The Sabbath
by Terry Wane Benton
The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week. It was designated to Israel as their day of rest, patterned after the fact that God rested from creative work on the seventh day (Exodus 20:11). The rules for Israel were expounded upon in other parts of the Torah, telling the rules for how far they could travel on that day, and what kind of work was forbidden. The bodily rest was part of many different ways to foreshadow and typify the inward rest God wanted us to have in Christ, the coming Messiah.
Many different sacrifices, feasts, and rules of clean and unclean foods were temporary ways of illustrating the substantive things we would have in the Messiah, such as spiritual rest, clean spiritual food, and provisions of great spiritual blessings in Christ. All those physical food laws, festivals, and sabbaths were “shadows,” dark forms or illustrations of the more meaningful things we would have in Christ. Now we have a spiritual nation, a spiritual temple, a heavenly Jerusalem, a spiritual sacrifice, a spiritual rest or sabbath, and spiritual food (Ephesians 2:18ff; I Peter 2:5-9; Colossians 2:13-16). We are commanded not to let people judge us regarding the food laws and Sabbaths of the former (Old Testament) system.
Yet, even today, people insist we must continue observing the old Sabbath law. I refuse to disobey God and let people judge me regarding Sabbaths (Colossians 2:13-16). God specifically said we have the substance in Christ of what the Sabbaths were only shadows. We have the substance of the real rest God wanted us to have in Christ, and it is wrong to let people judge us concerning Sabbaths.
You can try to press those foods and Sabbaths of the old system upon me, but you will get nowhere with me. My food and Sabbaths are in Christ. If you seek justification in the law, you will have to do the whole law, including how far you can travel on the Sabbath. My liberty is in Christ (Galatians 5:1-6), and my Sabbath rest is in Him. My food is the spiritual food in Him. Don’t judge me regarding the shadow laws of the former system.
We are in Christ, in a better covenant, in a spiritual nation, in a spiritual temple, enjoying a spiritual sabbath rest in Christ, eating spiritual food, and feasting on His love and spiritual provisions. This is the substance of which the earthly former system was only a shadow form. The forms are no longer bound upon us. Take the misinformed judgments elsewhere!
