A couple of weeks ago, a friend asked me why Christians still follow most of the ten commandments, but don’t follow the fourth, to keep the Sabbath day.
There are a couple of answers to this.
One is that in terms of a seventh-day Sabbath, it’s true that most Christians don’t set apart Saturday as a day to rest and worship God.
However, ever since the early church began, Christians began worshiping God on Sundays.
You see this in Acts 20:7 as well as 1 Corinthians 16:2.
So Christians have effectively changed the Sabbath day from the seventh day to the first, probably as a weekly celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
But the second is that the seventh-day Sabbath is the only one of the ten commandments that was specifically lifted in the New Testament.
In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul wrote,
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Two key phrases stand out.
The first is, “Do not let anyone judge you…with regard to a Sabbath day.”
In other words, we are not to judge any Christian who keeps a seventh-day Sabbath, and they are not to judge us for not doing so.
Paul could hardly say this if the laws concerning keeping the seventh-day Sabbath were still in force.
The second phrase gives the reason why keeping the seventh day Sabbath is no longer considered important.
Paul writes,
These (dietary laws, festivals, and special days) are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
In other words, these things were a foreshadowing of Christ.
Now that Christ has come, we shouldn’t focus on the shadows. We should focus on the reality, that is, Christ.
The writer of Hebrews expands on this idea in chapters 3-4, but particularly in Hebrews 4:9-11 where he writes,
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
The point that the writer of Hebrews is making is that there is a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.
He says, “anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work.”
There are two possible interpretations of this passage.
One is that when we go to heaven, our work will be at an end. As it says, in Revelation 14:13,
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
The other is that when we become Christians, we enter God’s rest in that we no longer have to work in order to receive salvation. Rather, we put our trust in the work of Christ.
Considering the context of Hebrews 3-4, I think the latter one is what the writer of Hebrews was referring to.
In the passage, he says that the people of Israel were unable to enter God’s rest because of their unbelief. Their unbelief then translated into disobedience.
So the writer of Hebrews says in 4:1-3,
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest… (Hebrews 4:1-3)
In other words, the true Sabbath is not the seventh day of the week, nor is it the first day of the week.
Rather, the true Sabbath is when we put aside our efforts to earn God’s love and acceptance and simply believe and rest in the work of Christ on the cross.
When the Jews asked Jesus what works God required of them, he replied,
The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. (John 6:29)
In other words, Jesus was saying, “Rest from all your efforts to earn God’s acceptance and put your faith in me instead.”
So the key question is not whether we worship God on the first day or the seventh day.
These Sabbath days are just a shadow of the true Sabbath God desires for us.
The key question is, “Have you entered God’s rest?”
Have you put aside your own efforts to earn God’s love and acceptance.
Have you put your faith in Christ and his work on the cross?
That’s the rest we should we be seeking.
So as the writer of Hebrews writes,
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 4:7)
Rather, put your faith in Christ and enter the rest he has for you.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 
14 replies on “Ten Commandments: A true Sabbath”
[…] I suppose it would be easy to just skip over this section in which God tells the Israelites to keep the Sabbath. Easy because Paul wrote to the Christians at Colosse not to let people judge them concerning the Sabbath. I’ve written more on this here. […]
I looked closely at all 8 Sabbaths listed in Leviticus 23, and found that 7 of them require offering in there observance. Colossians 2:16-17 does not even remotely hint to the 7th day Sabbath, as it does not require offering in it’s observance.
So, the context of Colossians 2:16-17 only foreshadows the body of Christ, and Saints should compare the these texts knowing that Colossians does not refer to the 7th day Sabbath at all in context. Meaning, Colossians 2:16-17 then says, “Let no man judge you in Sabbath days that foreshadowed sacrifice/offering of the body of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4 is even easier. How can a Saint expect to rest in Heaven if they do not obey God’s rest on Earth? Hebrews 4:9 uses the word “Sabbatismos” for rest, which is Greek for “a keeping of the Sabbath”. Also, how did God rest from His works?
Jesus, as His custom was, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. in Luke 4:16, and God rested the 7th day in Genesis 2:2-3.
If all this is not enough, Isaiah 66:23 says that all people will worship on the Sabbath in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Blessings
Brother, I appreciate your perspective.
However, in the context of Colossians 2, the whole point is that we have received fullness in Christ. He starts in verse 6 by saying that just as we received Christ Jesus as Lord, we are to continue in him. How did we receive Christ Jesus as Lord? By faith, not by works. Not by circumcision. Not by participating in a religious festival, New Moon festival, or Sabbath. Not by what we eat or drink. Nor by rules such as don’t touch, don’t eat, don’t handle.
You might notice that all of these things are referred to in the Old Testament law. Circumcision, celebration days, and “clean/unclean” rules.
Paul then says that through, Christ, we have received fullness. Through him, our hearts were circumcised, our old self was buried, and we were raised anew in him.
In doing so, God forgave all our sin, canceling our legal debt to him on the cross.
Paul therefore tells these Gentile believers don’t worry about all the religious rituals of the Mosaic law.
