Argument IV
The Sabbath and Pilgrimage Feasts
Throughout his letter, Mr. George asserts that he does not employ human reasoning when arguing that God’s people may go out into a Sabbath rejecting world on the seventh day and engage in business with restaurants just like unbelievers do. However, at every turn he offers a spin on the scriptures that he manipulated to accommodate his view. So committed is he to dining out on the Sabbath that he actually pronounced that this day is now a modern day pilgrimage feast, much the same as the Days of Unleavened Bread were in ancient times. Therefore, although the fourth commandment prohibits any work to be done on the weekly Sabbath, God now permits labor for the purpose of food preparation on this day. Mr. George then declares that God’s people may purchase that labor, with the Almighty’s full blessing no less.
Mr. George:
Exodus 12:16 plainly and specifically provides for the work of meal preparation to eat on the Holy Days, at least during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. There's more here than meets the eye at first glance. It's the only scripture making this particular point about Holy Day meals. The KJV refers to "work that may be done in them."
Why did God provide this provision? It could not possibly be because the High Holy Days are somehow "less holy" than the weekly Sabbath. The High Sabbaths, or Holy Days, are super-significant. They reveal His Plan of Salvation! That leaves us to conclude a loving God made this exception out of concern for His followers, and because meal preparation while worshiping away from home does not compromise Sabbath-keeping. Any other rationale requires the invalid supposition that the annual high Sabbaths of themselves require less stringent observance than the weekly Sabbaths -- an obvious error.
Our Response:
We at Blow the Trumpet think it is important for God’s people to understand the specific provision God makes for labor on the Holy days. Notice He says that the labor on the High day may be performed by HIS people (“may be done of you”). In other words, God’s people may prepare food for God’s people on the High day. It does not say “God’s people may go back into spiritual Egypt, seek out slaves to sin and the great slave master and pay them to work on their behalf.” Here are His exact words.
And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. (Ex. 12:16)
Despite this clear provision in God’s law, Mr. George sets up a premise designed to achieve one purpose. His goal is to find a way for the scriptures to allow him to go out into a world that contaminates God's Sabbath and purchase that contamination. At this point we encourage you to carefully read how this man crafts his argument.
Mr. George continued:
Based on analysis that rejects the idea the annual Sabbaths require less stringent observance and embracing God's indication that meal preparation while worshiping away from home does not compromise Sabbath-keeping, it is fair to conclude this may be a God-given principle which applies when a Sabbath is required to be kept at an inconvenient distance from people's homes, like the weekly Sabbath is today. When a loving God makes a legal exception for circumstances, and someone wants to honestly apply it, it would apply whenever those circumstances are in effect.
Our Response:
Here is where we at Blow the Trumpet stopped taking Mr. George seriously. Consider what he is suggesting. According to his Biblical wisdom, traveling to services in a modern vehicle on paved roads, for as much as a few hours at most, is just like what the ancients did when they gathered their families and traveled for several days, if not weeks, to honor God’s annual festivals. By making no distinction between these very different practices, Mr. George then claims that the rules that apply to one (holy days) must now apply to the other (the Sabbath). However, when doing so he still has to reinvent the rules God instituted for the holy days. Remember, during these festivals God allowed the Israelites to prepare their own meals, not go back into spiritual Egypt and hire pagans to do it for them. Human reasoning? We think so.
Furthermore, what Mr. George describes as an “inconvenient distance,” doesn’t come close to such a thing. Once again this whole argument is driven by his desire to go out into a God rejecting world on the Sabbath and purchase the fruit of its sacrilege.
We're Just Curious
If Mr. George sincerely believes his "traveling a great distance" argument, what does he think about church members going out to Sabbath breakfast at a local diner, or a Friday night dinner with brethren at a local bistro where little or no distance is involved? Where does that fit into his rendering of Exodus 12: 16?
Mr. George continued:
Yes, Deut. 14:23-25 explains handling meals and second tithe on a Feast trip. If the place God chooses to convene His worshipers makes it impractical for a farmer to bring his own foodstuffs, he converts his Festival Tithe into money and spends that eating out, away from home, at the Feast. There is not one word in that passage or elsewhere stating the money can only be spent at the Feast before the Holy Days and out-of-town Sabbaths for raw ingredients he can prepare on Preparation Days at his campsite or inn. This passage, too, shows God is concerned about the convenience of His worshipers, and that reasonable, balanced practices of which some may not approve can contribute to remembering the Sabbath, and keeping it holy. The reasonable conclusion is that if one is available, you can buy and consume a meal while keeping time holy, when God has ordered you away from your home.
Our Response:
It is interesting that Mr. George would make this argument because in his very next comment (see Below) he states that second tithe should not be spent on these Sabbath “Pilgrimage Feasts.” Our question is why would he make such an assertion if he believes the same rules apply for both?
Additionally, although he vigorously asserts that “you can buy and consume a meal while keeping time holy, when God has ordered you away from your home,” the Bible says no such thing. The only reference to buying and selling on the Sabbath in the scripture categorically declares that it is NOT to be done “ON THE SABBATH OR ON THE HOLY DAY” (Neh. 10:31).
Furthermore, while Mr. George argues that God is "concerned about the convenience of His worshipers," we think He is more concerned about their OBEDIENCE. So important is the Sabbath to God that He actually established a separate covenant regarding this day. When doing so the great Creator of all that exists, declared that it was a perpetual covenant. He then laid out its terms--including the one that prohibited labor as well as the consequences for defiance. We at Blow the Trumpet strongly caution Mr. George to think long and hard about God's words before declaring that there are new terms concerning this immensely profound commandment. Here are the words of God's Sabbath covenant.
The Sabbath Covenant
Exodus 31: 12-18
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak you also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths you shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
You shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. (Ex. 31:12-18)
Mr. George continued:
In Old Testament times, these situations arose only on the High Holy Days. Today, they occur each week. It is true we would not spend our Festival Tithe for a meal on the weekly Sabbath; but if we are prepared to spend our own money, if that's how we've prepared for the day, does the God who was so solicitous for the convenience of the Old Covenant worshiper not care as much ... or more ... for His begotten sons? Does a consistent God impose the letter of His law mindlessly, legalistically -- or does He apply the spirit of His law, intelligently?
Our all-wise Creator probably inspired this timeless provision more for Sabbath-keepers in non-observant societies down through history, like ours today, since -- as noted elsewhere in this letter -- there would have been fewer places in a nominally Sabbath-observant society to take advantage of it. But the principle is there in black-and-white for all time.
Our Response:
This is not principle. It is a perversion. It is the distortion of scriptures that declare with great force that God who created the Sabbath at the very beginning made it holy at that time. That word also declares that work profanes this day. The Almighty’s instructions then and now is that “in it you shall do NO WORK." To suggest that today the Lord of the Sabbath somehow condones what He once condemned is total nonsense. Mr. George does not have Christ’s example to support this claim. The Messiah NEVER did such a thing. Furthermore, Mr. George doesn't have God’s word to support it either. The ALMIGHTY never spoke such a thing.
To suggest that God would craft His High Day laws in such a way as to accommodate Mr. George's behavior is not only arrogant, it is an insult to the scores of true Sabbath–keepers who gave their lives because they rightly honored this day. They never employed “convenience” as a standard for what is appropriate Sabbath behavior.
Furthermore, God is perfectly capable of making such provisions Himself. He actually did so with respect to Levitical service as well as circumcision. When it comes to seeking out people who desecrate the Sabbath and paying for their sacrilege, God's word needs no help from Mr. George even though he so freely offers it.
Mr. George continued:
To obey God's sabbath commandment, most believers must now travel a great distance from their homes, to where God has convened His people. God Himself has changed the circumstances of the Sabbath.
Note from Blow the Trumpet
It wasn't God who changed the circumstances as Mr. George suggests. The Lord of the Sabbath didn't scatter the sheep, their pastors have done that (Jer. 23, Ezk.34).
Mr. George continued:
Today's weekly Sabbath is more like the ancient Holy Days, for which there were specific cooking and spending permissions, than like ancient Sabbaths kept at or near home. Should we not consider those rulings and Christ's example as governing how we should now apply the guidelines for which conditions have ceased to exist? Earning the money during the six workdays for our Sabbath meal at the place outside our gates God commands us to assemble is preparation conforming to Christ's example and instruction, and thus a valid application of the principles.
Our Response:
Once again Mr. George makes a pronouncement that is light years from the truth. Consider the errors in the paragraph above.
1. He concludes that the distance traveled to services requires Sabbath-keepers today to go "outside their gate." Therefore, because of this "fact" the Sabbath today is the same as pilgrimage feasts in ancient times. But is this true?
To those reading this page, ask yourself how long it takes you to travel to services. Now ask yourself, how far an ancient Israelite traveled in that amount of time? What they did is so radically different as to not merit addressing this as a legitimate point. However, he brought it up, so we answered it.
2. He concludes that because God’s people may prepare meals on the High days, he may now go back into spiritual Egypt and hire slaves to sin to do it for him on the weekly Sabbath.
It is true that God did make provisions for certain labor being performed on His annual festivals. For example, meals may be prepared. However, when it comes to the Sabbath the command to cease from labor is identical to the Day of Atonement—NO work is to be done period. Furthermore, the only command regarding food preparation on the weekly Sabbath is that this practice stood squarely opposed to God's great MORAL Code. Simply put, it was NOT to be done. The scriptures actually refer to this practice as an act of DEFIANCE against God Almighty (Ex. 16: 27-28).
3. He contends that because money may be spent to finance keeping the annual holy days, he may now spend money to better enjoy the weekly Sabbath.
It is true that assets may be converted to money to be spent traveling to and from, as well as during the annual pilgrimage feasts. However, no purchases may be made on the High days or the weekly Sabbath (Neh. 10:31). For him to suggest otherwise is the product of wishful thinking.
4. He contends that God’s people must now go outside their gates to attend services every Sabbath. Therefore, he may now go back into spiritual Egypt and solicit the services of those who profane the Sabbath.
Outside Your Gates
Consider the difference between the restaurant Mr. George desires to patronize on the Sabbath, and other places he must be in order to attend services. As you do ask yourself, what is outside his "spiritual" gates?
First, as the Sabbath begins Mr. George will be in his home where God is being honored. We think that is inside his gates.
He is then in his car where he is conveyed to the meeting hall. Although circumstance necessitates him traveling, he is not engaged in the world. He is not seeking out Sabbath breakers and purchasing their goods. Everything in his vehicle is being done in accordance with God's law and its enduring moral principle. Once again we believe Mr. George is within his spiritual gates.
He then arrives at services where God‘s people are gathered and His law is being honored. To us this sounds like he is still within his "spiritual" gates. In other words, he is within the community of faith.
Finally, we come to a restaurant. Here the unbeliever is doing his business and selling his goods. Furthermore, Mr. George has not only sought these Sabbath breaker out, but is purchasing the goods and services they are selling. What do you think? Is the restaurant inside or outside Mr. George’s spiritual gate? Furthermore, do you really think God wants him there?
What Mr. George refuses to recognize is that there is an enduring moral principle woven within God's law. God's command to the children of israel then and to His people now, including Mr. George, is that they are not to go outside the community where God's law is the constituted authority. It is not about distance. It is about jurisdiction. God's law has jurisdiction inside Mr. George's home, inside his car, and inside the hall where he worships. It has no such jurisdiction inside the restaurant he wants to patronize on the Sabbath. That place is under the jurisdiction of another god.
Argument V