REMEMBER....
When did the Sabbath originate? At creation.
[EXO 20:11] So it isn't "just for Jews," since
they didn't appear on the scene for about 2,000 years later.
With what word does God begin the Sabbath commandment? REMEMBER
[EXO 20:8]
The word "remember" denotes three possibilities:
- You cannot remember something you have never heard of before.
Therefore the origin of the Sabbath must be before Sinai, and not at
Sinai.
- The word "remember" signifies that a person should pay special
attention. "Remember" is generally used to indicate things that
are of special importance that people should not forget. God chose
this word to introduce the Sabbath at Sinai.
- The word "remember" indicates that God looked down the stream of
history and saw that this would be the one commandment the world
would forget. And so he tells us to remember it, and not forget
this commandment. God knew we would never forget the other
commandments if we would remember the Sabbath, because the Sabbath
would help us to develop a relationship with God. Amazingly the one
commandment that many would forget, or disregard for man-made reasons,
is the one that deals with the time set aside to establish a
relationship with God.