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Sermon:
Wiggle Room
by Chris Cumming
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Some weeks ago, I received an e-mail asking questions about the
Sabbath. The questions were about what could be done and what should
not be done on the Sabbath. Doing a check, I found that besides one
paper in my posted
Minister’s Notebook, I had never done a sermon specifically about
the Sabbath.
My purpose today is to discuss from God’s Word, the Sabbath and to
encourage all of us to delight in the Sabbath.
When I received that e-mail, a thought came profoundly to my mind. When
it comes to the Sabbath, there is no wiggle room.
So what is “wiggle room?”
Wiggle Room
--a contract with wiggle room for further negotiations.
--capacity or scope for negotiation or operation, especially in order to
modify a previous statement or decision.
In the case of the Sabbath, the text of the contract is found in the
pages of your Bible. The writer of the contract is God. The
participants in this contract are currently, all the firstfruits.
Who possibly could be looking for wiggle room in this contract? When the
person made their Sabbath inquiry, my first thought was, “the Sabbath
contract has no wiggle room
Look at the definition of the term again:
“a contract with wiggle room.”
“a contract with room for further negotiations.”
“the capacity to modify the contract in place.
When it comes to the Sabbath or the Sabbath contract, if you will, there
is no wiggle room and we have no power or encouragement to attempt a
modification of this contract.
Let us get into the Word of God now and review some of the elements of
this contract.
As if I had not already told you, where did
this contract come from? Where did the Sabbath come from? Who owns the
Sabbath? Who wrote up this contract?
Ezekiel 20:12
Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them,
that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
Mark 2:27-28
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for
the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Seems clear to me:
--God gave us the Sabbath.
--He is the owner of the Sabbath.
--This is His contract.
--The Sabbath was made for us.
--Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath.
--The purpose of the Sabbath is so we can know Christ and the Father.
--God sanctifies us.
Notice this from Biblical Illustrator on Ezekiel 20:12
The Sabbath day
I. The Sabbath is of universal and perpetual obligation.
II. It has its own peculiar employments: “Hallow My Sabbaths.” They are
to be days of rest from labour, and refreshment for the soul. Let them
be sacred days; devote them to the praise and cause and glory of God.
III. There was a most blessed design in its institution: “Hallow My
Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign,” etc.
1. They were to be a sign between God and His people—a sign more
frequently brought before them than the bow (rainbow)
in the clouds. That told they should not be destroyed; but this tells of
eternal life—is a type and symbol of the Sabbath of rest in His
everlasting kingdom.
2. Another design mentioned is the edification and instruction of His
people, “that ye may know that I am the Lord.”
--it is a perpetual obligation.
--it has specific employments (assignments).
--it is a rest from labour.
--it is refreshment for the soul.
--it is sacred.
--devote them to praise and cause and glory of God.
--Hallow my Sabbaths.
--it is a sign between God and His people (when
they are hallowed).
--it is a type and symbol of the Sabbath in the Kingdom.
--it is a time of edification and instruction of His people.
--it is designed in a way that we may know that God is Lord.
So what does "Hallowed" mean? If the Sabbath is to a sign between God
and me, if they are hallowed, I had better know the meaning of this
word.
Hallowed
--divine
--blessed
--holy
--anointed
--sanctified
A "sign" that I may "know."
What do these words mean?
The word "sign" is Strong's H226 and means, "in the sense of appearing"
or "a signal" and is rendered, among other things as a miracle, sign or
token. We are talking about God here. This means that the Sabbath was
constructed as a living metaphor of God, Himself. Do you see why the
Sabbath must remain perfect and cannot be modified? Would any of us
wish to modify Christ or God the Father from what they are. God is
saying that as we experience His perfect, unmodified Sabbath, we see
Him.
Let me state this again. The Strong’s meaning here is “in the sense of
appearing.” The Sabbath is a sign, but what specifically is appearing?
God says the Sabbath is His. He made it specifically to be a sign and
purely representative of Him (God and
Christ). Since God designed and made the Sabbath, it is
perfect. Since the Sabbath is a sign between God and man, that perfect
sign is God the Father and Christ. When we keep the Sabbath, God is
“appearing” to us. This is the same God who appears to us as a result
of our Assiduity praying or putting everything of this or any day into
His hands. If one has put everything of a given day into the hands of
God, you are going to “see” Him throughout the entire day. You will see
the manifestation of His providence, His protection, His blessings and
His guidance. Notice that one rendering of H226 “sign” is “miracle.”
When you see God manifested throughout the day, doesn’t each instance
feel and look like a miracle. A miracle sign.
Compared to the other 6 days of the week, doesn’t the Sabbath seem like
a miracle? The miracle of the Sabbath is that we can take time to “see”
and contemplate this perfect God. What did Ezekiel 20:26 say again in
the last phrase?
Ezekiel 20:12
Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them,
that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
… “that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.”
Therefore, as I rest on the Sabbath and immerse myself into the Word of
God and, moreover, meditate and pray about all the manifestations of Him
throughout the week, do we not “see” Him and know Him a little bit more?
Is this just some concept I made up from conclusions I have from the
Word of God or does God speak of this concept somewhere in the Bible?
Remember, I told you that H226 [sign]
is also rendered “miracle.” This occurs once in Numbers and twice in
Deuteronomy. Turn over to Deuteronomy 11 and verse 1.
As I read this statement, made to the Children of Israel, understand
that His words and statements are for all firstfruits too.
Deuteronomy 11:1-3
1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and
his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
2 And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have
not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your
God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,
3 And his miracles [H226], and his
acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt,
and unto all his land.
Do you see what He is saying here? God is saying we have seen Him.
How?
--by His statutes, judgments and commandments.
--by His chastisement [H4148: reproof, warning, instruction (doctrine)].
--by His greatness.
--by His mighty hand.
--by His stretched out arm.
--by His miracles.
--by His acts.
Speaking of firstfruits: I can tell you right now that one is
not fully going to see His greatness, mighty hand, outstretched arm,
miracles or acts without keeping His statutes, judgments and
commandments. Note: If you are
in the salvation process, you are doing this. The Sabbath is mentioned
all throughout His statutes, judgments and commandments.
The Forward-moving, Law-abiding, Commandment-keeping firstfruit will
constantly be putting everything of each day into God's hands and will
constantly "see" His miracles [H226]
and His acts all through the week. Then comes the greatest of
God-signs, the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a sign [H226]
of that perfect God. Who would even want to look for or justify wiggle
room in all of this?
The Sabbath day is the perfect day to thank God for all His actions, His
miracles and all the intervention of Christ Jesus the last 7 days [the
Sabbath being that 7th day].
We have "seen" God all the weeklong thorough all His manifestations and
throughout every page of His Word as we study, pray, mediate and
occasionally fast. On this perfectly made God day or day of the LORD,
we are afforded contemplation of all the "sights" of Him throughout the
week and we do it on a day that is the perfect sign of Him.
Is it any wonder that God calls this day sacred and holy?
Now, let us look at the word "know" as in "that they might know that I
am the LORD." (Ezekiel 20:12)
The word "know" is Strong's H3045 and means, among many things, "to know
(properly to ascertain by seeing)."
So here is that word "seeing" again. Think of all the things we do,
especially on the Sabbath, like praying, meditation, study, fasting and
reading. How can we do these things in a perfectly constructed Sabbath
and not "see" God?
The Sabbath needed by man
Those who have served a battery upon the battlefield tell us that, at
intervals, they are forced to pause, that the guns may cool, and that
the smoke may lift to furnish accurate aim; yes, and because ammunition
is exhausted. No Christian can fight the battle of the week without the
quiet Sabbath to cool off his guns. He needs repose (rest/calm)
of soul. He wants heavenly breezes to lift the earth-lowering shadows.
He must replenish his store from the secret place of prayer and
meditation.
We need the Sabbath. What we see in verse 12 of Ezekiel 20. Go down in
your Bibles to verse 20.
Ezekiel 20:20
And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you,
that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
This says much what verse 12 says. Notice the commentary:
And hallow my sabbaths - Or keep them
holy, by abstaining from worldly business on them; by observing all the
duties of religion, private and public, to be performed on such days:
And they shall be a sign between me and you
- of present and future good;
That ye may know that I am the Lord
your God - not only acknowledge him to be the Lord their God, by
observing his laws, and sanctifying his sabbaths; but also have a larger
experience of his grace and goodness, as their covenant God.
~John Gill
God is telling us that if we refrain from attempting to modify His
perfect Sabbath, we will experience good here and now and in the future.
Notice the words and phrases from both the scripture and the commentary:
1] Hallow
2] Holy
3] Abstain from worldly business
4] That you may know I am your God.
5] Observe His laws.
6] Sanctify His Sabbaths
All together, they insure there is absolutely no wiggle room here.
Notice the promise God gives in all this:
1] The Sabbaths shall be a sign between me and you.
2] “Of present and future good
3] “But also have a larger experience of His grace and goodness.
The word, “Sanctify” means to make holy, set apart as sacred,
consecrate. It means to purify or make free from sin, meaning to take
out all things that would hamper our making it holy, sacred and
consecrate. It means “binding” as in the Sabbath being binding with no
wiggle room. It means to handle with reverence and respect. It means
to make productive of or conducive to spiritual [and
other] blessings.
Take that phrase “it shall be a sign between me [God]
and you.: He is perfect and the Sabbath [the
sign] is perfect. This phrase denotes a relationship and
moreover, a deal, a commitment and a contract. We, the firstfruits,
called into this contract must strive to make our end perfect. This
means that we continue toward perfection in this deal.
So what is with the promise here? What is God speaking of? He is
talking about blessing us IF and when we set aside any blockade to our
keeping the deal. Clearly, any temptation, like a job on the Sabbath,
or making justifications for any thing we desire to do that is not
lawful and takes up our time for worship must be defeated and THEN God
gives the blessing.
