Here is a excellent piece that clearly shows the answer..

"10 Reasons why the Sabbath is not just for Jews.

1) Adam and Eve were not Jewish. "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it" (Genesis 2:3) before sin entered. "Sanctified" means "to be set apart for holy use." The only ones in the Garden of Eden for whom the Sabbath was “set apart” were Adam and Eve, who weren’t Jewish.

2) "The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27. Jesus said this. It was "made" in the Garden of Eden before it was "written" down on Mount Sinai. The Sabbath was "made" for "man," not just Jews.

3) The other nine commandments are not "just for Jews." God wrote "Ten Commandments" on stone, not just nine (See Deut. 4:12, 13; Ex. 20). Does “Do not commit adultery,”“Do not murder,”“Do not steal,” and “Do not bear false witness” apply "only to Jews"?

4) "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Exodus 20:10. God calls the Sabbath, "my holy day." Isaiah 58:13. The Bible never calls it "the Sabbath of the Jews." It isn’t their Sabbath, but God's.

5) The Sabbath commandment is for the "stranger" too. The fourth commandment itself says the "stranger" is to rest on the Sabbath. Exodus 20:10.“Strangers” are non-Jews, or Gentiles. Thus the Sabbath applies to them too. Read also Isaiah 56:6.

6) Isaiah said Gentiles should keep the Sabbath. "Also the sons of the stranger ... every one that keeps the Sabbath ... for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:6, 7. Thus the Sabbath is for Gentiles and “all people,” not just for Jews.

7) "All" mankind will keep the Sabbath in the New Earth. In "the new earth ... from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, says the Lord." Isaiah 66:22, 23. Here God says that “all flesh” will be keeping the Sabbath in “the new earth.” If this is the case – and it is – shouldn’t we start now?

8) Gentiles kept the Sabbath in the Book of Acts. "The Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath ... Paul and Barnabas ... persuaded them to continue in the grace of God."' Acts 13:42, 43. Here saved-by-grace Gentiles kept the Sabbath (see also verse 44).

9) "The law" [of Ten Commandments] is for "all the world," not just for Jews. Paul wrote these words. Read Romans 2:17-23; 3:19, 23.

10) Luke was a Gentile who kept the Sabbath. Luke was the only Gentile who wrote any New Testament books (he wrote The Gospel According to St. Luke and The Acts of the Apostles). Luke traveled with Paul and wrote, "On the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side." Acts 16:13. It was the seventh-day Sabbath, the memorial of the creation (see Ex. 20:11). Both Luke and Paul knew it....excerpts from article by Steve Wohlberg

excellent post.

pk

Those are all good and true points, Reddogs.

Some people have questions about them, but the points stand up well under the toughest cross-examination.

Thanks for posting those.

If only you dudes pushed agape love (a love without self-love) as much as you pushed the Sabbath.

That kind of equality would be good for us. Good Suggestion Rob.

>>"10 Reasons why the Sabbath is not just for Jews.<<

Strawman. There is no distinction made in the above between the COI and the Jews. The ‘Law’ was given at Sinai as articles of a Covenant where no Jew partook. Judahites, yes; however, Jews are first encountered in 2 Kings 16, where it was first disparagingly used as an epithet - by the Northern Kingdom.

>>1) Adam and Eve were not Jewish. "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it" (Genesis 2:3) before sin entered. "Sanctified" means "to be set apart for holy use." The only ones in the Garden of Eden for whom the Sabbath was “set apart” were Adam and Eve, who weren’t Jewish.<<

Writ immediately expands upon it by declaring that Gd "holy used" the Seventh day as REST. The ‘leap’ occurs with the following: “The only ones in the Garden of Eden...”

>>2) "The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27. Jesus said this. It was "made" in the Garden of Eden before it was "written" down on Mount Sinai. The Sabbath was "made" for "man," not just Jews.<<

I think it dishonest not to include the rest of the passage:

Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mark 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Note: the intrinsically pivotal adverb ‘therefore’ – upon which the entire passage hinges. ‘Therefore’, ‘hence’, ‘consequently’, ‘for this reason] – ’even I, Jesus Christ, have authority over the Sabbath.’

Jesus Christ did not predicate His authority over the Sabbath because He was Creator – but that He shared humanity with man.

This represents a major, major shift from OT epistemology. This was before Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice as Redeemer.

What was the determining factor that placed man in authority over the Sabbath?

Whenever the Sabbath was made does not necessarily bear upon any other indicator than that is was made for man, which is a NT revelation. Writ provides us only with its having been given to man upon the events of the Exodus and the authority re it given to man – New Testamentally.

“The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world” – but its efficacy was not realized until the cross.

>>3) The other nine commandments are not "just for Jews." God wrote "Ten Commandments" on stone, not just nine (See Deut. 4:12, 13; Ex. 20). Does “Do not commit adultery,”“Do not murder,”“Do not steal,” and “Do not bear false witness” apply "only to Jews"?<<

One is ill-advised to make no distinction between the commandments which address man’s relationship to Gd – and those considered ‘moral laws’. Per the laws upon the tablets: specific references make it plain that this Covenant was one established with the COI. The ‘moral laws’ contained in these tablets are and have been common to all cultures above those of the most absolute mean – and cannot be unequivocally tied to the first four. The ‘moral laws’ are also mirrored in the Hammurabic Code – and predate Sinai by about four centuries.

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them.

Do we find the Seventh-day Sabbath in any other people’s laws? ...indeed not – except by deducements.

Again, the textual references are from the Pentateuch. There were no Jews at the time.

