Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out
the heavens at His discretion. ... Everyone is dull-hearted, without
knowledge; every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; for his
molded image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are
futile, a work of errors; in the time of their punishment they shall
perish" (Jeremiah 10:10-12, 14, 15). The Sabbath, as a memorial of
God's creative power, points to Him as the maker of the heavens and
the earth. It is a constant witness to His greatness, wisdom, and love.
If the Sabbath had always been sacredly observed, there could never
have been an atheist or an idolater.
The Sabbath originated in the Garden of Eden--it is as old as
the world itself. It was observed by all the patriarchs, from creation
onward. When the law was proclaimed at Sinai, the first words of
the fourth commandment were, "Remember the Sabbath day, to
keep it holy," showing that the Sabbath was not just then instituted.
We are pointed back to creation for its origin. Satan aimed to tear
down this great memorial. If people could be led to forget their
Creator, they would make no effort to resist the power of evil, and
Satan would take them captive.
Satan's hatred against God's law had driven him to war against
every principle of the Ten Commandments. Disrespect for the
authority of parents will soon lead to disrespect for the authority of
God, so Satan has worked to lessen the responsibility of the fifth
commandment. In many heathen nations parents were abandoned or
put to death as soon as they were too old to provide for themselves.
The mother was treated with little respect, and when her husband
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