GOD’S HOLY SABBATH DAY

Let Us Reason Together

     Is the Sabbath on the first day of the week, or is the Bible Sabbath the seventh
day of the week?

        The seventh day of the week, or the day just preceding the first day of the week, is commonly referred to as the Sabbath in the Bible. In Matthew 28:1, the Sabbath is clearly identified as the day which falls before the first day of the week.

      “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 sepulchre” (Matthew 28:1).

        God named the seventh day of the week Sabbath and made it Holy: (Does Man have the right to make a day holy or not holy?) Rome renamed it Saturday to honor one of their false gods. Many people attend church services on that day because they believe Saturday is the Bible Sabbath and should yet be observed.

There are many reasons why the Sabbath should be observed.

God made and rested on 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” (Genesis 2:2).

    “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works”(Heb 4:4).

       “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” (Gen 2:3).

        There is no record in all the Scriptures that God ever removed His blessing from the Sabbath and placed it upon, another day of the week.

God’s people kept the Sabbath before the Ten Commandments were given on Mount Sinai.

     “This is that which the LORD hath said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD:...So the people rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:23-30).

      “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Gen 26:5).

God forbade work on the Sabbath day even in harvest time.

     “Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest” (Exodus 34:21).

        God promised the Gentiles (strangers) a blessing if they joined His people and
kept the Sabbath.

        “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:6,7).

God blesses any man who keeps the Sabbath.

        “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil” (Isaiah 56:2).

       The Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments which God gave unto His people
to observe.

     “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).

The Sabbath was made for man.

        “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” (Mark 2:27)

Jesus kept the Sabbath during His ministry on earth.

        “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” (Luke 4:16).

Christ is Lord of the Sabbath.

“Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath”
(Mark 2:28).

Christ recognized the Sabbath law as binding.

     “How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days” (Matthew 12:12).
     “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17,18).

Christ kept His Father’s commandments which included the seventh day Sabbath.

     “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
     “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” (John 15:10).
        “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” (John 12:49,50).
        “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3,4).
     “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
     “These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me” (Deuteronomy 5:22).

The women observed the Sabbath at the time of the crucifixion.

        “And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56)

The Sabbath is recognized by Paul after his conversion. This was about 45 A.D.

     “For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him” (Acts 13:27).
        “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures” (Acts 17:2).
     “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11,12).

A prayer meeting was attended by Paul down by the river side on the Sabbath day.

        “And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither” (Acts 16:13).

It was Paul's custom to preach Christ on the seventh day 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).

At Corinth Paul preached every Sabbath for eighteen months.

        “After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” (Acts 18:1-4, 11)

The Gentiles also observed the seventh day 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.” (Acts 13:42)
      “And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” (Acts 13:44)

James recognized the seventh day Sabbath many years after Christ.

        “James answered, saying,... For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” (Acts 15:13,21)

        No other day is given by Christ. The seventh day Sabbath is to be observed
as an holy day.

      “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” (Hebrews 4:4)
       “For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:8-10)

        The sanctity of the seventh day was never changed to the first day of the
week, neither by the resurrection of Christ, (Christ rose in the end of the sabbath)
or otherwise.

      “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 sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:1-6)

        Christ made it obligatory for us to keep all Ten Commandments in order
to obtain eternal life.

      “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17)
      “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:3-6)
      “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3)
      “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:14)
      “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)

       There is no indication in all the Scriptures that the first day of the week,
known as Sunday, is to be observed as a day of rest or a day of worhip.
        The Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, were a part of creation and existed before the time the tables of stone were given on Mount Sinai.
        In the book of Genesis, God’s will for man is evident, and while the Ten Commandments were not recorded on tables of stone, we find they were recorded.

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? (Exodus 16:28)

It is said of Abraham:

      “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Genesis 26:5)

       The tables of stone were given to Moses on Mount Sinai six hundred and fifteen years after Abraham kept the Commandments, statutes, and laws of God, thus they had to be in existence before Mount Sinai. If the commandments had not been in existence it is doubtful that God would have punished Cain for killing Abel.
        James tells us if we break one of the commandments, we are guilty of breaking all of them.

      “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” (James 2:10-12)

       This same principle holds true with all the commandments. If we do not steal, yet if we dishonor our parents, we become transgressors of the law. If we do not kill, yet if we break the seventh day Sabbath and do not observe it as an holy day unto the LORD, we become a transgressor of the whole law.

Honor God and keep His commandments, and be among those of whom it is said.

        “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)

        So how did we get to the place where the world thinks that the first day of the week takes the place of God’s Holy Sabbath on the seventh day of the week?

Here is the answer:

        “The observance of SUNDAY by the Protestants is an homage they pay in spite of themselves to the authority of the Catholic Church.” this is quoted from (Plain Talk for Protestants, page 213.)
      “Question: How prove you that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days?
        “Answer: By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of, and therefore they fondly contradict themselves by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other Feasts commanded by the same church.
        “Question: How prove you that?
        “Answer: Because by keeping Sunday they acknowledge the Church's poweer to ordain feasts, and to command them under sin. (From Douay Catechism, page59)

What does God say to this?

      “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
        “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition,” (Mark 7:9)
      “For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:8-10)

When did God rest?
     “And on the seventh day ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” (Gen. 2:2)

Do we then follow the will, and command of God?
Or do we follow man's commands?
Choose you this day!!!