Ponder Scripture Newsletter
ith
the seemingly endless array of
Bible-based articles, newsletters and other
publications currently available on the Internet,
there is a veritable "information overload" of sorts
when it comes to searching for various Bible-related
topics. Since there is already an abundance of
Bible-related topics to choose from, you can well
imagine that one could devote his or her full time
to reading these studies. June and I have
added our share of studies to cyberspace, some of
which are very lengthy. Indeed, some topics
require lengthy explanations to provide in-depth
answers. On this page, however, we want to
keep things as "short and sweet" as possible.
While we primarily gear our writings to those who
share our understanding that the Torah is relevant
for believers today, anyone is welcome to read and
offer feedback; however, due to our schedules, we
cannot guarantee a quick turn-around response time.
We invite you to direct all correspondence to
seekutruth at aol dot com.
Newsletter #1: Shebat 2011 (11th month of
the Scriptural year)
Should We Pray That
Our Flight Not Be On the Sabbath Day?
by Larry & June Acheson
anuary 2011 marked the
25th anniversary of Sabbath observance for June and me. We have lots of
memories of our journey since that venture into the unknown. I remember
that not long after June and I made the decision to observe the weekly
Sabbath, we made the mistake of sharing our new-found truth with several
of our best friends. Some might say our mistake was in forcing our view
on others and expecting them to believe us "or else." But no, we
expected them to study this issue on their own and let us know what they
came up with, just in case we had reached a premature and incorrect
conclusion. We were (and are) willing to pursue scholarly inquiry with
anyone who wanted to study this topic with us. This is something that
all believers should do:
21Prove all things;
hold fast to that which is good. (I Thessalonians 5:21)
Even
today, 25 years into Sabbath observance, June and I often find ourselves
challenged by others on various Scriptural topics. How do we
respond? When someone brings up a topic that they want June and me
to study, we often answer that we will do our best to look at their
information and get back with them as time allows. Sometimes we
tell them we are simply too strapped for time, so we ask them to bear
with us and even remind us of our commitment if we have delayed too
long. So what was the mistake that June and I made early into our
Sabbathkeeping experience? I would say it was impatience.
When a very dear couple ignored the information we had given them, after
a few months' worth of waiting, I decided that it was time to write them
a letter. My letter was specifically directed to the husband,
whose name is Jim. When that letter was ignored, I decided to
write another, this time with a strong implication that our friend was
unable to answer our reasoning, yet unwilling to change. Actually,
I am persuaded that this is the way many people are, but if you suggest
such a thing to them, you can forget about them remaining on friendly
terms with you!
Not only
did our friendship with that couple disintegrate, but Jim sent us a
massive 37-page response that contained some of the most ridiculous
arguments that we could imagine. Moreover, the tone of his letter
confirmed that we were no longer friends. I now realize that maybe
if I had been a little more patient, Jim's reply might have been softer
and maybe we could have reasoned through some of the rationale that he
presented without insulting each other's intelligence. Sometimes taking
things one at a time produces the best results. With his 37-page
letter, I didn't quite know where to begin. How do you respond to
such a lengthy letter without composing a longer one?
One point
from Jim's letter that took me by surprise was his approach towards
Matthew 24:20. This is where Yeshua the Messiah told His followers
to pray that their flight not be in the winter or on the sabbath day.
Of course, in the preceding verses, He foretold the impending
destruction of Jerusalem. He warned those in Judea to flee into
the mountains, then in verse 20 He added:
20But
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day.
Many
scholars understand Yeshua's warning to be in reference to the
destruction of the temple in 70 CE. Of course, if this is true, it
behooves us to understand why Yeshua would suggest that we pray that our
flight not be on the Sabbath if He foreknew that the Sabbath would be
"done away" at the time of His death and resurrection. Why should
we pray that our flight not be on the Sabbath if the Sabbath is no
longer in effect? This, then, was a point that I raised in my
letter to my soon-to-be ex-friend, Jim. Here is his response:
How come you
and your group always quote Matthew 24:20 which deals
with prophecy but never Mark 13 and Luke 21 which deal
with the same prophecy? Of course, it is because Matthew
has the word Sabbath and the other two do not.
People must not try to read more into Scripture than
what is really there.
I think what Jim
is trying to say is, "Since two out of the three
passages that describe this same prophecy don't mention the word
'Sabbath,' this must mean that the lone passage that does make
reference to the Sabbath should be ignored." This would be like
saying that we can't really believe that Yeshua stayed behind at
the temple when he was
12 (Luke 2:41-49) because this account
only appears once in the entire New Testament.
Jim was careful enough with his response that he made sure we knew that
he wasn't completely blotting Matthew 24:20 from his Bible.
Rather, he claimed, June and I were completely misinterpreting Yeshua's
words. The reference to the Sabbath was not to the time of the
destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE; rather, as Jim pointed out, it was a
reference to the time of the very end. By that time, Jim claims,
the Sabbath will be reinstated. In the meantime, during the
particular "dispensation" that we are now in, the Sabbath is not
necessary.
For those of you who might just happen to agree with Jim's reasoning, I
can only ask that you try to picture the audience to whom Yeshua was
speaking. Were they supposed to figure out, from His words, that
the Sabbath was about to be "done away," but don't worry, it'll be
reinstated in around 2,000 years? Yes, that is precisely what Jim
would expect you to believe. Of course, you can believe whatever
you want, but when it comes to something as important as the Creator's
law, I think we should be absolutely certain the Sabbath has been "done
away" or "suspended" before teaching it to others.
Please keep in mind that Yeshua uttered the prophecy of Matthew 24 just
two days before His crucifixion. If you follow the sequence of
events as described by the Apostle Matthew, you will find that Yeshua
continues His Matthew 24 discourse on into chapter 26 where, in verse
one, we read, "When Yeshua had finished saying all these things, He said
to His disciples, 'You
know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will
be handed over to be crucified.'"
Two days before
His crucifixion, Yeshua advised His followers to pray that their flight
not be on the day of the weekly Sabbath. Something tells me He
didn't have any thoughts of its being "done away" in the back of
His mind. Something to think about: When we read the
cautionary warnings found in Scripture, they are usually in the form of
admonitions to beware of those who teach against
obedience
to the law. In fact, in Daniel chapter 7, a prophecy of the end
times, we read of a beastly power that would think to change times and
laws (Daniel 7:25), but we later read that this beastly power's
authority will be taken away and the kingdom will be given to "the
people of the saints of the most High" (v. 27). When we consider
this truth in conjunction with the fact that Yeshua told His followers
to not think that He had come to destroy the law (Matt. 5:17-19), we
should be able to understand that when Yeshua advised His followers to
pray that their flight not be on the Sabbath, we should indeed pray to
that end. June and I prefer to rest
on the Sabbath, not travel.
For more information about why we choose to
rest on the weekly Sabbath day, please
click here.
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