Rest from own works on Sabbath day

1 And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which Yahweh hath commanded, that ye should do them.

— The word for "congregation" is edah, the feminine form of ed, "witness." The nation was treated as Yahweh's Bride (Isa. 54:5). Ezekiel takes up the same figure of speech, and describes how the foundling child in Egypt grew up to become a bride (Eze. 16:6-14).

Yahweh is represented as saying:

"Yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord Yahweh, and thou becamest Mine" (v. 8). "Thy Maker," declared Isaiah, "is thine husband" (Isa. 54:5).

Israel in covenant relationship with God, was as the ecclesia today is in its relationship to the Lord (2Cor. 11:1-2).

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

2 Six days shall work be done, but on the 7th day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to Yahweh: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

..death will be the fate of all who rest not from the works of flesh: the significance

of the true sabbath (see Heb. 4:3).

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

Num 15:32-36 - The man who was put to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath day...wilful rebellion. 'Yahweh said unto Moses the man shall surely be put to death'.

'...this severity, which was necessary for the protection of the institution, has been relaxed.

The day itself is obsolete as a religious exercise, that is to say, obsolete by Divine appointment.

The change dates from the first appearing of Christ. He proclaimed himself "Lord also of the sabbath ", in the sense of having authority to do work on that day if he saw fit in the execution of his mission (Mark 2:28).

The Sabbath, intended as a blessing, had in Christ's day degenerated into a day of oppressive restraint and formalism; and Christ had to remind his generation that" the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2: 27). In all cases in which he appears in connection with the Sabbath, it is in opposition to those who stickled for what might be called a sabbatarian treatment of the day.

Law of Moses Ch 6 posted 22.02.26

3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

This seemingly trivial appendage to the sabbath law, relating to the cooking, boiling, or roasting of food, showed how meticulously the law was to be kept.

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

God's Covenant and the Sabbath. On descending from the mount Moses assembles the people and transmits the words and laws of Yahweh concerning the Tabernacle - a beautiful type of Christ assembling the faithful at Sinai, at the marriage supper of the Lamb, to give them the laws and strategies for setting up the glorious Kingdom (Rev. 19).

"These are the words which Yahweh hath commanded that ye should do them."

They were the orders and specification of the King, Yahweh of Armies, to be obeyed as their absolute monarch.

It was an "holy day." No labour for the flesh. Only for Yahweh. A day of dedication to Yahweh, the very centrepiece of Israel's national life as the people of God under the Sinai Covenant (Ex.20). They were melek kohanim (a kingdom of priests) (Ex. 19:6); but for us under the new covenant, every day Heb 4 as an holy nation, a royal priesthood.

There was to be no fire prepared or lit in the encampment of Israel on the Sabbath, "kindle no fire.' Nu.15.32-36. The Seventh Millennial day is foreshadowed. An epoch entirely dedicated to the law of Yahweh and serving his truth and not sin. The fires of Yahweh will burn with fury in the setting up of the Kingdom (Isa 66:16; 29:6; 30;27)

The thunder and lightning of war and fire and brimstone from heaven will rend the Gentile heavens, and cast much of them into the Europe Lake of Fire (Rev. 19.20).

The Apocalyptic Messenger, December 2016

Bro Richard Lister

thomas.lister1@btinternet.com

4 And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which Yahweh commanded, saying,

5 Take ye from among you an offering unto Yahweh: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of Yahweh; gold, and silver, and brass,

6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

7 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,

9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.

10 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that Yahweh hath commanded;

11 The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,

The rearing of the sanctuary will not be accomplished till the age to come, but the materials are meanwhile being brought in: 'gold, silver, and precious stones: wood, hay, and stubble.'

They will all be inspected at the Judgment Seat, and assorted.

... by that time, the number has been made up that is needful for the organization of the Kingdom of God: and we may then see the antitype of what happened in Israel's camp after the issue of the invitation to bring in materials.

'The people brought much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord

commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be

proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man or woman make any more

work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.

For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much' (Exo.

36:5-7).

