In our previous lesson, we determined that Christians are still obligated to keep the Ten Commandments. However, this requires us to then ask the question—If the Ten Commandments are still binding, then does that mean the Sabbath should also be observed by Christians under the New Covenant? In short, the answer is yes; however, when we look at the landscape of the Christian church, it’s evident that most churches have no regard for the seventh-day Sabbath. How did this happen?

In order to understand why most Christians don’t observe the Sabbath, we first need to go back to the first time the Sabbath was kept.

The Sabbath in Creation week

In the Book of Genesis, we see God creating the heavens and the earth. Each day God would add to the beautiful masterpiece called planet earth.

What did God do once He finished creating this world?

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. Genesis 2:2-3

Here, we see that God rested or ceased from His creative work. However, God didn’t rest because He was tired, He stopped because His work was complete. We also must take notice that not only did God cease from His labors, but He also blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day.

God was the first to keep the Sabbath!

This is an important truth because many of those who know God rested on the seventh day of the week claim that it wasn’t the Sabbath. However, when we cross-reference Genesis 2, with Exodus 20, we see that God clearly kept the Sabbath:

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. Exodus 20:11

Did God create the Sabbath for Himself or someone else?

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Mark 2:27

In the above Scripture, we find that Jesus constantly had to defend how He kept the Sabbath. However, in so doing, He also revealed that when the Sabbath was created, it was created for mankind. Thus we understand that when the Sabbath was created during creation week, it was not created for a certain race of people, nor did God bless it and sanctify it for Himself. Just like all the other components of creation week, the Sabbath was created for our benefit.

Did the Sabbath exist before the Ten Commandments were given to Israel?

And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. Exodus 5:4-5

Although the verse doesn’t say Sabbath, the word used in the original language is the same word used when Genesis 2:3 says God “rested” from all his work. Thus, it appears that Moses convinced the Jews to rest from their labors on God’s holy Sabbath, and this resting from their work prompted the wrath of Pharaoh.

Also, we notice that one of the reasons Moses gave Pharaoh for releasing the Children of Israel was so that they could journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD (Exodus 5:3). Here we see that Moses was attempting to bring the Jews back into compliance with God’s laws by taking them to sacrifice to the Lord. Therefore, it is logical that he would’ve also begun this conformity to God’s law by having them keep the Sabbath.

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? Exodus 16:26-28

Here, we see that Israel was clearly commanded to keep the Sabbath before the ten commandments. This reveals that the Sabbath predated the ten commandments being written on stone and thus we should understand that when God blessed and sanctified the seventh day, He did it for all of humanity, but because the world forgot about God, He then gave it to Israel as a sign.

The Sabbath as a sign

And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. Ezekiel 20:20

The Sabbath was to be a sign between God and Israel, reminding them that they serve the true God of heaven. Also, it should be understood that there were times when the Jews kept the Sabbath and were blessed, but there were many times when they broke the Sabbath and were punished. This reveals the importance of keeping the Sabbath…because it was a sign between God and them.

The Sabbath remained to be a vital component of God’s law. However, after Christ instituted the Christian church we start to see a shift away from the Sabbath.