In the case of a job, where one would be compelled to work on the
Sabbath; if we set that aside, He will give us a better job or equal
blessing.
Now About My 46 Years in the Faith
My observation in all these years has been that when a new firstfruit is
called, they invariably get tested on the Sabbath and/or Tithing or
both. I was. You probably were.
Now I want to ask you a question that is all-important to this sermon
and to all the admonitions we receive from God the Father and Christ
Jesus about keeping this day holy and holding it as hallowed and sacred:
Where do you keep
the Sabbath?
In the beginning of this sermon, I read a piece from the Biblical
Illustrator where it states:
… “is a type and symbol of the Sabbath of rest in His everlasting
kingdom.”
That statement immediately has me thinking about what I call, “the
10,000-year perspective. This is where you see yourself already 10,000
years into the Kingdom of God. I encourage you to have this kind of
perspective. For one, you will have a clearer picture of the Godhead
and all things heavenly and all things pertaining to the eternal Kingdom
of God.
Having stated this, let me ask you the all-important question again:
Where do you keep the Sabbath? Now
some are going to tell me immediately that you keep it at your home or
yard or sometimes at a lake or a forested mountain top with a grand view
of nature.
All of these are wonderful. However all of these places are physical.
The perfect sign of the Sabbath is much more that something we do in a
physical place. When we use the Sabbath-related words of “holy”,
“sacred” and “hallowed” we are much beyond the physical.
Let us go to the other side of the coin here and let me ask you where
temptation takes place. I doubt that there is any firstfruit, with the
exception of Jesus, Himself, who did not, at one time or another break
the Sabbath. I know I have. Each instance of Sabbath-breaking begins
with a thought, just like all sin begins with a single thought which
leads to the contemplation of an action and then the temptation to carry
out that action and moreover, to justify that action.
Does God speak to this concept? Turn to Isaiah 58 and verse 13
Isaiah 58:13
If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on
my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD,
honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding
thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
The key phrases here for our present discussion are:
1] not doing thine own ways,
2] nor finding thine own pleasure,
3] nor speaking thine own words:
This scripture—Isaiah 58:13—has been erroneously applied by some to such
activities as television-viewing, swimming, listening to music, marital
relations and even reading the weekly, comics in the newspaper. Of
course, any of these activities could violate the spirit of the Sabbath
day if they were to be abused or overdone. Of and by themselves they
are not wrong. What is wrong is any activity which interferes with or
detracts from the joy, rest and spiritual intention of the day. If any
activity works against the spirit of the Sabbath, it is wrong, no matter
what it is.
I get into this scripture in some detail in a Minister's Notebook piece
I did with the title, "Delight in the Sabbath!!" which you can see in
the link provided. Here is the conclusion of that study into what this
scripture means and the word meaning of these phrases:
1) "seeking your own pleasure" means "thine own business."
2) "seeking your own pleasure" does not refer to personal enjoyment.
3) God wants us to experience pleasure in balance on the Sabbath.
4) The Sabbath is God's day.
5) It is a day devoted to God and to godly activities.
6) It is holy.
7) It is hallowed.
8) It is a day to be honored.
9) It is a time to "delight in the Lord" as opposed to one's own mundane
business affairs.
10) You honor it by not plying your trade, not seeking your own interest
or attending to your own affairs.
So God makes it clear that temptation is possible in regards to how we
keep the Sabbath. All these temptations take place in the physical.
God does not want our Sabbath-keeping confined to the physical. Notice.
Romans 8:5-6
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace.
Colossians 3:1-2
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
This second verse answers the question of where you and I keep the
Sabbath. If there was ever a time for us to be “seeking those things
which are above”, it is the Sabbath day (clearly
we are seeking those things above every day). But then verse
1 gives us a very holy, specific place to be seeking… “where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God.” He is talking about the Throne Room
of Almighty God. This is where we keep the Sabbath Day and there is
absolutely no wiggle room in the Throne Room.
The temptations to break the Sabbath contract will always happen in the
physical. This is why our eyes must always be on the spiritual. This
is true of every day and hour but especially on the Sabbath Day.
When the Sabbath-breaking temptation comes. See yourself in the Throne
Room.
Say you were tempted to binge-watch a bunch of Rambo movies on the
Sabbath Day. Would you take and set up your 65-inch TV and super
DVD/Blue Ray player in the Throne Room on the Sabbath Day? Just the
contemplation of such a move sends shivers up and down my spine and I
reject such a temptation out of hand.
In the Pentecost sermon I gave you last week, I gave you three laws of
making right decisions:
1] What does the Word of
God say?
2] What would Christ do?
3] Do all things and make all decisions
as if Christ were looking over your shoulder.
Maybe there should be a 4th law on this list, especially when
it comes to any kind of temptation:
4] Do all things as if you were currently present in the Throne Room.
Why?
Because you are.
So go now and rejoice and delight in the perfect Sabbath Day, where
there is no wiggle room.
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