Law of Moses posted 22.02.26

12 The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,

13 The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,

14 The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,

Lampstand in the holy place

...the first chamber is first in our experience, and therefore the first in which the qualified visitor would have found himself on entering by the door of the tabernacle from the outside. It differs from the holiest of all in several important respects.

There is no manifested glory of God, and no light except what comes from the lit candlestick with the seven branches. The natural light is excluded by the coverings of the tabernacle, and the light of the cherubic glory in the holiest is intercepted by the veil. Darkness artificially dispelled is the characteristic, then, of the holy place.

To this there is a complete parallel in the holy state pertaining to the present life of the saints. There is no manifested glory of the Lord: that is veiled off by the earthly nature of present experience. There is light, but it is merely "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" irradiated by the lit candlestick of the word of the Lord.

The saints walk by faith, and, therefore, by the light of the golden candlestick, which is sevenfold, as intimating its perfection for the purpose in view.

This is a real light, though faint by comparison with that which is within the veil. It is a light of actual demonstrated truth. It is neither cunningly devised fables nor uncertain opinions, but the exhibited realities of divine operations in Israel's history, authenticated to us by the testimony of eye-witnesses (from Moses to the companions of Christ), and confirmed in various ways apparent to attentive intelligence.

The light was caused by the combustion of oil supplied to the lamps morning and evening, without which the light would have gone out--whence we may gather the idea that the candlestick does not represent the word of the Lord in the abstract, but that word as incorporate in living believers, after the example of the seven apocalyptic candlesticks which stood for seven light-bearing communities of saints. It is manifest that the word of the Lord can have no operative existence apart from living reflectors.

Inspiration itself is but the intelligence of God apart from a living medium.

Law of Moses Ch 14

15 And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,

16 The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,

17 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,

18 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,

àNo previous mention has been made of these. They were evidently the tent pegs to

which were attached the cords holding the covering of the tent over the tabernacle,

helping to firm the pillars to which the hangings of the court were fastened.

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

19 The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.

20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

à"Congregation" is mowade in Hebrew, and denotes a meeting, at a set time. Rotherham renders:

"So all the assembly of the sons of Israel went forth."

The phrase indicates that the meeting dispersed in order to prepare the offerings.

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought Yahweh's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

Moved by Yahweh's grace in forgiving their lapse by restoring the covenant, the

people respond with enthusiastic willingness to the command of Moses. The nation

reaches a high point of spiritual keenness as the people occupy their time in gathering

materials for the tabernacle.

A joyful activity and sense of objectiveness permeates the whole nation. The camp rings

with happiness, excitement and praise of Yahweh as the people give themselves to the work.

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto Yahweh.

àSuch ornaments were worn by men as well as by women in those times (Exo. 3:22) Indeed, some had been used to construct the golden calf (Exo. 32:2), but others now brought forth their ornaments for the construction of the tabernacle.

As indicated in the R.V., this included bracelets or broaches, rings or signet rings, tablets or armlets. It was the willingness with which this was offered that was pleasing unto Yahweh.

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them.

24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought Yahweh' offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.

àIt was compulsory for every adult male to pay a half shekel of silver as redemption money to Yahweh (Exo. 30:11-15) and the amount paid answers exactly to the requirements of

the tabernacle (Exo. 38:24-29).

The state ment before us suggests that some offerings in addition to the stated compulsory

rate may have been made voluntarily. If that were the case, the amount of the additional

is not supplied, nor are we told as to what was done with it.

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.

àThe flax itself was dyed, so that the thread produced was coloured already.

26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.

..implies that special skill was required for spinning goats' hair.

In the heart of those Sinai mountains, I have seen a woman of the desert weaving, with a primitive loom of her own construction, a cloth of goats' hair for her tent, just as, 3,000 years before, the Bible tells that, on that self-same spot, the women "spun goats' hair".

The Christadelphian, Aug 1874

27 And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;

àJosephus states that only the stone in the breastplate was onyx, whereas those on the shoulders were sardonyx.

"Onyx" signifies fingernail. The gem displays layers of different colours which alternate with each other, and bear some resemblance to the white and flesh coloured bands of the fingernail.

A sardonyx is more sharply defined with bands of dark red and white. These colours,

flashing with the gleam of fire from the sun would suggest the reflection of divine

glory which a true Israelite is called upon to manifest. This requires sacrifice (red)

and righteousness (white), the colours of the gem.

The Christadelphian Expositor - Logos

28 And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto Yahweh, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which Yahweh had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, Yahweh hath called by name Bezaleel [shadow of El] the son of Uri [light], the son of Hur [white], of the tribe of Judah [praise];

31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab [tent of the father], the son of Ahisamach [brother], of the tribe of Dan [judgment].

35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

Godly Resolutions

Our Loving heavenly father, In the name of our Lord Yahoshua Anointed we offer our thanksgiving to THEE

"WE will hear thee speak."—Ps. 85:8.

"WE will sing unto thee O Yahweh as long as we live."—Ps. 104:33.

"WE will run the way of thy commandments."—Ps. 119:32.

"WE will never forget thy precepts."—Ps. 119:93.

"WE will meditate on all thy works, and talk of thy doings."—Ps. 70:12.

"Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we will fear no evil."—Ps. 23:4.

"We will freely sacrifice unto thee."—Ps. 54:6.

"We will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy."—Ps. 31:7.

"Our  tongues shall speak of righteousness, and of thy praise all the day long."—Ps. 35:28.

"Thou art Yahweh, our  refuge and fortress: our Elohim in whom we trust."—Ps. 91:2.

For WITH THY HELP we will be perfect before thee, through the merciful provision of the precious blood offering of thy holy one our high priest and faithful mediator in heaven, they beloved son.

amen

Gospel Prayers

Our Loving heavenly father, In the name of our Lord Yahoshua Anointed we offer our thanksgiving to THEE 

"Show us thy ways, O Yahweh; teach us thy paths, and lead us in thy truth."—Ps. 25:4, 5.

"Keep us as the apple of thine eye; hide us under the shadow of thy wings"—Ps. 17:8.

"Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just."—Ps. 7:9.

"Arise, O Yahweh; let not man prevail; let the heathen be judged in thy sight."—Ps. 9:19.

"Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem."—Ps. 51:18.

"that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion."—Ps. 53:6.

"Let Elohim arise, let thine enemies be scattered; let them also that hate thee flee from before thee."—Ps. 18:4.

"Arise, Elohim, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations."—Ps. 82:8.

"Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself."—Ps. 80:15.

"Peace be within the walls of Jerusalem and prosperity within thy palaces."—Ps. 122:7.

"Arise, O Yahweh, into thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy."—Ps. 132:8, 9.

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

"Satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."—Ps. 90:14.

"Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth."—Ps. 77.

"Send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me to thy holy hill."—Ps. 43:5.

"Come, Lord Yahoshua."—Rev. 21.

In his name we offer all our thanks and praise to thee our loving father in heaven

Amen

The Christadelphian, Oct 1876

The power of death destroyed

Heb 2: 14

It has been objected that the putting-away of sin cannot have been the putting-away of the mortal nature, because Christ rose with the same nature, and it is said that the same infirmities clung to him until he was changed to immortality.

There is no evidence, however, that Jesus rose from the dead with the same infirmities that he had before he died: it is simply assumed, and we have quite as much reason for assuming the contrary; but as we do not desire to base any argument on a mere supposition, we pass it by.

As to Christ having risen with the same nature that he died with, this of course is admitted, but this fact is no proof that the sin he put away was not sin in the flesh, for the necessity for destroying sin in the flesh lay in the fact that it had the power of death, and that power had been destroyed in him when he rose from the dead.

So that even though he rose in the same nature that he had before his death—and even if his nature was in precisely the same condition—the power of sin over him had been destroyed, and God could then change him to immortality, so that his victory over sin might be thus perfected or perpetuated.

The body of sin, or the devil, having been destroyed, a way was thus opened for its destruction in others on their availing themselves of the appointed way, viz., immersion into the death and resurrection of Christ, by which they obtain the remission of sins, and a title to the redemption he obtained by his death and resurrection—using "resurrection" here in its fullest sense, as including resurrection to immortality.

