What About the Sabbath?
Throughout life, we enter many seasons – from graduation to first job to new baby, with more seasons to come. I’m currently in the “wedding season.” Many of my friends have found their life partners, and some already have their second or third child! No matter how different their weddings were from each other, they all had one thing in common: the exchange of rings. In my experience, even when the happy couple has foregone all other traditions, this symbol remains constant. Wedding rings are a sign of the couple’s covenant with each other.
Similarly, when the Lord makes a covenant with His people, He gives them signs to remember His promises. With Noah, He gave the rainbow (Genesis 9:13–16). With Abraham, He gave circumcision (Genesis 17:9–14). As forgetful people, these promises help us to remember what He has declared. No matter the storm, the rainbow reminds us the Lord will keep His promise to stay His wrath and not flood the world again. No matter what the descendants of Abraham faced, circumcision reminded them of the promises the Lord gave Abraham, which would be fulfilled through Abraham’s seed (Genesis 12:1–3).
For Moses and the Israelites, the Lord gave Shabbat (the Sabbath) to remember the covenant He made with Moses on Mount Sinai.[1] This covenant, often called the Mosaic Covenant, gave the Israelites the standard for how to live and worship as the people of God. Including the Ten Commandments, the rabbis count 613 requirements for correct or “holy” living. Modeled after the Lord’s own day of rest following creation, Shabbat gave the Israelites a weekly “holy day” to remember that the Lord is the one who sanctifies.
So, if Shabbat is so important, should followers of Jesus observe it? And if so, how should they? These questions have been debated within the church ever since her formation.
First, unlike the covenants the Lord made with Abraham, Noah, and David, the Mosaic Covenant was conditional. All other covenants the Lord made rely on His faithfulness rather than the recipient’s. However, throughout Scripture, the Mosaic Covenant follows an “if...then…” pattern. If the people of Israel kept the Lord’s commandments, they would receive blessings, but disobedience would lead to curses.[2] The Sabbath serves as a weekly reminder of these “if…then…” promises.
Second, the Mosaic Covenant was always meant to be temporal. Knowing the covenant given at Sinai would be impossible to keep, the Lord always had a plan to introduce a better covenant (Hebrews 8:6), one that would be permanent and everlasting. The apostle Paul writes that the Law served as a “guardian” until this new and better covenant came (Galatians 3:19–25).
In Colossians 2:13–17, Paul calls the Law “a shadow of the things that were to come.” The Mosaic Covenant was “engraved in letters on stone” (2 Corinthians 3:7–11). While it outlined laws that were righteous, it wasn’t possible to perfectly obey those laws in order to be righteous. For this to happen, the Law must be within us and written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31–34). In other words, righteousness comes through faith (Romans 4:5)!
In His foreknowledge, the Lord provided a way for Israel – and through Israel, all people of the world – to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 19:2), and that was through the promise of a better covenant.
As Jesus states in Matthew 5:17–18, He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them – thus establishing the New Covenant. In the final meal with His followers, Jesus broke the unleavened bread and declared that it symbolized His body. Then, He took the cup and declared that it symbolized His blood.[3] Paul promises that “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
So, back to the original question: Should believers keep the Sabbath? While every commandment in the Mosaic Law has wisdom that can be applied to our lives, believers are under the better covenant – the one written on our hearts! While the principle of having a day of rest has continuing benefits, the Law of Moses no longer binds us. Rather, the Law of Messiah sets the captives free!
As followers of Yeshua (Jesus), we are not required to value some days as greater than others, as long as we follow the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (see Romans 14). For some of our Jewish brothers and sisters, this means choosing to keep the traditions of the Sabbath – not in order to obey the Mosaic Law, but as a way to rest in the person and work of Yeshua. The practice of Shabbat is deeply rooted in Jewish heritage, and for some messianic believers, gathering for Shabbat is the highlight of their week. The prayers, food, and rhythms might differ depending on each family or group, but the most important thing is having Messiah at the center. In Him alone do we find true rest (Matthew 11:28)!
Written by Chase, Life in Messiah staff
As human beings, we are prone to forgetting! What are some ways you can set intentional reminders of God’s promises in your life?
How would you explain what it means for believers to be under the “Law of Messiah” rather than the “Law of Moses”?
The lives of many of our religious Jewish friends are oriented around the Law of Moses and the Sabbath. If you have Jewish friends or neighbors, how can you invite them to see the freedom found in the New Covenant?
Endnotes:
[1] Exodus 31:13–17; Exodus 20:8–11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Ezekiel 20:12,20.
[2] Exodus 19:5–6; Leviticus 26:3–46; Deuteronomy 28; 29:9–15; 30:15–20; Jeremiah 11:3–4; Hosea 6:7.
[3] Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20.