(If you are already a Christian, I encourage you to read this all the way through. Sooner or later, you may be glad you did. If you are not a Christian, yet feel you need something more in your life, please write to the address included. I believe you may also be glad you did.)
The Seventh Day Sabbath was instituted at the time the earth was created.
Genesis 2:1-3
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
It was enforced before the ten commandments were graven on tables of stone.
Exodus 16:15
And when the children of Israel saw [it], they said one to another, It [is] manna: for they wist not what it [was]. And Moses said unto them, This [is] the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Exodus 16:22-30
And it came to pass, [that] on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one [man]: and all the rulers of the congration came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This [is] the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [to day], and seeth that ye will seeth; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade; and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day [is] a Sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [which is] the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, [that] there went out [some] of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the LORD hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sith day the bread of two days, abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
It was included in the moral law which is the ten commandment law written by God’s finger on tables of stone.
Exodus 20:10-11
But the seventh day [is] the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] though shalt do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor they 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.
The Sabbath is a sign God is sanctifying us. In other words, because of our Creator and Saviour’s grace and love, we are made holy, as we choose to obey Him in all things, including keeping His holy day. Those who accept Jesus as their personal Saviour are now considered children of Israel.
Galatians 3:29
And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Exodus 31:13
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it [is] a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that [ye] may know that I [am] the LORD that doth sanctify you.
It was not only a day to cease from work, but also from doing one’s own pleasure. It is a day to worship God and contemplate on His goodness. This is done by worship and meditation and viewing His creation. It is a day to remember Our Creator and Redeemer and all he has done for us.
Isaiah 56:6
Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant
Isaiah 58:13-14
If though turn away they foot from the Sabbath, [from] doing thy own pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].
It will be kept on the new earth, so we know it is everlasting.
Isaiah 66:22-23
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
The Jews of Christ’s days made extra laws about Sabbath keeping which were not in the old testament, and many of those rules are not Biblically sound. Yet, God is particular how we keep it. One has to study to see which rules are actually Biblical and which are unnecessary burdens. Here is an example of some ways God is particular, which must be applied to modern times as well.
Jeremiah 17:22,24
Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. . . And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein
Jesus, Himself, who was the Son of God and the Creator of the heavens and earth, said He made this day we find in the beginning of earth’s history. (One text which tells of His creatorship is found in John 1:1-14)
Matthew 12:8
For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Mark 2:28
Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
Luke 6:5
And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
Jesus kept the sabbath day in the correct way.
Luke 4:16
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Luke 13:14-17
And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, [Thou] hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or [his] ass from the stall, and lead [him] away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
The women who followed Him kept it.
Luke 23:54-56
And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Healing the sick and suffering is fine for the Sabbath day.
John 7:23-24
If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
John 9:14-16
And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
Paul and others kept the Sabbath day.
Acts 13:14-16
But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, [Ye] men [and] brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with [his] hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Acts 13:42-44
And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Acts 17:1-3
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Acts 18:4
And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Note: The following verse is referring to ceremonial Sabbaths, not the seventh day Sabbath of creation. There are more places in the new testament which speak of ceremonial laws, which were done away with at the cross.
Colossians 2:16
Let no man there fore judge you in meat, or in drink or in respect of an holyday, or the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]
Note: Some try to say the following has to do with the rest of Jesus. It does, but it also is referring to the rest of the Sabbath day. Read the context carefully. Remember, Jesus is both our Creator and our Saviour. He also rested in the grave on the Sabbath day.
Hebrews 4:1-11
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it]. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
John spoke of being in the Spirit on “the Lord’s day” in Revelation. Remember, the seventh day sabbath is the Lord’s day, according to several texts we have read herein.
Revelation 1:9-10
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet
These include the keeping of the Seventh Day Sabbath.The verses below need to be considered carefully. The followers of Jesus, in the last days, will be commandment keepers. Which commandments will they keep? Those written by the finger of God on tables of stone.
Revelation 12:17
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
This interesting text is found in the old testament, but it applies to the judgment so often spoken of in the new testament.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.
God promises to write His law in our hearts and minds and He will give us all the strength we need to keep everyone of them.
Hebrews 10:16-17
This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
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