The consistency of this plan may be seen in view of a principle exemplified in certain passages of Scripture, namely, that the removal of the punishment for a sin implies or involves the forgiveness of that sin. For instance, when God had decreed the death of Hezekiah, and then, in answer to Hezekiah's prayer, permitted him to live, Hezekiah said,

"Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back,"

i.e., blotted them out.—(Isaiah 38:17.) The case of David also is perhaps to the point. When he had sinned "in the matter of Uriah the Hittite," and God sent Nathan to charge him with it, "David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said unto David,

"The Lord hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."—(2 Sam. 12:13.)

Then, again, when Christ was about to cure the palsied man, he said to him, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee;" and when some of the Scribes said, "This man blasphemeth," Jesus said,

"Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house."—(Matt. 9:2–6.)

This would imply that the disease from which this man was suffering was a punishment for sin, and that the removal of the disease carried with it the forgiveness of his sins. Let us now apply this principle to the matter in hand. Death is the punishment for sin; Christ has "abolished" death, and therefore on men associating themselves with this abolition, by union with Christ, death is accounted as being prospectively abolished in them, and this therefore carries with it the forgiveness of their sins.

In bearing the condemnation resting on the sin-nature, of which Christ, in common with the rest of the race, was a partaker, and in being raised from the dead, the power of sin was destroyed, while at the same time God's law was not set aside, but was upheld in him, and therefore, on the basis of that destruction of sin, God can consistently forgive those who, believing "the truth," recognise that the evils resulting from the breaking of His law have been removed in Christ, and that they can obtain redemption through him alone—on their manifesting their recognition of this fact in the appointed way. Hence we read in Col. 2:10–13:—

"Ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power: in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (or made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses."

The Christadelphian, Sept 1876

 the holy thing she bore was called a Son of Deity, and named JESUS (Luke 1:35, 31).

Thus,

"the Logos became flesh, and dwelt among us," says John, "and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth;" for "the law was given through Moses; the grace and the truth came through Jesus Anointed" (John 1:14, 17).

Now, "Theos was the Logos," says John; that is, Deity was the Word; and this Word became flesh in the manner testified.

Eureka 1.2.2.

If it be argued that Thus is referring to 30 years after the birth the following proves that not to be so...

The mystery of godliness is practically exhibited in the incarnation of the Word in the conception and anointing of Jesus; in the perfecting of his body at its resurrection, when Deity in Spirit was as visible to the apostles as Deity in Flesh had been to them before the crucifixion.

Eureka 2.0.

THE WORD MADE FLESH - DIFFERENT STAGES

S.B.‭—‬We have duly received,‭ ‬in common with you,‭ ‬a copy of Friend Jardine's second letter to the Editor of the‭ ‬Christadelphian,‭ ‬in response to our review of his first.‭ ‬We think it unnecessary to make it the subject of reply.‭ ‬We must refer to our review as containing all the answer required.‭ ‬The only point requiring notice is where the writer is able to quote from an early production of Dr.‭ ‬Thomas's,‭ ‬in support of his contention that the Word was not made flesh till the baptism of Jesus.‭ ‬This is best answered by the following quotation from a letter written by the Dr.‭ ‬in‭ ‬1870:

‭ "‬My faith and hope are what they have been for years,‭ ‬only that they are‭ ‬enlarged,‭ ‬strengthened and increased,‭ ‬because I have obeyed the exhortation of the apostle,‭ ‬and added to our faith knowledge‭"—(‬Christadelphian,‭ ‬August,‭ ‬1870,‭ ‬p.‭ ‬237.‭)

On the principle expressed in this extract,‭ ‬the Dr.‭ ‬came to see that the manifestation of God began with the birth of Jesus,‭ ‬and was perfected in two subsequent stages—his anointing of the Spirit and his resurrection.‭ ‬He was consequently able to say,‭ ‬only a year or so after writing the words quoted by Friend Jardine.

‭ "‬There was no Word made flesh till the birth of Mary's Son.‭"

The Christadelphian p581 ‭March 1, 1875