The Sabbath is not a law, but a commandment. It was not given to restrict ourselves or for the sake of the law, but that we might have a day of rest, which God will especially bless for us if we keep it. We are not “saved” because we keep the Sabbath. But we will be able to live our lives better and have a closer relationship with the Eternal, our God, if we keep Him as commanded. As God's son Yeshua said in Mark two verse 27: "And he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."

He died (rested) when the Sabbath began, was dead (rested) on the Sabbath, and only rose again when the Sabbath was (almost?) over. Thus, even in death, Yeshua fulfilled the commandment to rest on the Sabbath and to honor His Father, the Eternal, by visiting and presumably worshiping Him with his soul while His body rested dead.

a. Genesis 2:3: "And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on the same day he rested from all his work which God created and made." This means that God was the first to do it made the Sabbath and was also the first to sanctify it. In Romans 4:15 “…but where there is no law, there is no transgression.” Without the law, there is no sin. In Genesis 4:13 “But Cain

said to the Lord, "My sin is greater than it should be forgiven me." So how did Cain know that he had sinned? If there had been no law, he would have been innocent, he would not have known that he had sinned. We read about Abraham in Genesis 26:5 “because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my statutes, my commandments, my ways, and my law.” How did Abraham already know the commandments of God? Abraham had to already know what God's law and commandments were, otherwise he would not have been able to keep them.

b. When the people of Israel were led out of Egypt, God said to Moses in Exodus 16:4, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people will go out and gather daily what they need for me to try "whether it walk in my laws or not." This event took place before the legislation at Mount Sinai. We continue reading in Exodus 16:26-27 “Six days you shall gather; but the seventh day is the Sabbath, on which there will be nothing. But on the seventh day some went out to gather, and they found nothing." So some already knew about God's commandments and the Sabbath before the law on Mount Siani.

c. The fourth commandment begins with the words of Exodus 20:8: “Remember the Sabbath day, to sanctify it.” What does “remember” mean? Commemoration is a synonym for “to remember” or “to remember” or “to remember” etc. The people of Israel were in slavery in Egypt for around 400 years. In Exodus 2:13 “And the Egyptians compelled the children of Israel to serve with ruthlessness.” During the time of bondage and slavery, the Israelites could not keep the Sabbath. That's probably why he was forgotten in many people's minds. Therefore, when they were delivered from the hands of the Egyptians, God reminded them of this. The passage also points out that the Sabbath already existed before the Ten Commandments were written at Mount Sinai. So the commandments were not reinvented by God at Mount Sinai, and were not just for the “Jews (The Descendants of Israel/Jacob)” but were merely a reminder for the people who had been forgotten in the approximately 400 years of merciless slavery had what was important and right.

a. Since when has Shabbat existed?

We read in Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Eternal blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.” So Adam and Eve were created and on the first day the first Sabbath began, which they celebrated with God the Eternal. God placed his blessing on the seventh day. Shouldn't there be someone there to receive the blessing? Who else should God want to bless if not us humans? So the Sabbath has existed since creation!

b. How long should Shabbat last?

God says in Isaiah 66:22-23 “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I am making stand before me, says the LORD, so shall your seed and your name stand. And all flesh will come to worship before me one new moon after another and one Sabbath after another, says the LORD.” So God is saying that we humans (not just Jews) will come before him and worship him every Shabbat. So the Sabbath will also be celebrated on the new earth.

c. Should only Jews be blessed through Shabbat?

The Jews, but also many other people, keep the Sabbath. However, why was it introduced for all people at creation and why is it celebrated by all people on the new earth and not just by the Jews? So God makes a commandment for all people, and from the liberation from Egypt it should only apply to Jews until the new earth comes, then should it apply to everyone again? When did the God of Abraham abolish the Sabbath for everyone except the Jews? And why does everyone suddenly have to hold him again on the new earth? does it make sense? Is this the justice of God? In Mark 2:27 we read: "And he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." So the Eternal blesses the people who keep the Sabbath and Satan tries everything on it to ensure that we do not receive this blessing by making us believe that the Sabbath is not for all of us.

d. Does God make different laws for different people?

I. It says, “The Sabbath was made for man.” It does not say, “The Sabbath was made for Jews.”

II. Shabbat has existed since creation and will also be celebrated on the new earth. So the question arises, why shouldn't the Sabbath be celebrated in the time in between?

Isaiah says about this in chapter 56:6-7 “And the strangers who have joined themselves as the people of the LORD, to serve him and to love his name, that they may be his servants, every one who keeps the Sabbath, to keep it "If you do not profane me and hold fast my covenant, I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them happy in my house of prayer..." Isaiah shows that the Sabbath should be kept not only by Jews, but also by strangers, i.e. non-Jews. All who want to serve the God of Abraham! Isaiah further says in chapter 58:13-14 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, and do not do as you please on My Holy Day, and call the Sabbath a delight, and the day holy to the LORD , honor, if you honor him so, that you do not do your own ways, nor become found in them what pleases you or idle chatter; Then you will delight in the eternal, and I will make you soar above the heights of the earth and feed you with the inheritance of your father Jacob (Israel); for the mouth of the Eternal says it.” So God says that he not only wants to bless those who keep the Sabbath, but will lead them to his mountain, make them joyful in his house of prayer and let them float above the earth and tells him the inheritance of Jacob (Israel). These promises also refer to the new earth and make it clear how great our reward will be if we keep the Sabbath and thereby honor and serve the Eternal.

No wonder Satan tries to block this very reward from us by distracting us from keeping the Sabbath so that we cannot receive God's reward. Moses also says that the Sabbath is for all people and not just the Jews. In Exodus 12:49 we read: “The law is the same for the native and the stranger who lives among you.” The Sabbath is something by which all people who keep it should be blessed. It should be a special day on which you should take special time for God, the Eternal, your family and yourself. Should this blessing be only for Jews? Colossians 3:11 “There is neither Greek, Jew, circumcised, uncircumcised, un-Greek, Scythian, bond nor free, but in all and in all Yeshua is the example.” So all people are equal before God. It doesn't matter whether I'm Jewish or not. I just need to live the way Yeshua showed us how to live. And he lived according to the Torah, as his father promised him and us. Ezekiel 20:20 describes it as follows: “And sanctify my Sabbaths; for they are a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.” So if we do not keep the Sabbaths, the LORD is not our God, but another. Which God do we want to serve? Maybe the sun god on Sunday or the God of Abraham on the Sabbath? Everyone has to decide for themselves! In Malachi 3:6 the Eternal says, “For I am the Eternal and I do not change.”

