DEFENDING GOD'S SABBATH DAY, Matthew 5:17-30; Exodus 20:2-17; Isaiah 56:1-6; 58:13-14, 20220724

By GOD’s continuous Grace and Mercy, this morning, we will begin our Scripture reading in Matthew 5:17-30. Amen!

Our LORD Jesus taught His Apostles and followers that He did NOT come to destroy the Law, or the prophets.

What our LORD is saying is that He did not come to destroy the 10 Commandments, Prophet Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc. Rather, He came to enforce or tighten the Laws. What is the Law? The Law is the Old Testament (including the 10 Commandments). He came to fulfill or enforce the Laws in the OT, not destroy them.

Please note that instead of using a mild word, He chose a military term, “destroy,” or “annihilate,” or “kill,” or “vanquish” the Law.

To interpret it, He came to spiritually fulfill or enforce the Law or 10 Commandments for our internal and external application as GOD intended them, as they applied to Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.

Let us note that our LORD Jesus criticized the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 12 and 23, calling them terrible names, because they had legalized GOD’s Law with their own traditions.

Who are the prophets? They are the utterances and writings of Prophet Moses (Deuteronomy 34:10); Prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 3:20); Prophet Saul (1 Samuel 10:11-12); Prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 7:2); Prophet Gad (2 Samuel 24:11); and Prophet David (selected Psalms and Acts 2:29-30). Others are Prophets Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Hosea, Daniel, Joel, Obadiah, Micah, Jonah, Amos, Habakkuk, Nahum, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, to name a few in the OT.

Our LORD says He came to confirm what the Prophets of GOD wrote. Back to Matthew 5:18, what was our LORD Jesus Christ’s emphatic statement? 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

He says, as long as Heaven and Earth exist, not one jot, which is the smallest Hebrew letter (yodh) or “iota” in Greek, or similar to an apostrophe “’” in English. A tittle is the smallest Hebrew letter that distinguishes one letter from another.

Verse 19 of Matthew 5 says: 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Do we realize the strong statement and warning that our LORD Jesus Christ lays out regarding anyone deliberately disobeying and teaching others NOT to obey ANY of the 10 Commandments or the Laws of GOD?

What is the punishment? Any Pastor, Bishop, or preacher who encourages anyone else to break the least of the 10 Commandments and other Laws will be considered least in GOD’s Kingdom. But those who encourage others to observe GOD’s Laws will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Can we dispute what the LORD is saying here?

Verse 20 says: 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

This means that if we don’t excel in our righteous obedience to GOD’s Commandments over the Sadducees and Pharisees, we cannot make it to Heaven, but GOD forbid!

The translation is that previously, GOD overlooked our ignorance, but now that He has revealed His Word to us, we do not have any excuse to say we didn’t know, to disobey.

In verse 21 above, our LORD Jesus Christ is specifically tightening the original meaning of the 6th Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” to mean when you entertain any anger in your heart toward another person, you have already committed murder.

And, if you use a curse word or degrade anyone who was born in the image of GOD, you will find yourself in the lake of fire. Instead of loosening the commandments, our LORD is tightening all the commandments. Is it becoming clear to us?

Our LORD Jesus Christ says if you develop lust in your heart for another woman, you have already committed adultery against her and broken the 7th Commandment.

Now, if our LORD is commanding us to elevate our obedience to the least of all the Laws of GOD, do we think that the 4th Commandment, which is the Sabbath is not included? When the LORD Jesus Christ says He is the LORD of the Sabbath, He was expanding on the meaning to not only mean rest, but to use the Sabbath for family devotion and glorify GOD, to worship Him, to minister to others, do good deeds, use the Sabbath to preach in the same manner that we spend the first day of the week, Sunday to preach.

In the time of our LORD Jesus, what did the Jews do on the Sabbath? They gathered in the synagogues to hear the reading of the GOD’s Word from the prophets, or Torah, the five books of Moses. Amen!