God, Sabbath, Israel and Good Friday

MOST OF the responses to my articles, 'Debating the Sabbath' and 'God did not write the Ten Commandments with fingers' (March 10 and 17) attributed to me comments that I did not make. Nowhere in my columns did I even mention the word 'Sunday'.

The purpose of my article was a response to persons who claim that the Sabbath is permanent for all persons because it would mean the requirements would also be valid. For example, in the Old Testament there is death to violators of the Sabbath, "Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone, who desecrates it must be put to death ...'" (Ex 31: 14). Who believes that? And the violation was about not allowing persons and animals to rest from work. It was not about not worshipping on the Sabbath day!

Additionally, the reason given for the observance of the Sabbath according to Deuteronomy is emancipation from Egyptian slavery. Deuteronomy 5:12-15, states, "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." This shows that it is a covenant between God and the Israelites who were grateful for deliverance from Egyptian slavery.

divine inspiration

I also argued that God did not write the Ten Commandments with his fingers because God is a Spirit and has no fingers. The 'finger of God' is a symbol to state that the Ten Commandments have divine inspiration. Furthermore, new tablets were chiselled out by Moses (Ex 34:1, 4) for God to write again on them, but in Ex 34:27-28 it is Moses that actually wrote on the new tablets, "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words ... And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments'. But Deut 10:4 says God wrote on the second tablets! Obviously, Moses wrote under God's inspiration.

Additionally, the Sabbath has a serious variation between the two accounts in Exodus 20: 8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15. The latter does not mention anything about creation, but locates the observance of the Sabbath in the children of Israel's emancipation from Egyptian slavery. If a perfect God literally wrote the Ten Commandments, then there could be no difference.

Exodus 20:17, states, "You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife ... his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour." Why no mention of coveting the neighbour's husband? Furthermore, God would not classify wives with houses, ox and donkey as owned or belonging to a man! This shows male bias which cannot be attributed to God, but could be to Moses.

I also said "doctrines and political ideology have been centred around the Ten Commandments, including a belief by some that whatever Israel does is correct, including the illegal occupation of parts of Gaza." This needed further explanation. When Europeans believed they were God's chosen people they used that belief to justify enslaving other races. Similarly, a belief that God wrote the Ten Commandments which was given to the Jews leads to a misunderstanding of the covenant between God and the Israelites. It leads to a belief that God is always on the side of Israel. This is sad because the Jews, having suffered the holocaust, now engage in the occupation of Gaza and West Bank against the mandate of the United Nations.

Tomorrow, being Good Friday, reminds us that neither Sabbath observance or the keeping of the Ten Commandments can bring salvation, but only Jesus the Christ, in dying on our behalf, facilitates our sins being forgiven and a chance at a full and meaningful life.

Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. Send comments to columns@gleanerjm.com