by Brandon Rhea | Sep 2, 2024 | Old Testament
*Editor’s note: This is part 1 in Dr. Brandon Rhea’s blog series on “The Day of Atonement.”
Read part 2 here: https://cbtseminary.org/how-does-the-day-of-atonement-foreshadow-jesus-atonement-for-his-people-how-does-the-yearly-sacrifice-portend-christs-redemption-for-his-elect/
Read Part 3 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-particular-atonement-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 4 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-believers-baptism-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 5 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-repentance-and-faith-brandon-rhea/
The Day of Atonement: Foreshadowing Jesus Our High Priest
Leviticus 16:1-14
Brandon Rhea
Intro
In 2022, Queen Elizabeth celebrated seventy years on the throne of Great Britain. During the festivities, an amazing story came out about her. About ten years before, the Queen was picnicking with the head of security in Scotland in the countryside of her Balmoral home. Along came two American tourists who struck up a conversation. They asked the “old lady” not knowing that she was the Queen if she lived nearby. She mentioned that her primary residence is in London, but she has been coming to her summer home in Scotland for seventy years. Then the Americans commented about their proximity to Balmoral. Naturally, they asked them if they had met the Queen. The Queen assured them that she had never met the Queen. The head of security said that he had met her on several occasions. The Americans could not believe it. They were in the presence of a person who had met the Queen. They asked, “What is she like?” He said, “She was a bit gruff, but is surprisingly nice.” The Americans then asked to take pictures with the man who had met the Queen. Next, they took a few pictures with the “old lady,” before leaving. After they left, the Queen turned to her security guard and said, “Imagine what their friends will say when they show them the picture!”[1]
The two Americans did not recognize Her Majesty while in her presence. They awed over the man who had met the Queen and not over the Queen herself. They missed seeing the Queen even though their eyes met face to face. Similarly, the Israelites awed over the shadows of the old covenant and not over the Lord Jesus Christ. They held on to the traditions instead of seeing the Majesty of the incarnate Lord. They gloried in the types and not in the anti-type who saves. Is this you? Are you not beholding the glory of God? Are you missing the majesty of the Lord?
In this post, we will begin a five-part series on the Day of Atonement. As we examine Leviticus 16:1-14, we will answer this question: How does the Day of Atonement foreshadow Jesus’ atonement for His people? How does the yearly sacrifice portend Christ’s redemption for His elect?
Point 1
Our first of two points is this: The Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus enters the Holy Place of Heaven as a representative for His people. The yearly sacrifice portends Christ’s redemption because Christ draws near to God as a federal head for His elect.
Leviticus 16 is the high point in the book and in the Pentateuch. Since the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, the narrative has developed to this point. When God removed Adam and Eve from the garden, it symbolized the breaking of fellowship. God, however, through the line of Abraham had a plan to restore and reconcile humanity. In Exodus, God saved the Israelites from the Egyptians and dwelt with them. Moses even went on the mountain and talked to God. Through the tabernacle and priesthood, God displayed His presence with the people. Yet the Israelites still did not have the communion and intimacy with God which Adam and Eve lost in Genesis 3. How can humanity dwell with a holy God? How can sinners be cleansed? To see the shadows which ultimately point to Jesus Christ, we turn to Leviticus 16.
The Lord speaks to Moses again. Moses must warn his brother not to imitate Nadab and Abihu. The Lord gives this message on the same day of the brothers’ deaths. Remember that they tried to enter the holy of holies without God’s invitation. Consequently, God stuck them down with fire. Since Aaron is a sinner, as we saw in the creation of the golden calf in Exodus 32, he should have been killed too. God is holy and cannot dwell with sinners. Psalm 5:4 says, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.”
To understand this passage, we must visualize the tabernacle structure. Outside of the tent was the courtyard. It had a bronze laver filled with water and the burnt offering altar. The courtyard always stood on the east side of the tent. Next, within the tent, stood the first room called the Holy Place. To enter it, the priest opened curtains which had cherubim on them. Inside the room, you would see a table with twelve loaves which represented the tribes of Israel. You also would view a golden lampstand and an incense altar. To enter the second room, the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies, the priest would walk west. He would open a second curtain which had Cherubim on it too. The Holy of Holies contained the ark of the covenant, a rectangular box overlayed with gold. On top of it were two cherubim who symbolized God’s presence. It also had a mercy seat where God’s cloud appeared. In God’s economy, this spot was the most holy. One would see the glory of God. Finally, the ark contained the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna, and Aaron’s budded rod.