>>4) "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Exodus 20:10. God calls the Sabbath, "my holy day." Isaiah 58:13. The Bible never calls it "the Sabbath of the Jews." It isn’t their Sabbath, but God's.<<

Exactly. Note: the possessive “my” – as in “my holy day”. The first recorded instance in Holy Writ where man was given that ‘day’ to share with Gd – is where the recitation of it is encountered; that is, upon the Exodus event.

>>5) The Sabbath commandment is for the "stranger" too. The fourth commandment itself says the "stranger" is to rest on the Sabbath. Exodus 20:10.“Strangers” are non-Jews, or Gentiles. Thus the Sabbath applies to them too. Read also Isaiah 56:6.<<

Ex 20:10 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:

Where one was found to be within the economy of the Jews – it was expected of even that ‘stranger’ to comply with their traditions – inasmuch as was possible.

Again, during the Exodus there were no Jews.

>>6) Isaiah said Gentiles should keep the Sabbath. "Also the sons of the stranger ... every one that keeps the Sabbath ... for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:6, 7. Thus the Sabbath is for Gentiles and “all people,” not just for Jews.<<

Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Ahh, here indeed, do we finally encounter the Jews. That said, notice the text: it addresses the Jewish economy – not the Gentiles of the world.

>>7) "All" mankind will keep the Sabbath in the New Earth. In "the new earth ... from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, says the Lord." Isaiah 66:22, 23. Here God says that “all flesh” will be keeping the Sabbath in “the new earth.” If this is the case – and it is – shouldn’t we start now?<<

Indeed. Although the periodicity of the Sabbaths of the Isaiah 66 prophecies is not specified – it is my position that the chapter is addressing a Seventh-day Sabbath. That, however, is not verified nor validated by Holy Writ. We simply do not know. It speaks, simply, to the issue of Sabbath/rests. Do these hint at the creation epics of Genesis 1 & 2? or does it reference the creation of “a new heaven and a new earth”?

We do not know.

To assume dogmatically, is much too precipitous.

>>8) Gentiles kept the Sabbath in the Book of Acts. "The Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath ... Paul and Barnabas ... persuaded them to continue in the grace of God."' Acts 13:42, 43. Here saved-by-grace Gentiles kept the Sabbath (see also verse 44).<<

The ‘Gentiles’ spoken of here are those who had entered into the economy of the Jews. It, therefor, became incumbent upon them to accept the traditions of the Jews. A tradition of the Jews was the observance of a Seventh-day Sabbath. It is suggested that they were also circumcised. Is that a NT requirement?

>>9) "The law" [of Ten Commandments] is for "all the world," not just for Jews. Paul wrote these words. Read Romans 2:17-23; 3:19, 23.

Rom 2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

This is a poor argument. St Paul does not speak positively of the legalism required by/in the Law.

Live by the Law/Judged by the Law. Not pretty.

>.10) Luke was a Gentile who kept the Sabbath. Luke was the only Gentile who wrote any New Testament books (he wrote The Gospel According to St. Luke and The Acts of the Apostles). Luke traveled with Paul and wrote, "On the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side." Acts 16:13. It was the seventh-day Sabbath, the memorial of the creation (see Ex. 20:11). Both Luke and Paul knew it....excerpts from article by Steve Wohlberg<<

I don’t have an issue with the Sabbath of Acts 16:13 being the Seventh-day Sabbath of the Jews; however, are we absolutely certain?

Deut 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Jesus Christ quoted from Deuteronomy more than from any other book. What’s that say re Exodus 20:8-11 vis-à-vis Deuteronomy 5:15?

In the NT, do you know of a single instance where a ceremonial Sabbath is unquestionably referred to by the words, Ton Sabbatwn(THE Sabbath)?



The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, which dates before the time of Christ, proves that at Deuteronomy, the original book contained both reasons for keeping the Sabbath. Remember that Moses is here reviewing the law. He is making the law relevant to his audience by reminding them that they were once slaves and that they are not to force others to work on the Sabbath like they were forced to work while in Egypt.

By the way, the first reason given for keeping the Sabbath is the creation; the second reason is that they were freed from Egyptian slavery. Why is that a reason? Because God freed them so that they might keep His law. That is always the way God works: God saves us in order to keep His law. We do not first keep His law, then become saved.

In the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, the reading is 1000 years older than the text that most modern Bibles are translated from. There are very few differences but one important difference is in Deut. 5.

1] The Sabbath of creation no longer points to a perfect creation and hence God no longer rests from His perfect work because, thanks to the fall, it is imperfect. Since we are to rest as God rested and since God isn't resting any longer as it pertains to the creation, then we need to follow His example and not rest.

2] The Sabbath, as it pointed to a perfect redemption from bondage, is a Jewish sign.

Hence, we are not called to acknowledge the Sabbath from these two views.

Rob

Again, folks, we must remember that the Sabbath is a sign or symbol that points to a truth.

Gen 2:2-3 and Ex 20:8-11 are linked

Gen 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished the work [of creation] he had been doing [past tense]; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made set it apart, [why?] because on it [the 7th day] he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Why did God rest? Because His work was finished. Not only that but it was perfect. God rested in that He never had to add to that perfect work, until the fall. At that point God started working again. Why? Because both the world and mankind stood imperfect. So He set out to redeem the human race "in Christ Jesus." That work is a finished work accomplished at the cross. God rested from His perfect work "in Christ". He rested that Sabbath about 2000 years ago and has been resting ever since. That is the only reason to keep the Sabbath as sign.

Rob