Sabbath: For the Jewish People?
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. (Exodus 20:8 - 11)
The ongoing theological debate on whether the modern believer should follow the biblical concept of Sabbath has been one that has been present since the beginnings of Christianity. One of the most prevailing arguments that tends to be brought up is that of “it was only for the Jewish people”. There are three main problems with that specific and major argument that need to be addressed in order for the main branches of doctrine to be truly in line with the Biblical truth: who started Sabbath, who is Sabbath for and racism.
The first problem with the idea of “sabbath only being for the Jewish people” is that of who instituted Sabbath. The first mention of Sabbath comes in the book of Genesis, 2:2 - 3 :
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Yahweh is the one who instituted the practice of Sabbath and who made it holy. Therefore, it isn’t some foreign concept that it only meant for the Jewish people of Israel. Note to the fact that since Adam - someone who was not denoted by race as the concepts of Israel and the Jewish religion didn’t exist yet - was born on the sixth day and lived in the Sabbath with God (Genesis 1:24 - 2:1 - 25). In truth, all of this means that the concept precedes the foundation of race, making the argument that all people should follow the commandment if they want to obey Yahweh's commands.
The second problem that comes with the Jewish sabbatical argument comes from something that Yeshua said explicitly. The book of Mark says that “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Yeshua does not say here that this reserved for the Jewish people, or for those who are specifically males. He is saying that men, as a species, are meant to follow Sabbath. If animals are able to bring glory and praise the living Lord Yahweh (Psalm 148), than who is man to not follow and praise Him by practicing what He brought to humanity?
The final element that needs to be covered when studying the idea of whether Sabbath is reserved to the Jewish people is that of racism. To insinuate that it is only for the Jewish people could perpetuate one's acquired belief that they are better than them or that one is superior to the other. However, the Hebrews, Jews and those who follow the law are those who stand in truth. There is a clear antisemitic message that is being delivered by Christians whenever the Sabbath is brought up; that is due to a clear theological separation that was made by the early Christians, who wanted to distance themselves from the Jewish people, even though it is through them that salvation is acquired (John 4:22).
In conclusion, Sabbath isn’t an element that is reserved for the Jewish people. It is a powerful tool and element of one’s spiritual life that was instituted by God and retold again by Yeshua once He came to Earth. Sabbath is made for man to be able to rest in the many stresses of life, from the 9-to-5 shift or the tireless work that is subjected on many believers. Like Yeshua said: “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people.”