, makes sinners
holy, sanctifies us unto Himself as His peculiar people. Law Given Then,
after declaring that the whole work of making us holy is His work, the Lord
God gave Moses the two tables of stone containing His law in the
commandments. (Exodus
31:18) ÒAnd he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him
upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the
finger of God.Ó The
Lord had promised to give these tables back in Exodus 24:12. (Exodus
24:12) ÒAnd the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be
there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which
I have written; that thou mayest teach them.Ó These
commandments were written in stone Òwith the finger of God,Ó and none but God Himself can write His law on the
stony heart of man (2 Corinthians 3:3; Hebrews 8:10). (2
Corinthians 3:3) ÒForasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ
ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living
God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.Ó (Hebrews
8:10) ÒFor this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in
their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.Ó When
God writes His law on the hearts of chosen sinners, then they rest in Christ
and are refreshed, as they keep that blessed Sabbath of Faith. Blessed
Sabbath Rest Let me talk to
you for just a little bit about that blessed Sabbath rest that is ours in
Christ (Matthew 11:28-30). (Matthew
11:28-30) ÒCome unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(29) Take my yoke
upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.Ó Here is ChristÕs word to lost, ruined, guilty
sinners. — ÒCome unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Ó á
ÒCome unto ME.Ó á
ÒCome unto me, ALL YE.Ó á
ÒCome unto me, all ye that LABOR.Ó á
ÒCome unto me, all ye that labor and are HEAVY
LADEN.Ó á
ÒCome unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will GIVE.Ó á
ÒCome unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.Ó There is no salvation to be
had, but by coming to Christ. There can never be any true, peaceful,
satisfying rest for your soul, except you come to Christ, trusting Him alone
as your Lord and Savior. Trusting His blood as your only atonement and His
obedience as your only righteousness. Only Christ can give you rest. Here is the MasterÕs word to us all, both to the
unbeliever and the believer. —
ÒTake my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and you shall find rest unto your souls.Ó In all circumstances of life,
we find rest unto our souls only as we voluntarily submit to the rule and
dominion of the Son of God as our Lord and King. The only way to find rest is
to willingly slip your neck under His yoke. When you do, and only when you
do, you will find that His yoke really is easy and His burden really is
light. I bid you now, everyone of you — Take the MasterÕs yoke upon you, and find rest unto your souls. á
His Yoke of Grace (Luke 14:25-33). á
His Yoke Doctrine (Jeremiah 6:16). (Jeremiah
6:16) ÒThus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the
old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.Ó á
His Yoke of Providence (Psalm 31:1, 5, 7, 15). (Psalms
31:1) In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me
in thy righteousnessÉ..5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast
redeemed me, O LORD God of truthÉ..7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy:
for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in
adversitiesÉ..15 My times are in thy hand. ÒCome unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest
unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.Ó Read the Word of God and you
will discover that Sabbath keeping was required in the Old Testament law to
portray the blessed rest of faith in Christ. The ordinance of sabbath observance was established by God in the
wilderness at the same time that Manna was given from Heaven (Exodus. 16:22-30).
(Exodus
16:22-30) And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread,
two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told
Moses. (23) 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. (24) And they laid it up till the
morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm
therein. (25) And
Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye
shall not find it in the field. (26) Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh
day, which is the
sabbath, in it there shall be none. (27) And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day
for to gather, and they found none. (28) And the LORD said unto Moses, How
long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? (29) See, for that the LORD hath given
you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two
days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the
seventh day. (30) So the people rested on the seventh
day. The children of Israel were
commanded not to do any work on the sabbath. They were not even allowed to
pick up manna on the seventh day of the week! Then, in Exodus 20:8-11, we
read GodÕs law commandment, forbidding any man to work on Saturday, or even
to have anyone under his authority to work for him. (Exodus 20:8-11) Remember the
sabbath day, to keep it holy. (9) Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: (10) But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work,
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: (11) 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. Now, listen carefully - Those
who would impose upon us the carnal ordinance of sabbath keeping, those who
would bring us back under the yoke of bondage to the law, compelling us to
keep the sabbath day, compel us to do what they themselves cannot do. I know many who preach sabbath
keeping as a rule of life, many who would impose upon GodÕs saints strict
rules and regulations for sabbath day observance. But all their teaching and
preaching in that regard is sheer hypocrisy. Not one of them observes the
sabbath day, Their teaching regarding the sabbath are just Òa fair show in
the fleshÓ (Galatians 6:12-13). Their pretended reverence for the law of God,
when closely examined, reveals a total disregard for GodÕs law.
They sift through the commandments, pick out what they like, and simply
ignore the rest. Let me show you what I mean. Here are four things required in GodÕs law for the observance of the
sabbath day. If the sabbath day is
observed, it must be observed in such a way as to include all four of these
things. 1. The sabbath day must be observed on Saturday,
the seventh day of the week (Exodus
20:10). Sunday is not the sabbath day. It never has been. Sunday is the LordÕs
Day, the day of ChristÕs resurrection; but nowhere in the Bible are we
commanded, or even permitted, to observe the sabbath on Sunday. 2. No work can be done on the sabbath - NONE! (Exodus
20:10) 3. Any genuine observance of the sabbath day
necessitates a return to the ceremonial law of the Old Testament, because the sabbath day cannot be
observed without the offering of a double sin-offering, a double meal
offering, and a double drink-offering; and those offerings must be made in
the temple at Jerusalem (Numbers 28:9-10). 4. Those who insist upon keeping the sabbath must
also demand the execution of all sabbath breakers (Exodus 31:15). We do not and cannot observe a legal, literal
sabbath day because CHRIST IS OUR SABBATH, AND WE REST IN HIM! In the New Testament epistles (Romans -
Revelation), the sabbath is only mentioned in two places. It is mentioned in
the four gospels and in the Book of Acts many times in connection with the
Jews and Jewish worship. But in those Epistles which prescribe all ordinances
of divine worship in this gospel age, it is mentioned in just two places. (Colossians
2:16-17) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect
of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: (17) Which are a shadow of things to
come; but the body is of Christ. Here the Apostle Paul, writing
by divine inspiration, forbids the observance of a legal sabbath day on the
basis that in Christ every believer is completely, totally, entirely, and
forever freed from the law (Romans 7:4; 10:4). (Hebrews
4:3-9) For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have
sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were
finished from the foundation of the world. (4) For he spake in a certain place of
the seventh day on
this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his worksÉ..(9) There remaineth therefore a rest
to the people of God. The word ÒrestÓ in these verses is the word normally translated Òsabbath.Ó Here we are told that all who believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ keep the sabbath spiritually, truly keep the sabbath by
faith in him. How do we keep the sabbath by faith? Just like our God kept the
first sabbath — COMING TO CHRIST,
BELIEVING ON THE SON OF GOD, WE CEASE FROM OUR WORKS AND REST and are refreshed! Now,
I bid you come to Christ and keep the sabbath of faith! (Matthew
11:28-30) ÒCome unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(29) Take my yoke
upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.Ó AMEN. Don Fortner Listen to sermons
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