Even though the Lord warns Aaron against coming into the Holy of Holies, He does invite him under the right conditions, according to verses 3-4. Once a year, the High Priest may enter in. No one else, however, possessed this invitation. If anyone else, or if the High Priest at the wrong time, entered the Holy of Holies, he would be killed.
This Day of Atonement draws parallels with the Garden of Eden. Through the High Priest’s actions, he would be going back to the fellowship Adam and Eve had lost. For example, God sent Adam and Eve to the East after they sinned. Now the High Priest goes west to enter the Holy of Holies. Second, the cherubim guarded the entrance to the Garden of Eden to stop Adam and Eve from reentering. Genesis 3:24 says, “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” Yet the High Priest goes through the curtain with cherubim embroidered in it to come into God’s presence. Third, sin created disfellowship between humanity and God. In Genesis 3:7, Adam and Eve “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God.” Now on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest draws near to the Lord. The High Priest, therefore, serves as a new Adam who will represent the people of Israel by performing this duty just as Adam represented humanity in the Garden.[2]
Before entering the Holy of Holies, the Lord gave specific instructions to Aaron. First, he must bring a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. Without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sins. He also must put on holy linen while inside the Holy Place before going into the Holy of Holies. These clothes represent purity. He also must bathe. Finally, he will bring two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He will present these sacrifices for the congregation’s sins.
How does this section foreshadow Jesus Christ? The High Priest’s entrance into the Holy of Holies looks forward to Jesus Christ our Great High Priest. Hebrews 9:8-10 says, “By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.” In Hebrews 9:1-7, the author describes the sacrificial system including the Day of Atonement and gives his Holy Spirit inspired commentary. If the tent or tabernacle remains, sinners are shut out from the presence of God. Only the high priest may enter into the Holy of Holies once a year. No one else in the camp had access. God, however, had the ultimate plan to open access for every believer to the Holy of Holies. Thus, the sacrificial system only dealt with the outward elements of the Old Covenant, but it could not make a sinner clean. The offerings did not remove guilt, reconcile sinners to God, or promise eternal life.
They did, however, point to Jesus Christ who would save us. Hebrews 9:24 says, “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” Jesus is the Great High Priest, because He entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven. The tabernacle and temple were replicas and not the real thing. In His ascension, Jesus Christ the God-man entered into heaven and stood in the presence of God. He accomplished what no other priest could do. He entered heaven on His own merit to be His people’s representative. Adam failed in the Garden. The High Priest continued to sin in the Old Testament. Consequently, sinners look to Jesus Christ the holy one who in the presence of God in heaven on our behalf. He stands, advocates, and intercedes for us perfectly.
What is the result for us? Hebrews 10:19-22 says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near.” If you are united to Christ by faith in Him, then you too may enter the Holy Places. Christ’s blood shed on the cross by way of His incarnation has opened up a new way to you. The Holy of Holies no longer bars all people except for the High Priest once a year. Rather, Jesus Christ has torn the curtain in two. When He died on the cross, the temple curtain ripped into pieces. Why? It symbolized this new age. Christ had finished the work. All believers, therefore, may draw near to God by faith. We do not have to stand on the outside. Hence, Hebrews 10:22 says, “let us draw near.” God invites us into the Holy of Holies of heaven to commune with Him, because Christ’s death has paved the way.
Once I read a biography about King George III, the last king of America.[3] In telling the king’s story, the author describes the etiquette of the royal life. One of the rules then and now for the monarch is this: only a select group of people can call upon the King without an invitation. Certain royals who held titles had the authority to request a meeting, and the King had to grant it. The common citizen had no authority. Even a politician could not meet with the King unless the monarch invited him, because the politician did not descend from royalty.
In the same way, through faith in Jesus Christ, God has made all believers royals. He has granted us access to Him all the time. Brethren, are you drawing near to God? Are you coming to Him in the blood of Christ? Are you afraid to approach Him due to your sin? Do you feel guilt, shame, and regret for past sins? Do you feel unworthy to pray and commune with God? Remember that Christ’s blood has opened the way to you. Your access does not depend on your worthiness; it rests on the worthiness of Christ. Do not trust your feelings but trust the word of God. Do not trust in your knowledge of sin, but trust in Christ’s last words before His death: “It is finished.” He made the way and not you. He went into heaven on your behalf. He has purchased for you access to God.
