When did the Israelites begin keeping the Sabbath?

Gary K · Jun 18, 2024

The argument that God's Sabbath was not known until Sinai is based upon a false assumption. Here is more evidence this is so.

Exodus 5: 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

The word rest comes from the Hebrew word meaning:

[*StrongsHebrew*]
7673
שׁבת
shâbath shaw-bath'
A primitive root; to {repose} that {is} desist from exertion; used in many implied relations ({causatively} figuratively or specifically): - (cause {to} {let} make to) {cease} {celebrate} cause (make) to {fail} keep ({sabbath}) suffer to be {lacking} {leave} put away ({down}) (make to) {rest} {rid} {still} take away.

The word translated as Sabbath in the 4th commandment comes from:

[*StrongsHebrew*]
7676
שׁבּת
shabbâth shab-bawth'
Intensive from H7673; {intermission} that {is} (specifically) the Sabbath: - (+ every) sabbath.

Thus the word Sabbath in the OT is just an intensification of what Pharoah accused Moses and Aaron of doing to the Israelites. Therefore the Sabbath was known before Sinai.

Also the 10 commandments were known long before then.

Genesis 39: 7 ¶ And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

.

Bob S · Jun 19, 2024

Everyone knows the Sabbath was given to the Israelites before Sinai. What is strange is the fact that God didn't have the Israelites stop to keep Sabbath on their flight out of Egypt until they were safe on the other side of the Red Sea. Their flight took several weeks.

You tell us Israel Joseph knew the Ten Commandments because He didn't commit fornication is a stretch and very much not provable.

Gary K · Jun 19, 2024

Bob S said:
Everyone knows the Sabbath was given to the Israelites before Sinai. What is strange is the fact that God didn't have the Israelites stop to keep Sabbath on their flight out of Egypt until they were safe on the other side of the Red Sea. Their flight took several weeks.

You tell us Israel Joseph knew the Ten Commandments because He didn't commit fornication is a stretch and very much not provable.

Really? Saying he couldn't commit a sin against God isn't evidence of knowing the 10 commandments? Explain how Joseph knew it was a sin outside of knowing the 10 commandments as sin is the transgression of the law.

DamianWarS · Jun 28, 2024

Gary K said:
The argument that God's Sabbath was not known until Sinai is based upon a false assumption. Here is more evidence this is so.

Exodus 5: 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

The word rest comes from the Hebrew word meaning:

[*StrongsHebrew*]
7673
שׁבת
shâbath shaw-bath'
A primitive root; to {repose} that {is} desist from exertion; used in many implied relations ({causatively} figuratively or specifically): - (cause {to} {let} make to) {cease} {celebrate} cause (make) to {fail} keep ({sabbath}) suffer to be {lacking} {leave} put away ({down}) (make to) {rest} {rid} {still} take away.

The word translated as Sabbath in the 4th commandment comes from:

[*StrongsHebrew*]
7676
שׁבּת
shabbâth shab-bawth'
Intensive from H7673; {intermission} that {is} (specifically) the Sabbath: - (+ every) sabbath.

Thus the word Sabbath in the OT is just an intensification of what Pharoah accused Moses and Aaron of doing to the Israelites. Therefore the Sabbath was known before Sinai.

Also the 10 commandments were known long before then.

Genesis 39: 7 ¶ And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

.

The concept of Sabbath as it pertains to it's ritual practice and/or instruction starts in Exodus. Exodus is often conflated with post-Sinai events which of course is not entirely true but I think we can all understand why. In terms of the authorship of Exodus, be it Moses or a later we should at least agree it is written for post-Sinai instruction. In order for law to be established there needs to be first the instruction then a judge as well as a standard by which to judge, Moses acted as this judge and written and spoken law are the standard/instruction. No instruction for Sabbath is given before any Exodus event and no formal judge is appointed outside of direct instructions from God himself or implicit judges like that of family heads but still nothing regarding Sabbath instruction. So there is no case for an established law of the Sabbath prior to these explicit events in Exodus even though there is a case for the standard of the law (the 7th day). The standard itself cannot be implemented without the instruction and since it is not innately moral instruction we shouldn't consider it implicted. The Israelites don't practice the Sabbath because of the 7th day or that it is innately moral, it may be that some sort of ritual practice was happening without formal instruction but all that is conjecture and the only formal practice is established post-exodus and it is this instruction that it is why the Sabbath is practiced. Failing this instruction there is no commandment to keep the sabbath even if there is a standard.

