When is the real Sabbath?

Shalom! There has been many Christians that would come to me and ask me why I don't celebrate the real Sabbath. All I had to say on the matter was "Why don't you?" They ask, "What do you mean?" I tell them, "Well according to the Old Testament the Sabbath is the 7th day of the week." They tell me, "Oh well that was for the Jews and our Lord Jesus Christ changed all that." So let's take a moment to look at this and see if Jesus really did change the
when he preached.

First let's look at the Old Testament and see what it has to say:

• "On the seventh day G-d was finished with his work, which he had made, so He rested on the seventh day from all His work that he had made. G-d blessed the seventh day and made it holy."-Genesis 2:2-3

1. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, not the first day.  This didn't apply to a certain group but to all Mankind at this time.
2. The Hebrew for Sabbath is equivalent to Rest.

• "Work is to be done on six days; but the seventh day is a day of rest, a holy conviction; you are not to do any work; it is a day to praise G-d."-Leviticus 23:3 

1. This commandment was repeated yet again in the 10 Commandments. "Remember the Shabbath day and keep it Holy."-

• "Tell the people of Isra'el, You are to observe my Sabbath; for this is a sign between me and you through all the generations; so that you will know I am your G-d, who sets you apart for me. Everyone who treats it as ordinary must be put to death; for whoever does any work on the Sabbath is to be cut off from His people."- Exodus 3113-14

1. Not observing the Sabbath would separate you from the House of Isra'el, which were G-d's chosen people to be an example for the world.

• "And the foreigners who join themselves to YHVH to serve him, to love the name of YHVH and to be his workers, all who keep the Sabbath and don't prfane it and hold fast to my covenant, I will bring them to my Holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer."- Isiah 56:6

Ok so we see that the Sabbath was important in the Old Testament, let's go back to the assumption made by those Christians that would be quick to say, "Well that was for the Jews and Christ has made it un-necessary to worship the Sabbath as in the Old Testament because the "Law" was abolished. Let's look to see what the New Testament has to say about this matter.

• "Don't think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish but complete. Yes indeed! I tell you that until Heaven and Earth pass away, not so much as one jot or tittle shall pass from the Law-not until everything that must happen has happened. So whoever disobeys the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven."-Matthew 5:17-19

1. Jesus himself said that not one jot or tittle would pass until all that needed to happen had happened. Many Christians say that Jesus's coming was the thing that abolished the Law.
2. What was the Law again? Well since there was no New Testament at this time, it was the Torah, or Law. 
3. Remember when that Pastor told you it was only for Jews? Well Jesus was a Jew and at that a Torah observant one. Need some proof? Let's continue then.

• "You have heard that our father's were told, "Thou shall not murder," and that anyone who commits murder will be subject to judgement."-Matthew 5:21

1. This is one of the Ten Commandments, if Jesus was there to abolish them then why did he say that you would come under judgment? 

•  "You have heard that our fathers were told,"Love thy neighbor as yourself-and hate your neighbor."-Matthew 5:43

1. You might be asking so where is that in the Old Law?? Answer: Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5. Ok let's jump back to the Sabbath now.

• "So there remains a Sabbath keeping for G-d's people. For the one who has entered G-d's rest has also rested from his own works, as G-d did from His. Therefore, let's do our best to enter that rest; so that no one will fall short because of the same kind of disobedience."-Hebrews 4:9-11

1. The Sabbath keepers were G-d's people, not just the Jews, but also Gentiles.
2. To submit and keep the Sabbath is to remember G-d's rest.

• "But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, 'Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."- Acts 13:14-15, 42-44