Long before there was an Israel, a Sinai covenant, or even a people called “Jews,” God set apart the seventh day as holy—inviting humanity into rest, remembrance, and fellowship with Him.
This article traces the Sabbath from its origin in creation, through its codifying in the Torah, its affirmation by the prophets and by our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), and its continued observance among early believers.
In doing so, it challenges the common assumption that the Sabbath belongs exclusively to the Jewish people and instead presents it as a gift, sign, and calling intended for all who seek to walk in covenant faith with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of the Bible.
The Sabbath is not a new invention, nor is it limited to one people group or even one covenant.
Scripture presents the Sabbath as:
- Established by God at Creation
- Reinforced through Israel’s deliverance
- Affirmed throughout the Torah
- Honored by the prophets
- Practiced by Messiah, Yeshua
- and observed by the earliest followers of Yeshua
Tracing the Sabbath throughout the bible from Genesis through the New Testament reveals its enduring role in God’s design for all of humanity.
The Sabbath Established at Creation
The origin of the Sabbath predates Israel, Sinai, and even sin itself.
The Sabbath is rooted in Creation, when God completed His work and sanctified a specific day for it. He established it.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.”
— Genesis 2:1–3
Already we have several important points:
- The seventh day is explicitly identified, by God Himself.
- God rested, blessed, and sanctified (set apart) that day.
- This occurred before the existence of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews, Mosaic Law, or the nation of Israel.
The Sabbath was established as part of God’s created order, intended for humanity from the beginning.
The Sabbath Reinforced Before Sinai
Before the Ten Commandments were spoken at Mount Sinai, God reintroduced Sabbath observance to Israel in the wilderness through the provision of His manna.
“He told them, “This is what Adonai has said: ‘Tomorrow is a holy Shabbat for Adonai. Bake what you want to bake; boil what you want to boil; and whatever is left over, set aside and keep for the morning.’” They set it aside till morning, as Moshe had ordered; and it didn’t rot or have worms. Moshe said, “Today, eat that; because today is a Shabbat for Adonai — today you won’t find it in the field. Gather it six days, but the seventh day is the Shabbat, on that day there won’t be any.” ”
— Exodus 16:23-26
When some of the people didn’t listen and went out to gather manna on the seventh day anyways, God responded:
“Adonai said to Moshe, “How long will you refuse to observe my mitzvot and teachings? Look, Adonai has given you the Shabbat. This is why he is providing bread for two days on the sixth day. Each of you, stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.”
— Exodus 16:28-30
This passage is significant because:
- The Sabbath is assumed to be already established.
- God refers to it as part of His commandments and laws prior to Sinai.
- Obedience to the Sabbath is connected to faith or trust in God’s provision.
The Sabbath Codified in the Ten Commandments
At Mount Sinai, the Sabbath is formally included in the Ten Commandments, written by the finger of God in stone.
“Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.”
— Exodus 20:8–11
Notably:
- The command begins with “Remember”, indicating something already established. But it also means to “guard” or “protect” it as something greatly valued and cherished.
- The reason given points back to Creation, not just the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.
- The Sabbath was for everyone, even the foreigners, the slaves and the animals!
In Deuteronomy, Moses reiterates the command:
“You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your God brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore Adonai your God has ordered you to keep the day of Shabbat.”
— Deuteronomy 5:15
Together, these passages show the Sabbath as both:
- A Creation ordinance, and
- A covenantal sign, reminding Israel of redemption and rest.
The Sabbath Affirmed Throughout the Torah
The Torah, also known as the “Law” or “God’s instructions,” repeatedly emphasizes the importance of the Sabbath as a sign of faithfulness.
“Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘You are to observe my Shabbats; for this is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you will know that I am Adonai, who sets you apart for me.
— Exodus 31:13
“The people of Isra’el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant.”
— Exodus 31:16
The Sabbath is described as:
- Perpetual
- A sign that you belong to God
- A holy appointment (Leviticus 23:3)
“‘Work is to be done on six days; but the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, a holy convocation; you are not to do any kind of work; it is a Shabbat for Adonai, even in your homes.”
— Leviticus 23:3
The Sabbath Upheld by the Prophets
As you read the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament, you see them continually calling God’s people back to proper Sabbath observance, linking it to covenant faithfulness. The people of Israel kept on breaking the commandments and the prophets kept admonishing them to return to God’s instructions, including the Sabbath.
