Following this master pattern, the nation of Israel was given a symbolic week of one-year days, with every seventh year being a sabbath rest for the land. This brings us down to the literal week of seven days, the seventh day of which was a sabbath in the nation of Israel. It was logical, therefore, that the fourth commandment should make reference to the great creative week of which the literal week is a small replica.

Since God’s rest day was, as it should be, much greater than the twenty-four-hour rest day for which it is the pattern, it is a mistake to conclude that his blessing of his great rest day meant that all mankind was obligated to observe a sabbath rest every seventh day.

FOR WHOM

There is complete silence in the Scriptures about sabbath observance by any of the patriarchs before the days of Moses. The fact that they used weeks of seven days may be pointed to by some persons as evidence that they kept a sabbath, but how can that be accepted as a sound argument when there is not the slightest indication that the patriarchs considered the seventh day different from the other six? On this point consider what is said in The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia: “On the other side it is again denied that the reckoning of time by weeks implies any reference to a sabbath. The division of time by weeks, as it is one of the most ancient and universal, so is it one of the most obvious inventions.”

When God gave Noah specific commands after the Flood, they involved such details as respect for life, the eating of meat and the abstaining from blood. But no mention was made of sabbath observance. The obvious conclusion that must be drawn from the complete silence on the subject during the two and a half millenniums before Moses is that God did not require sabbath observance during this time. It was not for the patriarchs.

Sabbath observance was given just to the nation of Israel as a sign between them and their heavenly Ruler, with whom they had come into covenant relationship. We have God’s own statement to this effect: “Six days may work be done, but on the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest. . . . Between me and the sons of Israel it is a sign to time indefinite.” (Ex. 31:15, 17) No other nation of people before the days of Moses was sanctified or set apart for a holy purpose as were the Israelites. God required things of them that he required of no other people. “It was not with our forefathers that Jehovah concluded this covenant, but with us, all those of us alive here today.” (Deut. 5:3) The sabbath was a special sign of their relationship with Jehovah and a reminder of his deliverance of them from Egyptian bondage. “The Lord your God brought you out from there by a strong hand and an outstretched arm; that is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the sabbath day.”—Deut. 5:15, AT.

For the nation of Israel the seventh day of the week was a divinely given sabbath that was to be observed for an indefinite length of time. Each week when the trumpet blasts announced the approach of the seventh day it was a joyous occasion, because the sabbath meant refreshment for their bodies and their spirit. The wholesome instruction and encouragement they received from Scriptural readings, holy conventions and prayer on that day uplifted them spiritually. While being a continual reminder of their miraculous deliverance from Egypt and of their unusual relationship with God as his chosen people, the sabbath also drew attention to God’s great rest day, the end of which will find his original purpose for man fully accomplished. As the apostle Paul pointed out, the sabbath was a shadow of things to come. It pointed to the 1,000-year reign of Christ, which will bring to obedient mankind God’s promised blessing of eternal life and peace in a restful new world.—Col. 2:16, 17.

Pursuing My Purpose in Life

By C. E. Frost

BROOKLYN Bethel is my home, and I am happy to say that it has been for the past forty-seven years. This is the beehive of activity known as the international headquarters of Jehovah’s witnesses. What a contrast with life on our family farm near Brazil, Indiana. That is where I was born in December, 1874, when Ulysses S. Grant was in his second term as president of the United States.

Mother and father attended the country Methodist church and taught us children that religion. When I was about twenty years old, a woman Holiness preacher held a revival nearby and I went to listen. She discussed sanctification and getting holy spirit so we could live free from sin and be sure of salvation. One statement in particular caught my attention: One could be a Christian without belonging to any religious sect. I felt the same way. Later I asked the Methodist minister to remove my name from his roll of probationary members. He replied that so long as I led a Christian life I could stay on as a probationary member indefinitely. Sometime afterward a new minister served our church and I had a talk with him. He was losing interest in Methodism himself and agreed to remove my name from the roll. The minister joined the Holiness group.

DISCOVERING GOD’S WILL

My father decided that we would buy an additional farm about twenty-five miles from the homestead. His plan was to have us boys share ownership and help pay for it. I had no objection to farming, and they finally talked me into going in with them.

Still not a baptized church member, I told the Lord that if he would show me his will for me I would do it. A preacher of the United Brethren church happened to have some Bible literature from the Watch Tower Society, then called International Bible Students Association. He did not particularly agree with it, but it was my first contact with the Society’s publications, and I remember speaking to his mother about it. Shortly after this my grandfather visited us. He brought with him a wonderful book written by the president of the Society. It was called “The Divine Plan of the Ages.” What I saw in that book made me determined to read it from cover to cover. Although grandfather did not want to part with it, he did tell me where to write for one, and before long I had a copy. To my great delight, question after question was thoroughly answered. Understanding God’s will for earth and mankind brought joy and satisfaction. My family also became very interested.

This good news from God’s Word was too good to keep to myself. I ordered extra copies of the Society’s books and began