Ten Reasons I'm a Sabbatarian [moved thread]

[Leaf473]

There are many blessings we receive when we accept Jesus Christ as the first step. Once we come to Christ and He changes us from the inside out we want to obey Him because of love and through faith. Obedience to God is a theme throughout the whole bible.

For example, If you love Me, keep My commandments. The Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments that Jesus advocates we keep, and He did so through His own example. John 15:10, Luke 4:16. If we keep His commandments He sends us His Spirit. But its conditional, which is why the word "If" is there.

John 14:15 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Similar to the same promise God made right in the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 20:6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Isaiah is a book on prophecy. There will never be a time when the Lord does not want us to keep His Sabbath, the holy day of our Lord thy God and doing so we are blessed.

Isaiah 58:13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Which is exactly how I feel after the Sabbath. Thank you Lord!

We have such great promises from Jesus who asks so little from us in return.

____________________________

We have such great promises from Jesus who asks so little from us in return.

It looks differently to me. Jesus asks for all of us. We do not belong to ourselves, we have been purchased.

 

[Doran]

Could you please quote the scriptures that match your commentary. Our opinions, feelings and thoughts are not equal to the Word of God so when making such statements it is always best to supply scriptures and I do not see that you have done so.

Sure. As soon as you answer the questions re Hebrews 4 that I asked Icy in my 1174. However, I did previously cite Ex 31:12-17 as prooftext that the 4th commandment is ceremonial-ritualistic in nature, as no moral law is ever given by God as a "sign". I explained previously that the 4th commandment is no different in principle from the commandment of circumcision given to Abraham as a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. Circumcision was also a ceremonial-ritualistic command.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Sure. As soon as you answer the questions re Hebrews 4 that I asked Icy in my 1174. However, I did previously cite Ex 31:12-17 as prooftext that the 4th commandment is ceremonial-ritualistic in nature, as no moral law is ever given by God as a "sign". I explained previously that the 4th commandment is no different in principle from the commandment of circumcision given to Abraham as a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. Circumcision was also a ceremonial-ritualistic command.

I freely provide scripture references to my posts and don’t make deals that I will do this in order to provide them, either they are in the scriptures or they aren’t.

Let’s go through the one you posted and see if it matches your statement.

Exodus 31:12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

Not once does it say the Sabbath is ceremonial.

The Sabbath is a commandment of God. Exodus 20, Exodus 34:28 written by God’s own finger. Exodus 31:18 I don’t think a commandment of God means its optional for those who wish to obey Him.

If you want to go through the other 4 statements with scripture references, let me know.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

____________________________

It looks differently to me. Jesus asks for all of us. We do not belong to ourselves, we have been purchased.

And yet people still can’t seem to find it in themselves to obey God.

 

[Leaf473]

...no moral law is ever given by God as a "sign".

That's an interesting observation, and I think it holds up.

 

[Leaf473]

Just as a note, the word ceremonial doesn't occur in the King James Bible.

"Sorry, we didn’t find any results for your search."
BibleGateway - Keyword Search: Ceremonial

The idea that some laws are ceremonial is a human construction imo.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

as no moral law is ever given by God as a "sign"..

I forgot to respond to this part earlier.

The Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandment Exodus 20- Exodus 34:28.


Ezekiel 20:20 hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.


Ezekiel 20:13 12 Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

The Sabbath is a sign between God and His people.

Just like when He writes His laws in our hearts and minds, it is a covenant relationship between God and His people.

Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples.

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

God’s people keep God’s commandments and the Sabbath is a commandment of God.

 

[Leaf473]

And yet people still can’t seem to find it in themselves to obey God.

No one obeys God perfectly, true!

God has always had a people who seek kim, and seek to do his will, obey. Just like the 7,000 in Elijah's day.

 

[Doran]

I freely provide scripture references to my posts and don’t make deals that I will do this in order to provide them, either they are in the scriptures or they aren’t.

Haven't you ever read Solomon's wisdom? Don't you know there's a time for everything? Besides, you don't like to give straight answers to straightforward questions, so I figured I'd bargain with you.

