I would look to the commandment itself in Exodus 20.
Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
- Remember. It's the only commandment where God says remember.
- Remember the Sabbath day, which is defined as the seventh day.
- Six days are for labor, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.
Scripture does not give any leeway concerning the Ten Commandments, which includes the Sabbath commandment specific to the seventh day. If God wanted us to choose a day to set aside, He would have specified to remember any day, not the seventh day.
Let's look at two passages that are most used out of context as proof that we can pick a day to observe as the Sabbath.
Romans 14
Romans 14:1-5 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Christians are quick to take the above verses as proof that we can pick our own Sabbath day, but look closer.
- Paul gives examples:
- Eating or not eating (unclean meat, most likely)
- Esteeming one day or every day (Sabbath is not mentioned anywhere in Romans).
- Paul is not condoning eating unclean meant.
- Paul is not condoning esteeming any specific day.
- Paul is telling us not to judge others for following their convictions, even if they are against the commandments of God.
- Paul is not being judgmental (the point/context) in the very language of the verses.
- Most importantly, nowhere does Paul say it's okay to eat anything you want or to pick any day you want as the Sabbath.
The context is not judging others, not what you can and can't do.
Colossians 2
Paul again makes a similar statement, but more information is given.
Colossians 2:16-17 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
Notice the context that is completely overlooked:
Let no man judge you in...
- Food or in drink
- Or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths.
The context...
- Which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
The shadow of things to come is defined in Hebrews 10:
Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
What is "the law" that Paul is referring to that has shadows of good things to come? It's not the Ten Commandments, it's the handwriting of ordinances, and the sacrifices and festivals which pointed to Jesus. The crucifixion nailed these to the cross. We don't have to go to Hebrews 10 to see this, we can look at Colossians 2:14, which gives context to 16-17.
Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.
In Colossians, it is clear that Paul is talking specifically about ordinances that were nailed to the cross. These do not include the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were placed inside the ark of the covenant. The ordinances were placed beside it, but not in it. This shows the difference and the significance given to the Ten Commandments (written on stone by the hand of God; the perpetual law of God) vs the handwriting of ordinances (written by Moses; shadows of things to come/Jesus).
Conclusion
Don't judge others, and don't let others judge you for your beliefs. Examples were given concerning food and drink and esteemed days, in the context of handwriting of ordinances, sacrifices, sabbaths/festivals,
which were a shadow of things to come.
Paul's writings do not give us free license to pick and choose the Sabbath day we want to observe, or to eat the unclean meat we want to eat. He didn't say it was okay to do these things, He simply said do not judge others (for deviating) or let others judge you (for observing), and let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. A person can be persuaded they are doing the right thing, against the law of God,
but it doesn't make it right.
God would not have specified a six day work week and a seventh day of rest if He gave us free license to choose. He sanctified the seventh day at creation, making it
the only day to observe Sabbath.
The Sabbath predates Jews. It was instituted at creation for
man. If Jesus came to abolish the Sabbath, He would not have called Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28) and specified its purpose as being made for
man; it's even a perpetual covenant (Exodus 31:13-16). He wouldn't have mentioned it as being kept
post-crucifixion at the same time as the great tribulation (Matthew 24:20-21).
Sunday is the first day of the week. Saturday is the seventh day of the week. I would pray for discernment concerning the observance of the Sabbath, and follow your convictions as Paul suggested, but I would also search the scriptures, as there is nowhere in all of scripture that says Sunday is the Sabbath day, or that we can pick and choose a day that suits our work schedule or lifestyle.
Did God let Adam and Eve pick any tree to be the one they couldn't eat? No. God was very specific in His commandment to Adam and Eve.
The last call to worship in Revelation 14:6-12 has an important message.
Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
- A call to worship which points back to the creation account, of which includes the Sabbath being observed and sanctified by God.
- Judgment is come. Present tense. Happening now.
Revelation 14:8-11 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
- The consequences of not heeding the Three Angels' messages.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
- The patience of the saints is the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
- The commandments of God include the Sabbath commandment, which says to remember.
God bless!
i have to confess: Im not sure that i fully understand that argument (that we are not required to keep it).
I found this article on the subject which is more in line with my view point on the issue. i will post the link for your consideration: