Exodus 20:8 says “Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy.” What does it mean to be “Holy?” It means to consecrate it, or to set it apart as special. So it may be expressed as “dedicated to God” or “belonging to God.” If you ask “what does it mean to be Holy” in Google, you’ll find this list of synonyms: sacred, consecrated, hallowed, sanctified, venerated, revered, reverenced, divine, religious, blessed, blest, dedicated.” But the key biblical idea of “Holy” is that it’s set apart. It’s different than anything else.
There was one special thing to the Jews that was exceptionally holy. It was holy, or different, from anything else in their life. That was the Tabernacle and later the Temple. When you read the description of the tabernacle in Exodus, you find that it’s built from the most luxurious and beautiful materials imaginable. Only precious metals: gold, silver, copper, brass. It had glorious colors: red, scarlet, purple, blues and yellows. It had incredibly creative images. There were angels sown into the curtains. There were bronze and gold and silver candle sticks and lavers and chalices. There were jewels and gems embedded throughout the ornate objects. And there was one other thing that truly made a difference in the Tabernacle. There was a smell. Yes, only the tabernacle could burn this special incense. Everything about the place where God was, was holy or different from everything else in life. In the drab world of the desert this was a place that looked different, felt different, and smelled different. It was holy! I really like what Ashby said in his commentary on this passage. He wrote, “Someone has called the Sabbath a ‘holy space, a sanctuary in time.’ It was as holy as the Temple, which was a sanctuary in space. Just as a holy place provides a space for celebrating God and praising him, so does a holy time.”
In the Old Testament economy, there was one day in seven that was to be dedicated to the Lord. It was a day when they were to remind themselves that they were not self-originating, self-sustaining, or self-authenticating. The idea of setting aside time to remind ourselves that God has done everything for us is crucial to a happy, wholesome, and healthy life. In our economy, that should be the Lord’s day, Sunday. We have six days to live in a world of sowing and reaping. We have six days to bear the burdens of life. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy. It’s not about what we’ve done, are doing, or will do! It’s all about what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do!
Free From Religion
The first word in the letter Paul wrote to the Galatians is “Paul.” Up to Acts 13:9, The Apostle was called by his Jewish name, Saul. It made him acceptable to his Jewish audiences. When he joined Barnabas and John Mark on the first missionary journey to Galatia, his role changed radically. To begin with the journey was led by Barnabbas who brought his cousin, John Mark, along. Both Barnabbas and John Mark were solid Jewish believers. I would argue that their intention was to go to the Jews only, but while on the Island of Cyprus a “Jewish” false prophet attempted to prevent the governor, Sergius Paulus, a Roman Official, from accepting the faith. It was then that Paul stepped up and cursed the false “Jewish” prophet with blindness. Sergius Paulus became the first gentile convert under the Apostle Paul’s ministry. It is interesting that after Acts 13:9, Saul becomes Paul from that point on. Some early church fathers think that Saul took his gentile name at that time to honor his first convert who had the same name. But I see it as part of God’s plan to move Paul from a Jewish focus to a gentile focus.
Being of the tribe of Benjamin (As we read in Philippians), I’m fairly certain that his parents named Saul after the first King of Israel. Saul, the King, was head and shoulders taller than most of the men in Israel at that time and it made him stand out. It is interesting that “Paul” means “small” or “little.” Maybe that was an intentional change for this proud Pharisee who was humbled and knocked to his knees and blinded by the Lord. Paul’s blindness led to his salvation, but not so with the “Jewish” false prophet. Instead it led to the salvation of Paul’s first gentile convert. The Jews who insisted on forcing the Law into the salvation equation were as furious with Paul’s message as the Religious leaders were of Jesus who put Himself above the Law. Religious people hated Jesus. Religious people hated Paul. Religious people are violently opposed to a salvation message that is freely offered to irreligious people.
The second thing worth noting in Galatians 1:1is that Paul calls himself an “Apostle – not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.” Paul’s apostleship to the gentiles came directly from God. As Rushdoony observes, “Paul is emphatic because there was a major effort to belittle his calling, his teaching, and his person.”[1] This attack on Paul came from the Judaizers who insisted on connecting obedience to the law with salvation by grace through faith. Paul preached a Gospel that put the person and work of Christ at the center. It forced each person to see their sinfulness and their need for a savior. It took God’s divine intervention in this hyper-religious Pharisee’s life to get his attention. It takes divine intervention today as well for religious people to get the truth of the Gospel. Jesus did not come to set up another religion but to destroy all religion. It always takes divine intervention to set a person free from the law of sin and death.
[1] Rousas John Rushdoony, Romans & Galatians (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, 1997), 315.