Fri.-Sabbath, 4/17-19/20 Devotion

Thank God—it is almost Sunday! In order to help us get ready for God’s holy day, here are some really good words of Thomas Watson—from his book, "The Ten Commandments":

"The grand reason for changing the Jewish Sabbath to the Lord's Day is that it reminds us of the 'Mystery of our redemption by Christ.' The reason why God instituted the old Sabbath was to be a memorial of the creation. But He has now brought the first day of the week in its place in memory of a more glorious work than creation, which is redemption. Great was the work of cre-ation, but greater was the work of redemption. As it was said, 'The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former,' (Haggai 2:9). So the glory of redemption was greater than the glory of the creation.

"Great wisdom was seen in making us, but more miraculous wisdom in sav-ing us. Great power was seen in bringing us out of nothing, but greater power in helping us when we were worse than nothing. It cost more to redeem than to create us. In creation it was but speaking a word (Psa. 148:5); in redeem-ing there was shedding of blood (1 Pet. 1:19). Creation was the work of God's fingers, (Psa. 8:3), redemption was the work of His arm, (Luke 1:51). In cre-ation, God gave us ourselves; in the redemption, He gave us Himself. By cre-ation, we have life in Adam; by redemption, we have life in Christ, (Col. 3:3). By creation, we had a right to an earthly paradise; by redemption, we have a title to a heavenly kingdom. Christ might well change the seventh day of the week into the first, as it puts us in mind of our redemption, which is a more glorious work than creation."