Let’s go through the one you posted and see if it matches your statement.

Exodus 31:12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

Not once does it say the Sabbath is ceremonial.

The Sabbath is a commandment of God. Exodus 20, Exodus 34:28 written by God’s own finger. Exodus 31:18 I don’t think a commandment of God means its optional for those who wish to obey Him.

If you want to go through the other 4 statements with scripture references, let me know.

I never said the passage says that it's ceremonial per se. It's a logical inference because sabbath-keeping is a SIGN of the Mosaic Covenant between God and his covenant people the Israelities, just like the religious ritual of circumcision was a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. No moral, perpetually-binding law is ever said to be a sign to any covenant.

The second indication that it is ceremonial in nature is that it is a weekly ritual to be observed. All the other 9 commandments, however, are to be observed and kept 24/7 every day.

A third indication that the fourth commandment is ceremonial in nature is that Jesus compares the sabbath-keeping to the ceremonial bread that king David ate. LK 6:3-5 is a very important passage to wrap your mind around because there's a profound paradox in this passage. Jesus concedes that what David did was unlawful, according to the letter of the law; yet at the same time the Lord didn't condemn David's actions because there is a higher law involved here -- one that has existed from the very beginning before God gave the Israelites the sabbath (Ex 16:29) or any of the other ceremonial laws in the Law of Moses for that matter. In theological terms, this is known as Natural Law, and this is the law that God has written into all people's hearts (Rom 2:5-11). This is why Jesus actually justified David's actions even though he broke a ceremonial-ritualistic law. By David rightly obeying Natural Law over a ceremonial one, a greater good was served!

These three indisputable facts make the fourth commandment ceremonial in nature.

So....unless you believe that the Mosaic Covenant is still in force today, the sign of that Covenant Law of Moses ceased in 70 A.D. when the covenant itself died an ignoble death.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Haven't you ever read Solomon's wisdom? Don't you know there's a time for everything? Besides, you don't like to give straight answers to straightforward questions, so I figured I'd bargain with you.

Let’s go through the one you posted and see if it matches your statement.

Exodus 31:12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

Not once does it say the Sabbath is ceremonial.

The Sabbath is a commandment of God. Exodus 20, Exodus 34:28 written by God’s own finger. Exodus 31:18 I don’t think a commandment of God means its optional for those who wish to obey Him.

If you want to go through the other 4 statements with scripture references, let me know

I never said the passage says that it's ceremonial per se. It's a logical inference because sabbath-keeping is a SIGN of the Mosaic Covenant between God and his covenant people the Israelities, just like the religious ritual of circumcision was a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. No moral, perpetually-binding law is ever said to be a sign to any covenant.

The second indication that it is ceremonial in nature is that it is a weekly ritual to be observed. All the other 9 commandments, however, are to be observed and kept 24/7 every day.

A third indication that the fourth commandment is ceremonial in nature is that Jesus compares the sabbath-keeping to the ceremonial bread that king David ate. LK 6:3-5 is a very important passage to wrap your mind around because there's a profound paradox in this passage. Jesus concedes that what David did was unlawful, according to the letter of the law; yet at the same time the Lord didn't condemn David's actions because there is a higher law involved here -- one that has existed from the very beginning before God gave the Israelites the sabbath (Ex 16:29) or any of the other ceremonial laws in the Law of Moses for that matter. In theological terms, this is known as Natural Law, and this is the law that God has written into all people's hearts (Rom 2:5-11). This is why Jesus actually justified David's actions even though he broke a ceremonial-ritualistic law. By David rightly obeying Natural Law over a ceremonial one, a greater good was served!

These three indisputable facts make the fourth commandment ceremonial in nature.

So....unless you believe that the Mosaic Covenant is still in force today, the sign of that Covenant Law of Moses ceased in 70 A.D. when the covenant itself died an ignoble death.

Let’s take this one step and at time.

Please quote the scripture that says the Sabbath is a sign of the Mosaic covenant.
You didn’t quote scripture that backs up this statement, just like you have not provided evidence that the Sabbath is not part of the Ten Commandments.

