Dear Editor,

The first time Sabbath is mentioned in the Bible is in Exodus 16, which says six weeks after the Israelites crossed over the Red Sea and camped in the desert they were told to keep the Sabbath and Moses had difficulty getting them to comply. This is an indication that this was the first time they were hearing about Sabbath.

This understanding is confirmed by Ezekiel 20: 10 – 12, which says, “ I brought you out of Egypt into the desert where I give you my sabbath as a sign (of the covenant) between you and me. Nehemiah 9: 13-14 says. “You came down on Mount Sinai, your holy sabbath You made known to them by the hand of Moses, your servant. Also see Exodus 34: 27 – 28, Deuteronomy 5: 15 — all these are saying Sabbath was given at Mount Sinai, not at creation as claimed.

Scripture also says sabbath was given to the Israelites alone; when they were leaving Egypt they were told that no stranger should be allowed to join them – Exodus 12: 43

Psalm 147: 19 -20 says: “He has proclaimed his statutes and ordinances to Israel. He has not done so to other nations.”

And Ephesians 2:11-13 says non-Jews were alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenant of the promise.”

Scripture says Sabbath-keeping came to an end at the coming of Christ. Jeremiah 31-32 prophesied saying, “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

And in Luke 22: 19 – 20 Jesus inaugurated the new covenant when he said, “This is the new covenant in my blood which will be shed for many.” And Hebrews says when Jesus speaks of the new covenant he declares the first one obsolete.

Sabbath is one of the commandments; the commandments are the words of the covenant. So if the covenant came to an end, Sabbath, which is part of the covenant, must come to an end.

A James

alvalj@cwjamaica.com