SabbathBlessings · Jun 28, 2024

God in His own Words said the Sabbath started at Creation and Jesus reminded us the Sabbath was made for mankind.

God brings us back to Creation week right in the Sabbath commandment because He never wants us to forget where we came from and Who created us, its why the devil hates the Sabbath so much and constantly attacks and made a counterfeit sabbath, because God's Sabbath shows God is the Authority over all heaven and earth and only He has the power to Create- when we obey Him the way He asks it shows we submit to His Authority -He is our God- we are His people Eze 20:20

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Man was created on the sixth day Gen 1:26 in the image of God to follow Him, hence the command to also rest and keep the Sabbath day holy, thus saith the Lord. Exo 20:8-11

Jesus reminds us that the Sabbath was made for man Mark 2:27- man came first, then the Sabbath before Jew or Gentile and was part of God's perfect plan before sin entered and spoiled everything and deceived Eve like he has with the majority Rev 12:9.

Arguing that the Sabbath didn't start at Creation is an argument one will have to take up with a much Higher Authority! God was clear as He could be about this. Just like He is clear the Sabbath is never going anywhere for His faithful servants Isa 56:1-7 Isa 66:22-23 God changes not. Heb 13:8

DamianWarS · Jun 28, 2024

SabbathBlessings said:
God in His own Words said the Sabbath started at Creation and Jesus reminded us the Sabbath was made for mankind.

God brings us back to Creation week right in the Sabbath commandment because He never wants us to forget where we came from and Who created us, its why the devil hates the Sabbath so much as it shows God is the Authority over all heaven and earth and only He has the power to Create- when we obey Him the way He asks it shows we submit to His Authority -He is our God- we are His people Eze 20:20

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Man was created on the sixth day Gen 1:26 in the image of God to follow Him, hence the command to also rest and keep the Sabbath day holy, thus saith the Lord. Exo 20:8-11

Jesus reminds us that the Sabbath was made for man Mark 2:27- man came first, then the Sabbath before Jew or Gentile and was part of God's perfect plan before sin entered and spoiled everything and deceived Eve like he has with the majority Rev 12:9.

Arguing that the Sabbath didn't start at Creation is an argument one will have to take up with a much Higher Authority! God was clear as He could be about this. Just like He is clear the Sabbath is never going anywhere for His faithful servants Isa 56:1-7 Isa 66:22-23

This is a case for the standard of law but not the instruction of law and commandment which is established in Exodus. The op is about when the practice was established so I won't comment on other points with respect to the op. Although the standard was established at creation, what is biblically revealed regarding the practice was first in Exodus and the earliest record is with the instruction regarding gathering manna.

SabbathBlessings · Jun 28, 2024

DamianWarS said:
This is a case for the standard of law but not the instruction of law and commandment which is established in Exodus. The op is about when the practice was established so I won't comment on other points with respect to the op. Although the standard was established at creation, what is biblically revealed regarding the practice was first in Exodus and the earliest record is with the instruction regarding gathering manna.

Where there is no law, there is no transgression (sin) Rom 4:15. Adam and Eve sinned therefore they broke God's law so had to be given to them- like when the coveted and stole something in the garden that wasn’t there’s to take- they sinned. They sinned when they broke the very first commandment to only worship God, but instead listened to the other spirit over obeying God . Cain sinned when he killed Abel, therefore he had to be given God's law to thou shalt not murder only found in the Ten Commandments. Exo 20:13 The scripture shows God's faithful, like Abraham was given God's instruction for righteousness Psa 119:172 and kept God's commandments Gen 26:5 because God told them, which is why we see the Israelites keeping God's law way before Mt Sinai.

Why would God give a standard of law, but not instruction of the law from the very beginning, makes no sense. God said man was made in His image- what did God do at Creation as the example for man. He rested on the seventh day- the Sabbath- to claim Adam and Eve rebelled from God on day 1 after being created and choose not to rest with God on His Sabbath that was made for them Mat 2:27 at Creation is unbiblical. God said He gave the Sabbath at Creation Exo 20:8-11 Gen 2:1-3 Exo 20:10 and it is what is righteousness Isa 56:1-6 and His righteousness is everlasting Psa 119:142 I choose to believe Him, but we have free will to believe whatever we want.

