Expert: Sal - 10/27/2009

Question
In an anwer you gave previously, you stated "The Sabbath was clearly only in effect for a divinely set time period-from Moses until Christ. Please accept the Holy Bible and not the "traditions of men." So my question is where did you get this teaching? The Bible says as writen by moses the Sabbath was at creation,before sin and  long before Moses walked this earth. So where do you get your teaching that it started with Moses? Thank you  

Answer
Dear Fawn:

Moses did not write that God created the Sabbath during Creation Week. Moses did not write that Adam and Eve observed the Sabbath. Moses gave us no evidence that anyone observed the Sabbath until he writes that the Israelites did so after the Exodus (see Exodus 16:23). To which the prophets agree.  “You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good.  You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions” (Nehemiah 9:13-14). “Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert.  I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.  Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy” (Ezekiel 20:10-12).

The Sabbath was the sign of the Old Covenant. The Bible says that this covenant was added 430 years after Abraham and was to last only until the coming of Christ. “This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.  Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people” (Galatians 3:17-19).

The Sabbath was part of the Law that was given to Israel to lead them to Christ. Once they found Christ the Law was no longer needed. “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:23-25).

I hope this answers your question.
God Bless You,
Sal