Are Believers Under the New Covenant Obligated to Keep the Sabbath?

The Sabbath was one of the Ten Commandments. Below shows the regulations about the importance of keeping the Sabbath.  It was a mandatory day of rest for every living thing in the nation of Israel:

The Sabbath was a day to keep holy:

Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy.  For six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; on it you shall not do any work, you or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates.  Exodus 20:8-11

No work was to be done:

Moses assembled the whole community of the Israelites and said to them, "These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do. In six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD.  Anyone who does work on it will be put to death.

No fires were to be kindled in the home:

You must not kindle a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath day." Exodus 35:3

No cooking was allowed from evening to evening:

And on the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers per person; and all the leaders of the community came and told Moses.  He said to them, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is a time of cessation from work, a holy Sabbath to the LORD.  Whatever you want to bake, bake today; whatever you want to boil, boil today; whatever is left put aside for yourselves to be kept until morning.'"  So they put it aside until the morning, just as Moses had commanded, and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the areal.  Six days you will gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."  Exodus 16:22-26  

No food gathering was allowed and no one was supposed to be outside their dwelling:

See, because the LORD has given you the Sabbath, that is why he is giving you food for two days on the sixth day.  Each of you stay where you are; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.  Exodus 16:29-30

This was the central sign of the Covenant  between God and the Nation of Israel:

The LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you." Exodus 31:12 (compare with Ezek. 20:12)

Sabbath Breakers Were To Be Stoned To Death:

So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it must surely be put to death; indeed, if anyone does any work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his people.  Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; and anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death. The Israelites must keep the Sabbath by observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.  Exodus 31:14-16 (see also 35:2; Numbers 15:32-36)

All is clear that if one breaks the Sabbath they are to be put to death. Why is it our Sabbath keepers want people to follow this central law given to the nation of Israel, but yet do not do what God commands them to do concerning the Sabbath breakers?

Execution was not only for Sabbath breakers, but also for violation of worship rituals. Some of these were using sacred recipe for incense (Ex. 30:33), an unclean person eating of the fellowship offering (Lev. 7:20-21), sacrificing an animal in the wrong place (Lev. 17:4), at certain times going too close to the tabernacle (Numbers 1:51), false profits whose prophecies failed (Duet. 18:20-22).  Such things as these would have a person cut off or be put to death.

Did the Priesthood Observe the Sabbath?

We read in the Torah that God set aside the sons of Aaron as priests to serve in the Temple (Ex. 28).

In Exodus 23:30 we read,

The priest who succeeds him from his son, when he first comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, is to wear them for seven days.  Exodus 29:30

In Exodus 29:35-37 it states,

Thus you are to do for Aaron and for his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; you are to consecrate them for seven days. Every day you are to prepare a bull of purification offering for atonement. You are to purge the altar by making atonement for it, and you are to anoint it to set it apart as holy. For seven days you are to make atonement for the altar and set it apart as holy.  Then the altar will be most holy. Anything that touches the altar will be holy.

It is clear the Sabbath did not apply to them for they were told to work every day as God commanded them.

Jesus said,

Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are not guilty?   Matt. 12:5

What About the Royal Priesthood of All Believers?

Peter says,

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of  darkness into his marvelous light.  1 Peter 2:9

This priesthood is according to the order of Melchizedek, and Jesus as our high priest. (Heb. 3:1; 4:14; 5:10; 6:20)  We read in Hebrews that Jesus' priesthood far surpasses the priesthood of Aaron (Heb. 7:11-17). The word "high priest" implies that there are other priests also according to this order, Jesus being the high priest.

In Revelation 1:4-6 we read,

From John, to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from he who is, and who was, and who is still to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faith witness, the firstborn from among the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth.  To the one who loves us and has set us free from our sins at the cost of his own blood and has appointed us as a kingdom, as priests serving his God and Father - to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever!  Amen.

We are kings and priests in the spiritual sense.  It is the priesthood of all believers. We should be offering our bodies as a living sacrifice which has to do with our reasonable service in serving and worshiping our God every day of our lives.

Even though David was not a priest, he did the same.

Notice what David says,

May you accept my prayers like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering!  Ps. 141:2

I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Ps. 116:17 

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness. Ps. 4:5

David was not a priest like the sons of Aaron but his worship is considered as spiritual incense and sacrifice which is what the LORD God really desires.  This is what the spiritual priesthood of all believers under the New Covenant means.  Paul describes the Philippians' gift as "a sweet-smelling aroma, and acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God."  (Phil. 4:18)  He also says,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Rom. 12:1

In Hebrews we read,

Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.  But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  Heb. 13:15-16

Again, as Peter said,

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  1 Peter 2:9

The LORD God said the same to the children of Israel,

You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  Ex. 19:6

As the commandment to observe the Sabbath was not binding for the Levite priests, neither is it binding for the priesthood of all believers under the New Covenant.  It is the only commandment not repeated under the New Covenant.

In Colossians we read,

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Summary:

• The Levite priests were descendants from Aaron and were only commanded to follow nine of the ten commandments, for God commanded them to work on the Sabbath.  Therefore they were not a liberty to keep the Sabbath.
• Jesus the Messiah declared the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet were innocent.
• Believers under the New Covenant are priests according to the order of Melchizedek, Jesus being our high priest.
• The priesthood of all believers under the New Covenant are not commanded to keep the Sabbath.

Concerning sacrifice, click here to read the Hebrew mind-set of sacrifices.

For a study through the book of Hebrews, see youtube videos here.