Q. What is the Third Commandment?
A. The Third Commandment is: Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.

Q. Which is the Sabbath day?
A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.

Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.

Q. Why did the Catholic Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A. The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday, because Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday and the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles on a Sunday.

Q. By what authority did the church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A. The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plenitude of that divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her.

Q. What does the Third Commandment command?
A. The Third Commandment commands, us to sanctify Sunday as the Lord’s Day.

God must be worshiped everyday of the week but he reminded the Israelites and His people to REMEMBER to worship Him, to Congregate, to acknowledge Him on His day-SATURDAY.

If the Sabbath is not necessary, then why do we go to church anyway. Why should we not obey God and go on Saturday just like the Jews who we take a lot of our knowledge of God from do.

Why is it so difficult to understand and accept what God has commanded?
The answer is simple, If you pause to celebrate the Sabbath doing good, listening to the still small voice of God, the devil loses his grip on you, you become a complete child of God and so he engineered this confusion so you will not focus of what God has commanded.

Please reflect quietly on this and let us take passions and emotions out of this.

God wants us to obey Him and I am really afraid we will be held accountable for not worshiping him on the Sabbath just as he commanded.

That’s a very interesting comment. You may want to review your facts though, especially as they relate to the connection between the 7 day cycle and lunation (the mean time for one lunar phase cycle). One lunation is slightly over 29 1/2 days, so the 7 day cycle is less than 1/4 of the lunation. The individual lunar phases can be +/- 15 hours, which means they could be slightly under 29 days or slightly over 30.

What this means is that after just a few 7 day cycles the cycle would be out of sync with the lunar phases.

In other words, the 7 day cycle’s relation to the lunar cycle wouldn’t be “a day out on rare occasions.” On the contrary, the two events would become completely separate after just a few observances.

It’s also worth noting that the Jews were not the only ancient culture that followed a 7 day cycle. The Babylonians did it as well. I am not sure where the Babylonians got the idea, but it was not unique to the Jews.

Also, you may want to note that Colossians 2:16-17, which you quoted in defense of sabbath observation, actually says the exact opposite. In that passage, Paul is saying that people should not be judged for NOT celebrating certain festivals or new moons or even the sabbath day. The passage immediately before it says that Christ abolished our legal debt (Col. 2:13-15). The passage concludes by saying to not let people with false humility and rules that have an appearance of wisdom distract you from salvation by faith in Christ.

I do believe that a day of rest in each work week is the way God designed things, but I do not believe that we are obligated to make that day of rest happen on a Saturday (or Sunday). The New Covenant abolished that. Additionally, as I stated in my article, rest means different things to different people. I get my rest by staying in for a day by myself. Other people get their rest by going out and being around people. That’s just one reason why the Old Covenant’s view of the Sabbath didn’t work. Trying to obey the Sabbath became a burden in its own right. Sadly, that still happens all too often today by churches who demand their people spend 4 – 6 hours in church every Sunday or do nothing on a Saturday. When I was in the UPC I found Sundays extremely stressful. I grew to hate them because I was worn out by the end of the day. There was nothing restful about it to me.

Finally, I must confess that I get tired of hearing the “is it too much to ask” argument. There are things that God asks of us, and we should do those things. But doing things that God does NOT ask does not earn us any favor with Him–especially when doing those things actually takes us away from performing God’s will, which is usually what ends up happening.

Take Galatians, for instance. Jews came into the churches in Galatia and started trying to tell them they needed to be circumcised. That seems like a pretty zealous thing to do, right? As a man, I can’t think of anything more zealous than circumcision. But did Paul approve of their zeal? No. He told them that anyone who sought to be made right before God by the Law was cut off from Christ (an apt way of putting it, considering what was being discussed). He told them they were fallen from grace, Christ had become of no use to them, and they were putting themselves under an obligation to keep the ENTIRE law (Gal. 5:1-12).

Interestingly enough, Paul says something very similar about the Sabbath, immediately after the Scriptures you quoted. He wrote:

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Col. 2:20-21)

There are plenty of things God asks me to do. I’m commanded to feed the poor, clothe the naked, visit the widows and those in prison, and, most importantly, love my neighbor as much as I love myself. Those things deserve my entire energy and focus. Those are the things that I need to be thinking about and saying, “After all Christ did for me, is it too much for me to give to others?” That’s where my focus needs to be, not on arguing with other Christians about which day of the week to rest or go to church on.

In Christ,
- Josh S. (site admin)

So – how did Adam, Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, etc, etc, know which day of the week our Almighty Creator had set aside for the seventh day?

I’d like to make it clear before I continue that, in no way should ANYTHING be worshipped apart from YHWH, our heavenly Father. It is quite clear though, that during creation, He did everything for a reason. It says in Psalm 104:19 that: He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.

Quoting some relevant info. from ‘Barnes’ Notes on the Bible’, he says;
He appointed the moon for seasons – Genesis 1:14-18. That is,
The moon, as well as the sun, is appointed to divide time;
to determine its progress; to indicate the return of festival
occasions, or appointed times to be observed in any manner.
It is, in fact, the foundation of the division of the year into “months,”

It’s quite easy to see/understand that originally a ‘month’ was actually a ‘moonth’ – from one new moon ’til the next, but the Romans (Emperor Julien) changed the dates and times, making a new calendar for everyone to follow, followed by Pope Gregory, who made yet more changes to it.