There are no facts that you have provided that the Sabbath is ceremonial and not to be kept the way God commanded us. Again, our opinions are not equal to scripture.

David eating on the Sabbath is not against the Sabbath commandment- please provide this in the 4th commandment. There is no scripture that says it is a sin to eat on the Sabbath. David being allowed to eat the showbread on the Sabbath because He was hungry was not a sin, nor does it somehow delete our moral obligation to obey the Sabbath commandment.

Speaking of the Sabbath- I am going to sign off.

God bless.

 

[Doran]

I forgot to respond to this part earlier.

The Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandment Exodus 20- Exodus 34:28.


Ezekiel 20:20 hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.


Ezekiel 20:13 12 Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

The Sabbath is a sign between God and His people.

Just like when He writes His laws in our hearts and minds, it is a covenant relationship between God and His people.

Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples.

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

God’s people keep God’s commandments and the Sabbath is a commandment of God.

Then since you concede that the sabbath is a sign, then you need provide scriptural proof that some other MORAL law in scripture serves or served as a sign of a covenant. My proof that the fourth commandment is ceremonial in nature is the ceremonial law of circumcision which served as a sign to the Abrahamic Covenant.

A fourth argument that I could have added but didn't because we haven't unpacked Hebrews 3 and 4 is that the fourth commandment is not enjoined upon anyone after the Resurrection of Christ. There is not one imperative command in the epistles or in Acts for anyone to observe the sabbath day.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Then since you concede that the sabbath is a sign, then you need provide scriptural proof that some other MORAL law in scripture serves or served as a sign of a covenant. My proof that the fourth commandment is ceremonial in nature is the ceremonial law of circumcision which served as a sign to the Abrahamic Covenant.

A fourth argument that I could have added but didn't because we haven't unpacked Hebrews 3 and 4 is that the fourth commandment is not enjoined upon anyone after the Resurrection of Christ. There is not one imperative command in the epistles or in Acts for anyone to observe the sabbath day.

I’m not the one who made this statement you did, the burden is on you to prove your statements with scripture and thus far all I have seen is your opinions that have not been backed up by scripture. I have learned you cannot reason with someone who thinks their opinions are equal to the scriptures.

 

[Doran]

Let’s take this one step and at time.

Please quote the scripture that says the Sabbath is a sign of the Mosaic covenant.
You didn’t quote scripture that backs up this statement, just like you have not provided evidence that the Sabbath is not part of the Ten Commandments.

There are no facts that you have provided that the Sabbath is ceremonial and not to be kept the way God commanded us. Again, our opinions are not equal to scripture.

David eating on the Sabbath is not against the Sabbath commandment- please provide this in the 4th commandment. There is no scripture that says it is a sin to eat on the Sabbath. David being allowed to eat the showbread on the Sabbath because He was hungry was not a sin, not does it somehow delete our moral obligation to obey the Sabbath commandment.

Speaking of the Sabbath- I am going to sign off.

God bless.

You're not reading what I'm writing. Exodus 31 teaches that it's a sign of the covenant.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

You're not reading what I'm writing. Exodus 31 teaches that it's a sign of the covenant.

Exodus 31:13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you

No, it doesn’t say it is a sign of the covenant. It says if you keep My Sabbaths, it is a sign between God and His people. Same as Ezekiel 20:12, Ezekiel 20:20

We do not sanctify ourselves. Lucifer thought he could sanctify himself that he didn’t need to obey God. Only God can sanctify us, only God can save us and the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people and how He sanctifies us. If there was a commandment that we should not keep, the Sabbath commandment is not one of those. And no I am not advocating to break any commandment, but a sign between God and His people by keeping His Sabbath, I can only speak for myself, but I want to be one of God’s people. Not sure why so many people object to God’s holy Sabbath commandment to be honest, its really strange. My personal opinion its because it is the only commandment that requires our time.

Happy Sabbath!

 

[Doran]

Let’s take this one step and at time.

Please quote the scripture that says the Sabbath is a sign of the Mosaic covenant.
You didn’t quote scripture that backs up this statement, just like you have not provided evidence that the Sabbath is not part of the Ten Commandments.