Are you being negligent to draw near to God because of apathy? Do you find prayer to be boring at times? Are you going through the motions or not even trying to pretend? You do not understand the privilege of drawing near to God. You need to meditate on the glory of the New Covenant. We have forgiveness of sins to fellowship with God. We also are like the martyrs in heaven who cry out to the “Sovereign Lord” in Revelation 6:9-11. They desired to see their persecutors punished. They cried out to the Lord after their death while in heaven. They dwelt with God, and He heard them. In the same way, when we pray, we are transported to the throne of God and commune with Him.
Do you also find corporate prayer to be boring? Remember that you have a greater privilege than the high priest. He could only go into the Holy of Holies once a year. We are invited every day from morning to evening to midnight. Through Christ, you may boldly approach the throne.
Do you find worship to be boring? We are entering into worship with the angels and saints who have died before us. In the blood of Christ, we join the heavenly chorus with our praises on earth. We do not have to stay outside of the tent or in the courtyard of the temple. God has eliminated the degrees of spatial nearness to Him. Instead, He has called us to His bosom.
Do you see that Christ is the only way to draw near to God? He alone by His blood opened up access for us to God. No mere man can bring us to the throne of grace. The pope or a modern priest has no power. Muhammad, Joseph Smith, and Brigham Young cannot stand in God’s presence. Michael the Archangel did not have human flesh and die on the cross for us. Jesus Christ alone made the way.
Point 2
Our second and last point is this: The Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus is the Holy High Priest and the sacrifice. The yearly sacrifice portends Christ’s redemption because Christ is the unblemished High Priest and the offering. Let’s read verses 6-14.
First, we will examine the fallen high priest in verses 6 and 11-14. According to verses 6 and 11, Aaron had to provide an offering for his sins and for the sins of his household. They were sinners by having Adam’s sin imputed to them. Moreover, they sinned by choice throughout their lives. Psalm 130:3 says, “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” The answer is “no one could stand.” Every single person has sinned. No human is good. Psalm 90:8 teaches, “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” God sees our sins. We cannot hide them from His presence. God even knows the sins of darkness as much as our sins in daylight.
Due to his sinful condition, Aaron needs atonement through a blood sacrifice to perform his duties as a High Priest. In verse 11, he kills a bull as a substitute sin offering to purify himself. The bull takes Aaron’s place and receives the penalty that Aaron deserves. Yet the bull’s blood only purifies ceremonially and not morally. Aaron has not become holy and pure. Hence, in verses 12-13, he must take a censor with coals and incense into the Holy of Holies. Why? The smoke will cover the mercy seat, so that he does not die. Due to the smoke, Aaron will not see the glory of God unveiled. Thus, the bull’s blood did not make him holy. If it had, he would not need the covering.
Earlier in Exodus 33:18-20, Moses requested to see God’s glory. “Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” God warned Moses of the consequences of seeing His glory. Since Moses was a sinner, he would die. God placated Moses by having His goodness pass before him while Moses hid himself behind a rock. Consequently, at this stage in redemptive history, no one could see God’s glory and live.
Our passage ends in verse 14 with the application of the blood. The High Priest puts the bull’s blood on the mercy seat seven times. This action points to the satisfaction of God’s wrath which will one day come through Jesus Christ. The number seven stands for perfection. A perfect atonement is needed for humanity.
In addition to the bull offering for Aaron and his household, God commanded him to take two goats in verses 7-10. Then he will cast lots over them—one of the goats will live and the other will die. The goat that lives is called the scapegoat in the NASB, NIV, and KJV. In the ESV and HCSB, it is translated as Azazel. Interpreters have not agreed on how to translate the Hebrew word. Yet commentators agree on the significance of the scapegoat. This goat will bear the guilt of the people’s sin and carry it away from the camp. The Israelites, therefore, will no longer bear the guilt of their sins. Imagine a stinky diaper in the house that pollutes the smell. Someone must carry it outside and put it in the garbage to remove the stench. In the same, our sins stink in the sight of God. We need someone to carry the guilt away, so that we may be clean.