Contained within the Bible are some references to ‘New Moons’ and of course Sabbaths, which did take a while for me to fully understand – please take note: 2 Kings 4:23 says -
But he said, “Why go to him today? It’s neither New Moon or Sabbath.”
She replied, “Everything is all right.”
Earlier, in 1 Samuel, it becomes a little clearer that the New Moon was a special day, also linked to the following day 1 Samuel 20:5 says -
So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I’m
supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go,
and I’ll hide in the field until the third night.
Followed a few verses later with 1 Samuel 20:27
However, the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s
place was [still] empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan,
“Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the meal either yesterday or today?”

Their does appear to be a link between New Moons & Sabbath & festivals, which somehow, over time, has been lost or forgotten about; this next reference – from 2 Chronicles 8:12-14 says -

Public Worship Established at the Temple

At that time Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the
LORD’s altar he had made in front of the vestibule following the
daily requirement for offerings according to the commandment of
Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed
festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks,
and the Festival of Booths.

After the New (dark) Moon, there is the first slither of the moon visible – if this is counted as a Sabbath – count seven days on and the moon will be an exact half (another Sabbath), seven days from then it’ll be a full moon, followed seven days later by the waning half – then, seven days again and there’ll be another New Moon – spooky!

Each seven day count may be a day out on rare occasions, depending on your location on planet earth, but it’s as though the regular cycle starts again after the new moon/first slither. This make even more sense of what Apostle Paul says, in Colossians 2:16-17 -
Therefore don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink
or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a sabbath day.
These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the
Messiah.

This seventh day, determined by the state of the moon, may not always be convenient to man’s routine way of life – but obeying His word does show dedication and devotion to Him. Having set it, after having used His creative
power, as a rest day – a day to spend in wonder at His creative exploits, with Him, set aside for Him – is it really too much to ask?

As the Bible does mention it throughout, I think it expects a little of us – to examine and see the truths that mankind could well have changed, in addition to his making the Sabbath, His Sabbath seem as if it has no importance……

verse:16 let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of an holyday,or of the new moon,or of the SABBATH DAYS;

verse:17 which are a shadow of things to come(christ)but the body is of christ.

we dont observe the sabbath literaly its spiritually stop sinning rest from sin!
when people dont want to obey God you can pray all you want and God will not open your understanding but will let you do what you want,
ask balaam!!

Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he rested from all his work which God created and made. Also, Exo 31:17 tells us that “for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Man needs a day of refreshment. Because the Jews disobeyed this commandment they became slaves in Egypt and ended up working 7 days a week.

Note:
1) Why is that particular day blessed and sanctified = because He/God himself rested on that specific day
2) Which day was blessed and sanctified = the seventh day

If you study the number 7 throughout the Bible you will find some interesting facts with that number. It denotes COMPLETENESS or PERFECTION. Just google it and you will find out many facts.

God never changes Heb 13:8 tells us that Jesus Christ the same YESTERDAY, and to day, and for ever. This means that what he blessed and sanctified in the OT is blessed and sanctified in the NT.

Jesus also tells us that Mark 2:27 27 And he said unto them, The SABBATH was made for man, and not man for the SABBATH:

Next, this is one of the ten commandments. Man seems to respect all of the other 9 commandments no questions asked but the 4th commandment tends to cause division. Notice how it is written in Exodus 20:8 REMEMBER the sabbath day, to keep it holy. I wonder if God used the word REMEMBER because he knew that man would forget. We must always remember that what God commands for us to do is always for our own good. God loves us.

God takes the sabbath seriously because he says: Exo 35:2 whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. We must trust God when he tries to tell us how serious it is and we should do our utmost best to listen to him. If we really want to know the truth, he will give it to us but we must believe us and then really on his grace for the help we need. He really does know what is best. God goes on to tell us that there are many blessings and cursings for those who keep his commandments or those who choose to disobey them.
Study Lev 26:2-12, Num 15:39-40, Deut 6:6-25, Deut 7:11-21, Deut 28:1-13 (blessings) Deut 28:15-45 (curses)…

Lastly, the commandment has not changed in the NT. Notice that Jesus himself went to the synagogue on the sabbath day. Mark 1:21 There are many references to this. One point I’d like to make for those who have changed the Saturday sabbath to Sunday because of Christ’s resurrection is this. Have you noticed that when Jesus was resurrected (people say it’s on the first day of the week – Is it really?) Take a good look and notice that when the women went to the sepulchre Jesus was already gone. When did he leave? Reflect carefully on Matt 28:1 In the end of the sabbath (Saturday), AS IT BEGAN TO DAWN TOWARD the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. But Jesus was ALREADY GONE/RISEN. When did he leave or when was he really resurrected. Do we know for sure?

There are many, many, many other scriptures, but it is also important to note that even Paul waited until the next sabbath day to preach.
Acts 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next SABBATH.
44 And the next SABBATH day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

In order to honor our LORD’s command, we must walk against the whole world but I guess the one thing that I have noticed is that the Lord’s ways are higher than our ways and that this world truly does everything in it’s power to walk contrary to his word. Jesus however says that if we love him we will obey his commandments and that his commandments are not grievous.

God Bless!

“Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord…”

Or, for that matter, and at risk of creating a Bible study, Colossians 2:8-17, where the sabbath is equated with types and shadows fulfilled in Christ and the Colossians are told not to allow anyone to judge them as regarding the Sabbath.

In other words, Paul is warning that we should not worry about who esteems what days holy… we are in a new era, according to him, where these symbols and types have indeed been fulfilled.

So… there is my two cents worth, at any rate…

JS

Thanks, and God bless.
- Josh S.