If he does not change, he is the same God in the Old and New Testaments, in the Torah and in the Bible, in the Koran and in the Tannach. So his commandments are also the same. Ecclesiastes 12:13 summarizes: “Let us hear the sum total of all doctrine: Fear the LORD God and keep his commandments; Because every person should do that.” (and not just Jews!)

To do this, we will first have to distinguish between God's law and the Mosaic laws.

a. In Deuteronomy 5:22 we read: “These words did the LORD speak on the mountain to all you assembling, out of the fire and the cloud and the darkness, with a strong voice, and he added nothing. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.”

However, we read about the Mosaic law in Leviticus 1:2 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, If any of you wants to offer an offering to the LORD, you shall use of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock, yours make an offering.”

The Ten Commandments were proclaimed by God, the Eternal, personally. The Law of Moses was proclaimed by Moses. But by whom and what were the laws written?

Exodus 31:18 and 32:16 "And he gave unto Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, inscribed with the finger of God." "And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.”

However, Deuteronomy 31:24 says, "And it came to pass, when Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the end,..."

So the Ten Commandments were given personally by God and written in stone with his finger. However, the Mosaic Law was written in a book by Moses. It becomes clear that the Ten Commandments are divine and the Mosaic laws are human. So where were the Ten Commandments kept?

Deuteronomy 10:5 “And I turned and came down from the mountain. And I put the tablets in the ark that I had made; and they are there, as the LORD commanded me.”

In contrast, the Mosaic law Deuteronomy 31:26 “Take this book of the law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.” So these two laws are clear in the Torah separated from each other. These two laws therefore have different meanings for people. We read about the Mosaic law, which is also called the ceremonial law, in Leviticus 7:37-38 “This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecration offering, and of the peace offering, which the LORD gave to Moses He commanded on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the children of Israel to present their offerings to the Eternal, in the desert of Sinai.” So it is the law in which the entire sacrificial system is defined.

On the other hand, in James 2:8-10 and 1:25 “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” then you are doing good. 9 But if you respect the person, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law, but stumbles in one, is guilty of all the commandments." "But whoever has looked closely into the perfect law, that of freedom, and abides therein, not being a forgetful hearer, but “The doer of the work will be blessed in what he does.”

While the Ten Commandments are described as "royal" and "perfect," the ceremonial law is described as follows: "But now that you have known God the Eternal, but rather have been known by God, how do you turn again? to the weak and miserable elements whom you want to serve again?" The one law is royal and perfect. The other law, on the other hand, is weak and pathetic.

b. Why do two laws even exist? What was the ceremonial law for?

Galatians 3:19 “Now why the law? It was added because of transgressions (until the seed to whom the promise was made should come), ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”

So because of sin it was added to the Ten Commandments. We continue reading from verses 24-25: “So the law became our taskmaster toward Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a taskmaster."

So the ceremonial law has become.

How do we even know that the Ten Commandments existed before sin? We read in 1 John 3:8: “Whoever commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

According to the Bible, the devil existed before humans. Satan tempted Eve to sin. How long should these laws last?

About the ceremonial law we read: “So the law became our disciplinarian toward Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a taskmaster." (Galatians 3:24-25) The ceremonial law therefore lost its validity with the death of Jesus. “But Jesus gave a loud cry and died. 38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." (Mark 15:37-38) This was a supernatural sign from God to the Jews that the sacrificial service had been completed/finally fulfilled once and for all. In Ephesians 2:15-16 it says: "Having put away in his flesh the enmity, the law of commandments in statutes, that he might make the two in himself one new man, making peace, 16 and the He reconciled both of them with God in one body through the cross, after he had put to death the enmity through it.” Here we are clearly not talking about the Ten Commandments. The Bible clearly distinguishes between statutes and commandments.

That's why it's important that we read carefully. Depending on the circumstances, commandments and statutes are mentioned individually or together. But when it comes to the holiness of the commandments, they are also explicitly mentioned as commandments. So the Bible writes that it is the statutes that have come to an end.

Of the Ten Commandments we read: “The works of his hands are truth and justice; all his commandments are righteous. 8 They will be preserved forever and ever, faithfully and honestly” (Psalm 111:7-8).

The temporal statutes, whose purpose was to direct man to the true sacrifice, lost their meaning with the death of Yeshua. However, not the Ten Commandments, for the psalmist says these will remain forever and ever. Before Yeshua went to the cross for us, the Jews were supposed to sacrifice lambs for their sins, which is why they were given the ceremonial law with the priesthood and the sacrificial system. Unfortunately, many people believe that the holidays and their high Shabbats have also been abolished, but more on that in another chapter. However, the holy days of rest of God YHWH do not have much to do with the high Shabbats of the festivals. These festivals foreshadowed the events to come. To the death and resurrection of YHWH God's son Yeshua HaMashiach.

We have established that the Ten Commandments existed before the Fall. (Without law, no fall!) Thus, Shabbat does not point to the coming, death or resurrection or redemption of Yeshua, but rather remembers and remembers his father YHWH, who created heaven and earth and whose authority we submit to. It should also be noted that the ceremonial law was actually given to the Jews “Then you will prosper if you are careful to do the statutes and the statutes which Jehovah commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid and do not be dismayed!” (1 Chronicles 22, 13) On the other hand, the ten commandments were given to all people. “The end result of all let us hear: Fear God and keep his commandments; because that is the whole person. 14 For God will bring every work, whether good or evil, into the judgment of every hidden thing.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) The Bible warns us not to reject YHWH’s law. “Whoever turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9)

Why is the Bible so strict on this subject? Why these harsh words? Because the Ten Commandments represent God's character. The identity of YHWH is mentioned in the commandments. God doesn't change. “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor the shadow of any change.” (James 1:17)

God's commandments and his identity correspond exactly, as can be read in the following table:

1 John 4:8 LOVE Matthew 22:37-40

Psalm 29:10 ETERNAL Psalm 111:7-8

Matthew 5:48 PERFECT James 1:25

Isaiah 6:3 HOLY Romans 7:12

John 14:6 TRUTH Psalm 119:142

James 1:7 UNCHANGED Luke 16:17

2 Chronicles 6:18 UNLIMITED Psalm 119:96

1 Corinthians 1:30 RIGHTEOUS Psalm 119, 172

John 4:24 SPIRITUAL Romans 7:14

1 John 3:3 PURE Psalm 19:8

John 8:12 LIGHT Proverbs 6:23

2 Samuel 7:22 MAJOR Isaiah 42:21

Psalm 145:9 GOOD Romans 7:12

Jeremiah 23:6 JUSTICE Psalm 119:172

Job 37:14 WONDERFUL Psalm 119:18

Psalm 104:1 GORGEOUS Isaiah 42:21

If I commit a crime, I am only guilty as long as the law stands. If the law is changed or removed, I am innocent. No one can judge me because according to the law I have done nothing wrong. However, Yeshua did not come to change or abolish the law. Yeshua said: “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17) He took our guilt upon himself and thereby proved precisely that the law still has full validity. In Romans 6 verse 23 it is written: “For the wages of sin is death; But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD.” Had the law been changed or abolished, Yeshua would not have had to die for our sins. This raises the question, what exactly did Yeshua redeem us from? In Galatians 3 verse 13 we find the answer: “But Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, when it became a curse for us (for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree!”)” We became that is, redeemed from the curse of the law and not from the law itself. "By wiping out the indictment against us, which was against us by statutes, and removing it from among us, nailing it to the cross." (Colossians 2: 14) So the existing debt was attached to the cross and not the law! Because we would have to die for our sins. However, Yeshua died for us so that we might live. “For he made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Colossians 2 verse 16 is often used as an argument against Shabbat, in this verse it says: “So let no one judge you because of food or drink, or because of a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath…” What are Paul talking about here in the context? We're talking about food, drink, new moons and holidays! Do we read anything about eating, drinking, new moons or festivals in the Ten Commandments? So the Sabbaths can only be the Mosaic law. The context clearly explains that these are the high Sabbaths of the holy days, not the weekly holy Shabbat. So this is about the feast days that point to Yeshua, for which no one should be judged! Because we continue to read in verse 17: “Which things are only a shadow of those that were to come, but of which Christ has the essence.” This verse confirms again that this is the Mosaic law, which is only a “shadow “ of what is to come in the fulfillment of the death and resurrection of Yeshua.

In Leviticus we read an excerpt from the Mosaic law in chapter 23 starting at verse 36: “Seven days you shall offer offerings made by fire to the LORD, and on the eighth day you shall hold a holy assembly and offer offerings made by fire to the LORD; it is a festival meeting; you shouldn't do any work there. 37 These are the feasts of the LORD, when you shall call together holy assemblies to offer to the LORD sacrifices made by fire, burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and drink offerings, each on its own day, 38 besides the sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your offerings, both vows and freewill offerings 2 Chronicles 8:13 says: "Whatever was to be sacrificed every day according to the law of Moses, on the sabbaths and new moons and on the feast days, three times in the year, namely on the festival of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles.”

What is particularly striking is that the Sabbaths (i.e. in the plural) are mentioned in connection with eating, drinking, new moons and various festivals. So here we are not talking about the weekly Shabbat, but rather about the high Sabbaths of the holy days.

It is interesting that just a few verses further on from the argument verse you can read the following: “If you have died with Christ to the principles of the world, what regulations do you allow to be imposed on you, as if you were still living in the world? 21 for example: "Don't touch this, don't taste that, don't deal with that!" 22 everything that is destroyed through use. 23 They are only commandments and teachings of men, although they have an appearance of wisdom in self-chosen worship and physical mortification, but they are worthless and serve to satisfy the flesh." (Colossians 2, 20-23) Here we have once again a clear confirmation, that these are human commandments, not divine. To use only Colossians 2:16 to argue that Shabbat has been abolished is to take the verse out of context.

Hebrews 10 verse 14 reads: “For with one sacrifice he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” So Yeshua completed the sacrifice for eternity. So we don't have to offer any sacrifice other than ourselves. However, the Shabbat from the fourth commandment has nothing to do with this. This reminds us of creation and that YHWH created us. The apostle John reminds the believers of the old commandment, as we can read in the first letter of John in the second chapter from verse seven: “Beloved, I do not write to you a new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning; the ancient commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning.”

The apostle John is speaking here about the commandments that have existed since the beginning.

“For sin will not have dominion over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14) Is this an argument against Shabbat? So we are under grace, so we no longer need to keep the Ten Commandments. We don't need a law, we can do anything we want. Or? But the very next verse (15) continues with the words: “How then, should we sin, because we are not under the law but under grace? Far be it!”

When someone is “pardoned,” they are freed from sin, but not from the applicable law. The law is of course still valid, even for those who have been pardoned. If he were to break the same law again under grace, he would be condemned again. So it is true that we are under grace because Yeshua took the punishment upon himself. However, this does not mean that the law has lost its validity.

So we can ask ourselves whether we always want to be pardoned so that we don't have to keep the law, or whether it isn't easier and shows more love for our Heavenly Father if we simply keep God's commandments and receive blessings , instead of having to live by grace!

“For sin will not have dominion over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14) What does that mean when we are no longer under the law? Does this mean we are exempt from the law? The following verses 15 and 16 give a hint of this: “How then shall we sin, because we are not under the law but under grace? Far be it! 16 Do you not know that to whom you give yourselves as servants to obey, you are his servants and must obey him, whether sin leads to death, or obedience leads to righteousness?" So it cannot be said that we are not under the law mean that the Ten Commandments have been abolished. Because the Ten Commandments define sin. However, without law there is no sin! Paul warns us and tells us not to sin. We are no longer under the penalty of the law, but we should still obey the law. How else could I be obedient to God YHWH? How could I show my love for him? How could I bear good fruit? How could I be a light for others?

In this context, another verse against Shabbat is also often mentioned: “Now that you have recognized God, or rather have been recognized by God, how do you then turn again to the weak and meager statutes which you want to serve again? ” (Galatians 4:9) It is claimed that this means that the ten commandments, including Shabbat, have been abolished. But what kind of statutes are these? Well, the next verse (10) already explains this: “You keep days and months and festivals and years.” No days, months, festivals or years are mentioned in the Ten Commandments. However, the Mosaic law speaks of days, months, festivals and years. Therefore, this statement can only be the Mosaic law. And that doesn't mean the ten commandments of God YHWH. Paul explains in Romans 3:31: “How? Do we then abolish the law through faith? Far be it! but we establish the law." It is not for nothing that Yeshua said in Matthew 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven does. 22 Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and done many deeds in your name?” 23 And then will I testify unto them, I never knew you; Depart from me, you evildoers!” And the apostle John writes in 1 John 2:1-5: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you do not sin! And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; 2 And he is the atonement for our sins, not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says, I have known him, and yet does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 But whoever keeps his word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in him.”