How does this passage point to Jesus Christ? He is the Holy High Priest. Jesus is “without sin” according to Hebrews 4:15. Romans 8:34 also teaches, “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Christ did not need incense when He went into the heavenly tabernacle. Paul does not mention this detail in Romans or anywhere else. Why? The God-man sits in the presence of God based upon His holiness. He does not have to fear death. His holiness, therefore, makes him our Great High priest who prays for us in contrast to Aaron who was a sinner.
Besides being the Holy High Priest, Jesus is the Holy Sacrifice. Hebrews 10:1-4 instructs, “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The Day of Atonement foreshadowed the majesty of Jesus Christ, but it could not clean the soul. Rather it reminded the Israelites of their elusive need for atonement. The blood of bulls and goats could not purify their consciences, make them holy, and reconcile them to God. Instead, the sacrifices foreshadowed Jesus’ crucifixion which fulfilled the Day of Atonement. Through His sacrifice on the tree, He redeemed His people perfectly.
Charles Spurgeon commented on this passage. “What a mercy it is for you and me that the spot where we meet with God is a place where the blood of the great sacrifice has been sprinkled, ay, and that the ground of our meeting with God, the place on which the mercy seat rests, has also the blood mark upon it!”[4]
Brethren, in Jesus Christ, we can now pray like Moses, “Show me your glory.” We do not have to fear being killed by God. Since Christ has shed His blood for us, we have been cleansed. We are holy. Through our union with Christ, we have unfettered access to God. We have privileges that Moses and Aaron could not fathom, and Adam and Eve lost. We can see God’s glory and live.
How do we see God’s glory? First, we see it in the Scriptures. By reading about the work of Christ and what it means, we behold the glory of the Lamb. Second, we will see it with our eyes when we go to be with the Lord. Jesus promised in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” How do we get a pure heart? Through faith in Jesus Christ and the imputation of His righteousness. We shall see God, but there will not be a cloud of smoke. Due to our holiness in Christ, we will not have a veil of cloud to protect us like the High Priest. Rather, we will behold the glory of God. We will see Him face to face. We will enjoy the glory of God in perfect peace.
Considering these truths, let us accept God’s invitation. He has called us into the Holy of Holies of heaven because of our Great High Priest Jesus Christ. By the help of the Spirit, in the name of Jesus, let us go to the throne of God.
[1] See, Don’t Miss Out On Majesty – Stephen McAlpine.
[2] See L. Michael Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2015).
[3] Andrew Roberts, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III (London: Viking, 2021).
[4] Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 40 (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1984), 334.
Brandon Rhea (Ph.D. Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor and an ACBC certified Biblical counselor. He met his wife, Karise, while doing pulpit supply in 2013-14. In April 2016, he accepted the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, Missouri. He loves history and has a heart for street preaching and evangelism. He is the author of “Spurgeon’s Forgotten Sabbatarianism” and teaches “Spurgeon on the Law & Sabbath” for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
by Brandon Rhea | Sep 1, 2024 | Law, Systematic Theology
Intro
Charles Dickens was a famous 19th-century English author who wrote A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities. While many people know him for his works, few know his disdain for the Christian Sabbath. He wrote in one of his novels, “a Sunday evening in London, gloomy, close, and stale…. Melancholy streets in a penitential garb of soot, steeped the souls of the people who were condemned to look at them out of windows, in dire despondency.” To him, God’s call to focus on the things of the Lord made London lifeless. He, therefore, spoke against in his writings and advocated for the government to open museums on Sundays and to allow lectures on non-religious topics. As an unconverted man, we can understand why worshiping God would seem to be burdensome. In contrast to Dickens, we have Henry Burton a Puritan author. He wrote that the Sabbath “is the market day of our souls, wherein we come to God’s house, the marketplace, to buy the wine and milk of the word without money.”
What is your view of the Christian Sabbath? Are you like Charles Dickens who hated it or Henry Burton who loved it? Do you even think that Christians are commanded to keep a Sabbath in the New Covenant? If you do, do you know how to keep it to the glory of God?
Today we will continue our series in Leviticus. Last time we learned that God does require Christians to keep His commandments because He is holy and to keep them out of gratitude for saving us. In our time now, we will answer this question: What is the purpose of the Sabbath? What is the intent of the 4th commandment?
Point 1
Our first and only point today is this: The purpose of the Sabbath is to rest from our works so that we can worship God. The intent of the 4th commandment is to work six days a week so that we can commune with God one day a week.
