Sabbath is essential

     What does the Bible say about the Sabbath? Let's begin in Genesis 1:31 KJV "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Genesis 2:1-3 KJV "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.2.1-3.KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.1.31.KJV God established the Sabbath in Eden when there was only Adam and Eve; the Jews as a nation didn't come into existence for many generations later. (As a side note, this is also when marriage between one man and one woman began.) Many years later, the Israelites were wondering in the desert and were hungry. In Exodus 16, God is about to give them manna from heaven. This is the description, Exodus 16:4-5 KJV 4"Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. 5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily." Exodus 16:16-30 KJV 16"This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. 17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. 28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30 So the people rested on the seventh day." https://bible.com/bible/1/exo.16.16-30.KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/exo.16.4-5.KJV God was teaching them even then when Sabbath was. This event took place 4 chapters before the give of the law in Exodus chapter 20:8-11 KJV 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." https://bible.com/bible/1/exo.20.8-11.KJV In ancient Israel breaking the Sabbath was a death penalty. See Numbers 15:32, 35 KJV 32 "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp." https://bible.com/bible/1/num.15.32-35.KJV

    So now we must ask ourselves exactly what does it mean in Colossians 2:16 KJV, when it says: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:" ? https://bible.com/bible/1/col.2.16.KJV Let's go to Isaiah 1:13-14 KJV 13"Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.1.13-14.KJV  Hosea 2:11 KJV "I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts." https://bible.com/bible/1/hos.2.11.KJV So what were these "new moons and sabbaths"? Turn to  Leviticus 23:4, 24, 39 KJV 4 "These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. 32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. 39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath." (Read whole chapter for context) https://bible.com/bible/1/lev.23.4-39.KJV Notice in these verses that it did not matter what day of the week that the small (s) sabbaths fell on, they were to observe them as a sabbath, not The Sabbath.  It is currently impossible for every male to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem 3 times in a year. While God still does work according to the calendar that He set up, because God cannot change see Malachi 3:6 KJV "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." https://bible.com/bible/1/mal.3.6.KJV If God could change then satan would be correct in saying that God is arbitrary and unfair. Jesus would not have had to come to save us from sin, because God could then just decide that the wages of sin isn't death, but that is another subject for another time. Exodus 31:18 KJV "And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." https://bible.com/bible/1/exo.31.18.KJV God Himself wrote the ten commandments and not even He can change them. Psalm 111:7-8 KJV 7 "The works of his hands are verity and judgment; All his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness." https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.111.7-8.KJV Proverbs 28:7, 9-10 KJV 7 "Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: But he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. 9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer shall be abomination. 10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, He shall fall himself into his own pit: But the upright shall have good things in possession." https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.28.7-10.KJV Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 KJV 13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." https://bible.com/bible/1/ecc.12.13-14.KJV Since every work will be brought into judgment; by what standard does God judge us, if not by His law? 

    So how are we to keep the Sabbath? Isaiah 58:13-14 KJV 13 "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14 then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.58.13-14.KJV When Jesus came the Jews were so fearful of breaking the Sabbath that they had made it a burden. Jesus came to show us how to keep the Sabbath. Luke 4:16 KJV "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.4.16.KJV Matthew 12:10-13 KJV 10 "and, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other." https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.12.10-13.KJV Jesus showed us by example how to keep Sabbath holy. Isaiah 42:21 KJV "The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable." https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.42.21.KJV Jesus expounded on the law, He didn't do away with it. In fact He said, John 14:15 KJV "If ye love me, keep my commandments." https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.14.15.KJV He also said, Matthew 5:17-22, 27-28 KJV 17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.5.17-28.KJV This is what Isaiah meant when he said, "he will magnify the law". 

