What is the purpose of the Sabbath?

BobRyan · Mar 15, 2026

BobRyan said:
Not according to the text.

In the actual text nobody interrupts God and tells Him to stop speaking. Read Ex 20.

In the text God writes only the TEN on stone. He has Moses write down many other things, But only has the ten on stone.

Deut 4 says God spoke "the Ten Commandments" and put them inside the ark. The other writings of Moses were not placed inside the ark. Nobody told God to "only place the TEN inside the Ark"

In DEUT 5 God says He spoke the TEN "AND ADDED NO MORE", nobody told God to make that distinction so pronounced and the text does NOT say "God spoke the TEN but you would not let Him add any more"

DamianWarS said:
the text says the 10 are spoken first (ex 20). the people where afraid of the directness and wanted the rest to be spoken to Moses and then Moses would communicate it to them (Ex 20). the rest of the commandments are in Ex 21-23.

It does not say the people ran to Moses in the middle of God speaking
The text does not say that Moses told God to stop speaking

You keep skipping over that detail because it does not fit your suggested scenario.

The immediate reaction of the people was not to rush up to Moses in the middle of God' speaking, and then Moses tells God to stop speaking.

Rather their reaction was "to tremble and to stand at a distance"

18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

And the people were not even with Moses when God was writing the TEN on stone. No one was there to say "only write Ten"

Another detail you keep skipping because it does not fit your suggestion

DamianWarS · Mar 15, 2026

BobRyan said:
It does not say the people ran to Moses in the middle of God speaking
The text does not say that Moses told God to stop speaking

You keep skipping over that detail because it does not fit your suggested scenario.

The immediate reaction of the people was not to rush up to Moses in the middle of God' speaking, and then Moses tells God to stop speaking.

Rather their reaction was "to tremble and to stand at a distance"

18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

And the people were not even with Moses when God was writing the TEN on stone. No one was there to say "only write Ten"

Another detail you keep skipping because it does not fit your suggestion

You're accusing me of what you're exactly doing, which is adding information to the text that it can't natively support. The text does not say when/why/if a pause occurs; it only states the criteria by which the Israelites wanted Moses to be the mediator. Moses also clarifies that God's intention was testing them to instill the fear of God in them, so it all seems orchestrated. If you assert God spoke the 10 and stopped, thus added no more sealing the aforementioned commandments and separating them in their own covenant, then why are the Israelites asking Moses to continue as a mediator? Why isn't the covenant formed at that point?

The 10 were spoken to Israel in ch 20, then the rest were spoken in the remaining chapters with Moses as the mediator. When finished, Moses told all the words of the Lord to the people, wrote them down, and then a blood covenant was formed and the covenant ratified. The covenant included all the words of the Lord from ch 20-23. there is no other covenant. Moses reads from the "book of the covenant" in 24:7 half the blood is thrown on an altar (representing God), half on the people, then Moses says "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you..." The language is not ambiguous. this is not an event that isolates the 10 but rather see all the commandments as one covenant agreement. After this, Moses is invited to go up the mountain where the tablets are made.

This is typical ANE treaty/covenant language where the core of the covenant is written on tablets, and other commandments are written down. For one it's not realistic to write everything on stone, nor is it essential. A core can be established, but it does not act alone; it includes the entire covenant.

Studies have comparied ANE treaties of the day and the Sinai covenant follows the stipulations of these types of treaties, including two tablets with other laws written down, as well as the whole structure of how the treaty is formed. Treaty tablets like these have been discovered, so this is not a unique practice among Israel. The tablets do not function as the sole commandments of the covenant. The tablets and the other commandments are conditions written down from the complete covenant. The tablets act as the covenant documents, and there are 2 of them, which is also typical in ANE treaties. We often picture half on 1 tablet and the other half on the other tablets, but nowhere does the text say that. Instead, it is two tablets of covenant law and in ANE treaty practice, two tablets function as doubles, where each tablet has the full set of instructions on them. And scripture says they were written both front and back (Ex 32:16), showing the intention that the tablets were never meant for the exhaustive list of the covenant agreement but a specific core set on tablets that aligns with treaty practices of the day. However, in no way does this exclude the rest of the commandments written down, and the expectation is that there were other written-down covenant documents that would detail the entire covenant agreement.

bbbbbbb · Mar 15, 2026

DamianWarS said:
You're accusing me of what you're exactly doing, which is adding information to the text that it can't natively support. The text does not say when or why or it a pause occurrs; it only states the criteria by which the Israelites wanted Moses to be the mediator. Moses also clarifies that God's intention was testing them to instill the fear of God in them, so it all seems orchestrated. If you assert God spoke the 10 and stopped, thus added no more sealing the aforementioned commandments and separating them in their own covenant, then why are the Israelites asking Moses to continue as a mediator? Why isn't the covenant formed at that point?