Note, by the way, that he distinguishes the religious festivals from the Sabbath. To say (if I understand you correctly), that it refers only to Sabbaths which connect to the religious festivals and not to the 7th day Sabbath is to read into the passage something that is not there.
As for Hebrews 3-4, it specifically “rest” for the believer with “belief” (3:10-12; 18-19, 4:1-3).
So to “obey” God’s rest is not to keep the 7th day Sabbath, it is to believe him and to rest from your efforts to earn salvation. That’s the problem the Jewish believers faced from the Judaizers. They were always told you had to keep the law, which is also why I think the writer of Hebrews is very clear to point out that Jesus is greater than Moses. When we fail to believe, when we insist on trying to earn our salvation through the law, we fall into disobedience.
Some other points. As a Jew, Jesus was under the law until he fulfilled it. Therefore it was perfectly appropriate for him to to follow it.
Second, after his work on the cross, Hebrews 10 says that Jesus sat down on at the right hand of the throne of God and is now waiting for his enemies to be put under his feet. His work for our salvation is done. In short, he is resting.
It is to this rest as Christians that we are called. Instead of works, we are to “live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” (10:38)
That we will celebrate the Sabbath in the future I have no doubt. But that by no means takes away from the words of Paul in Colossians which tells us to let no one judge us concerning Sabbath Days.
You are free to keep them. If that is where conscience is leading you, by all means keep it and may God richly bless you. What I do ask is that you follow the words of Paul and not condemn those who worship on Sunday.
If I keep Sabbath or any of the 10 Commandments, even His commandment to teach, preach baptize, it is by faith. Acts 13:42-44, Paul preached to both Jews and to non-Jews on the Sabbath persuading them to “continue in the grace of God”.
Meaning, preaching Sabbath is a part of preaching grace. Let’s stay focused as Colossians 2:16-17 takes long research, and I hope I condensed it enough for a quick look.
Again, how was Jesus’ body foreshadowed? Well, one answer is offering, so which sabbath days were shadows of the body of Christ? Let’s go down the checklist of all 8 Sabbaths.
7th Day Sabbath – Offering? No. Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:3
Passover – Offering? Yes in Exodus 12:2,5,6 & Leviticus 23:5
Unleavens – Offering? Yes. Leviticus 23:6-8;18-20
First Fruits – Offering? Yes. Leviticus 23:13
Weeks/Pentecost – Offering? Yes. Leviticus 23:15-22; Deuteronomy 16:9,10 &16
Trumpets – Offering? Yes. Leviticus 23:24-25
Atonement – Offering? Yes. Leviticus 23:27-32
Shelters/Tabernacles – Leviticus 23:34-42
So, one of these things is not like the others. Meaning, the 7th Day Sabbath is not In the context of Colossians 2:16-17 because it never was a shadow of the body of Christ. The Bible condemns lawbreakers, not me, and while I agree that we are free to worship daily, that was never the issue.
The issue is whether it is still a sin to forget the 7th Day Sabbath in disobeying the 4th Commandment.
I get the impression we could go round and round on this and never convince each other so I’ll put in one last rebuttal and let you have the final word if you so desire.
As for Colossians, I could point out many things, but let’s get to the core of your argument: The Sabbaths referred to were only the ones on which offerings were made. And offerings were only made on festival days, not on ordinary Sabbath days. Therefore, Paul is not referring to 7th day Sabbaths when he says don’t let other people judge you concerning them, and thus you must still keep them.
I suggest you read Numbers 28. Here it makes it very clear that burnt offerings were made every Sabbath.
“On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.” (Numbers 28:9-10).
It’s clear here that there was not just one offering on every Sabbath, but twelve: the daily offerings mentioned in Numbers 28:1-8 (burnt offerings, grain offering, and drink offering twice a day), and an additional two sets of burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings especially for the Sabbath.
By your own argument then, Paul is referring to 7th day Sabbaths, because offerings were made on them, they do point to Christ, and therefore we are not bound to keep the 7th day Sabbath according to Colossians 2:16.
Add to this Romans 14:5-6 where he says, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. (14:5-6)
Brother, you consider the Sabbath as a special day. You do so to the Lord. God bless you for it. I pray that each Sabbath you would draw near to him, and not just on the Sabbath, but every day. I consider Sunday to be my “special day.” I am, as Paul says, “fully convinced in my own mind,” as are you. So once again, I urge you to follow the words of Paul, who said, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”
God bless.
Pardon, it should have been Numbers 28, not 23. It has been corrected, along with a further correction on the number of offerings. On further reading, there were more than three, there were 12 made on each Sabbath.
Thanks for responding.
I just re-read Numbers 28, and it does not refer to the 7th day Sabbath anywhere in the whole chapter. In fact, this chapter is almost identical to Leviticus 23. The 7th Day was not a shadow of the body of Christ.
Let’s keep each other in prayer,
Blessings
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. To me, Numbers 28 is very clear on the matter. Apparently you don’t feel the same. As you said, let’s keep each other in prayer.
God bless.
Feel free to give your view on Numbers 28 (I will read it). I re-read the following this morning…
Greeks = *Gentiles = non-Jews…did Paul preach to non-Jews some Sabbaths? …or every Sabbath?