For the past several weeks, we have reviewed the holiness code in chapters 17-22. The Lord commanded the Israelites to walk in holiness, because He is holy. Moreover, to be accepted by God, they must have holy priests offer holy sacrifices without blemish to cover their sins. Of course, they could not and did not obey perfectly, but these regulations foreshadow to Jesus Christ the perfect high priest and sacrifice who died on the cross to redeem sinners. Now we start a new section in Chapter 23 which lists seven appointed feasts.
Verses 1 and 2 introduce the section. The Lord speaks again to Moses to give a message to all of the Israelites and not just to Aaron. He has appointed festival days which must be observed. Thus, the Israelites must submit their time to the Lordship of God. He sets their agenda and blocks off whole days of their calendar for these appointed feasts. To dwell with God in communion with Him, the Israelites must arrange their lives around Him.
The first appointed feast is the Sabbath. Previously in the Bible, God has created and instructed on the observance of this day. After creating the universe in seven days, Genesis 2:1-3 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Notice first that God rested on the seventh day by not creating anything new. He still worked through sustaining the universe. In John 5, Jesus made this point. The Pharisees accused Him of breaking the Sabbath, because he healed a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. To defend His act of mercy, He said in John 5:17, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” God continues to work on every Sabbath, because if He stopped sustaining the universe, it would collapse. Second, God blessed the day and set it aside for a special purpose for man.
Third, God defines a week as seven days. Why does this matter? After the French Revolution in 1789, the radicals tried to remove all forms of Christianity including the seven day week. They defined a week as 10 days, and three weeks made up a month totaling 30 days. At the end of the year, they had either five or six days extra due to leap year which they called “complementary days.” They instituted new secular feasts for the people to replace a Christian influence. When Napoleon came to power, he ended this calendar and went back to a seven day week. In the 20th century, the communists in the Soviet Union changed the calendar too. They tried having a five day week and then a six day week, but both attempts proved futile. Why? God has designed a seven-day week, because it the best design for man.
The Sabbath command though covers the whole week and not just a day. God commands us to work on the other six days, because it is good. In Colossians 3:23, Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Ultimately, a worker who has a human boss should be motivated to excel at his job, since God is his supreme boss. By doing well at his job, he glorifies the Lord. At the same time, if a person chooses not to work even though he is able, Paul warns in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” This commandment does not include people who desire to work, but they are unable. Rather, Paul addresses the lazy and discourages the church from enabling them. If they will not work, then they should starve, so that through their hunger pains, they will be motivated to work.
If we are to work six days a week, what does it mean to rest on the seventh? Leviticus 23:3 calls it a “Sabbath of solemn rest” or a Sabbath of sabbaths. To that end, the Lord orders the people to assembly for a “holy convocation.” The Sabbath, therefore, is not inactivity, but an appointed time to meet together to worship God. In the New Testament, the Jews continued to meet on Saturday to worship. For instance, Acts 15:21 says, “For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” At the various synagogues throughout the Roman Empire, the Jews met together to hear the Scriptures read. Hence, Paul makes the synagogues a central part of his evangelism strategy. On the Jewish Sabbath, he attended their meeting and preached Christ to them. Some of the people came to faith in Christ while others rejected his teaching. Then the apostle would turn to evangelizing to the Gentiles in the community.
Why does God issue a Sabbath day? He gives two reasons. First, He created the world in six days and rested. Exodus 20:11 says, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Since God rested on the seventh day and made it holy, He commands the Israelites to imitate Him. Second, the Lord established the Sabbath as a reminder of their redemption from Egypt. Deuteronomy 5 reissues the Ten Commandments. In verse 15, it says, “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” Every seven days, the Israelites remember the Lord’s salvation in giving them freedom from the bondage of slavery in Egypt and a new dwelling in the Promised Land.
Finally, God calls the people to observe the Sabbath with joy and not drudgery. Isaiah 58:13-14 says, “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” In this passage, Israel had turned from delighting in the Sabbath to breaking it. They are engaging in their own affairs and pleasures without regard for the Lord. Now God gives a promise of blessing them if they repent. They will delight in the Sabbath and in the Lord. To keep the Sabbath means to commune weekly with the living God and to assemble with others to do the same. If Israel believes in God’s promise, He will bless them for their obedience. Thus, Sabbath keeping should be joyful, since its end is God Himself.
