The Sabbath in Genesis
Here is a excellent article on the Sabbath....
"...(It) has been argued many times that neither the Sabbath commandment nor Sabbath observance is found anywhere in the Old Testament book of Genesis. That the same Hebrew word “shabbath” as found in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8) is no where to be found therein and that therefore because of this, the Sabbath is completely absent from the book of Genesis. Since this is true, it has been argued that the first appearance of the Sabbath is in Exodus 16 as a commandment, and in Exodus 20 as part of the moral law. Yet the truth about the Sabbath’s existence in Genesis has been acknowledged by both Adventists and non-Adventists alike. So before examining the facts that make this truth clear, we will start with..the commandment that points us back to creation week.
Exodus 20:8-11
(8) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
(9) Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
(10) But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
(11) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The question, “Is the Sabbath in Genesis?” is fully answered right here in the fourth commandment itself. Notice in Genesis that God blessed the seventh day:
Genesis 2:3
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Now when we return to the commandment, verse 10 reads:
Exodus 20:10
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God
The fourth commandment says God blessed the seventh day, and then says that the seventh day “is the sabbath” day. The words “is the” makes it ever clear that the seventh day of Genesis 2:3 is the same seventh day of the fourth commandment, which God himself says that that is the “sabbath” day.
If there is any doubt, God repeats it one more time in the Decalogue:
Exodus 20:11
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Again, the “seventh day” was the day he “blessed” which he names as the “sabbath day.” And in case we are not sure of which day this was, God specifies it here by saying that it was the day after he made the “heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is…” which day is the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:2-3). The question, therefore, “Is the Sabbath day mentioned anywhere in the book of Genesis?” is fully answered by the Almighty himself, because the Hebrew word “shabbath” translated “sabbath” in Exodus 20:11 is, says YHWH himself, the “seventh day” mentioned in Genesis 2:1-3. If the seventh day of Genesis 2:1-3 is not connected to the Sabbath day of Exodus 20:8-11, why did Moses make such a connection? The answer is clear, and stands un refuted: because the seventh day of creation week is the sabbath day of the moral Law....
Genesis 2:1-3
(1) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
(2) And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
(3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Take note that after “the heavens and the earth were finished” –verse 1, God still had one more work to get done on the seventh day. The beginning of verse 2 reads, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made…” One may ask, “What other work did God do on the seventh day and does this not violate it as a day of rest?” We answer, no, because the work he did on the seventh day was not secular work, for verse one already tells us that the heavens and the earth were already “finished.” The work he did on the seventh day is answered in verse 3:
“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” –verse 3.
Rather then being a secular work, God performed a spiritual work upon the seventh day… he “blessed” and “sanctified” it.
That he “blessed” it is significant, because the bible teaches that whatever the Lord blesses, it is blessed forever. David, the servant of the Lord, understood very well that when God blesses something it will forever be blessed when he said:
1 Chronicles 17:27.
(27) Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.
Even after the entrance sin, the Sabbath remains blessed:
Exodus 20:11
(11) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Once again we find a connection between the seventh day of Genesis and the Sabbath day of Exodus 20:8-11. Moses said clearly that it was the “seventh day” that the Lord “blessed,” because that in it he had “rested.”.....
, if the Sabbath was instituted as a temporary institution, as some would have us believe, why then did the Lord bless it? Is it not clear from the above verse in 1 Chronicles 17:27 that what the Lord blesses is blessed forever? How, if the Sabbath has been abolished, is the Sabbath still blessed, seeing it no longer exists, and no one no longer experiences it? Ponder on this for a moment before continuing. The very fact that it was blessed by God himself is sufficient enough to show how perpetual it is. And we know that this is true, and that king David did not lie, because we find the existence of the seventh day Sabbath, still blessed, in the “new heaven and the new earth” –Isaiah 66:23. The prophet Isaiah’s words are therefore proof that indeed what God blesses… “shall be blessed for ever.”
The reason why he blessed the seventh day but did not bless the previous six days was because he had a special purpose for the seventh day, as will now be seen by his use of the word “sanctified.”