“Happy is the person who does this,
anyone who grasps it firmly,
who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it,
and keeps himself from doing any evil.”
— Isaiah 56:2
To profane the Sabbath means to treat what God has declared holy as if it were common, ordinary, or unimportant.
In Scripture, the idea of profaning is the opposite of sanctifying—instead of setting something apart for God, it is brought down to the level of any other ordinary thing.
Isaiah also speaks prophetically of the Sabbath extending beyond just Israel:
“And the foreigners who join themselves to Adonai
to serve him, to love the name of Adonai,
and to be his workers,
all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it,
and hold fast to my covenant,
I will bring them to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.”
— Isaiah 56:6–7
And looking forward to the restored Creation, in the future:
“Every month on Rosh-Hodesh
and every week on Shabbat,
everyone living will come
to worship in my presence,” says Adonai.
— Isaiah 66:23
Yeshua and the Sabbath
Yeshua did not abolish the Sabbath; He kept it, taught on it, and corrected rabbinical man-made distortions surrounding it.
We see countless mentions of Him going to the synagogues on the Sabbath and teaching the people.
“Now when he went to Natzeret, where he had been brought up, on Shabbat he went to the synagogue as usual. He stood up to read,”
— Luke 4:16
“They entered K’far-Nachum, and on Shabbat Yeshua went into the synagogue and began teaching.”
— Mark 1:21
“ He went down to K’far-Nachum, a town in the Galil, and made a practice of teaching them on Shabbat.”
— Luke 4:31
“ On another Shabbat, when Yeshua had gone into the synagogue and was teaching, a man was there who had a shriveled hand.”
— Luke 6:6
He himself declared that the Sabbath was made for mankind:
“Then he said to them, “Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat”
— Mark 2:27
This statement affirms what had always been so, since the beginning:
- It is rooted in Creation (“made”), not only for Jewish identity, but as belonging to Him.
- The Sabbath was created for all of humankind.
Yeshua also stated very clearly so that no one would be mistaken in thinking that what God permanently established was going to end:
“Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened.”
— Matthew 5:17–18
We are still living in the same earth since Creation. We are still looking at the same heavens. Nothing has passed away, and neither have the commands of the Father, including His established Sabbath.
The Sabbath Kept by the Early Followers of Yeshua
After Yeshua’s resurrection, the apostles continued keeping the Sabbath.
“Then they went back home to prepare spices and ointments. On Shabbat the women rested, in obedience to the commandment”
— Luke 23:56
Sha’ul (Paul) also regularly taught on the Sabbath:
“ Sha’ul also began carrying on discussions every Shabbat in the synagogue, where he tried to convince both Jews and Greeks.”
— Acts 18:4
Gentile believers (referred to here as proselytes) are explicitly included:
“As they left, the people invited Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba to tell them more about these matters the following Shabbat. When the synagogue meeting broke up, many of the born Jews and devout proselytes followed Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba, who spoke with them and urged them to keep holding fast to the love and kindness of God.”
— Acts 13:42-43
And as the gentiles began to come to Messiah, they would attend the synagogue on the Sabbath to learn all about the Torah.
The apostles had a meeting in Acts 15, and decided upon what the foundation would be for these former pagans to get started in the faith, and then they would learn all the rest of God’s commands on the Sabbaths, as they studied with everyone else.
“Therefore, my opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Goyim who are turning to God. Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood. For from the earliest times, Moshe has had in every city those who proclaim him, with his words being read in the synagogues every Shabbat.”
— Acts 15:19-21
Scripture never records a command to change the Sabbath to another day, or for it to end. Instead, the bible presents the Sabbath as a continuing pattern and reoccurring appointment of worship, rest, and obedience from Creation and on into eternity.
Prayerful Reflections
From the opening pages of Genesis to the practices of the early believers, the Sabbath stands as a sacred gift from God.
Rooted in Creation, affirmed in the Torah, honored by Messiah, and embraced by His followers. Far from being abolished, the Sabbath remains a reminder of God’s authority, provision, redemption, and promise of someday —eternal rest.
“So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for God’s people. For the one who has entered God’s rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from his. Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest; so that no one will fall short because of the same kind of disobedience.”
— Hebrews 4:9-11
