The Ten Commandments and the Sabbath, did not exist from the Garden of Eden.

Click to ViewThe Ten Commandments did not exist as a formal code of law until Moses Sabbatarians haven't comprehended the fact that the word "Sabbath" is never found in the book of Genesis. The first case of Sabbath keeping was in Exodus 16 at Mt. Sinai. Here Jehovah gave Moses the "Ten Commandments", for the first time in world history. If the Ten commandments did not exist before Moses, then neither did the 4th commandment unless we find some command or example before Moses. The truth is that Adam never kept the Sabbath, nor did Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph or anyone in while in Egyptian bondage.

Here are two comments from our history archive that prove the common view between 150 and 200AD was that the Patriarchs never kept the Sabbath!

Click to View

Actual Sabbatarian false argument: "Adam, Noah and Abraham kept the Sabbath."

Answers:

A. Even if the Sabbath was given to Adam, that does not mean Christians must keep it because God also gave sacrificial laws of offering to Adam as well (although after the garden). Such an argument by Sabbatarians ultimately proves nothing!

B. The 10 commandments or Sabbath law did not exist before Moses

  1. The word "Sabbath" is not found in the book of Genesis!
  2. The very first thing written on the stones tells us this! Obviously then, this law was something new. Deut 5:6 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.
  3. Fathers prior to Egypt did not keep the Sabbath: Deut 5:2-3 "The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today."
  4. No one prior to the Exodus from Egypt (Ex 16) even knew about the Sabbath law: Ezek 20:10-12 "So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 "And I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live. 12 "And also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 "But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes, and they rejected My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; and My Sabbaths they greatly profaned."
  5. Sabbatarians argue that since "Sabbaths" in Ezek 20:10-12 is plural it cannot refer to the weekly Sabbath: Wrong: The weekly Sabbath is plural in: Ex 31:13,17. Both singular and plural are used for the weekly Sabbath: Lev 19:3; 23:38; Isa 56:2,4; Mt 12:5; 12:10; Acts 17:2
  6. God revealed "made known" the Sabbath law at Sinai, He did not remind them. Nehemiah 9:13-14 "You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant." This verse is bad news for Sabbatarians!
  7. Gal 3:17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later (after Abraham)
  8. First Occurrence of the word "Sabbath" - Exodus 16:22-23 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, 'This is what the Lord has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning. The text in verse 23-30 indicates that this was a new experience for Israel. They were not used to keeping the Sabbath before this time.
  9. The ten commandments were first given when Moses face shone: Ex 34:27-28; 2 Cor 3
  10. If they had the Sabbath before Ex 16, then they just as likely had the manna before as well. Yet Sabbatarians freely admit that the manna was something new for them. Yet when we look at the text, the Jews were equally unfamiliar with BOTH manna and the Sabbath.

C. There is no record or even hint that anyone prior to Ex 16 kept the Sabbath: Yet the Patriarchs were instructed regarding:

  1. offerings: Gen 4:3-4
  2. Altars Gen 8:20
  3. Priests: Gen 14:18
  4. Tithes: Gen 14:20
  5. Circumcision: Gen 17:10
  6. Marriage: Gen 2:24 & Gen 34:9
  7. Why would God leave out the "all important" Sabbath command???

D. Sabbath was not sanctified until after God rested: Gen 2:2; Ex 20:11

  1. First God rested, then AFTER HE RESTED then He sanctified it. This proves that the Sabbath was not part of God's eternal law in heaven prior to creation!
  2. The Bible no where says WHEN he sanctified it, just that it was after God rested.
  3. Even if God did sanctify the Sabbath day in Eden, God still did not revealed the Sabbath in Eden because there is absolutely no evidence that anyone kept the Sabbath prior to Ex 16.
  4. Gen 2:2 tells us the reason, not the time that God sanctified the Sabbath.
  5. Genesis was written during the time of Moses, not before. Neither Adam or Abraham had the book of Genesis! For the first time God told the Jews in the wilderness about the Sabbath!
  6. Christ was chosen as the sacrificial lamb from before the foundation of the world, ( 1 Pe 1:20; 2 Tim 1:9) but did not revealed to man some time later, (at least 6 days) and then only after man ate the tree of life. Specific details were not revealed for some 4000 years until Christ walked the earth. In fact God set Jesus apart as the sacrifice for man long before God actually GAVE His son.

