Bible Readings — Bible Questions Answered

The Sabbath Test in Israel

What does the Sabbath commandment require? BR-ASI9 285.1

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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.” Exodus 20:8-10. BR-ASI9 285.2

Note.—Luther says, on Exodus 16:4, 22-30: “Hence you can see that the Sabbath was before the law of Moses came, and has existed from the beginning of the world. Especially have the devout, who have preserved the true faith, met together and called upon God on this day.”—Translated from Auslegung des Alten Testaments (Commentary on the Old Testament), in Sammtliche Schriften (Collected Writings), edited by J. G. Walch, vol. 3, col. 950. BR-ASI9 285.3

How did God prove Israel in the wilderness? BR-ASI9 285.4

“I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no.” Exodus 16:4. BR-ASI9 285.5

On which day was a double portion of manna gathered? BR-ASI9 285.6

“And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man.” Exodus 16:22. BR-ASI9 285.7

What did Moses say to the rulers? BR-ASI9 285.8

“This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord.” Exodus 16:23. BR-ASI9 285.9

Note.—“2. The Sabbath is indispensable to man, being promotive of his highest good, physically, intellectually, socially, spiritually, and eternally. Hence its observance is connected with the best of promises, and its violation with the severest penalties. Exodus 23:12; 31:12-18; Nehemiah 13:15-22; Isaiah 56:2-7; 58:13-14; Jeremiah 17:21-27; Ezekiel 20:12, 13; 22:26-31. Its sanctity was very distinctly marked in the gathering of the manna. Exodus 16:22-30. BR-ASI9 285.10

“3. The original law of the Sabbath was renewed and made a prominent part of the moral law, or ten commandments, given through Moses at Sinai, Exodus 20:8-11.”—Amos Binney and Daniel Steele, Binney’s Theological Compend Improved (1902 ed.), p. 170. BR-ASI9 285.11

What did some of the people do on the seventh day? BR-ASI9 285.12

“It came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.” Verse 27. BR-ASI9 285.13

How did God reprove their disobedience? BR-ASI9 286.1

“And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws?” Exodus 16:28. BR-ASI9 286.2

Why was double manna given on the sixth day? BR-ASI9 286.3

“See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” Exodus 16:29. BR-ASI9 286.4

How, then, did the Lord test the people? BR-ASI9 286.5

Over the keeping of the Sabbath. BR-ASI9 286.6

Note.—Thus we see that the Sabbath commandment was a part of God’s law before this law was spoken from Sinai; for this incident occurred before Israel came to Sinai. Both the Sabbath and the law existed from creation. BR-ASI9 286.7

“As presented to us in the Scriptures the Sabbath was not the invention of any religious founder. It was not at first part of any system of religion, but an entirely independent institution. Very definitely it is presented in Genesis as the very first institution, inaugurated by the Creator himself. It was purely religious, wholly moral, wholly spiritual. It had no prescribed ceremonies, no sacramentarian significance. It required no priest, no liturgy. It was for man as God’s creature, steward and friend.”—W. O. Carver, Sabbath Observance, p. 41. Copyright, 1940, by the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission. BR-ASI9 286.8