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A MAGAZINE OF PURE UNDERSTANDING Online Edition Volume 4 Number 2 March—April 2009 |
Personal—What
Difference Does It Make |
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Literature Sections News This Week The This
publication is a FREE publication published by the This
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The
Sabbath: A way to remember the Creator
By Michael W. Stevenson
Pastor General,
We like to keep in remembrance the accomplishments
of other humans. We set up organizations that are named after them in the hope
that they will be remembered for what they have done. But, there is one unique
memorial which honors someone who is still alive and will always be alive—and
we participate in this memorial each week and it does change a person’s life
for the better!
EACH AND EVERY WEEK, many around the world
keep a day of the week that they call the Sabbath, claiming that it is in
remembrance of the Creator—the one who has created this very planet on which we
live—the one who has created the entire and most awesome universe in which we
enjoy the beauty of the stars and the planets.
Through all time,
mankind has honored men for their accomplishments and who have made very
significant contributions in their lives. We remember former presidents such as
George Washington, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Abraham Lincoln and others. We
remember those who have fought in wars and have had a significant impact.
But, there is one
that we really need to remember far more than any man on earth. Man does not
live forever—eventually, man will go to sleep and will be resurrected in their
appropriate time period. But, the one that we need to remember above any man is
the one who has framed the entire universe, hanging the stars and placing each
one of us and everything around us here upon the earth.
He was perhaps
the greatest artist, the greatest architect, the greatest one who did the most
awesome humanitarian efforts around. Yet, for the most part, most people fail
to recognize him and honor him as they should.
So then, just who
is this individual which has done more than anyone else has ever done? Who is
this awesome individual that we are speaking of? Your Bible says that he is the
Creator—the very God who has placed us here upon the earth!
We love to
remember man, but God also wants us to remember him too—not for any reasons of
ego or power, but for a different purpose. God has set up his own memorial to
that very goal and purpose. We read of that memorial being set up at the very
creation of things.
We are told that
“And on the SEVENTH DAY God ended his
work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which
he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified [put his Spirit in
it—made it holy]; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God
created and made.”—Gen. 2:2-3
Usually, people
do not ever get the chance to decide for themselves of what type of memorial
that they will get after they have died. Yet, God has decided what type he is
going to have. He shows us that because he has rested—because he paused on the
seventh day of the week from all that he had created and made, that he was
placing his Spirit—sanctifying, making holy that very day!
We also read that
the “…The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath”—Mark
It is a great and
awesome gift that God has given to mankind. It is a time period that we are
given so that we could pause and rest from our labors which we do throughout
the rest of the week.
Yet, there is
much more than this to the Sabbath as you will see. We are going to show you
the precious truth about the Sabbath!
His Awesome Gifts
In Genesis, the first chapter, God has revealed himself to us as
the very Creator and the one who is the giver of all things which are good. In
Genesis 1:1, we are told that God created the heaven and the earth! In that
verse, there is a lot of information, a lot within that one short statement.
Mankind does not fully understand what is really and truly contained within
that very verse. Yet, God has shown us what is really contained in it through
all of what he has created!
All things which
you see around us are awesome and reveal to us the very existence of the
Creator. For example, if the earth was 1% or 2% closer to the sun, we would all
burn up. If the earth was 1% or 2% further away from the sun, we would all
freeze to death. Now consider that very awesome statement! If that is the case,
then how could it just happen by chance without a real and awesome Creator?
It is just that
much more proof that we had a Creator and that therefore, we owe it to him to
remember him as he wants us to remember him—not to remember him in the way that
we think we should remember him.
Do you think that
a corporation or a person could do what God did—developed the flowers,
developed the butterfly, or anything else that is in the universe and here on
the earth, that they would not want to receive a lot of publicity for it and
perhaps, they would get angry if we did not pay them that respect. But God
rather has humbly accomplished all the creation works. Then after that, comes
the brief two verses where he is instituting the Sabbath (Gen. 2:2-3).
Therefore, I want to help you to understand and to remember the very Creator
and why we keep the Sabbath that we keep—so that you can have a true
understanding of your own Bible—the very instruction book of which he has given
to mankind!
Now, we find many
who keep Sunday and call themselves “Christian” and then we find others who
keep Friday and they are Muslim. Yet, we also find others who keep Saturday and
they call themselves Christians also. But, just what is the day that we should
keep and just exactly why is it that God had created the day of which he chose
to rest on? Of all the seven days, why did he insert a day of rest in the
weekly cycle? He could have rested on the first day of the week. He could have
finished all that he did on any day of the week. But, he chose rather to insert
an extra day in which he did nothing at all in the way of working! That day was
the seventh day!
So then, why the
Sabbath and just what is it really for? Just this exactly: The seventh day is a
very important part of the same process of the creation. It focuses and
symbolizes upon the very fact that God is still very much creating—the crowning
achievement of his creation is still incomplete! And the Sabbath is a memorial
that is to the creation process!
The Sabbath
serves as a reminder and a memorial of creation, showing to us that God is
still very much the Creator and the sustainer of life, and that his very
process of creation for us is not finished! The Sabbath then also reminds us
that it is God’s very intention to give us physical life now as humans and life
eternal later on as spirit beings in the new world tomorrow. So the Sabbath is
the very reminder of a life-producing sequence that is not yet complete—it is
just as the seven annual holy days remind us of the plan of salvation, the
weekly Sabbath is a day which reminds us of the creation process as well as the
one who is the Creator!
But, what about
humans and why is it important for humans? In the account of God’s creation of
mankind, we find that God had said “Let us make man in our image…”—Gen. 1:26.
We are created like God—we are created in his very image, “after our likeness:”
we are created after the likeness of God and thus, we are in the God-Family and
thus, we are a part of God and he has created a Sabbath for mankind.
Well, we can see
that we certainly are not like God now—in thought or in his perfect state! We
may have the same general form and shape as he does, and we might have to a
limited degree, some of the same attributes and qualities, but we do not have
the same character or power that God has. When we truly look at ourselves
compared to God, we are very limited. But, our potential for real growth in
this direction is not limited.
The Billionaire
In the Bible, God has revealed himself over and over again as a
multibillionaire who is wanting to give something away for free to mankind. He
has tried to bring the nation of ancient
But, the people
then and even now, have turned their backs on God and have often times said
“Hmm, why should I follow you when I want what I want now!” God desires to give
us all things—ultimately: the good life that he enjoys, the purpose in life,
palatial surroundings, a sense of awesome and wondrous achievement and
contribution, and joy, all this forever and ever. Yet, we have often times
turned on God! Wanting things our way—not the way of God!
Often times,
mankind wants to live his life his way and forget God! He leaves God out of the
big picture!
If you take a
rich man, one of the first questions that you ask him usually is “How did you
make your money?” Then you might ask “Have you got any tips for me that could
help me make money?” These are some of the natural questions that you might ask
a rich man. These are also the same questions that God has answered already for
ancient
But, ancient
So each time
Likewise, today,
man h as forgotten the Sabbath, they have taken up the ways of the pagans and
have accepted false days in place of those days which God has given. They have
rejected God on every front and now, we are seeing the very promise that God
would pour his plagues upon mankind—he is punishing mankind for their
disobedience and failure to keep his laws and his statutes.
The book of
Lamentations shows to us how far
God has given us
everything and he has blessed us with much. Yet, he has been forgotten by
us—his most awesome creation! We have turned our backs upon God and we have
forgotten his very Sabbath! The very truth is this—we need to turn back to God
and then we could again enjoy the blessings which he has for us! We could again
return to a great national wealth.[PT]