QUESTION: "Pastor Ronald, saan po sa Bible makikita na ang 4th commandment o weekly Sabbath ay para lang sa Israel?"

 

QUESTION:

"Pastor Ronald, saan po sa Bible makikita na ang 4th commandment o weekly Sabbath ay para lang sa Israel?"

ANSWER:

Good question yan, kasi ito mismo ang pinakaugat ng debate sa SDA vs. biblical Christianity. Here’s how I’d answer it straight, pastoral, pero matibay bilang dating tagapagtanggol ng SDA church sa loob ng 24 years:


1. The Commandments Themselves Tell You Who They’re For

Exodus 20:2 — bago pa man ibigay ang Ten Commandments, malinaw ang audience:

“Ako ang Panginoon mong Diyos na naglabas sa iyo sa lupain ng Egipto, sa bahay ng pagkaalipin.”

Question: Ikaw ba personally inilabas sa Egypt? Hindi. Sino? Israel.

So right at the start, kita na agad sino ang covenant partner hindi buong sangkatauhan, kundi Israel bilang covenant nation.

2. The Sabbath Command Has Israel’s “Sign Clause”

Exodus 31:16–17

“Kaya’t iingatan ng mga anak ni Israel ang Sabbath… ito’y magiging tanda sa pagitan ko at ng mga anak ni Israel magpakailanman.”

Sino ang may “sign”? The nations? Nope. Israel only.

Kung ang Sabbath ay sign “forever,” then ask: Forever for who? The text itself says “the children of Israel.”

3. Deuteronomy Makes It Even Clearer

Deut. 5:15 (parallel ng 4th Commandment sa Exodus 20)

“Alalahanin mo na ikaw ay alipin sa Egipto, at inilabas ka ng Panginoon mong Diyos mula roon… kaya’t iniutos ng Panginoon mong Diyos sa iyo na ipangilin ang Sabbath day.”

Sino ang inalipin sa Egypt at inilabas by mighty hand? Hindi mga Seventh-day Adventists, hindi ako, hindi ang Gentiles. Israel lang.

Mga dapat itanong sa mga Sabbatarians:

1. Kung ang Sabbath ay universal moral law, bakit never binanggit kay Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, o Jacob na sumunod dito?

2. Bakit ang Sabbath command mismo may historical ground na unique lang sa Israel (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:15)?

3. Kung “sign forever” daw ito para sa lahat, bakit sabi ng Eph. 2:14–15 na the “law of commandments contained in ordinances” ay inabolish in Christ?

Paul says:

“Let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food, drink, festivals, new moon, or Sabbaths; these are a shadow of what was to come, but the substance belongs to Christ."

Greek word for “shadow” = skia (temporary outline), contrasted with sōma (substance, reality).

So ang Sabbath = skia, Christ = sōma.

Question: Who in their right mind hugs the shadow when the Person has arrived?

Pastoral Wrap-Up

So kapatid, malinaw ang Bible: the weekly Sabbath was given as a covenant sign to Israel, grounded sa kanilang historical redemption from Egypt. It was never commanded to the nations, and in Christ, the shadow gave way to the Reality. That’s why the NT never commands Gentile Christians to keep the Sabbath; instead, we’re called to rest in Christ (Matt. 11:28-30; Heb. 4:9–10).

For more inquiries, contact us:

Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com

Website: formeradventistph.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/formeradventistph

Phone: 09695143944