There are no facts that you have provided that the Sabbath is ceremonial and not to be kept the way God commanded us. Again, our opinions are not equal to scripture.

David eating on the Sabbath is not against the Sabbath commandment- please provide this in the 4th commandment. There is no scripture that says it is a sin to eat on the Sabbath. David being allowed to eat the showbread on the Sabbath because He was hungry was not a sin, not does it somehow delete our moral obligation to obey the Sabbath commandment.

Speaking of the Sabbath- I am going to sign off.

God bless.

Why do you insist on putting words into my mouth constantly? I never said that David's eating was a breach of the 4th commandment!!! Why do you continue to misrepresent what I write? But if you think I said such a thing, quote me, please. Thank you.

Do you know how to read and understand passages in their contexts? In Luke 6 when Jesus performed his big miracle on the sabbath and got up the noses of the religious establishment, why do you think he brings David's eating of ceremonial bead to bear upon what the Lord himself just did on a sabbath? Do you not see any dots to be connected here, or was Jesus just desperately whistling in the wind or grasping wildly at straws? How does Jesus referring to David in Luke 6 make any sense to you in the context of the sabbath and what Jesus did on the sabbath? Can you or can you not see any parallels between Jesus' miracle on the sabbath and David eating ceremonial bread? If you can't, be honest with me; I'll explain it to you.

 

[Doran]

Exodus 31:13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you

No, it doesn’t say it is a sign of the covenant. It says if you keep My Sabbaths, it is a sign between God and His people. Same as Ezekiel 20:13, Ezekiel 20:20

We do not sanctify ourselves. Lucifer thought he could sanctify himself that he didn’t need to obey God. Only God can sanctify us, only God can save us and the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people and how He sanctify us. If there was a commandment that we should not keep, the Sabbath commandment is not one of those. And no I am not advocating not to break any commandment, but a sign between God and His people by keeping His Sabbath, I can only speak for myself, but I surely want to be one of God’s people.

Happy Sabbath!

Of course, it's a sign of the Mosaic Covenant because the sabbath was codified in the Law of Moses! The sabbath was never formally law until it was codified in the Law of Moses.

And where is your prooftext that the sabbath keeping sanctifies anyone?

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Why do you insist on putting words into my mouth constantly? I never said that David's eating was a breach of the 4th commandment!!! Why do you continue to misrepresent what I write? But if you think I said such a thing, quote me, please. Thank you.

Do you know how to read and understand passages in their contexts? In Luke 6 when Jesus performed his big miracle on the sabbath and got up the noses of the religious establishment, why do you think he brings David's eating of ceremonial bead to bear upon what the Lord himself just did on a sabbath? Do you not see any dots to be connected here, or was Jesus just desperately whistling in the wind or grasping wildly at straws? How does Jesus referring to David in Luke 6 make any sense to you in the context of the sabbath and what Jesus did on the sabbath? Can you or can you not see any parallels between Jesus' miracle on the sabbath and David eating ceremonial bread? If you can't, be honest with me; I'll explain it to you.

These are your words, not mine.

A third indication that the fourth commandment is ceremonial in nature is that Jesus compares the sabbath-keeping to the ceremonial bread that king David ate. LK 6:3-5 is a very important passage to wrap your mind around because there's a profound paradox in this passage. Jesus concedes that what David did was unlawful, according to the letter of the law; yet at the same time the Lord didn't condemn David's actions because there is a higher law involved here -- one that has existed from the very beginning before God gave the Israelites the sabbath (Ex 16:29) or any of the other ceremonial laws in the Law of Moses for that matter. In theological terms, this is known as Natural Law, and this is the law that God has written into all people's hearts (Rom 2:5-11). This is why Jesus actually justified David's actions even though he broke a ceremonial-ritualistic law. By David rightly obeying Natural Law over a ceremonial one, a greater good was served!