DamianWarS · Jun 28, 2024

SabbathBlessings said:
Why would God give a standard of law, but not instruction of the law from the very beginning, makes no sense.

You have the same bible I do. The instruction is given to a sabbath ignorant people pre-exodus and there is no other earlier time when instruction was given. The bible doesn't even clarify that Adam even knew of the Sabbath. You seem to enjoy to embellish the text and add things it never speaks of. I don't think the text is missing anything and it is exactly the way it is suppose to be.

SabbathBlessings · Jun 28, 2024

DamianWarS said:
You have the same bible I do. The instruction is given to a sabbath ignorant people pre-exodus and there is no other earlier time when instruction was given. The bible doesn't even clarify that Adam even knew of the Sabbath. You seem to enjoy to embellish the text and add things it never speaks of. I don't think the text is missing anything and it is exactly the way it is suppose to be.

I agree, the Text isn’t missing anything.

So when God rested and hallowed the Sabbath at Creation Exo 20:11, that Jesus said was made for mankind Mark 2:27 is it your suggestion that Adam and Eve rebelled and did their own thing on the very first Sabbath, instead of resting with God, right after God just made them in His image.

DamianWarS · Jun 28, 2024

SabbathBlessings said:
I agree, the Text isn’t missing anything.

So when God rested and hallowed the Sabbath at Creation Exo 20:11, that Jesus said was made for mankind Mark 2:27 is it your suggestion that Adam and Eve rebelled and did their own thing on the very first Sabbath, instead of resting with God, right after God just made them in His image.

All I know is what the Bible reveals and it doesn't reveal any explicit instruction or subsequent rebellion and it would be irresponsible to make any absolute statements. I also don't know Adams hair or eye color although I could guess these details are not important enough in the text so I don't spend a lot of time thinking about them.

Adam and Eve's exposure to these revelations that we can so casually read is also not made clear. So I can't say to the level that they were informed of these things but it is clear that text doesn't make this a priority. What is also curious is the total lack of understanding from the Israelites when Sabbath is presented in Exodus and to me it doesn't feel like it was a well known practice if it was practiced at all.

This all favours sabbath instruction to begin in Exodus even if it's standard is set 2500 years in the past.

SabbathBlessings · Jun 29, 2024

DamianWarS said:
All I know is what the Bible reveals and it doesn't reveal any explicit instruction or subsequent rebellion and it would be irresponsible to make any absolute statements. I also don't know Adams hair or eye color although I could guess these details are not important enough in the text so I don't spend a lot of time thinking about them.

Adam and Eve's exposure to these revelations that we can so casually read is also not made clear. So I can't say to the level that they were informed of these things but it is clear that text doesn't make this a priority. What is also curious is the total lack of understanding from the Israelites when Sabbath is presented in Exodus and to me it doesn't feel like it was a well known practice if it was practiced at all.

This all favours sabbath instruction to begin in Exodus even if it's standard is set 2500 years in the past.

You're free to believe what you wish, I believe Adam and Eve didn't go off and do their own thing on the very first Sabbath. When God created and kept the very first Sabbath after He just created man in His likeness Gen 1:26 and said the Sabbath was made for man, that Adam and Eve kept the Sabbath with God at Creation.

If you believe they rebelled and did something different that's your free will but scripture says the didn't rebel until sometime later in the Garden when they choose to listen to the other spirit instead of listening to God. Sadly man makes this same mistake over and over again.

God said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Exo 20:8 Man says forget. Not much has changed from the garden.

JesusFollowerForever · Jun 29, 2024

DamianWarS said:
All I know is what the Bible reveals and it doesn't reveal any explicit instruction or subsequent rebellion and it would be irresponsible to make any absolute statements. I also don't know Adams hair or eye color although I could guess these details are not important enough in the text so I don't spend a lot of time thinking about them.

Adam and Eve's exposure to these revelations that we can so casually read is also not made clear. So I can't say to the level that they were informed of these things but it is clear that text doesn't make this a priority. What is also curious is the total lack of understanding from the Israelites when Sabbath is presented in Exodus and to me it doesn't feel like it was a well known practice if it was practiced at all.

This all favours sabbath instruction to begin in Exodus even if it's standard is set 2500 years in the past.

If I may add to this discussion, How do birds know when to fly south before winter hits, or how do monarch butterflies know how to get to their reproduction area, they all fly from everywhere in north America to a specific valley in Mexico yet they do not have written instructions, or know how to read.....

