God himself kept the first sabbath (Gen.2:2-3). But no one ever kept a sabbath day after that until it was commanded by Moses (Ex.6:22-29). For two thousand years men and women worshipped God without any sabbath observance. Yet, many tell us that we must keep people in bondage to sabbath laws, or they will neglect and despise the worship of God. Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the patriarchs all prove otherwise! While many preach sabbath keeping as a rule of life, imposing upon God's saints rules and regulations for proper sabbath observance, in reality, no one observes the sabbath day in accordance with the law, except those who observe it spiritually, by faith in Christ. The legalist's pretended reverence for the sabbath is total disregard for the law of God. The legalist sifts through the law, picks out what he likes, insists upon that, and ignores the rest. Those who live by the law of the sabbath are obliged to keep the whole law. Here are four things required in the law for sabbath keeping:
1. THE SABBATH MUST BE KEPT ON SATURDAY, THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK (Ex. 20:10).
Sunday is not the sabbath! No where in the Bible are men commanded, or permitted to observe the sabbath on any day, except Saturday.
2. NO WORK CAN BE PERFORMED ON THE SABBATH (Ex. 20:10).
Works of necessity and mercy are allowed. But no one is permitted to do any work for himself, or allow anyone else to do any work for him on the sabbath. To keep the sabbath,you must not light a fire for cooking (Ex.35:3), gather wood for burning (Num.15:32- 36), carry any burden (Jer. 17:21-22), travel anywhere (Ex. 16:29), or do any business (Amos 8:5). Anything that is personally profitable or pleasureable is forbidden on the sabbath day. The essence of sabbath observance under the law is unconditional, all-incompassing self-denial.
3. OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH DAY NECESSITATES A RETURN TO THE CEREMONIAL LAW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT (Num. 28:9-10).
The sabbath cannot be observed without the offering of double daily offerings. And they must be offered in the temple at Jerusalem!
4. AND THOSE WHO INSIST UPON KEEPING THE SABBATH MUST ALSO DEMAND THE EXECUTION OF ALL SABBATH BREAKERS (Ex. 31:15).
The same law that required the observance of the sabbath required the death of sabbath breakers. "Ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?"