The only parallels to Jesus healing on the Sabbath and David eating the showbread is that they were not sins. The Pharisees were adding mad-made laws to God’s commandments where the commandments was no longer recognizable, they were adding their rules to God’s rules and not much has changed. We are only safe when we follow God’s laws and Jesus warns us of this very thing when we obey mans traditions over the commandments of God. Matthew 15:3-9

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Of course, it's a sign of the Mosaic Covenant because the sabbath was codified in the Law of Moses! The sabbath was never formally law until it was codified in the Law of Moses.

And where is your prooftext that the sabbath keeping sanctifies anyone?

The Sabbath is a commandment of God Exodus 34:28 Exodus 20 and there is no scripture that says the Sabbath is a sign of the Mosaic covenant and you have not provided it, the scripture clearly says the keeping the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people. Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12, Ezekiel 20:20

Our words are not scripture, if there was a text that said the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant, you would have have provided it by now. I’m not going to continue debating over something that is not there that you claim is, but have not provided the scripture. I am going to leave this discussion as we will have to agree to disagree and I wish you the best in seeking His Word.

 

[Cornelius8L]

Why do you insist on putting words into my mouth constantly? I never said that David's eating was a breach of the 4th commandment!!! Why do you continue to misrepresent what I write? But if you think I said such a thing, quote me, please. Thank you.

Do you know how to read and understand passages in their contexts? In Luke 6 when Jesus performed his big miracle on the sabbath and got up the noses of the religious establishment, why do you think he brings David's eating of ceremonial bead to bear upon what the Lord himself just did on a sabbath? Do you not see any dots to be connected here, or was Jesus just desperately whistling in the wind or grasping wildly at straws? How does Jesus referring to David in Luke 6 make any sense to you in the context of the sabbath and what Jesus did on the sabbath? Can you or can you not see any parallels between Jesus' miracle on the sabbath and David eating ceremonial bread? If you can't, be honest with me; I'll explain it to you.

Hi @Doran , my understanding of SB’s perspective from our previous discussion is that TEN commandments supersede everything, overwriting any verse (that comes after) that contradicts the TEN in Exodus 20 because they are God-finger written and kept safe in the ark in heaven. So naturally, they will interpret Hebrews 4, Colossians 2, and Romans 14 differently. Since the thread is about Sabbatarians observing a special day of the week, they won’t leave Romans 14:5 unexplained.

So you may need to prove that the TEN commandments have changed. Otherwise, there is no end to this. I have posted the changes of the 5th Commandment for discussion here: Did all the laws end at the cross- Part 2 - I’m keen to hear how is 5th Commandment not changed.

(Just in case you are interested in our Sabbath discussion, here is the link to my first post: Creation Sabbath Origin)

God Bless

 

[Cornelius8L]

1. Sabbath as a Memorial

Genesis 2:1-3
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Exodus 20:8-11
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.​

One of the reasons Jesus gives for regularly observing His Sabbath is in reference to the singular monumental event in this world's history—its creation. The Sabbath is a weekly reminder that Jesus created this Earth (John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17). It is a day to rest from our works just as Jesus rested from His (Hebrews 4:7-10). It is to this very fact of being the Creator that Jesus appeals to over and over in the Scriptures as validation for His claim to being the one and only true God (c.f. 1 Chronicles 16:23-27; 2 Kings 19:15; 2 Chronicles 2:12; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 33:6; 96:5; 102:25-27; 115:15; 121:2; Isaiah 37:16; 40:20; 45:18; Jeremiah 10:12; 27:5; 32:17; 33:2, 3; 51:15; Jonah 1:9; Job 26:7; Acts 4:24; 14:15; 17:24; Revelation 14:7).

Psalm 111:2-4
Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.​

If Jesus says to "Remember the Sabbath," and this remembering is directly connected to the "wonders" of His creation, why is it that people find this something they wish to forget? If one were to develop a hierarchy of the most important events in human history would not the act of creation rank toward the very top? Aside from the life, death and resurrection of the Creator, what other event do you suppose would be more worthy of remembering? Interestingly, even though Jesus nor His disciples ever hinted at any regularly repeating recognition for His resurrection, there are some who insist that we honor Sunday as a resurrection memorial. So while we have no divine command for a weekly remembering of the resurrection (making it a tradition of men), we likewise have no command overturning the weekly remembering of the creation. About this Jesus asks, "Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?"