Monarch Butterfly Migration and Overwintering

www.fs.usda.gov

JesusFollowerForever · Jun 29, 2024

SabbathBlessings said:
You're free to believe what you wish, I believe Adam and Eve didn't go off and do their own thing on the very first Sabbath. When God created and kept the very first Sabbath after He just created man in His likeness Gen 1:26 and said the Sabbath was made for man, that Adam and Eve kept the Sabbath with God at Creation.

If you believe they rebelled and did something different that's your free will but scripture says the didn't rebel until sometime later in the Garden when they choose to listen to the other spirit instead of listening to God. Sadly man makes this same mistake over and over again.

God said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Exo 20:8 Man says forget. Not much has changed from the garden.

I like they way you think, assuredly God was with Adam and Eve and was with them in the garden of Eden certainly he did instruct them on many many things, the most important things like His Holy Law.

DamianWarS · Jun 29, 2024

SabbathBlessings said:
You're free to believe what you wish, I believe Adam and Eve didn't go off and do their own thing on the very first Sabbath. When God created and kept the very first Sabbath after He just created man in His likeness Gen 1:26 and said the Sabbath was made for man, that Adam and Eve kept the Sabbath with God at Creation.

If you believe they rebelled and did something different that's your free will but scripture says the didn't rebel until sometime later in the Garden when they choose to listen to the other spirit instead of listening to God. Sadly man makes this same mistake over and over again.

God said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Exo 20:8 Man says forget. Not much has changed from the garden.

You are adding words to what I said. I never said Adam and Eve rebelled against God nor do I believe they ignored God and did there own thing. You seem to view the text under a sabbath law lens assuming details never given. How can someone rebel against a commandment never given?

The text says on the 7th day God "sabbath" (verb) The word can mean to rest or to cease. Since we know God does not need to rest what he did was cease. Cease what? He ceased the work of creation. Why? Because he was finished. Biblically the number 7 is the number of completion and this is why because God completed his work.

What was Adam to join with on that Sabbath? I really don't know in practice what his creasing would be or what instruction would have been given to him. the garden was made in a way that his needs were met which was the result of God's work so there was nothing left to do, and Adam essentially was in a perpetual of sabbath while in the garden

Sure Adam didn't build a fire or cut down trees or lift rocks on the Sabbath but did he do any of those things while in the garden? The creation account in Gen 1 is build in a way that shows us a dark unshaped void where light is spoken into, and it is then formed and shaped until complete which ushers in the 7th day which is rest. This describes a salvation event, foreshows the coming of Christ, foreshadows the resurrection, the new heaven new earth, etc.... it has so much more in it that the question if Adam kept the sabbath under your superimposed assumptions seems to miss the point completly. The text is simply not interested in answering that question and neither am I.

SabbathBlessings · Jun 29, 2024

DamianWarS said:
You are adding words to what I said. I never said Adam and Eve rebelled against God nor do I believe they ignored God and did there own thing. You seem to view the text under a sabbath law lens assuming details never given. How can someone rebel against a commandment never given?

The text says on the 7th day God "sabbath" (verb) The word can mean to rest or to cease. Since we know God does not need to rest what he did was cease. Cease what? He ceased the work of creation. Why? Because he was finished. Biblically the number 7 is the number of completion and this is why because God completed his work.

What was Adam to join with on that Sabbath? I really don't know in practice what his creasing would be or what instruction would have been given to him. the garden was made in a way that his needs were met which was the result of God's work so there was nothing left to do, and Adam essentially was in a perpetual of sabbath while in the garden

Sure Adam didn't build a fire or cut down trees or lift rocks on the Sabbath but did he do any of those things while in the garden? The creation account in Gen 1 is build in a way that shows us a dark unshaped void where light is spoken into, and it is then formed and shaped until complete which ushers in the 7th day which is rest. This describes a salvation event, foreshows the coming of Christ, foreshadows the resurrection, the new heaven new earth, etc.... it has so much more in it that the question if Adam kept the sabbath under your superimposed assumptions seems to miss the point completly. The text is simply not interested in answering that question and neither am I.

There is no such thing as a perpetual Sabbath according to God.

God wrote these Words with His own finger, so no greater Authority than He

Exodus 20:10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.