It is true that we are saved through faith in the Son of God YHWH, Yeshua HaMashiach. However, does this mean that I can ignore God's commandments? The apostle James writes in James 2:20: “Without works, faith is dead.” How is this to be understood? Do I now need works, or do I not need to do works? We are saved by faith, not by any works. However, external works are a sign of internal faith! For example, if we believe the weather forecast, will we go out for a barbecue when a storm is forecast? So if we believe with all our hearts, how will we behave toward my LORD? Will we disobey His instructions like rebellious children? Will we lie, steal, murder, or worship other gods? Will we blaspheme God’s name or change His commandments?

It is important to understand that faith does not exclude the commandments! The commandments and faith complement each other.

First of all, a few questions arise:

a. What does this covenant mean?

b. With whom was the covenant made?

c. Why a new covenant?

d. Were these alliances different?

a. What does this covenant mean?

“And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not cease to do good to them; And I will put my fear in their hearts, so that they will not depart from me." (Jeremiah 32:40) In Psalm 132:12 the covenant is described as follows: "Your children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I teach them their children will sit on your throne forever." So YHWH has made a covenant with people. He wants to bless them and not stop doing good. But what is the condition of this covenant? What does YHWH expect of them? People for it? In the seventh book of Moses, chapter seven, beginning with verse nine, it is written: “Know now that the LORD your God is a God, a faithful God, keeping covenant and mercy to those who love him and keep his commandments in a thousand members,” chapter four verse thirteen continues: “And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to do, namely the Ten Words, and wrote them on two tablets of stone.” Nehemiah writes in Chapter one from verse five summarizes as follows: "[…] O LORD God of heaven, a great and terrible God, who keeps covenant and mercy to those who love him and keep his commandments," Daniel uses similar words in his prayer : “But I prayed to the LORD my God, and confessed, and said, O LORD, great and terrible God, who keepeth covenant and grace to them that love thee, and keep thy commandments.” So in summary, one can say that The condition for the covenant with us humans is fidelity, loyalty and obedience to God.

b. With whom was the covenant made?

So-called Christians repeatedly claim that the covenant made at Mount Sinai only applies to the people of Israel, i.e. the Jews. To do this, you have to understand that all of us who believe in God YHWH and his son Yeshua HaMashiach belong to the people of Israel and are therefore, if you will, “Jews in spirit”. In Romans two it says this from verses 28-29: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is outward circumcision circumcision in the flesh; 29 But he is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit, not in letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.” But more on that elsewhere, as this is also a big extra topic.

But we read in the Bible that God YHWH made a covenant with Adam and with Noah long before there was a people of Israel or the Jews. The same covenant was made by God YHWH with the people of Israel and not just with Jews. Even in Moses' time, the covenant was not just for the Jews. This is what we read in Isaiah 56, verses 1-6: “Thus says Jehovah: Preserve justice and do justice. For my salvation is about to come, and my righteousness is about to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man that doeth these things, and the son of man that holdeth them: he that keepeth the Sabbath, lest he profane it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 3 And let not the son of the stranger who has joined himself to Jehovah speak, saying, Jehovah will certainly exclude me from his people; and let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4 For thus says Jehovah: To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things I delight in, and hold fast to my covenant, 5 I will give them a place in my house and within my walls, and a name better than sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, which shall not be cut off. 6 And the sons of strangers, who have joined themselves to Jehovah, to serve him, and to love the name of Jehovah, to be his servants, every one who keeps the Sabbath, not to profane it, and they hold fast to me Covenants.”

Yeshua also made such a covenant with his disciples on the Seder evening of Passover (also known as the Last Supper). “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me!” (1 Corinthians 11:25). This covenant is also not limited to the Israelites, although Yeshua was a high priest of the Jews. This means that every person can have a covenant with God YHWH. He just has to do his part.

c. Why a new covenant?

Before we answer this question, let us read a story from 2 Chronicles 33:21-23: “Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; 22 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. And Amon sacrificed to all the idols that Manasseh his father had made, and served them. 23 But he did not humble himself before the LORD, as his father Manasseh had humbled himself; did evil. We continue reading in verses 24 - 25: And his servants conspired against him and killed him in his house. 25 Then the people of the country killed all those who had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the country made Josiah his son king in his stead.” The new king was better than his father. We read about him in 2 Chronicles 34:1-2: “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned aside neither to the right hand nor to the left. Josiah was good, but he knew what his forefathers had done wrong. He said in verse 21, “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for those who remain in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that was found; For great is the wrath of the LORD, which is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book." King Josiah humbled himself before the LORD, therefore says this LORD to Josiah from verse 27: "Because your heart softened and you humbled yourself before God, when you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants, even because you humbled yourself before me and rent your clothes before me If you have cried, I have also heard you, says the LORD. 28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be brought to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants. 29 So when they brought this answer to the king, the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and they read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant, which is in house of the LORD was found. 31 And the king stood at his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, that he would walk after the LORD, to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to do according to the words of the covenant, which are written in this book.”

From this story we see clearly that the covenant is worthless if we do not fulfill it by not keeping the commandments, but rather if people are unfaithful to God. The covenant had lost its meaning because people did not fulfill its conditions. This covenant only applies if we humans humble ourselves before God YHWH, love him and keep all his commandments. But to return to the question, why have a new covenant? Because the old covenant had become void through sins and transgressions, Josiah made a new covenant with God. It was not the only time that the people of Israel sinned against God. Joshua writes in Joshua 7:11: "Israel has sinned, they have transgressed my covenant [...]" and in Psalm 78:19 it is written: "They did not keep the covenant of God and did not want to walk in his law." And further in verse 37: “But their hearts were not on him, and they did not faithfully keep his covenant!” It was not the accidental or unconscious sinning that made the covenant void, but the conscious and intentional sinning, as David describes it.

The new covenant was already prophesied in the Old Testament: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 32 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; for they have broken my covenant, and yet I trusted them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law in their hearts, and write it in their minds, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

d. Were the alliances different?