2. A Day for Our Benefit

Isaiah 58:13-14
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken.​

Through His prophet Isaiah, Jesus portrays His holy day as something to delight in. If Jesus says to delight in His Sabbath I'm certain that there must be a blessing to be obtained by observing the day He blessed.

Mark 2:27
Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man (444 anthropos; human being), not man for the Sabbath.​

Not only is the Sabbath affirmed as something to "delight" in, but Jesus Himself takes the opportunity to make it clear that when He made the Sabbath on the seventh day of creation it was made for the benefit of all humanity. The word for man in this text is "anthropos" which means people. Thus the Sabbath is for men and women, Jews and Gentiles, slaves and those who are free. All humanity can delight in the benefits of having a day off to remember their Creator and to rest from their own works.

3. Jesus Kept the Sabbath

Luke 4:16
[Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.​

It was Jesus's regular practice to assemble together with other believers on the Sabbath day. Leviticus 23:3 says that the Sabbath is "a day of sacred assembly." You can certainly worship God on all days of the week, but the Sabbath is the day Jesus set aside for worshipping with other believers in a corporate setting. It is a day set apart—a "holy day"—on which holy people are to rest from their own works and be blessed on the day that Jesus blessed.

1 Peter 2:21
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.​

Jesus is our example in all things and following the things He did should not give anyone cause for concern. On the contrary, it is in doing those things which Jesus never did and never told us to do which we should seriously question the safety of such position. Keeping the Sabbath is in keeping with following Jesus's steps.

1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.​

Again, if we are to "walk as Jesus did" it is a simple thing to ascertain that the example He left was to regularly assemble together with believers on the day He personally blessed and continues to make holy.

4. Disciples Kept the Sabbath After the Cross

Luke 23:56
Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.​

Because Jesus never intended to put an end to the regular seven day cycle He set in motion for humanity's (anthropos) benefit and "delight," Jesus never informed them that it was no longer necessary to observe the Sabbath after His death. This is confirmed by the fact that His closest followers—those who went out of their way to see to His burial preparations—still "rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment." If Jesus did not intend for the Sabbath to be included in His new covenant then He needed to add this to His will before He died. After the death of the Testator nothing can be added or subtracted from that person's will (see Hebrews 9:16-17).

5. Paul Kept the Sabbath

Acts 17:2, 3
As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said.​

After his conversion (recorded in Acts 9) Paul continues his "custom" of going to synagogue on the Sabbath. Not only was this his regular habit but the Bible also records that Paul preached to both Jews and Gentiles on the Sabbath for a year and a half!

Acts 18:4, 11
Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.​

So, "Every Sabbath" for a "year and a half" Paul reasons in the synagogue with both Jews and Greeks (i.e. Gentiles). That's a biblical record of 76 Sabbaths in which Paul is preaching to Jews and Gentiles.

1 Corinthians 11:1
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.​

As we would expect from an apostle of Christ, Paul acknowledges that he follows "the example of Christ." Paul's actions testify to the fact that "his custom" of Sabbath observance was the same as the custom of Jesus. Paul then goes on to assert that you should not only follow Christ's example but you should also follow his own example. Are you following the examples left for you by both Jesus and Paul?

6. Gentiles Kept the Sabbath

Acts 13:42-45
So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.​

Some people suggest that Paul was evangelizing to Jews on the Sabbath and what better way to do that then to meet them on the day they all were gathering together? But in this text we see that after witnessing to the Jews in the synagogue that Gentiles begged Paul to preach these words "to them the next Sabbath." So if the Sabbath had ceased as a requirement and blessing of God, if it was not part of the New Covenant, if it was only for the Jew, then Paul need not wait an entire week to minister to the needs of these pleading Gentiles. Why wait seven days when tomorrow would work just fine? After all, as some people believe, the first day of the week is supposedly "the Lord's day"—a day to be honored in remembrance of Jesus's resurrection—so why not preach to them on this newly preferred day? Paul does not take this golden opportunity to inform these Gentiles that the Sabbath is passé and that it is no longer necessary to remember Jesus as the Creator. Instead, as someone who unashamedly "follow the example of Christ," he honors their Sabbath-keeping request.

