"Isn't that what the Mosaic Laws ordered to the people in the Old Testament days? Do we still need to keep it in our postmodern days?" This would be a surface impression and question for people today on the matter of Sabbath.
There are two parts in the Sabbath ordinance. The first part is ceremonial, not perpetual, given on the frame of time as a sign between the Jews and God. It was given to the Jews as a sacrament or type of the sanctification by the Messiah, who was to come. In as far as it has respect to the seventh day, it was, together with other ceremonies and types, fulfilled and abolished by the coming of the Messiah. For this reason, we, who are free in Christ from all the ceremonial laws, do not keep the seventh day as a ceremonially special day.
The other part of the fourth commandment is moral and perpetual aspect. "Moral and perpetual law" means the divine ordinance that permanently binds humankind on earth regardless of time and context. For this reason this law, unlike other ceremonial regulations, is included in the Ten Commandments with other moral and perpetual laws. Even though we are free in Christ from the seventh day keeping ritual regulation, the moral and perpetual aspect of the commandment is still valid.
As a matter of fact, the Sabbath ordinance was given to humankind long before the Laws for the Jews were given. At the creation of the universe, God created the Sabbath in time as a permanent ordinance and inscribed it in the sinew of the whole creation. The "one-in-seven" Sabbath principle started from the creation by the Creator, not by any human or religious institution, and is engraved in the rhythm of creation as a universal order. This rhythm is deeply rooted in our physiological and psychological structure.
Furthermore, the Sabbath ordinance is a blessing and gift for human beings. Though they are not aware of it, all humans are under the protective umbrella of the Sabbath principle and enjoying the blessed gift week after week. Though it is limited to external level until they enter into the spiritual and true Sabbath in and with God the Lord, they still enjoy the gift in a certain degree being free from the tyranny of time caused by human greed. When they enter into the saving grace of the Messiah by receiving the lord as their Lord, the true and spiritual freedom from the tyranny of sin will be fully theirs.
Now, the matter of discontinuity and continuity of the Sabbath became clearer. We know why we, who are in Christ, do not keep the ceremonial seventh day, but still honor the Sabbath ordinance on one in seven in Christ the Creator and Savior.
For some Christians, however, who want to have a logical clarification between the seventh day and the first, there might be another question: "What is the biblical rationale that for Christians the Sabbath has been moved from the seventh day to the first of a week, which is called the Lord's Day? Was the Resurrection of Christ Jesus that significant to change the day given by God?"
Who is Jesus that caused the change of the day of Sabbath? Does he have that much authority to cause the change? If we pay closer attention to a few chapters of the Sermon on the Mount, we will know Christ already re-interpreted the God-given Laws. Christ Jesus is the lord God Himself, the second person of God, fully God, the fullness of deity in bodily form, and the King who have all authority and power in heaven and earth. In his very nature and being he has the full authority for that.
Plus, there is another firm reason. When the fourth commandment was given, two foundations were mentioned: God's creation and salvation. And later, on the day of his Resurrection, Christ accomplished the new-creation and perfection of salvation. The day of the Resurrection is the day of new creation; the day is the day of perfection of salvation. When God created the universe, the Book of Genesis said, "It is completed. When Christ completed his messianic work, the scripture also said, "It is completed." The decisive significance of the day of Christ's Resurrection as the consummation of creation and salvation made the day the fulfillment of the meaning of the Sabbath. All anticipated by the Sabbath was fulfilled on the day. So, naturally, the day became the new foundation of the Sabbath. Since that time, the day has been celebrated under the name of "the first day" in the early churches, and later, an faithful servant of God, the Apostle John, called the day the "Lord's Day" while he was imprisoned at a barren island due to his love and loyalty for the Lord.
For those who have a true love and loyalty for the Lord, the Lord's Day is the day of feast in worship in the awe participating in the new creation and the completion of salvation as well as the day of blessed enjoyment of freedom from the tyranny of time according to the perpetual rhythm of creation.
Rev. Sean Kim is minister of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church at 132 Greenway Cres. in Thompson.
