CHAPTER 9
THE SABBATH FROM NEHEMIAH TO CHRIST
Great change in the Jewish people respecting idolatry and
Sabbath-breaking after their return from Babylon - Decree of Antiochus
Epiphanes against the Sabbath - Massacre of a thousand Sabbath-keepers in
the wilderness - Similar massacre at Jerusalem - Decree of the Jewish
elders relative to resisting attacks upon the Sabbath - Other martyrdoms -
Victories of Judas Maccabeus - How Pompey captured Jerusalem - Teaching of
the Jewish doctors respecting the Sabbath - State of the Sabbatic
institution at the first advent of the Saviour.
The period of almost five centuries intervenes between the time of
Nehemia and the commencement of the ministry of the Redeemer. During this
time an extraordinary change came over the Jewish people. Previously, they
had been to an alarming extent idolaters, and outbreaking violators of the
Sabbath. But after their return from Babylon they were never guilty of
idolatry to any extent, the chastisement of that captivity effecting a
cure of this evil.
1 In like manner did they change their conduct relative to
the Sabbath; and during this period they loaded the Sabbatic institution
with the most burdensome and rigorous ordinances. A brief survey of this
period must suffice. Under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, the king of
Syria, B.C. 170, the Jews were greatly oppressed.
"King Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one
people, and every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed
according to the commandment of the king. Yea, many also of the
Israelites consented to his religion, and sacrificed unto idols, and
profaned the Sabbath."2
The greater part of the Hebrews remained faithfull to God, and, as a
consequence, were obliged to flee for their lives. Thus the historian
continues:
"Then many that sought after justice and judgment went down into the
wilderness, to dwell there: both they, and their children, and their
wives, and their cattle; because afflictions increased sore upon them.
Now when it was told the king's servants, and the host that was at
Jerusalem, in the city of David, that certain men, who had broken the
king's commandment, were gone down into the secret places in the
wilderness, they pursued after them a great number, and having overtaken
them, they camped against them, and made war against them on the Sabbath
day. And they said unto them, Let that which ye have done hitherto
suffice; come forth, and do according to the commandment of the king,
and ye shall live. But they said, We will not come forth, neither will
we do the king's commandment, to profane the Sabbath day. So then they
gave them the battle with all speed. Howbeit they answered them not,
neither cast they a stone at them, nor stopped the places where they lay
hid. But said, Let us die all in our innocency: heaven and earth shall
testify for us, that ye put us to death wrongfully. So they rose up
against them in battle on the Sabbath, and they slew them, with their
wives and children, and their cattle, to the number of a thousand
people."3
In Jerusalem itself a like massacre took place. King Antiochus sent
Appollonius with an army of twenty-two thousand,
"Who, coming to Jerusalem, and pretending peace, did forbear till the
holy day of the Sabbath, when taking the Jews keeping holy day, he
commanded his men to arm themselves. And so he slew all them that were
gone to the celebrating of the Sabbath, and running through the city
with weapons, slew great multitudes."4
In view of these dreadful acts of slaughter, Mattathias, "an honorable
and great man," the father of Judas Maccabeus, with his friends decreed
thus:
"Whosoever shall come to make battle with us on the Sabbath day we
will fight against him; neither will we die all, as our brethren that
were murdered in the secret places."5
Yet were some martyred after this for observing the Sabbath. Thus we
read:
"And others, that had run together into caves near by, to keep the
Sabbath day secretly, being discovered to Philip, were all burnt
together, because they made a conscience to help themselves for the
honor of the most sacred day."6
After this, Judas Maccabeus did great exploits in defense of the
Hebrews, and in resisting the dreadful oppression of the Syrian
government. Of one of these battles we read:
"When he had given them this watchword, The help of God, himself
leading the first band, he joined battle with Nicanor. And by the help
of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of their enemies, and
wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanor's host, and so put all to
flight; and took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them
far; but lacking time, they returned: for it was the day before the
Sabbath, and therefore they would no longer pursue them. So when they
had gathered their armor together, and spoiled their enemies, they
occupied themselves about the Sabbath, yielding exceeding praise and
thanks to the Lord, who had preserved them unto that day, which was the
beginning of mercy distilling upon them. And after the Sabbath, when
they had given part of the spoils to the maimed, and the widows, and
orphans, the residue they divided among themselves and their
servants."7
After this the Hebrews being attacked upon the Sabbath by their
enemies, defeated them with much slaughter.8
About B.C. 63, Jerusalem was besieged and taken by Pompey, the general
of the Romans. To do this, it was necessary to fill an immense ditch, and
to raise against the city a bank on which to place the engines of assault.