“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” – Acts 18:4
“And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” – verse 11
*Notice, there are 52 weeks in a year, and half a year is 26, so 78 weekends in a row, Paul preached on Sabbath.
Also, Paul goes to the Gentiles in verse 6.
“And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.” – Acts 18:8
After re-reading Acts 20:7, it’s is not even a Sunday because “upon the 1st day of the week” is what we call Saturday at sundown, & Biblical days divide at sundown. Paul preached until midnight, meaning Acts 20:7 is no record of Sunday worship, as Paul was only preparing to travel 3 days to 3 different destinations in verse 15.
Did Paul ordinarily preach on Sunday or Sabbath?
“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 17:2-3
According to Acts 17:2-3, Paul’s manner was to preach on Sabbath.
Did Paul preach God’s grace to non-Jews on Sabbath?
“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 13:42-44
So, according to Acts 13:42-44, Paul preached God’s grace to non-Jews (gentiles) on Sabbath.
Brother, I’m really not sure what more can be said. I could comment on the things you mentioned, and I certainly do have my opinions. But if we can’t agree on Numbers 28 which to me is about as clear as a text can be, I don’t know that we can agree on anything else. But I’ll give it one last go around, and let it go with that. I think anyone who happens on this blog can read the scriptures for themselves, and judge for themselves which is the more accurate interpretation.
Numbers 28 talks about offerings for different situations, which I might add are not all included in Leviticus 23.
He starts with daily offerings (verses 1-8). He moves on to Sabbath day offerings. (verses 9-10). He then moves on to monthly offerings (11-15). And only after he touches on these three things does he go on to talk about the all the festivals and their related offerings. (28:16-29:40).
Some things to point out. Daily meant daily. It was done every day, including the Sabbath. This is made particularly clear in verses 9-10 where he says that in addition to the daily offerings, they are to do a special offering on the Sabbath. And considering that Moses talked about monthly offerings before getting to the feasts, I don’t think you can combine these Sabbath offerings with the festival offerings, unless you are then going to say that these festivals were held every month, a position which I’m sure you do not hold.
In short, offerings were made on every Sabbath. And since this is the main argument you make against the Colossians passage, I don’t see how your position can stand.
You may make your rebuttal, but unless we can come to an agreement on a passage as clear as this, I don’t know that it would be worth your time or mine to continue it.
Blessings brother. And may all who read these scriptures, more than these words you and I say, come to the right conclusion.
Leviticus 23 lists all 8 sabbaths, & the 7th day is the 1st mentioned in verse 3. Leviticus 23:3 makes no mention of offering, neither does the 4th Commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 nor Deuteronomy 5:12-15.
Now, Numbers 28 only mentions the 7th day in verse 25. It’s the 7th day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (see verses 17 through verse 25). The chapters of Leviticus 23 & Numbers 28 make for great study when compared carefully. Particularly:
“And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the Lord for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.” – Leviticus 23:13
“And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.” – Numbers 28:9-10
The Feast of First Fruits is instructed here (not the 7th Day Sabbath). Similarities between Numbers 28 & Leviticus 23 include the mention of meat offering, two tenth deals of fine flour, mingled with oil, drink offering, and burnt offering.
If that’s not enough, burnt offering is mentioned in Leviticus 23:12. First Fruits is covered from Leviticus 23:10-14, but here’s where it get interesting, particularly regarding the “sabbath” disagreement we are having. Leviticus 23:15 mentions “the morrow after the sabbath” without naming a specific sabbath in a similar way as Numbers 28.
There are 8 sabbaths, so is this referring to the 7th Day Sabbath? I looked closely into Leviticus 23:15 & found, “from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering”. When was that? Again, Leviticus 23:10-14 clearly state the “First Fruits” is the day to wave the sheaf.
I feel as if you have tired of my responses, but I’m still researching & just want to rightly divide truth. I think believers should wait for a clear “thus saith the Lord” before we move, & I cannot connect the 7th Day to Colossians 2:16:17 in all of Scripture.
Blessings
Brother, let me ask you a question. It’s dangerous to do in print because it can sound condemning without hearing my tone of voice, and I don’t mean in any way to be condemning. Are you really researching because you want to find the truth, or do you think you already know the truth and are trying to convince me? If it’s the former, then I will consent to dialogue a little further. If it’s the latter, I should tell you that the more I study the passages, the more I’m convinced I’m right. And considering that we both are convinced on our interpretations, I don’t think we’ll get anywhere.
I get the feeling from looking at the above comments that you’re concerned for me. That you think I’m in sin because I don’t keep the 7th day Sabbath. For that, I’m grateful. I want to be challenged to think. I believe it’s important to make sure I understand scripture correctly. But at this point, having looking at all these passages carefully, I believe I have come to the right conclusion, and none of what you have said has convinced me otherwise.
Bless you brother, and again thank you for all your concern.
If you have a text that changes the 7th day Sabbath, I want to know about it. I read your responses to research the truth, and present my research based on faith.
Blessings
All right, at this point, then, I would suggest carrying on the conversation by email. I assume the email on your profile is valid?