God rested on the Sabbath at Creation and the Sabbath according to Jesus was made for man and the Word He used means mankind Mat 2:27

I guess if one does not understand what the Sabbath is about, would have a hard time understanding the specialness of our first parents spending the Sabbath with God on that very first Sabbath at Creation. God kept the Sabbath so either Adam and Eve kept it with God, or they rebelled and did their own thing instead. You have no proof they didn't keep the Sabbath with God at Creation, but God said man was made in His likeness, which means we are supposed to follow the example of our Creator.

The Sabbath is about communion with God, its about obeying His Authority, its about worshipping God, its about honoring God, its about doing righteousness, its about God sanctifying us and joining ourselves to Him to be His servant and He our God. All things that would be important for man right from the beginning. Sin separated man from celebrating the Sabbath in His presence, so now we do it though His Spirit, but one day soon, God saints will gather around Jesus to worship Him every Sabbath, just like God's plan was in the beginning, before sin.

Guess we will have to agree to disagree.

SabbathBlessings · Jun 29, 2024

JesusFollowerForever said:
I like they way you think, assuredly God was with Adam and Eve and was with them in the garden of Eden certainly he did instruct them on many many things, the most important things like His Holy Law.

It's called deductive reasoning, but more important its really what the scriptures teach. No law, means no sin Rom 4:15, which means God's law actually started in heaven because Lucifer sinned from the beginning 1 John 3:8 and why he was kicked out of heaven. Adam and Eve sinned which is why they were kicked out of the garden. Sin is breaking God's law 1 John 3:4 any one of the Ten Commandments James 2:10-12. What is sad is people think they can follow the same path that separated God from man Isa 59:2 but yield a different result, when clear scripture says it won't Mat 7:23 Rev 22:14-15, just like those who came before us. Sadly, it's the same story played out over and over again, man believes the other spirit instead of yielding themselves servants to obey God Rom 6:16 and live by His every Word Mat 4:4

Happy Sabbath my friend and God bless!

DamianWarS · Jun 29, 2024

SabbathBlessings said:
The Sabbath is about communion with God, its about obeying His Authority, its about worshipping God, its about honoring God, its about doing righteousness, its about God sanctifying us and joining ourselves to Him to be His servant and He our God.

this is our goal for daily Christian living and should not be only kept for one day. I'm going to stop this here until we can get a better definition of the Sabbath as it seems you're just stuffing the sabbath with broad Christian values and then wagging your finger at me saying I don't understand (grossly mispresenting my words I might add). Let's agree these are good values and Christian living goals, but this is not a definition of the Sabbath.

SabbathBlessings · Jun 29, 2024

DamianWarS said:
this is our goal for daily Christian living and should not be only kept for one day.

A Christian is a follower of Christ which means to be obedient to what Christ teaches and follows His example. There is no scripture that teaches the Sabbath is every day. God was very specific on how and when to keep the Sabbath- which God said was on the seventh day Exo 20:10 and all other days are working days Exo 20:9

DamianWarS said:
I'm going to stop this here until we can get a better definition of the Sabbath as it seems you're just stuffing the sabbath with broad Let's agree these are good values and Christian living goals, but this is not a definition of the Sabbath.

I say we let God define the Sabbath commandment, which He did Exo 20:8-11 because man is not above God.

The scripture are filled with good values and goals for Christian living and not one includes being disobedient to God or His commandments.

This thread is about the Sabbath being kept before Mt Sinai which scripture clearly shows it was at Creation Exo 20:11 Gen 2:1-3 No other scripture presented here shows otherwise.

Bob S · Jun 29, 2024

We Gentiles have to remember the Sabbath was a requirement for one nation. It was a day to remember creation and Israel's flight out of Egypt. In the United States, we do not celebrate the special days of other nations and vice versa. Why should Gentiles celebrate the old covenant special days given only to Israel? Christians have Jesus, our Creator, and He invites us to rest in Him every day. The only advice given in the New Testament is that we should unite corporately, but leaves that up to us as to when.

Bob S · Jun 29, 2024

Jn15: 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

Jesus kept the Sabbath plus all of the laws of the old covenant that pertained to Him. In Jn15:9-11 He is not asking us to keep the old covenant commands, He is asking us to love one another as He loves us. Love is the law written in our hearts. If we would all obey Jesus' command this would be such a beautiful World. Amen!

The old covenant done away Sabbath could never change the hearts of the Israelites. Why would some spend so much time and money trying to convert people to observe a day instead of teaching what Jesus taught?

When did the Israelites begin keeping the Sabbath?

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