Whether Christians should observe Sabbath according to the ten commandments?
I think there are two things to consider. First, if we are going to observe the Sabbath strictly according to the practice of the Jews, then, we should observe fully according to the law requirements. That is, according to how the Jews practices - not working on sabbath at all.
Law Requirements for Observing the Sabbath:
Exo 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Exo 20:10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
Exo 31:15 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.
Exo 35:3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day. - That means no cooking.
Num 28:9 ‘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 fine flour mixed with oil.
Num 28:10 This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
Deu 5:14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.
There are many other verses mentioned in the Scripture regarding the requirements of observing the Sabbath.
Are you practicing these requirements?
How does our Lord observe the Sabbath?
Mat 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the cornfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some ears of corn and eat them.
Mat 12:2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.
Mat 12:3 He answered, Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
Mat 12:4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread– which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.
Mat 12:5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
Mat 12:6 I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
Mat 12:7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Mat 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
Mat 12:9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and
Mat 12:10 a man with a shrivelled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?
Mat 12:11 He said to them, If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?
Mat 12:12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
Mat 12:13 Then he said to the man, Stretch out your hand. So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.
Mat 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Luk 13:10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,
Luk 13:11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
Luk 13:12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.
Luk 13:13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
Luk 13:14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.
Luk 13:15 The Lord answered him, You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?
Luk 13:16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?
Luk 13:17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
You could find many more from the Scripture yourself - Our Lord Jesus has changed the meaning of observing the Sabbath!
How does Paul discuss about observing a special day (including Sabbath)?
Col 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
Col 2:14 having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
Col 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Col 2:16 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.
Col 2:17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
You are justified not by observing the Law but by the blood of Christ Jesus!
So how should we treat the forth of the Ten Commandments?
Exo 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days you shall labour and do all your work,
Exo 20:10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
The big picture - the Ten Commandments
Let’s look back to the big picture - the Ten Commandments - What did our Lord Jesus said?
Mat 22:36 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
Mat 22:38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
Mat 22:40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
How does Lord Jesus talk about keeping the Law?
Mat 5:21 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
Mat 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Mat 5:23 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mat 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Mat 5:25 Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
Mat 5:26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Mat 5:27 You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’
Mat 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Mat 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Mat 5:31 It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’
Mat 5:32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Mat 5:33 Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’
Mat 5:34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
Mat 5:35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
Mat 5:36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Mat 5:38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
Mat 5:39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
Mat 5:41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Mat 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Mat 5:43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’
Mat 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Mat 5:45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Mat 5:46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
Mat 5:47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Mat 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Keeping the Sabbath for a Christian
Back to keeping the Sabbath - As a Christian, the sabbath is no longer just one of the 7 days you need to keep it holy. In fact, all the 24 hours each day for the 7 days of the week, you are to keep them holy because you are holy as God is holy. You are no longer belonging to yourself, you are redeemed by Christ.
Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God– this is your spiritual act of worship.
Rom 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is– his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Worshipping God on Sunday service is not a change of day for observing Sabbath (the Sabbath start from Friday evening and end on Saturday before evening) since we do not meet any requirements such as not doing any work or offering burnt offering. It is a celebration of the arisen of Christ on the early morning of Sunday.
We are observing the Sabbath by keeping everyday, every hour, every minute holy. Be sure you are not a Sunday Christian.
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