The midland journal., 1946-08-02

2:23-28; Matthew 12:9-13.
MEMORY SELECTION-This is the day
which the Lord hath made; we will re.
joice and be glad In it.-Psalm 118:24.
"The Sabbath was made for
man." and was ordained of God for
the good of mans body and soul. 1t
was intended to be day of glad
fellowship with the Lord.
Since the Sabbath the seventh
day - was essentially one of rest
and worship, the principles which
surrounded it and directed it's life
may be applied to our day Of rest,
which is the first day of the week
the Lords day.
That word "rest" sounds little
strange in this busy world of ours,
and yet il is an important one. 1t
means quiet for the struggling one,
calm for the troubled, repose for
the weary, cessation of labor for
the worn-out one.
God in his infinite wisdom saw
that without rest man would soon
destroy himself, and he made pro-
vision for one day in seven when
labor should cease and man should
| be free for that recreation of soul
and body which should fit him for
the labor of the week.
1. A Day of Holiness (Exod. 20:8).
God gave his people a holy
day to balance up their days of la
bor and to bring blessing to their
souls. On that day he decreed that
they should come apart from their
labors, turn from secular interest
! and turn their hearts and minds
to the unseen and the eternal. Man
would become so engrossed in the
things of this world that he would
soon forget; therefore, God COM
mands him to stop and worship.
That should be sufficient to cause his
people to remember" the day "to
keep it holy"
| Notice that the day of rest was
to be not only for the family, but
also for servants and for visitors.
The employer who unnecessarily
operates his factory or office on Sum-
day violates this commandment.
Note also that the man who is to
rest on the seventh day is supposed
to work on the six days. Some
neglect to do both.
! This matter of keeping the Lords
day holy is one which has tremen-
dous implications in the lives of our
children. Many men and women
who have had built into their own
characters the stalwart virtues nur-
tured by family attendance at di-
vine worship have not only forgotten
their own continuing need, but are
destroying the interest of their chill
dren in church attendance.
It is serious enough to go astray
in ones own life, but to lead ones
children astray is an appalling re-
sponsibility. Let's keep the Lords
day as holy day.
ii. A Day of Helprulness mark
2:23-28).
The Journalists of Christ's day, the
Pharisees, had overlooked the heart
of Gods law and the holy living
which it was intended to produce,
and had bound up even the observ-
ance of the sabbath (Which was in
tended to be day of rest and glad
ness) in such mass of technical
"thou shalt not's" that it was day
of fear.
The accusations against the disci-
| pies because they had taken and
eaten grain was not on the ground
that they had stolen, for the law
(Deut. 23:25) guaranteed that right
to the one who passed through his
neighbor's field. The Pharisees con-
tended, however, that the disciples
had worked on the Sabbath in pick
ing and hulling the grain.
Gods laws are helpful laws, and
it is only when men pervert them,
or add to them their own traditions
and interpretations, that they be-
come burdensome to anyone who is
God-fea-ing and obedient.
III. A Day of Healing (Matt. IL:
9-13).
Jesus made it clear that healing
of the body Eyes, and of the souD
was most appropriate on the Sab
bath day; in fact, that is the very
day for it.
The healing of the man with the
withered arm revealed that back of
the Pharisees' professed concern
for the Sabbath was real hatred
for Christ. 1t is an appalling thing
that in the house of worship on the
very Sabbath day, these men,
outwardly so religious, were plot4
ting against our Lord.
Jesus cuts across human hypoc-
risy and hatred to declare that the
true keeping of the Sabbath is to do
the work of God. No work of neces-
sity (like plucking the grain) or of
mercy (like healing the withered
arm) is ever out of place on the day
of rest.
A word of caution is needed, for
some have sought to interpret this
Scripture as providing biblical
ground for doing all sorts of things
on their day of rest. That day is
| for y,oon,c mod po+ fov. l,;e I1+r,,.