The 10 were spoken to Israel in ch 20, then the rest were spoken in the remaining chapters with Moses as the mediator. When finished, Moses told all the words of the Lord to the people, wrote them down, and then a blood covenant was formed and the covenant radified. The covenant included all the words of the Lord from ch 20-23. there is no other covenant. Moses reads from the "book of the covenant" in 24:7 half the blood is thrown on an altar (representing God), half on the people, then Moses says "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you..." The language is not ambiguous. this is not an event that isolates the 10 but rather see all the commandments as one covenant agreement. after this, Moses is invited to go up the mountain where the tablets are made.

This is typical ANE treaty/covenant language where the core of the covenant is written on tablets, and other commandments are written down. For one it's not realistic to write everything on stone, nor is it essential. A core can be established, but it does not act alone; it includes the entire covenant.

Studies have comparied ANE treaties of the day and the Sinai covenant follows the stipulations of these types of treaties, including two tablets with other laws written down, as well as the whole structure of how the treaty is formed. Treaty tablets like these have been discovered, so this is not a unique practice among Israel. The tablets do not function as the sole commandments of the covenant. The tablets and the other commandments are conditions written down from the complete covenant. The tablets act as the covenant documents, and there are 2 of them, which is also typical in ANE treaties. We often picture half on 1 tablet and the other half on the other tablets, but nowhere does the text say that. Instead, it is two tablets of covenant law and in ANE treaty practice, two tablets function as doubles, where each tablet has the full set of instructions on them. And scripture says they were written both front and back (Ex 32:16), showing the intention that the tablets were never meant for the exhustive list of the covenant agreement but for a specific core set. However, in no way does this exclude the rest of the commandments written down, and the expectation is that there were other written-down covenant documents that would detail the entire covenant agreement.

This is not unlike a marriage ceremony. At the ceremony the bride and the groom make marriage vows to each other. A marriage certificate is signed by both of them and dated, but the actual vows, which sometimes can be quite lengthy, are not recorded on the marriage certificate, but they are just as binding on the couple even though they are not recorded on the certificate.

Chaplain Jim · Mar 16, 2026

Mark 2:27 Jesus states " The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath "

SabbathBlessings · Mar 16, 2026

Chaplain Jim said:
Mark 2:27 Jesus states " The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath "

What do you think this means?

FredVB · Apr 16, 2026

bbbbbbb said:
On the face of it, most folks seem to think the fourth commandment is only about attending church services weekly. Most folks believe that Sunday works just fine and others insist that God condemns the other folks because they are not going to church on Saturday.

However, things quickly get murky when even a cursory reading of the Old Testament reveals that the good Jews did not attend church at all (oh my!) and got themselves killed for picking up sticks or starting a fire on the wrong day, or, in fact, doing anything at all that smacked of work. Moreover, there were a whole plethora of other days which were designated as Sabbaths, not to mention entire years and, once every fifty years there were two years in succession which came under the Sabbath requirements.

Fortunately, for all concerned, (or unfortunately, depending on your persuasion), the New Testament is strangely quiet about these matters for the most part. Jesus certainly broadened the understanding of "work" in His ministry. The Sabbath did not seem to be a terribly hot item of discussion, other than in Paul's epistles where he essentially dismissed it as being part of the Law, which was fulfilled in Christ - a notion which was considerably expanded upon by the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews. None of these folks associated the Sabbath with weekly church services, probably because such services did not evolve until centuries later.

Without arguing about SDA, why not purposely rest in observance of the seventh day Sabbath as mentioned in the Bible, with turning more to God?

bbbbbbb · Apr 16, 2026

FredVB said:
Without arguing about SDA, why not purposely rest in observance of the seventh day Sabbath as mentioned in the Bible, with turning more to God?

I have no objection at all to ceasing from work one day a week. In fact, I am grateful that we live in a society where a five-day work week with eight hours a day of work is considered to be standard. Having that much free time is a great luxury that few people experienced before the twentieth century and, even to this day, only a minority of humanity enjoys.

BobRyan · Apr 16, 2026

BobRyan said:
It does not say the people ran to Moses in the middle of God speaking
The text does not say that Moses told God to stop speaking

You keep skipping over that detail because it does not fit your suggested scenario.

