True Sabbath

There are numerous scriptures contained in both the Old and the New Testaments which make clear that the Lord designated His Sabbath day to be the seventh day of the week, which we now call “Saturday”. Some of which are:

"Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made" -Genesis 2:3

The Lord spoke the 10 commandments in his own voice heard thundering from the mountain by all the people, and wrote them on stone with his own finger. The fourth commandment is:

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.... the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your 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

 “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."  

18 "And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:16-18

13 Keeping the 4th commandment is a demonstration of our relationship with and our worship of God. It is also the commandment chosen to be the “sign” of the entire Mosaic Covenant. 

14 A violation of this commandment is to result in the death penalty.  Exodus 31:13-14

Ezekiel tells of the Lord's wrath when he destroyed Jerusalem and violently slayed its inhabitants 70 years after the birth of Christ:

You have despised my holy things and “profaned my Sabbaths” -Ezekiel 22:8

”Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. ”” - Ezekiel 22:26

In Exodus the Lord said:  

“13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.”  Exodus 31:13-15

Some argue that because the 10 Commandments were given to the Jews the 7th day of the week is a “Jewish Sabbath” under the old testament laws and no longer relevant after the New Testament. To the contrary, Jesus specifically said:

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus then proceeded to correct the people's understandings of the old testament laws that had been misapplied or changed by the pharisees and sadducees. Matthew 5:21-48

Jesus and his disciples kept the Lord's Sabbath and spoke of this throughout the Gospels. Jesus made clear that he was also the God of Gentiles when he made a covenant with Abraham, a Hebrew, which was extended to his descendents:

"Now the LORD had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.Genesis 12:1-3

God's covenant with Abraham extended specifically through the blood line of Isaac, Jacob and then to the twelve sons of Jacob, who later became the twelve tribes of Israel. There is no expiration date on this covenant according to the scripture: I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." These promises are later confirmed by the Old Testament prophets and Jesus himself. Genesis 17:2-12

In Galatians:

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Galatians 3:13-16

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:28-29

“Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, "The LORD has utterly separated me from His people"; Nor let the eunuch say, "Here I am, a dry tree." For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off. "Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants- Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant- Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer.” Isaiah 56:3-7

15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

16 That I should be minister of Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

17 I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.

18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed of Jesus.

19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Romans 15:15-19

It's pretty clear that God said His Sabbath was on the seventh day of the week, which is the day we now call “Saturday”. So why do so many Christians across the world believe that the Sabbath is Sunday, which is the first day of the week? That's a question that begs to be answered.