A Day of Rest – Part 2
TimeWatch Editorial
February 06, 2016
Mark 2 and verse 27 says that “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath:” what does that mean? It means that The Sabbath was made for man, to be a blessing to him by calling his mind from secular labor to contemplate the goodness and glory of God. Man was never given the authority to choose his own day of worship, his own Sabbath. The day that God blessed and sanctified was specific to the edification of mankind. Just to worship is hardly enough. One must worship as God requires. Remember Cain? He went to church, on the right day, yet without the right offering. The result was rejection by God. The specificity of God’s requirements reveals the seriousness of his instruction. Those who seek constantly to adjust or edit his law will find their offering similarly rejected.
The Sabbath was indeed made for man. There are so many elements of our being that are directly linked to the concept of the seventh day. In a book entitled “The Secrets of Our Body Clocks Revealed” authored by Susan Perry and Jim Dawson, page 22 says the following.
"At first glance, it might seem that weekly rhythms developed in response to the seven-day week imposed by human culture thousands of years ago. This theory doesn't hold once you realize that plants, insects, and animals other than humans also have weekly cycles. . . . Biology, therefore, not culture, is at the source of our seven-day week.” Susan Perry and Jim Dawson, “The Secrets Our Body Clocks Revealed” - page 22
What could they possibly mean by the statement Biology, therefore, not culture, is at the source of our seven-day week? Listen to how these two writers explain their position.
“A seven-day cycle has been found in fluctuations of blood pressure, acid content in blood, red blood cells, heartbeat, temperature, female breast temperature, urine chemistry and volume, the ratio between two important neurotransmitters, and the rise and fall of several body chemicals such as the stress coping hormone, cortisol.” Susan Perry and Jim Dawson, “The Secrets Our Body Clocks Revealed” - page 22.
That should be a revealing enough argument, however it does not end there listen to this!
“How do we explain innate circaseptan (7 day) rhythms in "primitive" algae, rats, plants and face flies? These forms of life have no calendar, can't read the Torah and don't know Saturn from Santa Claus. Susan Perry and Jim Dawson, “The Secrets Our Body Clocks Revealed” - page 22.
These cannot be explained except by the creative power and intention of God. Jeremy Campbell, in his book; Winston Churchill's Afternoon Napsays the following:
“Doctors have long observed that response to malaria infection and pneumonia crisis peaked at seven days.”When a human patient receives a kidney transplant, there is a rhythm of about seven days, a rise and fall in the probability that the body's immune system will reject the new kidney. A major peak of rejection occurs seven days after the operation, and when a serum is given to suppress the immune reaction, a series of peaks occurs, with increasing risk of rejection, at one week, two weeks, three weeks and at four weeks, the time of the highest of all.” Jeremy Campbell, Winston Churchill's Afternoon Nap, p 76.
Finally therefore, we are built to obey. Even when we completely ignore the compelling instruction of the Word of God, our bodies, and every element about us, conform to the act of creation. What a wonderful God we serve. How transformative it would be if we simply followed his will in all things.
Cameron A. Bowen
