Should We Observe The Sabbath?



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I’ve read that the Bible indicates that the Sabbath is on Saturday. Why then is the Sabbath celebrated on a Sunday instead of Saturday, even though the Lord told us to keep the Sabbath?



Sulamithe



Zurich, Switzerland



Brother Bob Pellien: Thank you so much, Sulamithe, for your question, and it’s so nice to receive a question all the way from Zurich, Switzerland. I think this is the first time that we’ve had a question from Switzerland and we’re very thankful and we welcome you all from Switzerland.



Regarding your question concerning the Sabbath, there are so many questions that come up about the Sabbath and a lot of those questions are just like yours. 



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Sabbath



Brother Bob: The questions are also asked by many preachers and people who have just not yet fully understood the topic about the Sabbath. So we’ll turn to the Holy Scriptures and ask these important questions that you’ve raised. To begin with, Sulamithe, your question already assumes that we should all be adhering to the Sabbath and the Sabbath rules in our era of time, albeit on a Saturday, Sunday, or any day at all for that matter. The very first thing we need to address is do we need to define who God commanded, really, to first observe the Sabbath in the first place? 



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Question: Should we be celebrating the Sabbath?



Brother Bob: The second part of the question is, until when? Well we have to determine that first before we can claim whether or not we should even be celebrating that ourselves and then determine, as your question posed to be done on a Saturday or a Sunday. 



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Question: Should we even be celebrating it?



What Does the Bible Say About the Sabbath Day?



Brother Bob: What does the Bible say about the Sabbath? 



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What does the Bible say about the Sabbath?



Brother Bob: Let’s begin turning to the pages of the Holy Scriptures. Malachi in chapter 4, verse 4:



“Earnestly remember the Law of Moses My servant, the statutes and the ordinances which I commanded him on [Mount] Horeb [to give] to all Israel.



[Malachi 4:4 Amplified Bible]



Brother Bob: So dear friends the Sabbath was definitely a commandment of God—was one of the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses. No question about that. 



Who Should Observe the Sabbath?



Brother Bob: But to be observed by whom? 



The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant.



[Exodus 31:16 New International Version]



Brother Bob: Answer of the Bible: to be observed by the people of ancient Israel. Why? As a symbol of the Lord’s covenant with them. It was also an observance commanded by God to commemorate something else. What’s that? Let’s turn to Deutoronomy 5:15:



Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.