Chapter 11—Sabbathkeeping
The Saviour kept the Sabbath, and taught His disciples to keep it.
He knew how it should be kept, for He Himself had made it holy.
The Bible says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” “The
seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” “For in six days the
Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and
hallowed it.”
Exodus 20:8, 10, 11
;
31:16, 17
. Christ had worked with
His Father in creating the earth, and He had made the Sabbath. The
Bible says that “all things were made by Him.”
John 1:3
.
When we look on the sun and the stars, the trees and the beautiful
flowers, we should remember that Christ made them all. And He made
the Sabbath to help us keep in mind His love and power.
The Jewish teachers had made many rules about the way to keep
the Sabbath, and they wanted every one to obey their rules. So they
watched the Saviour, to see what He would do.
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One Sabbath, as Christ and His disciples were going home from
the synagogue, they passed through a field of grain. It was late, and the
disciples were hungry. So they broke off some of the heads of grain,
rubbed them in their hands, and ate the kernels.
On any other day, one passing through a field or an orchard was
allowed to gather what he wanted to eat. But it was not so on the
Sabbath. Christ’s enemies saw what the disciples were doing, and they
said to the Saviour:
“Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the
Sabbath day.”
Matthew 12:2
.
But Christ defended His followers. He reminded His accusers
of David, who, when in need, had eaten of the sacred bread of the
tabernacle, and had given it to his hungry followers.
If it was right for David when hungry to eat this sacred bread, then
was it not right for the disciples when hungry to pluck the grain on the
sacred hours of the Sabbath?
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