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SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISM AND THE MYTH OF "A DAY TO REMEMBER"

by Charles Ndege  
5/29/2014 / Christian Apologetics

A LETTER OF RESPONSE TO MARK A. FINLAY'S BOOK: "WHEN GOD SAID REMEMBER THE SABBATH"

I have read the title of your book, When God said remember, and have been struck by the idea that your theme must have been informed by Seventh Day Adventism's belief that, since the Sabbath was given to Adam in the garden of Eden at creation his posterity must have forgotten it, hence the need for God to remind them at Sinai by the hand of Moses His servant. Nothing can be far from the truth, and it is about time that, this long held view in Adventist theology was candidly exposed in the light of the Holy Scripture.
I appreciate your zeal and sincerity in defense of the Sabbath law in this dispensation of grace of God, but I am afraid the above virtues cannot sanctify your error in reading into biblical texts ideas that are foreign to it. The idea behind God's command to "Remember the Sabbath day" in Exodus 20:8 is so simple that even a child of kindergarten cannot fail to grasp its concept. There is not even a shred of evidence in the text to suggest the idea of stretching one's memory to the Garden of Eden.
By any stretch of imagination remembrance of the Sabbath cannot extend beyond Exodus 16, where it was first instituted by God through Moses and there is no Seventh day Adventist apologist, regardless of the scope of his scholastic learning can offer any valid objections to that lofty understanding of Sabbath Institution. In Exodus 16:23, Moses for the first time revealed to the children of Israel the Sabbath Institution. "And he said unto them, this is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord:."
If Moses had declared to the children of Israel in the above text that God had then given them the Sabbath, by what law of hermeneutics or exegesis would the children of Israel understand him to refer to the Sabbath at creation when he told them to remember the Sabbath at Exodus 20: 8? Wouldn't it be absurd to take a flight into memory lane all the way to the unknown and overlook a recent word clearly given by God on the Sabbath? In the nature of things, it is only recent events that come to memory first, when our minds are stirred to recall. Therefore, it is impossible that the Sabbath as claimed to have been revealed to Adam in Eden, would take precedent to that revealed to the children of Israel in Exodus 16, when their minds were stirred to remember in Exodus 20.
Furthermore, the grammatical construction and use of the word remember, especially in our present context, cannot admit the idea of persons not personally and directly given the Sabbath, being told to remember. It is unsound to imagine that the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai could be called upon to remember a Sabbath which their forefathers had forgotten as Adventists would want us to believe. If it was never passed onto them by the fathers, how can they be expected to remember?
That is the error of cults in redefining biblical terms to suit the thought which they now embrace. To them, the word "remember" has assumed an entirely different meaning. The Gentiles, from whom Abraham was called, did not have the law, not by choice, but God chose not to give them. (Romans 2:14). It follows that, Noah, from whom the Gentile nations descended, did not have the law of the Sabbath. Then, who are the forefathers, if we may inquire from our Adventist friends that forgot the Sabbath law?
Now, let me come to direct scripture references which prove beyond a shadow of doubt that the Sabbath was first made known to man on Mt. Sinai, hence a Sabbath from creation could not have been the subject of a ''call to remembrance'' in Exodus 20:8. Prophet Nehemiah had the following witness on the Institution of the Sabbath. "Thou camest down also upon Mount Sinai.. And madest known unto them thy holy Sabbath..." (Nehemiah 9:13-14).
If words have not ceased to convey intelligible concepts, then Sabbath law was not in existence before Sinai. Making ''known'' and ''remembrance'' have different concepts that cannot be confounded. God came upon Mount Sinai and made known the Sabbath in Exodus 16:23 and commanded them to remember the Sabbath in Exodus 20:8.
Even though it is said that one word is enough for a wise man, I will break that rule and see what the writer of Hebrews says about the origin of the Sabbath. "Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein (Seventh day Sabbath), and THEY TO WHOM IT WAS FIRST PREACHED entered not in because of unbelief." (Hebrews 4:6). Again, the apostle is eloquent without ambiguities in expression. The Sabbath was first preached or made known to Israelites on Mt. Sinai. No amount of violent wresting of scriptures out of context can prevail in changing the above fact.
Lastly, the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(John 1:17). If the law of God was given through Moses, then he couldn't have told the people to remember a law that is assumed to have been given to Adam. That is not sound reasoning.

Yours Sincerely,

Charles Otuoma Ndege,

Born to a peasant farmer in rural Western Kenya in 1958. East Africa Certificate of Education holder, 1977 class. Copyright2013 Charles O. Ndege. All rights reserved.
No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission, in writing, of the publisher.

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