(Quick explanation) Why I keep the Sabbath
This is just a quick post that doesn’t go too deep, but I may do a longer, in-depth post sometime.
I’m not a Seventh-day Adventist or Jewish (as in Judaism) but I keep the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Why?
Who Is the Sabbath For?
One of the most common misunderstandings is that the Sabbath day is a Jewish thing. While it is true that those in Judaism observe the Sabbath, that isn’t proof that the day is only for the Jews.
In the beginning Yahweh our Heavenly Father created everything in six days.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
On the seventh day He rested and set apart the seventh day as the Sabbath.
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)
This was at creation, long before Abraham or the tribe of Judah ever existed. Yahweh made the Sabbath for man, not just for a certain people (Mark 2:17).
It is interesting to note that Yahweh rested Himself. He certainly doesn’t need rest, but He did as an example for us to follow.
Later, Yahweh our Heavenly Father included the Sabbath in the ten commandments for Israel (Exodus 20). Don’t get confused, though. As noted above, the Sabbath already existed and was observed by people since creation.
Sabbath Observance by the Messiah and the Disciples
Yahushua the Messiah also observed the Sabbath day (Luke 4:16) and spoke about proper Sabbath observance (Luke 6:9, Luke 13:16, Luke 14:5).
So, observing the Sabbath is to walk in His footsteps and do as He did.
The disciples and Paul kept the Sabbath (Acts 13:44, Acts 16:13).
Paul wrote that you shouldn’t let anyone judge you for keeping the Sabbath days:
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Colossians 2:16
And so, from the examples of Scripture I think it is clear that the Sabbath is always for everyone to keep, including me.