The Sabbath & The Greater Law

When two laws collide

​1. The shewbread was for the priest. David and his followers were needy and hungry.

Matthew 12:3-4 KJV - "3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?" (Mark 2:23-28; 1 Samuel 21:1-6)

Leviticus 6:16-18 KJV - "16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. 18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy."

Deuteronomy 15:7, 9, 11 KJV - 7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: ... 9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. ... 11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

2. Work is prohibited on the Sabbath. The priests work on the Sabbath in the temple.

Matthew 12:5 KJV - "Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?" 

Exodus 31:15 KJV - "Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death."

Exodus 35:3 KJV - "Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day."

Leviticus 24:7-8 KJV - "7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant."

Numbers 28:9-10 KJV - "9 And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: 10 This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering." 

Matthew 12:6-7 KJV - "6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless."

2 Corinthians 6:16 KJV - "16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

1 John 4:20-21 KJV - "20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."

3. Lord of the Sabbath

Matthew 12:8 KJV - "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

Mark 2:27-28 KJV - "27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."

As God (the Master) gives a sabbath to mankind, mankind is appointed Lord, that is "Lord Steward", of the Sabbath. A lord, or steward carries out the daily affairs of the master. While the master carries out the duties himself, it is the lord's or steward's duty to imitate the works of his master. As God bestows a sabbath to mankind, the lord, or steward of the sabbath bestows a sabbath to others. 

Luke 6:9 KJV - "Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?" (also Mark 3:4)

Conclusion: Love is the great commandment when laws collide

Matthew 22:36-39 KJV - "36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

*Another Example of Two Laws Colliding:

1 Peter 2:13-16 KJV - "13  Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God."

Hebrews 13:17 KJV - "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."

Acts 5:28-29 KJV - "28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."