But you shouldn’t feel like you have to keep a command given to someone else just because you can eavesdrop and read about it thousands of years later. You and I are not addressed by Exodus 16 or 20 or any of the other passages in the Law you seem to consider “the [universal] commandments.” The sabbath and rest of the law was given to ancient Israel, not to us. Audience, audience, audience.

Now, when Jesus said “if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments,” do you really think he was referring to sabbath keeping? Think this through: that would make sabbath keeping a salvation issue! A ritual that few people in know about nor would guess has anything to do with them. They’re damned if it is a salvation issue or part of “the commandments of God for all men.” It’s only part of “the commandments to Israel.” God does not have just one set of “the commandments.” It depends on who you talk about. Adam and Noah were commanded to have children. Noah had to build an ark in his “the commandments.” You’d agree I hope that building an ark and having kids are not universal salvation commandments.

So which ones are? We don’t have to speculate and invent here; Jesus said which ones when asked! Check them again. Sabbath is not there. Only the moral instructions that he said fulfilled the Law and the Prophets are there. These are the same ones anyone can figure out without a Bible are pleasing to God as they are about justice and love to your fellow man. Which means unlike a sabbath command, these ones people can learn about and do rather than be damned for never having heard them. From any society a human grows up in you can learn the core moral code Jesus described and not be damned.

Sabbath and Law issues are also confusing to readers as it seems to say they are forever and “the sabbath was made for man” making you think it is something you should do. Then you hear the church say they changed it to Sunday by their authority, etc. and get anxious about getting the right day down for your salvation/obedience.

But the 7th day (Saturday) Sabbath was only given to ancient Israel. They were given prophets, judges, priests, & Levites to show them what to do and how to do it. They were not left in confusion and doubt like we are today on these things. Yet they broke the Torah that required the Sabbath and many other things for which they were exiled. No longer do they have a prophet leading them and requiring these things like before. Likewise we today have no instruction for doing it (which is the right Sabbath) or how to do it which is fine because we were never told to keep it like they were.

So you don’t have to worry which day is the Sabbath. It’s not for you or anyone today. When it returns as a command in the Millennium as Isaiah 66:23 says, people will be shown when it is exactly and how to do it and not have to post on the Internet hoping for help!

As far as Sunday churches, they can choose whatever day for assembly/worship they wish. They really do not teach people to rest on that day like Israel’s Sabbath required. E.g., they don’t disfellowship members if they work on that day before or after church, etc.

Does that make sense and ease your mind?

Sincerely,

Tim McHyde
http://www.escapeallthesethings.com/ktf-8th-edition.htm

An article
http://www.kjvbible.org/daniel.html

A timeline
http://www.theresnothingnew.org/main/features/download/download.php?id=343560&fid=9395

A kingdom calender
http://www.focusontheprophecies.org/Focus2/endtimechart.htm