Evening journal., 1905-10-02
THE GOSPEL
OF THE KINGDOM
Twelfth Study in Exposition
of Book of Matthew by
Pastor Pettingill
THE SIGy OF THE PROPHET JONAH

Following is the exposition of the
twelfth chapter of Matthew given by
Pastor Pettingill Of North Baptist
Church yesterday morning:
The Sabbath is never mentioned in
Matthew until the twelfth chapter. The
complete rejection of the Messiah by
Israel is marked in this chapter by
His break with them concerning the
Sabbath This was the last thing re-
lmaining Of their violated covenant with
Jehovah. 1t had been given to them
as a sign of the covenant, and now. as
they had deserted the covenant. He
was about to set aside the sign. His
purpose in giving them the Sabbath
is shown in Exodus 81 1917, where
Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying.
Speak thou unto the children of Is
rael saying. Verify My Sabbaths We
shall keep: for it is a sign between Me
land you throughout your generations;
that ye may know that / am Jehovah
that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep
the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy
unto you; everyone that defileth it
shall surely be put to death: for who
soever doeth any work therein, that
soul shall be cut off from among his
people. Six days may work be done;
but in the seventh is Sabbath of rest.
holy to Jehovah; whosoever doeth any
work in the Sabbath day. he shall
surely be put to death. Wherefore the
Ichildren of Israel shall keep the Sab
bath, to observe the Sabbath through
out their generations, for a perpetual
covenant. 1t is sign between Me
land the children Of Israel forever: for
In six days Jehovah made heaven and
earth, and on the seventh day He
lrested and was refreshed
'Israers violation OF the terms of
the covenant was constant and griev-
Gus. In Ezekiel 20: 1926 the case
5 against them is stated thus: Moreover
also I gave them My Sabbaths. to be
la Sign between Me and them. that
they might know that I am Jehovah
that sanctify them But the house of
Israel rebeled against Me i'm the will
derness: they walked not in My stat
utes, and they despised My judgments,
which IL a man do he shall even live
in them; and My Sabbaths they great
ly polluted; then ! said. l would pour
out MY fury upon them in the wilder
ness. to consume them But I wrought
be polluted before the heathen. in
3 whose sight l brought them out. Yet
Z also | lifted up My hand unto them in
the wilderness. that would not bring
them into the land which l had given
them. flowing with milk and honey
which is the glory of all lands: be-
cause they despised My judgments
and walked not in My statutes. bui
polluted MY Sabbaths: for their heart
went after their idols. Nevertheless
Mine eye spared them from destroyinl
e them, neither did I make an end O
y them in the wilderness. But sal,
O. lunto their children i'm the wilderness
y Walk ye not i'm the statutes of you
III fathers neither observe their iudg
2 ments, nor dehle yourselves with thei
IL idols: / am Jehovah your Cod wall
Z in MY statutes. and keep My judg
ments. and do them; and hallow NJ
Sabbaths: and they shall be a sig
= lbetween Me and you, that ye may know
that 1 am Jehovah your God. Not
withstanding the children rebelle
against Me: they walked not in NJ
statutes, neither kept My judgments t
do them which il a man do. he shal
even live in them; they polluted NJ
10 Sabbaths; then I said. / would pou
iout MY fury upon them. to accomplis
my anger against them in the wilder
- ness. Nevertheless withdrew Min
u hand. and wrought for My name
sake. that it should not be polluted j.
a, the sight of the heather. i'm who's
sight 1 brought them forth ! lfte
up Mine hand unto them also in tn
- Wilderness that I would scatter ther
lamong the heathen. and disperse ther
a, through the countries: because the
~ had not executed My judgments, bu
had despised My statutes, and ha
- polluted My Sabbaths. and their eye
were after their fathers idol
- Wherefore / gave them also statute
"a that were not good. and judgment
~ whereby they should not live; and
y polluted them in their own gifts. i
that they caused to pass through tn
fire all that openeth the womb that
!, might make them desolate. to the en-
that they might know that I am Jeho
- vah.'
- Thus il may be seen that the Sab
bath is a purely Jewish institution.
the Law of Moses it was given onl
Z to Israel and IL has never been give
to the Gentiles nor TO the Church {
God. To speak of the Lords Day q
Ilne &nIlSNldH 0dbbdAu - ~ h'ui ht
wine into old wine skins or sew ne
q. cloth on old garments. There is D
- Sabbath. Christian or otherwise,
- this Dispensation The Lords Day
an Immensely higher day than II
Jewish Sabbath ever was; IL is no
however, day of Law; but day
4 Grace.
j ''The Sabbath. as / have said was
Jewish thing. II was a sign betwee
God and Israel that they might kno
that He was Jehovah their God. 81
IT. they did not know Him. When +
nd visited them they would not recei
es Him. He stood amongst them, hol,
ing out His hands toward them, read
IS to heal their backslidings. but th'
,r- would not have Him in their know
o. edge. And yet when He laid His har
us lupon the Sabbath they cried ol
D. against Him and called Him Sim
ly and a blasphemer.
How like the human heart is a
he this! Naturally il is enmity towai
NJ, God. and yet it clings tenaciously
- empty religious forms as If the
Z could take the place OF Him. Thoul
they have no desire for the power
godliness. men cannot get along at
es' without the form of IL. Thus did
ay rael seek TO put the Sabbath of Il
nj Lord in the place of the Lord Of Il
ke Sabbath.
by THE American Revision has In
proved the translation of the fir
verse OF our chapter for the Amer