Re: [TruthTalk] The relationship between Torah observance and eternal life.

[Marlin Halverson]

"But the verses following Mat. 19:17 mention specific commandments from the
law of Moses, and none of them was the Sabbath commandment." --David Miller

 

I see your logic.  God knows, men have always despised his Sabbaths, including the land Sabbaths.  This is why Israel was sent into captivity.  Many people prefer to use subtraction when it comes to what they will do for God.  And if they do agree to keep the Sabbath, they pollute it by adding all kinds of additional burdens to it.  Men prefer one ditch or the other.

 

Now, let's see.  To the young man, who was already observing the Sabbath as part of his culture, the Sabbath would not be an issue.  Jesus struck at the heart of other matters that were an issue because of the hardness of their hearts.

 

But let's use your logic.  In abbreviated form, let's list all ten.

 

1. You shall not worship any other god.

2. You shall not make a graven image.

3. You shall not take the name of God in vain.

4. You shall not break the Sabbath.

5. You shall not dishonor your parents.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not commit perjury.

10. You shall not covet.

Now, let's subtract the commandments Jesus listed to the specific man in question:

 

-    6. Thou shalt do no murder,
-    7. Thou shalt not commit adultery,

-    8. Thou shalt not steal,

-    9. Thou shalt not bear false witness,
-    5. Honour thy father and [thy] mother:

-    Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 

The last statement looks like a summary of number two of the BIG TWO commandments.  And the summary looks a lot like #10, "You shall not covet," because if one loves his neighbor, he will not covet that which belongs to his neighbor, nor will he break 6, 7, 8, 9, nor 5. So lets say:

 

-    10. You shall not covet; or the second of the BIG 2 is required.

______________________________________

 

Okay.  Now we may be "free" and not under "bondage" and should break commandments 1, 2, 3, and 4.  (By the way, these commandments look a lot like number one of the BIG TWO.)

 

1. You shall not worship any other god.

2. You shall not make a graven image.

3. You shall not take the name of God in vain.

4. You shall not break the Sabbath.

We may now conclude that these remaining commandments are supposed to be broken by those who follow Christ, "Christians."  And this is exactly what I see "Christians" doing.

By the way, when the Pharisees made up all the additional stipulations for Sabbath observance that God never intended, they made themselves into gods who dictated to others their own laws.  Jesus had to show them who was Lord of the Sabbath, demonstrating what liberty the Sabbath represents. 

LUKE 6:5     And he said unto them, {That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.}

Today, men want to be gods and say "every day is the Sabbath," or "Sunday is the Sabbath."  I would rather stand with Joshua, who said:

JOS 24:15   And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day
            whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that
            [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites,
            in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve
            the LORD.

Do you now conclude that the four commandments that Jesus chose not to mention to the specific man in question are therefore null and void?

Oh, by the way, my friend, as you see prophetic events unfold, remember what our spiritual Joshua said:

MAT 24:20   {But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:}

Love, :-)

Marlin