    So what about the disciples and Paul, what day did they keep? Acts 13:14, 44 KJV 14 "But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." https://bible.com/bible/1/act.13.14-44.KJV Acts 17:2 KJV "and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures," https://bible.com/bible/1/act.17.2.KJV They kept the Sabbath.  Have you heard something like this, "That was the old covenant, we are under the new covenant?" Well, Hebrews 8:10 KJV "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And write them in their hearts: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people:" https://bible.com/bible/1/heb.8.10.KJV James 2:10-12, 17 KJV 10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." https://bible.com/bible/1/jas.2.10-17.KJV  Can the court system of today judge a person if there is no law? Then how could the God of the universe judge anyone if His laws were not in force? 1 John 3:4 KJV "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." https://bible.com/bible/1/1jn.3.4.KJV God fully expected His laws to still be binding on us today, as expressed in Revelation 14:12 KJV "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." https://bible.com/bible/1/rev.14.12.KJV Even in heaven, Isaiah says, in Isaiah 66:22-23 KJV 22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD." https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.66.22-23.KJV In conclusion we can find keeping the seventh day of the week holy from Genesis to Revelation. All the Christian world knows that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday morning, so according to Matthew 28:1 KJV "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.28.1.KJV  Sunday is the first day of the week and it falls after the Sabbath. God never changes, and He never will.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7

Chapter 22—The Sign of our Order

I have been instructed that our medical institutions are to stand as witnesses for God. They are established to relieve the sick and the afflicted, to awaken a spirit of inquiry, to disseminate light, and to advance reform. These institutions, rightly conducted, will be the means of bringing a knowledge of the reforms essential to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord, before many that otherwise it would be impossible for us to reach. 7T 104.1

Many of the patrons of our medical institutions have high ideas in regard to the presence of God abiding in the institution they visit; and they are very susceptible to the spiritual influences that prevail. If all the physicians, nurses, and helpers are walking circumspectly before God, they have more than human power in dealing with these men and women. Every institution whose helpers are consecrated is pervaded by divine power; and the patrons not only obtain relief from bodily infirmities, but find a healing balm for their sin-sick souls. 7T 104.2

Let the leaders among our people emphasize the necessity of a strong religious influence being maintained in our medical institutions. The Lord designs that these shall be places where He will be honored in word and in deed, places where His law will be magnified and the truths of the Bible made prominent. Medical missionaries are to do a great work for God. They are to be wide awake and vigilant, having on every piece of the Christian armor and fighting manfully. They are to be loyal to their Leader, obeying His commandments, including the one by which they reveal the sign of their order. 7T 104.3

The observance of the Sabbath is the sign between God and His people. Let us not be ashamed to bear the sign that distinguishes us from the world. As I considered this matter in the night season recently, One of authority counseled us to study the instruction given the Israelites in regard to the Sabbath. “Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep,” the Lord declared to them; “for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you.... Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever.” Exodus 31:13-17. 7T 105.1

The Sabbath is ever the sign that distinguishes the obedient from the disobedient. With masterly power Satan has worked to make null and void the fourth commandment, that the sign of God may be lost sight of. The Christian world have trodden underfoot the Sabbath of the Lord and observe a sabbath instituted by the enemy. But God has a people who are loyal to Him. His work is to be carried forward in right lines. The people who bear His sign are to establish churches and institutions as memorials to Him. These memorials, however humble in appearance, will constantly bear witness against the false sabbath instituted by Satan, and in favor of the Sabbath instituted by the Lord in Eden, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. 7T 105.2

A spirit of irreverence and carelessness in the observance of the Sabbath is liable to come into our sanitariums. Upon the men of responsibility in the medical missionary work rests the duty of giving instruction to physicians, nurses, and helpers in regard to the sanctity of God's holy day. Especially should every physician endeavor to set a right example. The nature of his duties naturally leads him to feel justified in doing on the Sabbath many things that he should refrain from doing. So far as possible he should so plan his work that he can lay aside his ordinary duties. 7T 106.1

Often physicians and nurses are called upon during the Sabbath to minister to the sick, and sometimes it is impossible for them to take time for rest and for attending devotional services. The needs of suffering humanity are never to be neglected. The Saviour, by His example, has shown us that it is right to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. But unnecessary work, such as ordinary treatments and operations that can be postponed, should be deferred. Let the patients understand that physicians and helpers should have one day for rest. Let them understand that the workers fear God and desire to keep holy the day that He has set apart for His followers to observe as a sign between Him and them. 7T 106.2

