Guessing you mean only on the sabbaths or feast days.
You did say everything was to rest.
What did a beast of burden do? This refers to more than one kind of animal and conveyance (cart/wagon).
You did say a servant does things you want done. I assume that includes things you can't do. Is that a reasonable assumption? I'm positive you did. This is of interest to me.
What do you mean? A servant does do things you don't want done yes, but on the sabbath all is to rest. Beasts of burdens (oxen plowing the field, are to rest and eat). Your servants, who normally would do your will, are to rest and relax. Spend time with their families if they have one, or with you if they prefer and you allow it.
Also wondering why obedience to a defunct covenant is so important. You say it's because you love God. That's great. Assume you mean to include Jesus.
What does new covenant mean to you? Do we need to discuss the word "new?" I have a thread asking about it.
Well because, the "new" covenant isn't really
new, it's renewed. It's got a few things that are in fact different about it, as Paul talks about, but a lot of it still remains the same.
It's renewed in the fact that, Israel was cast out of covenant with God.
When God cast them out, God put them away.
What do I mean by God put them away? Well, God was the Husband to Israel. Israel was His bride. In God's law, when a husband puts his bride away, the wife cannot remarry. She is cursed to wander, unmarried for the rest of her days.
This is the curse Jesus freed Israel from, the curse of adultery, and being forever out of covenant with God.
Why did Jesus have to die?
For our sins, yes, but mainly, because Jesus is God, and again, according to the law, the only way a wife that is put away and cursed for her adulteries can be freed from this curse of being put away is if her husband died. Jesus is God, the Husband of Israel. He died, so that Israel could be forgiven, and then He raised Himself from the dead so that Israel would have someone to marry themselves to again. He is our Husband, and we are His bride. The bride, is Israel. This was how Israel was to be reunited.
This is how it was renewed, BUT what's different about it you might ask? Well, before, the sons of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi were the priests. Now, Jesus is the only Priest that we need. He lives eternally, and is free of sin. So now, our Priest no longer has to offer sacrifices for His sins, because He's sinless. He is right now in the tabernacle before God, atoning for our sins as we speak. This is why He said He will not drink of the vine (wine) until after He returns. Why? Because, according to God's law again, a Priest, cannot drink alcohol while in the tabernacle before God, or they will be put to death instantly by God's presence.
So the things that are different about this covenant, is the priesthood. It went from being in the corruptible hands of man, to the incorruptible hands of Jesus. This is why I'm against catholicism, because we have literally, NO need for a priest that is a man. This is legitimately one of the main things He died for, to make it so we could return to God as long as He remained in that office. We will be priests once we are given incorruptible bodies after He returns. Then, He will be our King. This is what it means by He is our Priest after the order of Melchisidek, because Melchisidek was not only a King, he was priest as well.
The idea of a King being Priest, is unheard of in God's law in the first covenant. Because Kings could only come from the tribe of Judah (which Jesus was from) while Priests could only direct descendants of Aaron the first High Priest, which Jesus wasn't. This is why the covenant needed a change, because Jesus became our Priest, but not after the order of the law that Moses was given, after the order of Melchisidek. The rest of the law stands, but as far as sacrifices, only the priests could do that, of which Jesus is, and has already done.