E. The Sabbath would be unsuitable for Adam while in the Garden of Eden:

  1. Work and labour were only existed after Adam sinned: Gen 3:19
  2. "strangers with your gates, servants" make no sense in the garden regarding the Sabbath
  3. The only two commandments God gave Adam were to keep the garden Gen 2:5 and not eat the forbidden fruit.

F. The first time any Jewish holy day is mentioned in scripture, it always lacks the definite article (a Sabbath).

  1. All the Jewish holy days are never introduced the first time in scripture with the definite article "the" but with the indefinite "a" or "an".
  2. The indefinite article is used both before and after something has been instituted, but the definite article (THE Sabbath) is never used the first time something is introduced.
  3. This powerful argument proves that the weekly Sabbath did not exist before Ex 16:23.
  4. What makes it irrefutable, is the fact that every Jewish Holy Day follows this same pattern!

first time instituted

after instituted

tomorrow is a Sabbath: Ex 16:23

"the" Lord has given you the Sabbath: Ex 16:29

A solemn rest "a" holy Sabbath: Ex 17:22; Lev 16:25

"the" Sabbath: Ex 20:11

"a" memorial: Lev 12:30

afterwards, the Lord's Passover

"an" holy convocation: Lev 23:21

the day of Pentecost: Acts 2:1

Unleavened bread: "a" feast: Ex 12:40

afterward, the feast: Lev 23:6

In-gathering: "a" feast

the feast: Heb 8:18

"an" alter Gen 8:20

the altar: Gen 8:20

"a" Day of atonement: Lev 23:27

 

 

G. The Sabbath was not sanctified on day 6, but is an example of Prolepsis:

Prolepsis: "the representation of something in the future as if it already existed or had occurred." Webster's Dictionary

  1. Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (This is said before the birth of Cain.)
  2. Genesis 4:20-21 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
  3. His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. (but not at that time in the narration)
  4. Matthew 10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. (The betrayal did not occur until 3 years later.)
  5. 1 Sam 4:1 not named until later ( 1 Sam 7:12)
  6. Lk 6:16
  7. Gen 11:9 (2218BC connected with 1492BC)
  8. Gen 10:4-5 There were no Gentiles in Noah's day, connected with 1492BC
  9. Gen 2:24 there were no mothers and fathers at that time!
  10. Jn 11:1-2 anointing did not take place until later in Jn 12:3
  11. When Moses wrote "Genesis" to the Jews, he brought up the reason they kept the Sabbath in the Creation account, although it was not finally revealed until the events recorded in Exodus.
  12. Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. "

H. Typical case of how Sabbatarians try to prove the 10 commandments existed before Moses. Here is their favorite proof text: "because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws." " (Genesis 26:5)

  1. Now the first mistake is that every time they see "my commandments" they assume it is the ten commandments.
  2. Ok lets run with this for a minute. Assume they are right. Then what does My statutes and My laws refer to? Well the ceremonial law of Moses of course!
  3. If "my commandments" refers the to 10 commandments, then My statutes and My laws refers to the ceremonial law of Moses!
  4. So Seventh-day Adventists read into the text the text the 10 commandments, but ignore the obvious reference to what they call the ceremonial law of Moses.
  5. The verse proves too much for them, so they merely ignore everything but the phrase "my commandments".

 Click to View
We Speak truth in LOVE
"you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth" Jn 8:40
Click to View

Click to View

Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA