LESSON V. The Sabbath a Test of Obedience to God’s Law

Questions to Lesson 5^{*What was proved in your last lesson? In what book is the law not written? Where do we next search for it? How many chapters do we read and not find the law mentioned? In which chapter is it first spoken of? What does the Lord purpose to do concerning his people? If we observe carefully how he tested them, what shall we learn? What does he prove them with? What do we know from this? How long was this before the law was spoken from Sinai? What did the arrangement concerning the manna give them opportunity to do? What part of his law did God select as a test of obedience? What do we see in this choice? If He now uses the same test, who can justly complain?}

Having proved that the law of God was known to men from the beginning, though not written in the book of Genesis, we now proceed to search for it in Exodus. This book gives us the history of the exode, or going out of the Israelites from Egypt. We read the first fifteen chapters and do not find the law so much as mentioned. In the sixteenth chapter it is spoken of, but not written.BIC 12.1

The Lord, having brought his people out of Egypt, now purposes to prove them, whether they will walk in his law, or no. Verse 4. Now, if we observe carefully how he tested them, whether they would walk in his law, we shall learn what some part, at least, of the law is. Take your Bible and read this chapter carefully as far as the 30th verse, and you will see that he proves them to see if they will keep the Sabbath. So we know that the Sabbath commandment was a part of the law of God, and this proving them took place a month before the law was spoken from Mt. Sinai.BIC 12.2

They were in a desert place and wanted food to live upon. God gave them bread from heaven; but in giving it, he did not choose to give it in such a way that they need not labor on any day of the week: they must gather it; and they could not lay up a store of manna for a month, a week, or even another day, (except the Sabbath,) and thus be released from daily labor; for it would spoil in one night; but on the sixth day enough might be gathered and kept for the Sabbath. This arrangement gave them opportunity to labor on six days, prepare for the Sabbath, and keep it when it came. Thus he proved them.BIC 13.1

Out of all his law, God selected the Sabbath commandment as a test of obedience; and who could choose a better one for that purpose? None could be better calculated to prove their love to him.BIC 13.2

Suppose your father, wishing to test your obedience and love to him, should command you not to kill your brother: you would obey him; but who would know that you did so out of love for your father? You love your brother, and yourself too well to disobey that command. But suppose he requires you to leave some business of your own, with which you are highly pleased, in order to serve him. If you do it cheerfully, you know, and your father knows, that you do it to please him.BIC 14.1

Thus we see the wisdom of God in choosing the Sabbath to prove his ancient people, before giving them the land of Canaan; and if he proves his people of this last generation by the same test, before giving them the promised inheritance, no one can justly complain that his ways are not equal.BIC 14.2