AboutBrenda Martin Expertise I have been one of Jehovah`s Witneses now for over 30 years, in those years I have brought up 4 children, teaching each of them the bible.Being one of Jehovah`s Witnesses has helped me cope with my Epilepsy and bring up a daughter with learning difficulties.I have conducted bible studies with people from nearly every denomination i.e. Muslim. Having used the bible all these years to answer peoples questions, I feel I am qualified to give any answer regarding Jehovah`s Witnesses and the bible.
Experience My experience has been one of attending bible lectures 5 times a week,taking part in these lectures in front of an audience and being with thousands of J.W. at conventions where I have seen the bible at work in peoples lives.It is truly a miracle when you see thousands of people meeting together and not one policeman needed, and not even a piece of litter in sight.It is like another world.
You say that the Sabbath was given to Israel and you suggest that it was to last only for a definite period of time. However, Gen. 2:1-3 tells us that God instituted the Sabbath to culminate creation week.
Later, in Exodus chapter 20 He told the children of Israel to "remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy." If the Sabbath was made holy only for Israel, why is it that God made the Sabbath long before Abraham or Isaac or Israel? Furthermore, if the Sabbath was to come to an end, why would it be included as one of the decalogue along with commandments such as "you shall honor your father and your mother" and "you shall not commit murder"?
I look forward to your biblical answer.
Warm regards,
Kirk Clarke
Answer Hi there Kirk, you said--"GEN. 2:1-3 TELLS US THAT GOD INSTITUTED THE SABBATH TO CULMINATE CREATION WEEK."
God proceeded to rest as to his works of material, earthly creation after preparing the earth for human habitation. But nothing in the Bible record says that God directed Adam to keep the seventh day of each week as a Sabbath.
Also the creative “days” were not literal 24hr days—
Concerning these days of creation A Religious Encyclopædia by Schaff says: “The days of creation were creative days, stages in the process, but not days of twenty-four hours.” Similarly Delitzsch says in his New Commentary on Genesis: “Days of God are intended, with Him a thousand years are but as a day when that is past, Ps. 90:4 . . . The days of creation are, according to the meaning of Holy Scripture itself, not days of four and twenty hours, but aeons . . . For this earthly and human measurement of time cannot apply to the first three days.”
The bible shows we are living in God's “rest day” now, and have been since the end of the 6th creative “day”. , more than 4,000 years after the seventh day, or God's rest day, commenced, Paul indicated that it was still in progress. At Hebrews 4:1-11 he referred to the earlier words of David (Ps 95:7, 8, 11) By the apostle's time, the seventh day had been continuing for thousands of years and had not yet ended.
"EXODUS CHAPTER 20 HE TOLD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO "REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY TO KEEP IT HOLY"
Yes;God plainly stated the Ten Commandments to Moses, prefacing these laws with the comment: “I am Jehovah your God, who have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves.” (Exodus 20:2) This Decalogue was for the Israelites, who were told in the First Commandment: “You must not have any other gods against my face.”—Exodus 20:3.Subsequently, Jehovah gave Moses instruction in other divine commandments for Israel. (Exodus 20:4–23:19) Altogether, these amounted to some 600 laws.
God also said to Israel--Deut. 5:15: “You must remember that you [Israel] became a slave in the land of Egypt and Jehovah your God proceeded to bring you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That is why Jehovah your God commanded you to carry on the sabbath day.” (Here Jehovah connects his giving of the sabbath law with Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt, not with events in Eden.)
"WHY IS IT THAT GOD MADE THE SABBATH LONG BEFORE ABRAHAM OR ISAAC OR ISRAEL?"
He didn't; the history of a weekly 24-hour Sabbath observance begins with the nation of Israel in the wilderness in the second month after their Exodus from Egypt in 1513 B.C.E. (Ex 16:1) That the Sabbath was not enjoined upon any of God's servants until AFTER the Exodus is evident from the testimony of Deuteronomy 5:2, 3 and Exodus 31:16, 17:
The fact that some of the Israelites went out to pick up manna on the seventh day, in spite of direct instruction to the contrary, indicates that Sabbath observance was something new. (Ex 16:11-30)
That there was uncertainty in handling the case of the first recorded Sabbath breaker after the Law had been given at Sinai also shows that the Sabbath had only recently been instituted. (Nu 15:32-36)
While in Egypt the Israelites, being slaves, could not have kept the Sabbath even if they had been under such law at the time.
"SABBATH WAS TO COME TO AN END.. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER" AND "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER" ALSO ENDED?"
Not at all; many of the moral standards set out in the Ten Commandments were restated in the inspired books of the Christian Greek Scriptures. There was, however, no restating of the Sabbath law.
Ephesians 6;1,2--Children, be obedient to your parents in union with the Lord, for this is righteous: 2 “Honor your father and [your] mother”
And the Bible makes clear that murder, committing adultery, stealing, lying and coveting are also against the laws for Christians.—Revelation 21:8; 1 John 3:15; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; Ephesians 4:25, 28; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Luke 12:15; Colossians 3:5.