Thus Josephus relates the event:
"And had it not been our practice, from the days of our forefathers,
to rest on the seventh day, this bank could never have been perfected,
by reason of the opposition the Jews would have made; for though our law
gives us leave then to defend ourselves against those that begin to
fight with us, and assault us, yet does it not permit us to meddle with
our enemies while they do anything else. Which thing when the Romans
understood, on those days which we call Sabbaths, they threw nothing at
the Jews, nor came to any pitched battle with them, but raised up their
earthen banks, and brought their engines into such forwardness, that
they might do execution the next days." 9
From this it is seen that Pompey carefully refrained from any attack
upon the Jews on each Sabbath during the siege, but spent that day in
filling the ditch and raising the bank, that he might attack them on the
day following each Sabbath, that is, upon Sunday. Josephus further relates
that the priests were not at all hindered from their sacred ministrations
by the stones thrown among them from the engines of Pompey, even "if any
melancholy accident happened;" and that when the city was taken and the
enemy fell upon them, and cut the throats of those that were in the
temples, yet did not the priests run away or desist from the offering of
the accustomed sacrifices.
These quotations from Jewish history are sufficient to indicate the
extraordinary change that came over that people concerning the Sabbath,
after the Babylonish captivity. A brief view of the teaching of the Jewish
doctors respecting the Sabbath at the time when our Lord began his
ministry will conclude this chapter:
"They enumerated about forty primary works, which they said were
forbidden to be done on the Sabbath. Under each of these were numerous
secondary works, which they said were also forbidden. . . . Among the
primary works which were forbidden, were ploughing, sowing, reaping,
winnowing, cleaning, grinding, etc. Under the head of grinding, was
included the breaking or dividing of things which were before united. .
. . Another of their traditions was, that, as threshing on the Sabbath
was forbidden, the bruising of things, which was a species of threshing,
was also forbidden. Of course, it was violation of the Sabbath to walk
on green grass, for that would bruise or thresh it. So, as a man might
not hunt on the Sabbath, he might not catch a flea; for that was a
species of hunting. As a man might not carry a burden on the Sabbath, he
might not carry water to a thirsty animal, for that was a species of
burden; but he might pour water into a trough, and lead the animal to
it. . . . Yet should a sheep fall into a pit, they would readily lift
him out, and bear him to a place of safety. . . . They said a man might
minister to the sick for purpose of relieving their distress, but not
for the purpose of healing their diseases. He might put a covering on a
diseased eye, or anoint it with eye-salve for the purpose of easing the
pain, but not to cure the eye."10
Such was the remarkable change in the conduct of the Jewish people
towards the Sabbath; and such was the teaching of their doctors respecting
it. The most merciful institution of God for mankind had become a source
of distress; that which God ordained as a delight and a source of
refreshment had become a yoke of bondage; the Sabbath, made for man in
paradise, was now a most oppressive and burdensome institution. It was
time that God should interfere. Next upon the scene of action appears the
Lord of the Sabbath.
1 Speaking of the Babylonish captivity, in his note on
Eze.23:48, Dr. Clarke says: "From that time to the present day the Jews
never relapsed into idolatry." <Return>
2 1 Mac.1:41-43. <Return>
3 1 Mac.2:20-38; Josephus' Antiquities, b. xii. chap. vi.
<Return>
4 2Mac.5:25,26. <Return>
5 1Mac.2:41. <Return>
6 2Mac.6:11. <Return>
7 2Mac.8:23-28. <Return>
8 1Mac.9:43-49; Josephus Antiquities, b. xiii. chap.. i.;
2Mac.15. <Return>
9 Antiquities of the Jews, b. xiv. chap. iv. Here we call
attention to one of those historical frauds by which Sunday is shown to be
the Sabbath. Dr. Justin Edwards states this case thus: "Pompey, the Roman
general, knowing this, when besieging Jerusalem, would not attack them on
the Sabbath; but spent the day in constructing his works, and preparing to
attack them on Monday, and in a manner that they could not withstand, and
so he took the city." - Sabbath Manual, p. 216. That is to say, the next
day after the Sabbath was Monday, and of course Sunday was the Sabbath!
Yet Dr. E. well knew that in Pompey's time, 63 years before Christ,
Saturday was the only weekly Sabbath, and that Sunday and not Monday was
the day of attack. <Return>
10 Sabbath Manual of the American Tract Society, pp.
214, 215. <Return>
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