| Author | Message | ||
| Jude the Obscure |
Dear SDA Friend: JESUS DID NOT REFORM THE SABBATH, HE FULFILLED IT! Dr. Desmond Ford says Jesus tried to reform the Sabbath: ìHe [Jesus] even risked His mission and life in performing seven (recorded) miracles on the holy day to demonstrate that true Sabbath-keeping brought blessing not injury. Never did He defend any institution soon to pass away.î Desmond Ford, THE FORGOTTEN DAY, p.209. Dr. Ford is just plain wrong. Here's how: With zero scriptural evidence, he simply ASSUMES or SUPPOSES that Jesusí Sabbath miracles demonstrated Sabbath reform. But Scripture clearly demonstrates otherwise. The truth as it is in Scripture: Never did Jesus defend the Sabbath laws. Scripture says that everything Jesus said or did regarding the Sabbath demonstrates that our God-on-Earth was breaking the Sabbath laws, commanding others to do so, defending them when they did, and defending his own words and actions in breaking the Sabbath laws as unambiguously stated in the Torah. Item #1. HEALTH AND MEDICAL LABOR. The seven Sabbath miracles constituted an outright, in-the-Pharisaic-face breaking of the expression (wording or ìletterî) of the Fourth Commandment: ìRemember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work [doctoring, nursing, med-teching, etc.], but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do ANY work[neither doctoring nor nursing nor med-teching, etc.], neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.î Exodus 20:8-11 NIV. Jesus did not break the Spirit of the law, since he himself was its Spirit and he could not break himself. But he broke the statement of the law. And I donít care how many PhDs you hold, you have simply no way to get around this simple, blunt FACT of Scripture. If the work prohibition had excluded healing work, then Dr. Fordís claim might have some merit. But unfortunately for the good doctorís argument, there simply was no exemption in the law of the Fourth Commandment for health and medical work. Period. And if you donít think health and medical work isnít ìreal work,î I would invite you to share your opinion with the tens of thousands of good Seventh-day Adventist physicians, nurses, medical technicians and other allied health-care professionals the world around. Let them know the work theyíre doing isnít ìreal work.î And so therefore they shouldnít get paid. On second thought, youíd better not. Not, that is, if you value your life and limb. In addition to doing health and medical work on the Sabbath ñ in direct disobedience to the stated command (though not the Spirit) of the law, Jesus performed, commanded, allowed and defended other forms of Sabbath labor. Item #2. PHARMACEUTICAL LABOR: Quarrying and mixing of earthen medicinals. As God he MIXED a clay poultice on the Sabbath (John 9:6-15). Law broken: the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue as unambiguously stated in Exodus 20:10 NIV: ìThe seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do ANY work.î Item #3: AGRICULTURAL LABOR. Reaping grain. As God he allowed his disciples to REAP wheat on the Sabbath and defended them against the Phariseesí charges of Sabbath-breaking (Luke 6:1-5). Law broken: the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue as unambiguously stated in Exodus 20:10 NIV: ìThe seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do ANY work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.î In other words, NOBODY under your command is exempt. Item #4: AGRICULTURAL LABOR Threshing grain. As God he allowed his disciples to THRESH wheat (rub it between their hands so that the chaff fell away) on the Sabbath and defended them against the Phariseesí charges of Sabbath-breaking (Luke 6:1-5). Law broken: the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue as unambiguously stated in Exodus 20:10 NIV: ìThe seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do ANY work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.î In other words, NOBODY under your command is exempt. Item #5: TEAMSTER LABOR: Lifting, loading, and transportation of furniture. As God he commanded a man to (1) PICK UP his sleeping mat, (2) LOAD it on his shoulder (or crook of his arm or the top of his head) and (3) TRANSPORT it on the Sabbath (John 5:1-19). Law broken: the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue as unambiguously stated in Exodus 20:10 NIV: ìThe seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do ANY work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.î In other words, NOBODY under your command is exempt. Item #6: WAITRESSING: Waiting tables, chairs, etc. As God he allowed Peterís mother-in-law to ìWAIT ON himî or ìMINISTER UNTO him [KJV]î on the Sabbath (Matthew 8:13-16). Law broken: the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue as unambiguously stated in Exodus 20:10 NIV: ìThe seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do ANY work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.î In other words, NOBODY under your command is exempt. And so, my Adventist friend, Scripture abundantly contradicts and falsifies Dr. Fordís assertion. Furthermore, he has NO SCRIPTURE AT ALL to support his view. I would hope and pray that Dr. Ford would see the light, even as he saw the light on the falsity of the investigative judgment. Considering ìevery day alikeî (Romans 14:5 NIV), Jude | ||
| Maryann |
Hi Jude, You got a bunch of nods from me. In fact, I really liked the presentation. Keep it up! Maryann | ||
| bethany |
When I discovered that everyday is alike from reading scripture; it was one of the most freeing experiences I ever had! I didn't have to "endure" Saturday church with three young children? I didn't have to try to decipher Adventist opinion, from God's truth? The list went on and on, and I praise God that He showed me early in my convictions what a true sabbath rest really is! Thankyou, Jude for your clarity. |
