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.

Another of my occasional “Sabbath” series.

Ezekiel 20 seeded a couple of thoughts for me. One I wrote about yesterday, was about the dangers of ignoring God’s warnings. The second was this one about the significance if the Sabbath — or in the case of a Christian, the Lord’s day — as a sign.

God gave the Israelites the Sabbath to show them three things.
First, the Sabbath is a sign of the adoption of the Israelites as a special people, separated to The Lord. The second is a sign that there are privileges as well as obligations that flow from the law. The Sabbath is a weekly rest, and — perhaps more importantly — a sign of the rest that is to come. Finally, the Sabbath is a sign for the Israelites to use to show to whom they belong. JFB says, “Virtually it is said, all sanctity will flourish or decay, according as this ordinance is observed in its full spirituality or not.”

Let’s translate this to how the Lord’s Day is a sign for us. I have quoted what the Baptist Faith and Message says about The Lord’s Day — but it bears repeating:

The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It is a Christian institution for regular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private. Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

First, the Lord’s Day is a sign of the rising if Christ, and of our adoption and redemption. The second is a sign that for us, too, there are privileges as well as obligations that flow from the law. The Lord’s Day is a weekly rest and — perhaps more importantly — a sign of the rest that is to come. Finally, the Lord’s day should be a sign for us to use to show to whom we belong. For us too, all sanctity will flourish or decay, according as this ordinance is observed in its full spirituality or not.

This is a key question for Myra and me. Could people tell the difference between us and non-Christians if they looked at the things we do and don’t do on Sunday? I think the same must be true for the church in general. We should be challenged to be different, but not exclusive.

There must be a clear line between the world and the church. That line should be especially clear on the Lord’s Day — but I’m not sure that it is ..