Question I've always wondered

[Andrew35]

Here's a question set I've always wondered since considering and then becoming Presbyterian that I haven't found an answer for yet. If it seems obvious to you, just go ahead and humor me, if you please:

Question 1: What exactly was binding about the nature of the Sabbath (as part of the Moral Law) to the non-Israelite before the coming of Christ? Was it a Sabbath principle, generally speaking? Or were they required to observe a strict, 7th-day Sabbath on, umm... Saturday, I guess. And how cognizant were they of this principle in it's strict application?

...and Question 2: If a strictly 7th-day Sabbath was binding on the nations, when Christ came, what exactly happened? Did your Khoisan tribesman just wake up one day and now he's no longer responsible for breaking the Sabbath on Saturday but on Sunday? And should he even have been aware of this?

I'm sorry, I know I'm not putting this very eloquently, but this is the best I can do for now.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Contra_Mundum]

WCF 21.1 "The light of nature shows that there is a God, who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture."

21.7a "As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him;"

First, the above sections each affirm two things, 1) the light of nature's guidance, and 2) the limitation of that natural guidance, and the necessity of special divine guidance.

Second, naturally men know there is a God and they know they owe him reverence; further, they know he is owed repeated, consistent regard. Time must be devoted away from other, personal matters and given to him to whom it is due.

It may be argued that since the world of men began with one family, and that family had the original pattern/prescription (1/7 days), that ignoring and forgetting of that law by one part of the human race does not alleviate their culpability for the error; nor are they prevented absolutely from recovering the law again.

It may be argued that any regular appointments of a religious calendar reflects the very rudiment of the law even with the heathen; and so far as they keep their own calendar--while it is not commendable as a proper Sabbath-keeping--yet this duty kept shows that they have sufficient awareness of the moral requirement. When they dodge their religious appointments (their heathen sabbaths), then they are justly condemned in conscience (Rom.2:15) for the moral sin.

It is helpful to recognize that the term "Sabbath" in the Bible, particularly in the Law, while it is taken from the original appointment of the seventh day, like many terms becomes a technical designation for all the festival rests of the nation Israel. So, "Sabbath" is applied to a day such as the Day of Atonement (7th mo., 10th day), which was not a seventh-day Sabbath was nevertheless a sabbathing day (Num.29:7). This is also the sense of the term in Col.2:16, where "sabbaths" is used to refer to all the different Jewish (specifically) calendar appointments designated for religious rest.

So, as for your second Q, all of the nations that forgot the true God (Ps.9:17) must be restored to him by receiving and embracing the message of the gospel. In adopting a new faith, they have to abandon their calendar of errors (however they have formerly honored deity) and resume the 1/7 pattern "which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord's Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath" (WCF.21:7b).

 

[Pergamum]

An argument for God:

Several years ago Pastor Bruce answered this exact same question for me quite well (the second one about tribal peoples knowing about the Sabbath).

He said something to the effect of the same thing above: "It may be argued that any regular appointments of a religious calendar reflects the very rudiment of the law even with the heathen; and so far as they keep their own calendar..."

This answer really blew me away... and I believe is one of the most genius arguments for the moral law being implanted within the heart of man. It is an argument, really, against atheism. After all, if the moral law is implanted into every heart..who planted it there, but the Creator?

Because every tribe of man is RELIGIOUS, by nature, and even has the law on his heart. My tribe did not kill "humans" after all - they killed "witches" who were not human. Because murder is wrong, even for tribal people.

And most pagan religions also have Holy Days. Satan is a counterfeiter, after all, and after mankind fell into sin, and the nations scattered across the globe, that light of God became dimmer and dimmer, and yet thousands of years later there are still tribes which honor special religious days. And many would recognize that a bloody sacrifice is needed.

This line of argument was one reason I lost faith in my agnosticism at age 18 (I became uncertain about my uncertainty). Why? Because it seems pretty obvious that we are not soul-less animals but are fundamentally religious beings.

All the tribes of mankind pray and worship, even if to a stone or a dung beetle (though Dung Beetles do have a godlike superpower, I can't replicate what they do, no matter how many times I have tried).

So thanks again Pastor Bruce. Several years ago you preserved my belief in the Sabbath, and also....,moreso, made me aware of one of the most powerful arguments for Theism that exist.

 

[Andrew35]

Thank you for the responses! Very helpful. I'll spend some time working through them.