Is the Sabbath Only for Jews?

There is always someone raising that stale argument that the Sabbath is a sign of holiness only for the Jews, but how can the Sabbath be only for them when there were no Jews when the Ten Commandments were given. There were in fact no Jews in the world for at least 2,000 years after creation so it is in fact impossible for the Sabbath to be only for them.

The Sabbath Commandment itself also states it is for the “stranger” and hence Gentiles also. (Exodus 20:10) In “the new earth … from one Sabbath to another, shall ALL FLESH come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22-23. And not forgetting that the other Nine Commandments are not “Just for the Jews.” Does idolatry, murder, stealing, lying, adultery or taking the Lord's name in vain apply only to Jews? Does God have double standards and different laws for different people? Why would He? Romans 9:6-8, Galatians 3:28-29 and Isaiah 41:8 state that those who belong to Christ are Israel today and Abraham's seed. That includes both Jew and Gentile. In Christ we are now all the same. See also is the Sabbath only for Israel for more detail on this very important and misunderstood point.

There is in fact a law that was only for the Jews and it was called the “Mosaic Law” or the “Book of the Law” or to be even clearer, the “sacrificial law.” This law was only for the Jews as the Gospel did not go to the Gentiles until 3.5 years after the cross. The sacrificial law ended at the cross as Jesus became our one and final perfect sacrifice. And to state the obvious, the Mosaic Laws were written in the Mosaic Law and the Ten Commandments were written in The Ten Commandment law. The Lord's Sabbath is the fourth Commandment. And if His Sabbath was Jewish or to end at the cross, God would have written it in this Jewish law. But no, God wrote it in His eternal Ten Commandment moral law that is for everyone. See the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law for a detailed comparison of these two laws.

There are also multitudes of Christians who call the Sabbath the “Jewish Sabbath.” Yet nowhere in the Bible do we find such an expression. It is called “the Sabbath of the Lord,” but it is never called “the Sabbath of the Jews.” In writing the Ten Commandments, God called it “the Sabbath of the Lord.” (Exodus 20:10)

Despite the fact there were no Jews when the Ten Commandments were given, let's go back even further in time anyway. The “children of Israel” whom God was angry with, for not keeping the Seventh Day as the Sabbath in Exodus 16, were not Jews. They were Abraham's seed just as we are. Note the following inspired text: “if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29. All born again Christians are the true Israel today and have been sanctified unto God. Thus, the Sabbath is for anyone who is Christ's regardless of the other facts given that also reveal this old fallacy.

And even further back in time. The concept of a Saturday holy day of rest is understood and practiced by virtually every culture from Babylon through modern times. Our English day names are pagan in origin but in more than one hundred nations of the world, Saturday is still called the Sabbath to this very day, just as God named it at creation. The Babylonian language existed hundreds of years before the Hebrews was founded by Abraham and yet the name of the seventh day means Sabbath further revealing it is not just for the Jews. This historical evidence confirms the Biblical teaching that God's seventh day Sabbath predates Judaism and can be easily traced back to Babel in Genesis chapter 11. See who changed the Sabbath to Sunday for a more detailed table with more languages.

And now right back to the beginning of time. Adam and Eve of course were not Jewish either. “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” (Genesis 2:3) Sanctified means “to be set apart for holy use.” Adam and Eve were the only ones in Eden to “Sanctify” the Sabbath and this was before sin. Marriage was also instituted at the same time as the Sabbath and yet no one says marriage is just for the Jews! Think about it.

Anti Sabbatarians often argue that the Sabbath was not made at creation but scripture proves this wrong also. The Hebrew word for “rested” in Genesis 2:3 is “shabbath” and means Sabbath and further proof it existed before sin and hence was part of God's eternal and perfect plan. And for even further evidence it existed from creation. Exodus 31:17 says, “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever:..” And why is the Sabbath a sign forever? Because, “...in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested [shabbath], and was refreshed.” Parentheses are added. And like Genesis 2:3 the word “rested” in Exodus 31:17 is also “Shabbath” and hence says that God rested on the Sabbath after creating and was refreshed.

As seen many times now, it is an absolute impossibility for the Sabbath to be only for the Jews and thus anyone quoting this heresy is either very ignorant of scripture or does not have a love of the truth. Read was the Sabbath made only for the Jews for more information.