There are indeed differences between the old and new covenants. In the old covenant there were human priests who sacrificed lambs, goats and calves for the forgiveness of sins. In the new covenant we have Yeshua, the divine high priest, who sacrificed himself and thereby forgave our sins. With his sacrifice the priesthood was completed. Because the true sacrificial lamb was sacrificed and there is no longer any need for references to the true sacrificial lamb. In Hebrews chapter seven you can read from verse 12: "For if the priesthood is changed, there must necessarily be a change in the law." And further from verse 18: "The previously valid commandment, its weakness, is even abolished and uselessness because of" With the death of Yeshua, the priesthood and its sacrifices lost their meaning. So the law (statutes) that defines the priesthood and the sacrifices is no longer needed. However, some “Christians” are of the opinion that these verses mean that the ten commandments of God YHWH have lost their validity under the new covenant.

How is this to be understood? Verses seven through nine are about the priesthood and the priesthood is no longer needed. So it would simply be taken out of context if from verse twelve onwards it were suddenly about the ten commandments. Furthermore, it would contradict the entire Bible and, strangely, is explicitly used against Shabbat but not against the other nine commandments. However, Shabbat is an integral part of the Ten Commandments and cannot simply be separated from them. “For whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one commandment, is guilty in all things” (James 2:10).

So the conditions in the new covenant are the same as in the old covenant. These have not changed. Obedience to the Ten Commandments is required equally in the old and new covenants. The Israelite (Jew) and son of God Yeshua also lived in absolute obedience. “And in his outward appearance found himself like a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:8-9).

Yeshua followed the Ten Commandments. He was obedient to his Father in heaven. Shouldn't we follow his example and try to do the same? Yeshua said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

The difference between the old and new covenants does not refer to the ten commandments. In the new covenant, the ten commandments are still good. From the beginning until eternity!

This argument is mentioned surprisingly often against Shabbat. How does this happen? Yeshua healed on Shabbat, just like he did on all other days. “And behold, there was a man whose hand was withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths? so that they might accuse him. 11 But he said to them, "What man will there be among you who has a sheep and, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take it and raise it up?" 12 How much more excellent is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbaths.” (Matthew 12:10-12) If Shabbat had lost its validity, why does Yeshua say that one is allowed to do good on Shabbat? Shouldn't he clarify the situation and say that Shabbat has lost its validity? This would be an opportunity to announce to people that Shabbat is no longer his Father's day of rest, which he once blessed for us humans. Yeshua instead testified that Shabbat is still in full force.

“And Jesus went out and departed from the temple; and his disciples came near to show him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered and said to them, Do you not see all these things? Verily I say to you, there will not be left one stone upon another that will not be broken down." (Matthew 24:1-2) So Yeshua foretold the destruction of the Temple. However, in verse 20, he went on to say, "But pray that your escape may not be in the winter, nor on the Sabbath." Why did Yeshua tell his disciples to pray that the temple would not be destroyed on the Sabbath? The Temple was not destroyed until approximately forty years after Yeshua's death and resurrection. This statement would make no sense if there were no longer a Shabbat or if it had lost its meaning.

When asked simply what one could do to receive eternal life, Yeshua personally said, “[…] But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17) Shabbat is one of these commandments. If he wasn't, the answer would have been different.

The statement: “Jesus abolished the Sabbath!” is not biblical. On the contrary, Yeshua said in Matthew five from verses 17-20: “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to dissolve but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. 19 Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” And in Matthew 24:35 Yeshua says: “Heaven and earth will pass away; but my words will not pass away.”

So Yeshua confirmed the law and thus also Shabbat, which is an integral part of the law. Just as heaven and earth have not passed away, the law and thus the Shabbat, which is an integral part of the law, have not passed away, but are still fully valid today and until heaven and earth pass away.

This argument claims that Yeshua fulfilled the law for us, so we no longer need to fulfill it. That means I can lie, steal and murder because Yeshua fulfilled the law and died for our sins. That is very surprising, because no so-called Christian would claim that I was allowed to do these things. Still, it should be okay not to observe Shabbat? How can that be? So you choose the commandments that you want to stick to or don't want to stick to. We remember James 2:10: “For if anyone keeps the whole law and sins against one, he is entirely guilty.” And verse 26 continues: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so is faith Dead without works.” There is nothing more to add.

There are two events the Bible tells us to commemorate the death and resurrection of Yeshua. One is baptism. “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 So we were buried with him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 But if we are planted with him in the same death, we will also be in the likeness of his resurrection" (Romans 6:3-5) and "being buried with him through baptism; "In whom you also have been raised through the faith of God, who raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12) so it can be said with certainty that baptism is a symbol of death and resurrection and is not Sunday!

Yeshua also gave us an example: “At that time Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 But John prevented him and said, I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me? 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, Let it be so now. so it behooves us to fulfill all righteousness. So he allowed him to do it.” (Matthew 3:13) So he came to the Jordan as an adult to be baptized, to bury the old man and to rise up as a new man. This was a reference to His real death and resurrection. Since then we have been personally baptized in the Spirit by him. Since then, the water baptism ceremonies are no longer valid. Infant baptism has never been described in the Bible and is therefore considered a non-biblical ritual. But more on that elsewhere. This is supposed to be about Shabbat.

The second event in which death and resurrection are the theme is on the Seder evening of Passover, also known as Last Supper among Christians. We read about this in Luke 22:19-20: “And he took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you; this is in memory of me! 20 also the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.”

So here we have two events that point to the death and resurrection of Yeshua. One that is carried out in the spirit, which can be a permanent process, but also an event that is reflected in a festival and can thus be celebrated and commemorated every year at Passover. However, there is no indication that from now on Sunday should be taken as a memorial, or that Shabbat, God's day of rest, should now be replaced. As a side note, Yeshua was already resurrected on Sunday, which may be an indication that he was already resurrected at the end of Shabbat, but that would be a different topic for now.

But the fact is that there is no instruction in the entire Bible that we should celebrate Sunday or commemorate the resurrection on Sunday. There is certainly no evidence as to why God's day of rest should be moved to Sunday because of Yeshua's resurrection.

However, there are many references in the Holy Scriptures of our Bible, with clear instructions, which the majority of humanity does not want to adhere to. It is a great pity that people make their own commandments and ignore the commandments that God YHWH has given us humans. We don't have to think for ourselves much. We just have to do what God the Father tells us and believe and trust in His Word. This would fulfill the covenant.