The word “sanctified” is used numerous times in the Old Testament, and is a word used in public settings, either of proclamations or dedications. The English word “sanctified” according to Miriam-Webster’s Dictionary means:
1) Sanctified: 1. Made holy; consecrated; set apart for sacred services.
According to Brown Driver Brigg’s Hebrew definitions, the Hebrew word “qadash” translated “sanctified” means:
1) to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate, to be set apart, be consecrated.
Strong’s Hebrew/Greek concordance says “qadash” means:
1) A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean.
And the Septuagint (LXX), which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, uses the word “hagiazō” which means:
1) to make holy, that is, (ceremonially) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate: - hallow, be holy, sanctify.
In other words, to “sanctify” means to, “pronounce, dedicate, to consecrate, be set apart for holy use.” A better understanding of this word can be found in its usage throughout the Old Testament.
Notice the following verse:
Exodus 13:1-2
(1) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
(2) Sanctify [qadash] unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
Notice the word here is used in the context of sanctifying, or dedicating “all” the firstborn. It was announced by God that all the children be sanctified unto him, and this demanded “all” the people to be involved, for they had to obey the Lord and bring in their children for dedication. All were to know, that God was the owner of every firstborn, whether of man or beast. Note also this next verse:
2 Kings 10:20
(20) And Jehu said, Proclaim [qadash] a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
When used here in the context of proclaiming a solemn feast, “all” the Baal worshipers of Israel were to be informed of this event and to attend it. One more verse:
Numbers 20:12
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify [qadash] me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
According to this verse, Moses and Aaron were to sanctify God “in the eyes of the children of Israel.”
So we see that when the word “qadash” is used, it is to publicly announce or proclaim that something is set apart for holy use. All those involved were to be made aware of this announcement. Now when God “sanctified” the seventh day and set it apart as a holy day for holy use, who was he proclaiming this to? To who was he announcing that this day was to be holy and set apart? It must have only been to those alive upon the earth at that moment, Adam and Eve. It was not for those of other worlds, if there were any at that time. Neither was it for the angels of heaven for these did not live on the earth and could therefore not experience the six day cycle of the earth. Only Adam and Eve were alive then, and to them only was it announced that the seventh day was set apart for holy use...."excerpts from The Sabbath in Genesis by Edwin M. Cotto.
The Sabbath was a ceasing from work which was set apart and made holy. Here is a good explanation that I came across in one of the forums.."The 'rest' component comes from two perspectives: first, our remembrance and celebration of God's completed, perfect work of Creation AND redemption AND His work of restoration, which He WILL complete; and, secondly, our need to set aside one day a week to rest from our weekly labors. Secondly, the worship component, which arises out of the fact that God sanctified the Sabbath day (qadash) that is, He set it apart for holy use and purposes."
Sanctification- The word "sanctification" is a translation of the Greek hagiasmos, meaning "holiness," "consecration," "sanctification," from hagiazo, "to make holy," "to consecrate," "to sanctify," "to set apart." The Hebrew equivalent is qadash, "to separate from common use." ...here is another explanation of how it applies to the Sabbath....
"...The origin of the Sabbath is God's resting on the seventh day from the work of creation (Gen. 2:2, 3). There are several Hebrew verbs translated "rest." Shabat means specifically "ceasing," in this case from work. The Hebrew noun translated Sabbath, Shabbat, also means "a ceasing" from work.
Our English versions usually tell us God "hallowed" the day, meaning He made it holy. However, the Hebrew verb qadash, though it can mean to "consecrate," primarily means to "set apart." For example, the priests were set apart from all other Israelites. The tabernacle was set apart from the rest of the camp (and the world). Similarly, this day of ceasing was set apart from the rest of the week. Genesis 2:2, 3 says nothing about worship-only ceasing. Exodus 31:17 tells us that on the seventh day God "ceased and was refreshed." Likewise, the Sabbath is for our refreshment (Mark 2:27)....."
http://www.adventistreview.org/2003-1516/story4.html
