Test Commandment

Dear Brethren,

What is the test commandment? Only one month after Israel departed out of the land of Egypt, God told Moses (Exodus 16) that He was going to test Israel. The "test" had to do with the Sabbath, which is first mentioned, by name, in this chapter. "Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them [test them], whether they will walk in my law, or not. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily." (Exodus 16:4-5)

God put Israel to a test. He wanted and expected of Israel that they would be a good example to all their neighbors around them. God promised blessings and greatness to Israel for commandment keeping. Israel's greatness would, in turn, show the foreign nations how near and how great the true God is. "Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?" (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

We know the sad story of how Israel failed, over and over, to keep God's Sabbath. God punished the children of Israel for Sabbath-breaking. He sent both Israel and Judah into captivity for their Sabbath-breaking and idolatry. We also understand how God is about to send America, Great Britain and the other Israelitish nations into a modern captivity for the same sins.

Physical Sabbath-keeping was all that Old Testament Israel knew to do - and they failed at that. The New Testament Sabbath still demands that we do not do our own labors - but much more than that, the Sabbath is a time that God gives His Church for fellowshipping with Him and the brethren. We are being held to an even higher standard and example today. Just as ancient Israel was to be an physical example to her neighbors, we in God's Church are to be a spiritual example to all who see us.

The Sabbath of the Old Testament was far reaching in that everyone within the Israelite's household (including the beasts of burden) were affected by God's command. "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, [nor thine ox, nor thine donkey, (Deut. 5:14 )] nor thy stranger that is within thy gates." (Exodus 20:10) How much more so must the New Covenant Sabbath command extend spiritually to everyone! "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:10)

Sabbath-keeping continues to be a test commandment for the Children of God - we cannot underestimate its importance. We need to be able to see through wrong concepts that can weigh us down and take our eyes off of what is truly important - being humble, serving one another, keeping the commandments, and becoming like God. As Isaiah 66:2 says, "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.”

The keeping of the Sabbath is an important means of helping us to grow closer to God. But we need to see that God’s greatest desire is for us to truly be His children, not in name only, but in our love for one another and for Him.

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Sermon:  "Test Commandment"  

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