7. The Sabbath 40 Years After the Cross

Matthew 24:20
Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.​

Jesus is speaking in reference to the future destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (40 years after His death). If we consider this admonition from the aspect of keeping the Sabbath holy by not working on it, then the prayer to not have to flee on the Sabbath is easily understandable. Additionally, this text also affirms the continuity of the Sabbath 40 years into the New Covenant.

8. Venerated Title Remains

Matthew 28:1
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Mark 16:1
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.

Luke 23:54
It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

John 19:31
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.​

Each of the four Gospels were written years after the cross. One would expect that if the Sabbath was no longer relevant to New Covenant Christianity that the Gospel authors would've conveyed such in their writings. But Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all maintain uninterrupted use of the venerated title of Sabbath in their Gospels. None of them ever refer to it as the "Sabbath of the Jews," which of course makes perfect sense in keeping with point #2 above (i.e. the Sabbath was made for humanity's benefit). Luke points out certain things as being exclusively Jewish ("country of the Jews," "synagogue of the Jews") but in neither his Gospel nor his book of Acts does he do so to the Sabbath. Since Jesus said the Sabbath was made for people—regardless of race or gender—then the fact that these authors do not attempt to tie it strictly to the Jews is perfectly logical and consistent. This is especially meaningful when one considers their use of this title after the cross. Since they are writing years afterward there should be no reason why they should not know that the Sabbath has been discontinued. All four authors continue to address the seventh day of the week using it's venerated title and all of the remaining days of the week maintain their generic numeral designation.

9. The Sabbath in the New Earth

Isaiah 66:22-23
“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD.​

When Jesus first created this world we find that He set in motion His weekly memorial to His creative act by establishing His Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3). In the "restoration of all things" the Lord will create a "new heavens and a new earth." Will the need to remember Jesus as Creator be any less meaningful or necessary once we are redeemed? Will the Sabbath be any less of a blessing or a "delight"? Since the Sabbath was "made for man" before man became a sinner it is apparent that its value was not based in relation to our sinful condition. Isaiah tells us that in the new earth all humanity will bow down before God "from one Sabbath to another." Jesus is going to hit the divine reset button for this Earth. It is going to be baptized by fire. After burning off all the sin and those who stubbornly held on to it, this Earth will be restored to how it was "in the beginning" and it will be our home as it was originally intended. Since the Sabbath comes to us from the seventh day of the beginning, we see that this special day has been a blessing to humanity from our creation to our ultimate salvation and will continue on throughout eternity.

10. The Sabbath in Languages of the World.
Did you know that there are flood traditions around the world? From Africa to Asia and Australia, from Europe to North and South Americas, the story of a world wide flood is a part of the tradition of the peoples in these areas. This is as one would expect for such a universally destructive event.

But did you also know that the word "Sabbath" can be found in various languages all around the world? This too is what one would expect if the Sabbath was instituted on the seventh day of creation. Just like Noah and the other seven survivors were witnesses to the flood, Adam and Eve would've been witnesses of the first Sabbath and Adam was around for 930 years to share his eye witness account to his progeny.

Here are a few languages that use the word Sabbath for the seventh day of the week:

Greek: Sabbaton (Sabbath)
Latin: Sabbatum (Sabbath)
Spanish: Sábado (Sabbath)
Portuguese: Sabbado (Sabbath)
Italian: Sabbato (Sabbath)
French: Samedi (Sabbath day)
High German: Samstag (Sabbath)
Prussian: Sabatico (Sabbath)
Russian: Subbota (Sabbath)
Congo Africa: Sabbado or Kiansbula (Sabbath)​

These are a few examples from our modern languages which still identify the seventh day as the Sabbath. There are a number of ancient languages which also do the same thing. The Babylonian language—dating back to 3800 BC (or shortly after the flood)—identifies the seventh day as "Sa-ba-tu" or Sabbath. Exactly what one would expect to find embedded in this Earth's recorded history.

I pray this helps.

But for the grace of God go I,cyspark

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