Having examined the Sabbath in the Old Testament, how does the Sabbath relate to Christians today? The Second London Confession of Faith has this helpful summary in 22.7. “As it is the law of nature, that in general a proportion of time, by God’s appointment, be set apart for the worship of God, so by his Word, in a positive moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages, he has particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him, which from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ was the last day of the week, and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week, which is called the Lord’s Day:29 and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week being abolished.”
The 2LCF makes three assertions. First, God has placed in all humans the knowledge of holy days since the creation of Adam and Eve and the establishment of the creation ordinance. All people, therefore, including people whose beliefs are false have feast days. Muslims worship on Friday and Jews on Saturday. Hindus have special festivals to commemorate their false gods. Homosexuals have gay pride month in June. Obviously, due to their sin, they are not obeying God. The second assertion is that God also gave revelation of this commandment through the Ten Commandments. He wrote the 4th commandment on stone along with the other nine, but He had the rest of the 603 commandments for Israel written on parchment. This distinction shows the permanence of the 4th commandment. Moreover, the tablets with the Ten Commandments rested in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies. According to Hebrews 9:11, the earthly tabernacle was based upon the heavenly one which is the reality. Hence, the veracity of the Ten Commandments comes from heaven.
The third assertion says that due to Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week the Sabbath observance changed from the seventh day to the first day. To prove the point, we see early on in the New Testament that the church gathered on Sunday. The disciples, for example, gathered on the first day of the week after the resurrection according to John 20:19. Then, in 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul told the Christians to give money for the collection in Jerusalem on the first day of the week. Furthermore, Acts 20:7 records, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.” The congregation gathered for the Lord’s Supper on Sunday as a matter of practice. Finally, John makes reference to receiving his vision on the Revelation of Christ on “the Lord’s day,” in Revelation 1:10. He uses the term as a marker of time to differentiate from other days. Similarly, every meal comes from the Lord, but we only call communion, the Lord’s Supper.
Charles Spurgeon, who practiced and taught for Sabbath keeping, said, “We gather together on the first rather than upon the seventh day of the week, because redemption is even a greater work than creation, and more worthy of commemoration, and because the rest which followed creation is far outdone by that which ensues upon the completion of redemption.” (Spurgeon, MTP, 26:194). The Lord’s Day serves as a weekly habit where we remember Christ’s resurrection from the dead for our salvation, and we respond with praise to Him. To worship on Sunday means we confess and identify with the risen Lord.
Now that I have made a positive case for keeping the Sabbath under the New Covenant, we must address some objections. There are many Christians who love the Lord and know the gospel who believe differently. First, a minority of Christians hold to a continuation of the Sabbath, but they object to changing the day from Saturday to Sunday. Seventh Day Adventists which should be considered cultlike and a few Baptist groups in the 1600s hold to this view. In fact, one Baptist church tried to join the London Association in 1689, but the association objected to their membership over this issue.
The majority of Christians who object to the Sabbath teaching say that the Sabbath should be treated like the sacrifices in the Old Testament that have been fulfilled by Christ. Dispensationalists and New Covenant theologians fall into this camp. John MacArthur, for instance, says that only 9 of the 10 commandments are repeated in the New Testament, therefore, Christians are not obligated to keep the Sabbath.
What biblical passages do these brothers appeal to when making their objections? First, they will cite Exodus 31:17, “It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ” Those who object to the Sabbath say that it is a sign for the Old Covenant between Israel and God. Since the Old Covenant has been abolished, then the sign is abolished too. How do I respond? Even though the Sabbath is apart of the Old Covenant, it supersedes it. God included the Sabbath in the Covenant, but the Sabbath commanded proceeded the covenant. The Lord also included worshiping Him alone, making no images, prohibitions on murder and adultery in the Old Covenant too. These commandments, however, are still in force, because God made them apart of the moral law which proceeded His covenant with Israel. In the same way, the Sabbath remains.
A second popular passage to object to a Christian Sabbath is Colossians 2:16-17. “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” Opponents of the Sabbath argue that we should treat the day as optional like we treat keeping the food regulations in Leviticus. The Sabbath pointed to Christ, and now that He has come, it has ended.