BobRyan said:
The immediate reaction of the people was not to rush up to Moses in the middle of God' speaking, and then Moses tells God to stop speaking.

BobRyan said:
Rather their reaction was "to tremble and to stand at a distance"

18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

And the people were not even with Moses when God was writing the TEN on stone. No one was there to say "only write Ten"

Another detail you keep skipping because it does not fit your suggestion

DamianWarS said:
You're accusing me of what you're exactly doing, which is adding information

The idea that quoting scripture and its context in scripture "is adding"... is a novel suggestion on your part

DamianWarS said:
to the text that it can't natively support. The text does not say when/why/if a pause occurs; it only states the criteria by which the Israelites wanted Moses to be the mediator.

yet it states their "wishes' but it does not say that God refused to tell them how to keep the Sabbath "because of their wishes".

Dan 9 .. full on worship and prayer, no animal sacrifices
Acts 18:4 worship "every Sabbath" without any animal sacrifices
Heb 10 animal sacrifices end at the cross
Is 66:23 for all eternity after the cross in the New Earth "every Sabbath" no animal sacrifices
Gen 2:2-3 7th day made a sacred holy day for worship, no animal sacrifices, no sin on Earth, perfect humanity
Ex 20:11 points to Gen 2:2-3 as the start of the 7th day Bible Sabbath, no animal sacrifices

DamianWarS said:
If you assert God spoke the 10 and stopped, thus added no more

Deut 5:22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

Is it your plan to "make me the author" of the text when it does not fit your narrative?

DamianWarS said:
sealing the aforementioned commandments and separating them

God is the one telling us "He added no more" in Deut 5.
God is the one telling us that the TEN were placed INSIDE the ark and all other texts were outside the ark

When God does that, is it your argument that it is "ME doing it"??

DamianWarS said:
in their own covenant, then why are the Israelites asking Moses to continue as a mediator? Why isn't the covenant formed at that point?

There is a nation covenant made at Sinai as EX 19 informs us. Not all of it is for "All nations".
The moral law of course is forever and for all nations
For example
The TEN written on STONE, no 11th commandment chisled
"Love your neighbor as yourself" Lev 19:18
'Love God with all your heart" Deut 6:5

DamianWarS said:
The 10 were spoken to Israel in ch 20

True. Ex 20 the TEN were spoken and were written on Stone as Deut 5 reminds us 40 years later

DamianWarS said:
it is two tablets of covenant law and in ANE treaty practice, two tablets function as doubles, where each tablet has the full set of instructions on them. And scripture says they were written both front and back (Ex 32:16), showing the intention that the tablets were never meant for the exhaustive list of the covenant agreement but a specific core set on tablets that aligns with treaty practices of the day. However, in no way does this exclude the rest of the commandments written down, and the expectation is that there were other written-down covenant documents that would detail the entire covenant agreement.

My argument is not that the rest of scripture does not matter. My argument is that you can't edit the Sabbath commandment. and IN Stone it has not animal sacrifice, and in Gen 2 when it is first given it has not animal sacrifice.
And animal sacrifice ends at the cross as we are told in Heb 10:4-11.

No wonder Paul is participating in Sabbath services "Every Sabbath" IN Acts 18:4 without any animal sacrifices , as he preaches the gospel to both gentiles and Jews according to Acts 18
So then for all eternity after the cross in Is 66:23 Sabbath is kept with no animal sacrifice even in the New Earth

BobRyan · Apr 16, 2026

bbbbbbb said:
I have no objection at all to ceasing from work one day a week

Amen. But of course the Bible never says "choose one day a week to cease from work"

Rather it is to "keep the Sabbath of the LORD thy God Holy" Ex 20:8-10

bbbbbbb said:
. In fact, I am grateful that we live in a society where a five-day work week with eight hours a day of work is considered to be standard. Having that much free time is a great luxury that few people experienced before the twentieth century and, even to this day, only a minority of humanity enjoys.

amen

BobRyan · Apr 16, 2026

FredVB said:
Without arguing about SDA, why not purposely rest in observance of the seventh day Sabbath as mentioned in the Bible, with turning more to God?

Good point.

It is not "Just SDAs" that choose to keep the Sabbath holy.
The Sabbath topic is bigger than "just SDAs"

BobRyan · Apr 16, 2026

Chaplain Jim said:
Mark 2:27 Jesus states " The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath "

Indeed. The Sabbath was made for mankind and not mankind made for the Sabbath. Which speaks to the "making of both" in Gen 1 and 2.

