Bible Readings — Bible Questions Answered

Man and the Sabbath

For whom did Christ say the Sabbath was made? BR-ASI9 284.7

“And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” Mark 2:27. BR-ASI9 284.8

Note.—“Jesus says: ‘The Sabbath was made for man;’ and the necessary inference is that from the beginning man knew the primary uses of the day, and received the benefits which it was designed to impart. . . . BR-ASI9 284.9

“Before the giving of the law from Sinai the obligation of the Sabbath was understood.”—J. J. Taylor (Baptist), The Sabbatic Question (Revell, 1914 ed.), pp. 20-24. BR-ASI9 284.10

When did God bless and sanctify the seventh day? BR-ASI9 284.11

“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.” Genesis 2:3. BR-ASI9 284.12

Note.—“If we had no other passage than this of Genesis 2:3, there would be no difficulty in deducing from it a precept for the universal observance of a Sabbath, or seventh day, to be devoted to God as holy time, by all of that race for whom the earth and its nature were specially prepared. The first men must have known it. The words ‘He hallowed it’ can have no meaning otherwise. They would be a blank unless in reference to some who were required to keep it holy.”—John Peter Lange, A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, on Genesis 2:3, vol. 1, p. 197. BR-ASI9 284.13