How do I respond to this objection? First, the word “Sabbath” in the passage is plural in the Greek and not singular. This minor change is major. Paul utilizes a common phrase found in the Old Testament to refer to the Jewish worship including all of the Sabbath festivals. For instance, Isaiah 1:13-14 states, “Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.” At the beginning of Isaiah, God calls Israel to repentance from their idolatry and to stop trusting in the religious performance to cover for their spiritual adultery. Furthermore, Ezekiel 45:17 states, “It shall be the prince’s duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel.” Once again, the prophet employs this phrase to refer to the Jewish worship customs added in the Old Covenant. Hence, it does not renounce the Sabbath which began at creation, but the additional Sabbath festivals which are tied exclusively to the Old Covenant.
Opponents to a Christian Sabbath also appeal to Romans 14 and Galatians 4:10 to establish the fulfillment of the Sabbath in Christ. These passages, however, both have a Jewish context and deal with Christian liberty issues. They are not debating when to gather together for a weekly holy convocation, but they have conflict over the food laws and Sabbaths including the Passover, feast of firstfruits, weeks, trumpets, and booths.
A final text which we will cover in depth is Hebrews 4:9-10. It says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” In verse 9, it establishes the people of God—Christians—still have a Sabbath rest. What is that rest? There are three main views. First, some commentators say it is a future rest in the eternal state. Second, other commentators argue that we present rest in Christ through the forgiveness of our sins, but we have a future rest to come in heaven. The last view says that Christians have a present Sabbath observance like the Jews in the Old Testament. I hold to this third view, because the Greek word for Sabbath means Sabbath keeping or Sabbath observance. It does not refer to passive trusting upon Christ for salvation. In four other passages in the Old Testament, the Greek Septuagint, uses the same word for Sabbath in verse 9 to describe Sabbath keeping as an activity. We, therefore, should read the same meaning for this passage.
Now turning to verse 10, we must ask, “Who has entered the rest?” Many commentators say the “for whoever” refers to believers. Thus, when believers enter into God’s rest by faith, they rest from their works and have peace. Yet, I take the position that this verse does not refer to believers but to Christ. It should be read, “Christ has entered his rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” Notice that I changed “God’s rest” in the ESV to “his rest.” Why? The ESV supplies “God’s,” but the NASB leaves it as “his.” This one change inclines readers to think this verse is about believers. Moreover, starting the verse with “whoever” or “the one” causes this confusion. Instead, the KJV and NKJV translates it as “he as entered his rest.” Those translations point out the singular. Leading up to this verse, the passage uses the plural to refer to believers like in Hebrews 4:3, but in verse 10, it switches to the singular. Why? Because it is talking about Jesus. Finally, verse 10 gives the justification for verse 9. Why do we have a present Sabbath observance? Jesus completed His mission by dying on the cross, being raised, and ascending to heaven. Now He sits and waits for His return. He has rested from His works, like the Godhead rested after creating the universe. Hebrews 10:14 says, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” In contrast to the Old Testament priests who worked daily offering sacrifices, Jesus sits down, because His sacrifice paid it all. It is finished.
To summarize Hebrews 4:9-10, let me quote Richard Barcellos. He says, ‘There is a remaining Sabbath day to be kept under the inaugurated new covenant for the present people of God on earth because Christ, who is God, has entered His rest via His first-day resurrection, ceasing from the work of redemption, a new creation, just as God rested from His works of the old creation.’ (Barcellos, Getting the Garden Right, 250)
Based upon the veracity of Christ’s accomplished redemption, Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” Christians are like the Jews in wilderness. We have not reached Canaan which stands for heaven. We, therefore, do not rest, but we continue to strive and persevere in the faith. The Lord has ordained a weekly Sabbath observance as a means to help us persevere until we go to glory. This truth corresponds with Hebrews 10:24-25. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Through Sabbath keeping by gathering with one another, we will stir one another up to persevere. We do not want to be like the Israelites in the desert who died in unbelief and did not make Canaan. In the same way, we do not want to fall away from the faith, and by doing so reveal that we never knew the Lord.
Yet, without the Christian Sabbath, we would not know how often to meet together. Hebrews 10:25 does not command a frequency. Do we have to meet weekly or could we decide to meet bi-weekly—like some Amish groups, monthly, or even yearly? Could we also go to the other extreme and require daily meetings since the Christians meet daily after Pentecost. The only theological justification for meeting weekly on Sunday is the Christian Sabbath. God gave us six days to work and one day for a holy convocation. Non-Sabbatarian churches, however, meet weekly without any theological justification. They do it based upon Christian tradition which is grounded in observing a Sabbath.