Mark 2 does not mean that "mankind only consists of the Jews". It is a true reference to the "making of mankind" and mankind MADE by God

Matt 4 "Mankind does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"

So not too surprising that we find in Is 66:23 "from Sabbath to Sabbath shall ALL MANKIND come before Me to worship" in the New Earth for all eternity after the cross.

DamianWarS · Apr 16, 2026

BobRyan said:
The idea that quoting scripture and its context in scripture "is adding"... is a novel suggestion on your part

yet it states their "wishes' but it does not say that God refused to tell them how to keep the Sabbath "because of their wishes".

Dan 9 .. full on worship and prayer, no animal sacrifices
Acts 18:4 worship "every Sabbath" without any animal sacrifices
Heb 10 animal sacrifices end at the cross
Is 66:23 for all eternity after the cross in the New Earth "every Sabbath" no animal sacrifices
Gen 2:2-3 7th day made a sacred holy day for worship, no animal sacrifices, no sin on Earth, perfect humanity
Ex 20:11 points to Gen 2:2-3 as the start of the 7th day Bible Sabbath, no animal sacrifices

Deut 5:22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

Is it your plan to "make me the author" of the text when it does not fit your narrative?

God is the one telling us "He added no more" in Deut 5.
God is the one telling us that the TEN were placed INSIDE the ark and all other texts were outside the ark

When God does that, is it your argument that it is "ME doing it"??

There is a nation covenant made at Sinai as EX 19 informs us. Not all of it is for "All nations".
The moral law of course is forever and for all nations
For example
The TEN written on STONE, no 11th commandment chisled
"Love your neighbor as yourself" Lev 19:18
'Love God with all your heart" Deut 6:5

True. Ex 20 the TEN were spoken and were written on Stone as Deut 5 reminds us 40 years later

My argument is not that the rest of scripture does not matter. My argument is that you can't edit the Sabbath commandment. and IN Stone it has not animal sacrifice, and in Gen 2 when it is first given it has not animal sacrifice.
And animal sacrifice ends at the cross as we are told in Heb 10:4-11.

No wonder Paul is participating in Sabbath services "Every Sabbath" IN Acts 18:4 without any animal sacrifices , as he preaches the gospel to both gentiles and Jews according to Acts 18
So then for all eternity after the cross in Is 66:23 Sabbath is kept with no animal sacrifice even in the New Earth

You are failing to reconcile "He added no more" in Deut 5 with the unfolding events in Exodus from 20 onwards. You see the words "added no more" to a direct meaning of a seal placed upon the 10 that it should be treated separately. This is an interpretation of "added no more", but Moses doesn't spell it out so cleanly; you've just stopped looking into it deeper because it satisfies your criteria.

Ex 20 onwards shows us a different account than a separate 10 commandments/dual covenant system. The 10 are spoken alongside the other commandments; the 10 are first, then it switches to Moses becoming a mediator, by the request of the people.. When finished, a blood covenant is formed, inclusive of all the spoken words, direct and indirect. Where do you place the "added no more" in Exodus? The formed blood covenant marks a distinct ordained boundary where the switch to mediation mode marks a weakness of the Israelites, too afraid to hear from God so directly. "added no more" fit better in the blood covenant than it does to the switch to mediation.

Moses comments in Ex 5 sum up the entire event in a couple of lines; his intent is not exhaustive, but a reminder of the covenant event. When we rewind to the covenant event, we see a fuller picture than just the 10. But you've stopped at the 10 and see nothing else this misrepresents the text to fit an unsupported idea; the 10 are never intended to be separated from the covenant they are formed in. Moses is bringing attention to the covenant, with the 10 as the covenant documents; one always points to the other. He is not separating the 10 from the covenant, which is a concept unsupported in scripture. With "added no more" you seem to see a mic drop; I see a short-cut style of study and more cut-and-paste style than taking the full picture into account. You can disagree with me, but until you show you've taken time in study of text I can't respect your position.

Unpack for me, "added no more". What is Moses communicating? Does he say to value only the 10 and forget the rest? I'm sure you would say no, so how do you establish "added no more" to stop at the 10 when clearly God does not stop at the 10? Could this be a covenant reminder? or are you so sure that what Moses is saying, the 10 are sealed off from the rest? You place a lot of meaning in so very few words... try and expand that context... does it still fit?

Soyeong · 2026-07-30T21:17:56-0500

God could not have created the Sabbath until He had created everything else, so it was first in mind and last in deed it is the purpose of everything God created.

What is the purpose of the Sabbath?

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