I would like to present a quote from the Catholic Church: “Sunday is a Catholic institution and its holiness can be justified on the basis of Catholic principles. …From the beginning to the end of the scriptures, there is not one passage that justifies changing the weekly day of rest from the last day of the week to the first.” (The Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia, August 1900)

Even the Catholic Church points out that the postponement of the day of rest was and is a purely human act. What does the Bible say? “[…]behold, obedience is better than sacrifice[…]” (1 Samuel 15:22) and Yeshua says in Matthew 15:9: “But in vain do they honor me by teaching doctrines which are the commandments of men.” The apostle Peter also warns with other apostles: “[…] One must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29)

Now there is no direct call in the Bible to make Sunday holy, but there are places in the Bible in which it is explained that some of the apostles also met Yeshua himself on Sunday. John 2:19: "Now when it was evening on the first day of the week, and the doors of the place where the disciples were assembled were shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you![Shalom]” It is true that Yeshua appeared to the disciples on Sunday. However, the question is WHY did they gather on Sunday? Was it so they could celebrate Sunday? No, let that be far away! They were afraid for their lives from the Jews because Yeshua was crucified and they were known as his followers. But when the Jew and high priest Yeshua suddenly came to them with a joyful “Shalom” and gave them hope, they saw that God YHWH is greater than everything and God's son Yeshua, of divine nature, had conquered death. So it was a meeting like on many other days.

The service has primarily nothing to do with the day of rest. Church services can be held on any day. However, the day of rest with its particularly reverent service that remembers and praises YHWH is on Shabbat, the seventh day of the week! Just because the disciples met doesn't mean that they automatically worshiped, or sanctified Sunday, or changed the day of rest to Sunday! They met in fear and distress, they probably also prayed, but they would probably have done that on any other day in this situation.

The thesis: “Paul preached on Sunday and broke bread” is widely spread. The basis for this thesis can be found in Acts 20:7, where it is written: “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, wanting to leave the next day. and extended the speech until midnight." It should be borne in mind that in the Jewish (biblical) calendar of the time, a day begins on the eve of the day at sunset, as God YHWH ordered and as it is also described in the Bible. And not at midnight like in our Catholic calendar. In the biblical calendar, the first day of the week, Sunday, begins on the evening of Saturday, i.e. after the end of Shabbat.

So in the verse described above, Paul delivered his speech until midnight. If this had been on Roman Sunday, he would have spoken until Biblical Monday (i.e. 2nd day of the week). So Paul preached and broke bread on Shabbat evening, which was an exception because he wanted to travel as described in the verse. Verse 9 describes: “And a young man named Eutychus sat at the window; He fell into a deep sleep because Paul talked for so long, and overwhelmed by sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. 10 Then Paul went down and threw himself upon him, and took hold of him, and said, Make no noise; for his soul is in him! 11 And he went up again, and broke bread, and ate, and talked with them a long time, until daybreak, and then departed. 12 But they brought the boy alive and were not a little comforted." The bread was only broken after this event and should therefore be understood as an exception, because an apostle did not want to travel every Sunday and save a human life before breaking the bread.

However, here too there is no indication that this exception should be made the rule or why the LORD's day of rest cannot be left untouched. No matter how you read it, this text does not justify the general holiness of Sunday. It should also be mentioned that if one reads through the entire chapter, Sunday is only mentioned in passing to describe a chronological time sequence. This chapter is about many important events and not necessarily about the individual days on which they took place. Breaking bread is also not a worship service in the traditional sense, as described in Acts 2:46-47. “And daily they continued with one accord in the temple, and broke bread in the houses, and partook of the food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. But the Lord daily added to the church those who were being saved.”

In summary, there is no Bible passage in which Yeshua or an apostle kept Sunday holy. However, there are many passages in which it is confirmed that people of the people who loved God YHWH kept Shabbat holy:

- Acts 13:14: “And they departed from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent word to them: Men and brethren, if you have a word of admonition to the people, speak.' become, that I may win the Jews; To those who are under the law I have become as if I were under the law (although I am not under the law), that I may gain those who are under the law" (1 Corinthians 9:20). This would mean that Paul only went to the synagogue to win Jews over to Christians. So not to make Shabbat holy, but just to reach the Jews. But we continue to read: "And when the Jews went out of school, the Gentiles asked that they might tell them the words on the next Sabbath." (Acts 13:42) It is very interesting that it was not the Jews who asked Paul on the next Sabbath to preach again in the synagogue, but to the Gentiles! So the Gentiles were keeping Shabbat and wanted to know more about it! In the following verse (44) we continue to read: “On the following Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” One can imagine how big the service must have been when almost the whole city came together To hear Paul preach on Shabbat and to sanctify Shabbat! But that wasn't the only report. Let's read further:

- “As Paul was wont to do, he went in to them and spoke to them from the Scriptures on three Sabbaths,” (Acts 17:2) and further:

- “On the day of the Sabbath we went out to the waterfront outside the city, where they used to pray, and we sat down and spoke to the women who were there together.” (Acts 16:13) but it goes further:

- "And he taught in school on all Sabbaths, and taught both Jews and Greeks." (Acts 18:4) "And he sat there one year and six months, teaching the word of God." (Acts 18:11) A A year and six months are seventy-eight weeks. So Paul preached on well over seventy Shabbats; if we include the ones mentioned above, there are over eighty of the ones mentioned on which Paul demonstrably preached. This fact undermines the argument that Paul preached on Sunday. So the argument used against Shabbat is not tenable based on biblical facts. The Bible says it unequivocally in the Old and New Testaments: Shabbat is the holy day of rest of the LORD YHWH. It's not Sunday or any other day. Paul also sanctified Shabbat like all other Gentiles who converted.

In the previous argument it was refuted that the Apostle Paul moved Shabbat to Sunday. Nevertheless, there are still doubters. So let's see what the apostles say. Paul said: “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.” (Romans 7:22) He goes on to say in Romans 3:31: “How? Do we then abolish the law through faith? Far be it! But we establish the law." To the Corinthians he writes the following: "To be circumcised is nothing, and to be uncircumcised is nothing, but to keep God's commandments." (1 Corinthians 7:19) The apostle Paul confirmed the law. There was no talk of changes; on the contrary, the importance of the commandments was emphasized.

The apostle John wrote: “Brothers, I do not write to you a new commandment, but the old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you heard from the beginning.” (1 John 2:7) John also emphasizes the validity of the commandments that were there from the beginning. So the argument that the apostles moved Shabbat to Sunday is false. On the contrary, the old commandment was pointed out and emphasized. Sunday observance would be a big change, about which there would have been a lot of discussion. When circumcision was transferred from the flesh to the spirit, there were already heated and long discussions. It is impossible to imagine the discussions that would have been triggered by changing the day of rest. These also took place, but not mentioned in the Bible, but about 300 years later at the Council of Nicaea, at which, according to the order of Emperor Constantine, Shabbat had to give way to Sunday. And since Shabbat keepers have been persecuted and disadvantaged. More on that in another text.