The educators and those being educated in our medical institutions should remember that to keep the Sabbath aright means much to them and to the patrons. In keeping the Sabbath, which God declares shall be kept holy, they give the sign of their order, showing plainly that they are on the Lord's side. 7T 106.3

Now and ever we are to stand as a distinct and peculiar people, free from all worldly policy, unembarrassed by confederating with those who have not wisdom to discern God's claims so plainly set forth in His law. All our medical institutions are established as Seventh-day Adventist institutions to represent the various features of gospel medical missionary work and thus to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. We are to show that we are seeking to work in harmony with heaven. We are to bear witness to all nations, kindreds, and tongues that we are a people who love and fear God, a people who keep holy His memorial of creation, the sign between Him and His obedient children that He sanctifies them. And we are plainly to show our faith in the soon coming of our Lord in the clouds of heaven. 7T 106.4

As a people we have been greatly humiliated by the course that some of our brethren in responsible positions have taken in departing from the old landmarks. There are those who, in order to carry out their plans, have by their words denied their faith. This shows how little dependence can be placed on human wisdom and judgment. Now, as never before, we need to see the danger of being led unguardedly away from loyalty to God's commands. We need to realize that God has given us a decided message of warning for the world, even as He gave Noah a message of warning for the antediluvians. Let our people beware of belittling the importance of the Sabbath in order to link up with unbelievers. Let them beware of departing from the principles of our faith, making it appear that it is not wrong to conform to the world. Let them be afraid of heeding the counsel of any man, whatever his position may be, who works counter to that which God has wrought in order to keep His people separate from the world. 7T 107.1

The Lord is testing His people to see who will be loyal to the principles of His truth. Our work is to proclaim to the world the first, second, and third angels’ messages. In the discharge of our duties we are neither to despise nor to fear our enemies. To bind ourselves up by contracts with those not of our faith is not in the order of God. We are to treat with kindness and courtesy those who refuse to be loyal to God, but we are never, never to unite with them in counsel regarding the vital interests of His work. Putting our trust in God, we are to move steadily forward, doing His work with unselfishness, in humble dependence upon Him, committing to His providence ourselves and all that concerns our present and future, holding the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end, remembering that we receive the blessings of heaven, not because of our worthiness, but because of Christ's worthiness and our acceptance, through faith in Him, of God's abounding grace. 7T 107.2

I pray that my brethren may realize that the third angel's message means much to us and that the observance of the true Sabbath is to be the sign that distinguishes those who serve God from those who serve Him not. Let those who have become sleepy and indifferent awake. We are called to be holy, and we should carefully avoid giving the impression that it is of little consequence whether or not we retain the peculiar features of our faith. Upon us rests the solemn obligation of taking a more decided stand for truth and righteousness than we have taken in the past. The line of demarcation between those who keep the commandments of God and those who do not is to be revealed with unmistakable clearness. We are conscientiously to honor God, diligently using every means of keeping in covenant relation with Him, that we may receive His blessings, the blessings so essential for the people who are to be so severely tried. To give the impression that our faith, our religion, is not a dominating power in our lives is greatly to dishonor God. Thus we turn from His commandments, which are our life, denying that He is our God and that we are His people. 7T 108.1

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We are to invite everyone—the high and the low, the rich and the poor, all sects and classes—to share the benefits of our medical institutions. We receive into our institutions people of all denominations. But as for ourselves we are strictly denominational; we are sacredly denominated by God and are under His theocracy. But we are not unwisely to press upon anyone the peculiar points of our faith. 7T 109.1

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In order that men might not forget the true God, Jehovah gave them a memorial of His love and power—the Sabbath. He says: “Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you.” Exodus 31:13. 7T 109.2

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Concerning Israel, the Lord declared: “The people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” Numbers 23:9. To us as well as to ancient Israel these words apply. God's people are to stand alone. The observance of the seventh-day Sabbath is to be a sign between them and God, showing that they are to be a peculiar people, separate from the world in habit and practice. Through them God will work to gather from all nationalities a people for Himself. 7T 109.3 https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/117.565#566