Only For the Jews – The Sabbath Part 1

When it comes to the Ten Commandments, the command that begins with the word ‘Remember’, is the one commandment that people are often encouraged to forget. In fact, one of the most common arguments that people use to reject the practice of observing the Sabbath day, is that it was only given to the Jews. Meaning, Gentiles don’t have to keep it. Now this idea may seem to be reasonable on the surface, but was the Sabbath day only meant to be observed by the Jews? Does it really make sense to use such an argument to say that the Sabbath is no longer binding to the Christian?

I’ve searched the Scriptures diligently and have not found anything in the Bible that says the Sabbath day was only meant to be observed by the Jews. To the contrary, the Bible makes it very clear that the Sabbath was made for mankind in general. Not just the Jews. For Jesus had said,

“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” – Mark 2:27 KJV

Did you get that? The Sabbath was “made for man.” Not a specific race of people. It was created for you and me and every other human being. Even the command itself makes it clear that it was to be kept by the stranger who was within the gates (Exodus 20:10); the stranger was what the Bible refers to as a Gentile; meaning, any person who isn’t a Jew.

Incidentally, the idea of a Gentile having to observe the Sabbath day, while being within the gates, had to do with them being in the camp of God’s chosen people. To be among God’s people in this way meant that they had to respect His laws. Thus God’s Law applied to the Gentiles in their place of dwelling, that is, within the camp of His chosen people. So those who try to throw out the Sabbath command on the grounds that it’s only for the Jews, are essentially disconnecting themselves from God’s chosen people. For if the command applies to the Jews, and they are God’s chosen people, then why wouldn’t it apply to us as well? After all, if we have no problem agreeing with the other nine, which were also given to the Jews, then why would it be such a problem to honor God by keeping the Sabbath day holy, when God never gave explicit instructions for us to stop keeping it?

Furthermore, the Sabbath was created long before the Jews even existed, as it goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Notice the striking similarities in the following words:

“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 KJV

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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: 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 20:8-11 KJV

Note: sanctified and hallowed essentially denote the same idea.

Listen, we need to be reasonable here. It’s obvious that it doesn’t make much sense to remove one of the ten commandments on the grounds that it was only created for the Jews, while embracing the other nine. If one was only created for the Jews then it follows that it must be so for the rest of them, since that command is a part of ten commandments, engraved on the same stone, by the finger of God. Even James alluded to this point of connectivity when he had said, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10 KJV). Hence God’s commandments are all interconnected, and each one of them represents something that God expects from us–both Jews and Gentiles.

Of course, people can argue that the Sabbath doesn’t apply anymore if they so desire, and many will continue to do this for the duration of their lives. But because arguments against the Sabbath exist, that doesn’t mean the command is no longer binding. What it does mean however, is that we need to be very careful when looking at such argumentation, to make sure that it makes sense, and agrees with what’s written in the Bible. For if it doesn’t make sense or agree with the Bible, then it shouldn’t be accepted as truth. And from what I’ve shared with you thus far, it should be seen, very clearly, that the argument that the Sabbath was only created for the Jews, doesn’t make sense. Therefore it should be rejected.

Please click on the link below to read part 2 of this series.