But even if the apostles had changed Shabbat to Sunday, would this still apply to us? Would they have been authorized to change God's commandments? The commandments of God YHWH, which YHWH himself wrote in stone with his finger? The Shabbat that Yeshua HaMashiach the Son of God sanctified there? Could the apostles simply change this? The answer is a clear no. The apostles did not have that much authority. So even if they had changed Shabbat, it would be invalid for us because YHWH God is also above the apostles. However, they did not change Shabbat; on the contrary, they emphasized its importance. They have not moved or changed the LORD's day of rest. They were completely obedient.

It would be blasphemy to remove the fourth commandment, which confirms God YHWH as Creator. The apostles understood very well the importance of the law. Because only through the law do we realize that we are sinners. And only through the law do we understand that we cannot save ourselves. And it is only through the law that we understand our need for a Savior. The law is there to show people their fatal illness. The law is the diagnosis! The person now has the choice whether to accept the medicine in the form of Yeshua HaMashiach and be healed so that he can live forever, or whether he would rather deny his diagnosis and convince himself that he is healthy, not accept the medicine and thereby be safe Death chooses.

This statement has no biblical basis, because nowhere in the Bible do we read that churches collected offerings on Sunday. In the Bible we read this in 1 Corinthians 16:2: "On the first day of every week let each of you lay aside and gather up according to what he has, so that when I come there may not be gatherings." Does this mean collecting donations in a church service? Paul recommends that believers put some money aside on Sunday. Is this a meeting? Paul only recommends setting something aside for yourself. So that when Paul comes on Shabbat, the money is ready and doesn't have to be collected first.

So how do you get the idea that putting money aside on Sunday gives Sunday a special meaning and even replaces the holy Shabbat? If I deposit money into my savings account every week, is the day special and perhaps even sacred when I make this transfer? So for me, the day is more special when I can spend the money on what I've been saving for. It should also be borne in mind that the working conditions back then were not the same as they are today. The workers did not receive a monthly wage, but were day laborers. That's why it makes sense for the worker to put aside part of his first wage of the week after his first day of work. This verse also confirms that Sunday was a normal working day, because where else would the money come from on the first day of the week if not from the work done to give to the apostle on Shabbat?! Arguing that Sunday should be celebrated for this reason does not correspond to the facts. So it can be safely said that this is not an argument for Sunday, but rather proves that Sunday was and should be a normal working day.

As proof that Sunday is the day of the Eternal, the following verse is given: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet." (Revelation 1:10) In this Verse describes John as being in the Spirit on the day of the LORD. There is nothing written about Sunday in this verse. So how do you come to the conclusion that Sunday is the day of the LORD? There are several verses in the Bible that state that Shabbat is the day of the LORD:

- "If you turn away your feet from the Sabbath, and do not do as you please on My holy day, calling the Sabbath a pleasure and the day holy to the LORD [...]" (Isaiah 58:13)

- “You shall work six days; but the seventh day is the great, holy Sabbath when you come together. You shall not do any work on it; for it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings” (Leviticus 23:3).

- “Six days you shall work; but you shall keep the seventh day holy, a sabbath of the Lord's rest. Whoever works on it shall die.” (Exodus 35:2)

So Isaiah and Moses confirm that Shabbat is the day of the LORD. But Yeshua also confirms this by saying about himself in Mark 2:28: “So the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Yeshua is the Lord of the Sabbath or the Sabbath is the day of the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach.

So it can be said with certainty that the Bible refers to Shabbat, not Sunday, as the day of the LORD.

Some “Christians” claim that all days are the same. It would not matter what day God was served. This statement is underscored with the following verse: “One keeps one day before another; but the other keeps all days the same. Let everyone be sure in his opinion.” (Romans 14:5) After this verse there is no longer any difference between the different days. All days are the same. What does Paul want to explain to us with this statement? Does this mean the weekly rest day? Does Paul mean Shabbat? How can it be that Paul says such words? Because God YHWH Himself called Shabbat “Holy”! Elsewhere, Paul calls the law, including Shabbat, “Holy”! Is Paul contradicting God YHWH and himself here too? Does this contradiction exist in the Bible?

Admittedly, the verse is not easy to understand. We must therefore look at it in context and see what Paul is talking about in this context and what he wants to say. So here is Romans fourteen from verses one to eight: “Welcome those who are weak in faith and do not confuse their consciences. 2 A man thinks he can eat all kinds of things; but he who is weak eats herbs. 3 Let not the one who eats despise him who does not eat; and let not him who eateth not judge him that eateth; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge a foreign servant? He stands or falls to his master. But he may well be raised up; for God can well raise him up. 5 One keeps one day before another; but the other keeps all days the same. Let everyone be sure in his opinion. He who waits for the days does it to the LORD; and whoever thinks nothing of it will do it also to the LORD. He who eats eats to the LORD, for he gives thanks to God; He who does not eat does not eat to the LORD and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. 8 If we live, we live to the LORD; If we die, we die to the LORD. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the LORD’s.”

We continue to read from verses 14-21 the following: “I know and am sure in the LORD Jesus that there is nothing common in itself; only to him who counts it as common, it is common to him. 15 But if your brother grieves because of your food, you are not walking in love. Do not spoil with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore make sure that your treasure is not blasphemed. 17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this is pleasing to God and worthy of men.

19 Let us therefore strive for peace and for the betterment of one another. 20 Do not disturb the work of God for the sake of food. It is true that everything is pure; but it is not good for him who eats it with the offense of his conscience.”

So what is Paul talking about in context here? It is mainly about opinions, food, food, drink, clean and unclean things. We should also take into account that a wide variety of communities came together in Rome. Different people with different cultures and different habits from different corners of the earth with different customs and customs. It is not surprising that there were different understandings and opinions about faith. And in this context one can also better understand what Paul is talking about. Some people considered a certain day or fasting day to be special, for others these were just ordinary days. Paul here admonishes believers not to judge/condemn one another.

