Why we keep the Seventh Day Sabbath

EDITOR: Should we keep a special day of the week holy to worship Almighty Yahweh? If we do, which day is it? How much does it matter? One only needs to examine carefully the scriptures to answer these important questions.

In Genesis chapter 1, we find that Elohim created the heavens and the earth in six days. In the second chapter, we see that the Seventh-Day Sabbath was established. It was “blessed and sanctified” (verse 3). No other day received such a distinction.

‘Sanctify’ means to set apart or to make holy. The Seventh Day was therefore set apart for a holy purpose.

In Exodus 20:8-11, one can note that the Sabbath Day commandment is listed as the fourth of the ten commandments. In this passage of scripture, we are commanded to work for six days and then rest on the Sabbath. No Seventh Day rest can be enjoyed without the preceding six days of labour.

For whom is the Sabbath Day intended? Is it for a certain person or group of persons?

In Mark 2:27, Yahshua our Messiah says “The sabbath day was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” The Greek word used here for “man” means “a human being.” It is therefore intended for all mankind. This passage informs us that the Sabbath day was meant for our good, and not for a burden to us. The Hebrew word for “Sabbath” is “shabbath” and it means “an intermission.” Our Heavenly Father therefore created this day for man to rebuild his physical body, to recuperate, and to prepare for the physical labour ahead of him in the forthcoming week. Additionally, the Sabbath day is meant for us to renew our relationship with our Creator, to refresh our spiritual vision.

If we examine Exodus 31:13, we can understand the additional significance of keeping the Sabbath on the correct day. It says, “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, You must keep my sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.”

By keeping the Sabbath, the Israelites showed Almighty Yahweh that they recognized Him as their Mighty One. Almighty Yahweh will also acknowledge those who obey Him. In the latter part of this verse, note that the Israelites were to keep the Sabbath in order to be sanctified. Yahweh had chosen Israel to be a kingdom of priests [Exodus 19:6], just as modern-day Israel (Yahweh’s True Worshippers) are a holy priesthood [1 Peter 2:9]. We must prove that we can be a holy priesthood by keeping Yahweh’s Sabbath. Note that in verse 16 of this chapter, it says that the Sabbath is a perpetual (everlasting) covenant.

Yahshua the Messiah was a sin-free man (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5). This means that he never transgressed any of Almighty Yahweh’s laws, for “sin is the transgression (breaking) of the law.” [1 John 3:4]. In Luke 4:16, we can see that it was Yahshua’s custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and that He read the scriptures on this day. In verse 31, we also see that He taught on the Sabbath. This is indeed obedience to the law to have a holy convocation on the Sabbath [Leviticus 23:3]. Yahshua is our Messiah and High Priest, therefore, He must be our role model. We must follow his example of perfect obedience [1 Peter 2:21].

The Sabbath Day remains unchanged even after the death of our Messiah. The apostle Paul, who was a follower of Yahshua, kept the Sabbath [Acts 13:13-16, Acts 18:4,11]. He instructed all True Worshippers to follow him just as he followed Yahshua [1 Corinthians 11:1]. The prophecies for the end of the age in Matthew 24 indicate that there will still be some who keep the Sabbath (verse 20). In addition to these passages, Hebrews chapter 4 exhorts us not to fall short of the promise of eternal rest in the Kingdom to come. The author of Hebrews compares the journey of the Israelites towards the Promised Land to our journey towards the Kingdom of Yahweh. The Old Testament Israelites were not allowed to enter eternal rest because of their disobedience (verse 8). Even so, does there remain a rest day for us to keep? Verse 9 says, “There remains therefore a sabbath rest for the people of Yahweh.” Which day is this? It is the seventh-day Sabbath (verse 4). If we want to enter in to His eternal rest, then we must keep the Sabbath day according to the scriptures.

There is no commandment in all the Bible to keep holy the first day of the week. The first day of the week was never observed as a rest day until the days of Emperor Constantine in 321 CE. True Worshippers were still observing the scriptural Seventh Day Sabbath at that time.

Note that this is more than 300 years after the resurrection of Yahshua. Will we follow the traditions of men or the word of Yahweh?

The choice is ours. Almighty Yahweh created the Sabbath Day for our good. We are promised physical refreshment [Exodus 23:12], material blessings [Isaiah 58:13-14, Deuteronomy 28:1-13] and a place in the Kingdom [Isaiah 56:4-5] if we keep the Sabbath day holy. There are curses for disobedience to Yahweh’s laws [Deuteronomy 28:15-68, Leviticus 26:14-39]. If you want to be there with the Messiah in His Kingdom, you must obey his Word and become a Sabbath keeper. Can we expect you to attend our services this coming Sabbath at the Assemblies of Yahweh? We hope so!

Ulrika Sutherland
Assemblies of Yahweh, SVG