The last objection for this sermon is that Sabbath keeping is burdensome. To refute this objection, lets read Mark 2:27-28. “And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” Leading up to these verses, the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of breaking the Sabbath because they plucked grain heads to eat from the field. They did not harvest the grain but took a snack. In response to their accusations, Jesus reveals their misunderstanding of the Sabbath by point to David’s actions. He ate the holy bread, because he needed food. Thus, mercy to his stomach trumped the prohibition of eating the only bread that was available. Meanwhile, God made the Sabbath to serve man and not man to serve the Sabbath. Notice that He made the Sabbath for man and not for the Jews. It is for humanity. Second, Jesus did not say that the Sabbath was abrogated, but it is a blessing. Hence, as Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus has the authority to explain what can and cannot be done.
Charles Spurgeon also considered the Sabbath to be a blessing to man. “Marriage and the Sabbath are the two choice boons of primeval love that have come down to us from Paradise, the one to bless our outer and the other our inner life.” (Spurgeon, MTP, 20:42)
Since we have looked at the biblical teaching on the Sabbath, how do we keep it? In Matthew 12:1-14, we can derive three principles on how to keep the Sabbath. First, do works of piety. Primarily, this means gathering with fellow believers on Sunday to worship God. God has established this day as the day to worship, although we can have additional meetings on other days. For this reason, we did not cancel church when it fell on Christmas last year, and we do not have a service on Saturday evening. By worshiping on Sunday, we are declaring a message to the world: Jesus Christ lives. He rose from the grave. What if you are out of town on Sunday? Then go and visit a church and worship with other believers. Be encouraged in the Lord and sit under the Word. What if are sick? Stay home! Out of love for the church and out of love for your body, rest at home to recover.
In addition to coming to church, engage in ministry opportunities. You could go to campus and evangelize or organize a Bible study on Sunday evening. You could also use Sunday as a day for hospitality or visitation. Finally, going to the nursing home services is a wonderful way to share the Bible with others. Lastly, you can keep the Sabbath as individuals. Give yourself to Bible reading, prayer, hymn singing, or reading Christian books. In our home, Karise and I have begun reading Luther’s commentary on Galatians on Sunday evenings to edify our souls.
Besides works of piety, you may engage in works of necessity. All of us have work which must be done daily. We have to cook food for meals, get dressed, shower, feed animals, or change an unexpected flat tire. However, look to ease your burden through simplifying your work. For instance, we used to make waffles every Sunday morning, but it is labor intensive and made our mornings rushed. Now we have baked oatmeal. Karise makes the mixture on Saturday night. Then on Sunday morning, I place it in a pan and put it in the oven. Forty minutes later we have breakfast without much effort. Despite the planning that we can take to alleviate work, some jobs need someone to work seven days a week. To keep the streets safe, we need police officers. We also need firemen to respond to emergencies. Farmers have to round up calves who have gotten out of the fence. Powerline workers need to restore electricity so that people will not freeze. These works are allowable and show love to your neighbor.
The third and last work allowable on the Sabbath are works of mercy. The Lord encourages us to give aid to those who are sick and in trouble. Parents should go to the store on Sunday to get medication for their children. Women should cook food to drop off for a shut-in who cannot go to church. We need doctors and nurses to work on Sunday to care for patients in the hospitals and nursing homes. These professions engage in compassion for hurting people. The Sabbath does not forbid it.
As much as God calls us to keep the Sabbath, we should also keep it with the right attitude—joy. Imagine if you were required to watch NFL games all day every Sunday, and you loved football. Would it be a burden to keep this commandment? NO! You love to do it. You would see it as a blessing not a curse. If football is not your interest, imagine you had to go shopping, hunt animals, read, or do anything else which you love all day once a week. Would you complain? Absolutely not! You love it! In the same way, God, whom you love, has given you the freedom to not feel guilty for resting every Lord’s Day so that you can enjoy Him. If the Lord is your greatest treasure and joy, keeping the Sabbath will not be a burden. It will be a delight!
Brandon Rhea (Ph.D. Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor and an ACBC certified Biblical counselor. He met his wife, Karise, while doing pulpit supply in 2013-14. In April 2016, he accepted the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, Missouri. He loves history and has a heart for street preaching and evangelism. He is the author of “Spurgeon’s Forgotten Sabbatarianism” and teaches “Spurgeon on the Law & Sabbath” for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