Paul does not talk about Shabbat in the above verses. So in this context it is rather unlikely that Paul means Shabbat. Paul tries to keep the peace in the crowd and asks believers to respect one another. Furthermore, Paul explicitly states the controversial issues as opinions. Here we are not even talking about God's commandments. This cannot be about the Ten Commandments, because they are not discussed in the entire section. In Romans 3:13 Paul says clearly: “[…] we confirm the law.” The law of God is above the opinions of men. Where would we get to if everyone made their own rules according to their own standards? One sanctifies Sunday, another Thursday, and the third Tuesday as the day of the LORD. It is important to know that there are things that God YHWH leaves to people, about which he can freely decide and act according to his knowledge and conscience and still do not fall outside the covenant. However, there are also things that YHWH God prescribes for people to do in order to remain in the covenant. When it comes to the second, the Ten Commandments, it doesn't matter what opinion I have about them.

Paul was talking about opinions here. There was no mention of Shabbat either. Not all days are the same, God YHWH only blessed this one day, Shabbat!

The fourth verse of the tenth chapter of Romans causes heated discussions regarding the law and thus also the Shabbat, where the following is written: “For Christ is the end of the law; Whoever believes in him is righteous.” At first glance it seems as if Yeshua is the end of the law and that it has been abolished. What does Paul want to say here? Elsewhere Paul teaches the following: “[…] for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20) and in Romans 4:15: “[…] but where there is no law, there is no transgression .” Is Paul contradicting himself? At one point he says that the law is important, at another point he speaks of the end of the law.

Suppose the law had come to an end, what would that mean? Without the law there is no more sin and therefore no more breaking of the law. So there is no measure of good and evil. Doesn’t this statement contradict Yeshua’s statement in Matthew 5:17-18: “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to dissolve but to fulfill. 18For truly I say to you, Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter nor one part of the law will disappear, until all things come to pass. So the above verse seems to contradict these verses in the Bible. But before we talk about a contradiction here, let's check whether there might be a translation error:

In the original text the word “telos” is mentioned, which was translated as end. So let’s look for more translations of this word “telos”. On Wikipedia, the word “telos” is translated from Greek with the German word “target”. In Duden, “telos” means “goal”, [final] purpose.

Let's look at another verse that also uses the word "telos": "And yet the end of the commandment is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and unfeigned faith." (1 Timothy 1:5)

In Luther's translation, 1 Peter 1:9 is translated as follows: "and bring about the end of your faith, namely the salvation of your soul." While the Schlachter translation says: "when you carry away the end of your faith, the salvation of your soul!" In the Schlachter translation, this verse is translated more precisely.

If we translate the word “telos” correctly, the verse mentioned above means: “For Christ is the goal of the law […]” This means that the Bible verse no longer contradicts other verses. So Yeshua is not the end of the law, but the goal of the law. The aim of the law is to lead us to Yeshua. The law cannot save me or justify me. The law does not condemn. The purpose of the law is to convince us of our guilt and thus lead us to Yeshua, who can free us from guilt and sin. Yeshua is the goal. That's what the whole context is about. In verse (3) before we read: “For because they do not recognize the righteousness of God and seek to establish their own righteousness, they are not subject to the righteousness of God.” Paul wanted to make it clear that it is pointless to get through Wanting to save legality and your own works. But that Yeshua is our righteousness and justification. And that we can only be saved through him.

If we believe in Yeshua, if we love him, we will follow God's ten commandments on our own initiative - not to make myself righteous, but because I simply can't do anything else!

There are still people of little faith who allow themselves to be seduced by such arguments. The following should be said: In Germany we call the days:

Sunday “Day of the Sun God” (First Day), Monday “Day of Mars” (Second Day), Tuesday “Day of Tiu” (Third Day), Wednesday “Day of Wodan/Odin” (Fourth Day), Thursday “Day of Thor/Baal” (Fifth Day), Friday (Day of Freya – Sixth Day) and Saturday (Day of Saturn – Seventh Day – Shabbat).

How is it in other countries? In Hebrew it is still designed as in the original:

yom rishon, "First day", yom sheni, "Second day", yom shishi, "Third day", yom revi'i, "Fourth day", yom khamishi, "Fifth day", yom shishi, "Sixth day", Shabat, “rest.”

For example, in Brazil and Portugal the days are:

Domingo “Day of Saint Dominic, who founded the Catholic Dominican Order” (Sunday), Segunda-Feira “Second Day” (Monday), Terca-Feira “Third Day” (Tuesday), Quarta-Feira “Fourth Day” (Wednesday) , Quinta-Feira “Fifth Day” (Thursday), Sexta-Feira “Sixth Day” (Friday), Sabado “Shabbat” (Seventh Day).

So it was different, originally the days were simply numbered, only Shabbat was significantly described as a “day of rest” and therefore highlighted as particularly special. But the Germanic peoples thought it would be better to worship a god every day and so not only was Shabbat lost, but it also completely lost its meaning because every day served a god. (see https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wochentag): “The seven days of the Babylonian week were named after the planets of the geocentric world view that are visible to the naked eye (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn), who were themselves viewed as gods at the time of the naming. When the Germanic people learned about these names in the 4th century, they renamed them after the names of the Germanic deities that roughly corresponded to the Roman gods. In the course of Christianization, attempts were made at a later date to push back these pagan names, but in German-speaking countries this only succeeded [only to a limited extent] on Wednesdays and Saturdays.”

It is a great pity that today, after more than two thousand years, it is still up for debate which day we should keep to fulfill the covenant. It is so easy to do the right thing if you study God's Word in the Bible thoroughly. People in church leadership positions in particular should do this and promote it in an exemplary manner. Instead, they engage in pointless discussions, even though the Word of God is so clear in the Bible.

Unfortunately, people only associate Shabbat with Judaism and don't even realize that it also applies equally to Christians. Christianity emerged from Judaism. Yeshua was/is a Jew! We pray to the God of Israel YHWH. What else has to happen for us to recognize and follow our Jewish roots? Shabbat is a big part of it!

Sometimes Shabbat becomes a test when we get into trouble with family, friends, or employers because of keeping Shabbat. But even in times of testing, God does not leave YHWH alone, but goes through it with us. And loyalty to the Most High always pays off.

Shabbat is not a burden. It is a special day on which you take a lot of time - for God! He is there for people. It is used for relaxation, the discovery of God's Word, and a break from work. Shabbat is a blessing. On Shabbat we recharge so that we have enough energy for the rest of the week. Anyone who keeps it tidy will quickly notice this themselves. Just try it out for a while! 

Sources: www.YouTube.com Search text: "Do Christians have to keep the Sabbath? Parts 1-4, Joy in Faith" (2017)

The following Bible editions were cited: Schlachter (1951); Elberfelder (1905); Luther (1912)

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wochentag (2019)