Which Day is God’s Sabbath Day?

When asked which day most Christians set aside for worship, the majority will say they observe Sunday as the Sabbath Day. When asked why they keep that day, some will say, “That’s what my parents did.” Or, “Sunday is the Christian Sabbath and Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath.” Some will answer, “Because it is the day Christ rose from the grave.” Others say, “Because the Bible says it.” And then you have some that just don’t know and they do it because it’s what everyone else does.

That’s a lot of different reasons. I’m sure all of us have used one or more of those reasons for going to church on Sunday. But are these reasons right? Are they really in the Bible and supported by scripture? After all, “All scriptures is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for DOCTRINE, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for instruction in righteousness:”, II Tim 3:16. So let’s search the scriptures and see just what is found in the bible concerning Gods’ Sabbath day. Again let’s follow Pauls’ instruction and…“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”, I Thess 5:21.


So just when did the Sabbath get started and who started it? Well, that answer is found in the first book of the bible.

Gen 2:1-3, 1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of
them.

2. 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.

3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had reasted from all his work which God created and made.


Right from the start we are given a lot of information about Gods Sabbath Day. First, we see that the Sabbath day was set aside by God. God sanctified it, because He, and only He, can make something Holy.


Now this is very important to understand. ONLY GOD CAN SANCTIFY.….SET ASIDE…. AND….. DECLARE SOMETHING HOLY!!! We also see that it is NOT the Sabbath of the Jews, it is Gods’ Sabbath. And finally we find that God assigned a day to the Sabbath. It is the 7th day. The last day in a (7) day week. The day BEFORE the 1st day of the week. Now let’s search the scriptures to see if God made any changes to His 7th day Sabbath..

Exod 16;25. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a Sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

26. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

Exod 20;8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:

Lev 23;3. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

Deut 5;12. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

14. 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, nor thy manservant, nor thy
maidservant

Neh 13;15. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and
all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

16. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

17. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

18. Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city.

These are just a few of the scriptures in the OT concerning the Sabbath day. Thus far we have seen throughout the OT the Sabbath has always been the 7th day. Nowhere will you find in the OT that God changed His Sabbath day from the 7th day. Now let’s go to the NT to see if the Sabbath day was changed and if Jesus and the apostles continued the tradition of keeping the 7th day Sabbath. Let’s not forget who is the ONLY person that can, SANCTIFY.….SET ASIDE…. AND….. DECLARE SOMETHING HOLY!!! NO MAN CAN DO THAT NO MATTER WHO HE IS, OR WHAT HIS REASON!!!





What was Jesus’ and Pauls’ Custom Concerning the Sabbath?

First, let’s find out whose commandments Jesus kept.

John 15;10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

Here we see that Jesus kept the commandments of the Father...ALL of them; anything less would have been a sin! Why? Because sin is the transgression of Gods laws. And since the law of the Sabbath was established in the OT as the 7th day, and not changed, then the same Sabbath that was kept in the days of Moses was the same Sabbath that Jesus and His disciples kept. Now we will look at a few examples of how Jesus observed the Sabbath throughout the NT:

Luke 4;16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to
read.

31. And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

Luke 13;10. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

Mark 1;21. And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

Mark 6;2. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished.

Luke 13;10. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.


Let’s read the instructions Jesus left His disciples just before ascending to heaven.

Matt 28;19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,……

20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:…..


This is the last time Jesus spoke to the disciples. If there was going to be a change to any parts of the Law this would be His last chance to do it. But that is not what happened. Instead, He told them to teach ALL NATIONS whatsoever He had already commanded them.


Now let’s read a verse that confirms the position in the week of the Sabbath day.

Matt. 28:1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the
sepulcher

So we see the Sabbath is still the LAST day of the week; the day BEFORE the FIRST day of the week; the 7th day!!!


We have confirmed that Jesus kept ALL of the laws given to Him by the Father, and He continued the custom of keeping the same 7th day Sabbath that was practiced in the OT. We also find that the position of the Sabbath had not changed, and was still the last day of the week; the day BEFORE the first day of the week; the 7th day. Lastly we read Jesus final instructions to His disciples,” Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:…..”

Let’s look at a few verses and find what was Pauls’ custom concerning the Sabbath.

Acts 13;13. Now when Paul and his company loosed from Pa-phos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

14. But when they departed from Perga, they came to An-ti-och in Pi-sid-i-a, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.

15. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them.

42. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

44. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

Acts 17;1. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures

Acts 18;4. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.


It apperars the custom of Jesus became the custom of Paul even after Jesus death.