Was the Sabbath kept prior to the Commandments at Sinai?

[Hobie]

Looking at Creation with Adam and Eve there, when God created the Sabbath we can see that they knew very well about the Sabbath before the Commandments were written on the stone tablets at Sinai.

Genesis 2:2-3
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.
There is no denying that God was here setting aside the Sabbath as holy time and its clear that Adam and Eve were not Jewish. "God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it" before sin entered. "Sanctified" means "to be set apart for holy use." The only ones in the Garden of Eden for whom the Sabbath was 'set apart' were Adam and Eve, who werent Jewish.

Is it logical to believe that God first created man, then the Sabbath, and then failed to mention to man that the seventh day was holy time in the weekly cycle, of course not. God must have immediately explained to Adam all about His sacred seventh day and how to observe His day as He wanted it to be observed. Everyone would have known of it from them, and would have kept the Sabbath if they followed God, in the time before Sinai. The Hebrew word translated "sanctified" in Genesis 2:3 and "hallowed" in Exodus 20:11 is qadash, a word meaning "to hallow, to pronounce holy, to consecrate, to set apart for holy use."

Abel and even Cain knew about what God had set up at Creation from their parents and giving sacrifices unto God, and notice what it says in Genesis 4..
Genesis 4:3
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

At that point, the only length of time was the week, as it wasnt counted then in months and years. The words "in process of time" are translated from the Hebrew mikkets yamim, meaning "at the end of the days." This can only be telling us that on the Sabbath, Cain and Abel, with the rest of Adam's family, gathered to worship God. So its basically when the week 'came to pass', or the weekly end, the seventh day that God had blessed and sanctified, or made holy. It is just not reasonable to think that God would make the Sabbath for man and then keep it from him for over 2000 years until Moses at Sinai. The very fact that the seven-day week existed as the weekly cycle, even till today, is good evidence the Sabbath also existed from Creation.

If you look, a week of seven days is frequently mentioned in Bible, so the patriarchs knew of the weekly cycle of the Creator who made the Sabbath. In Genesis we see that Noah was clearly acquainted with a seven-day week.
Genesis 7:4
For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
Genesis 8:10
And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
Genesis 8:12
And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

Unless the Sabbath was their pivot of time, people then could not have used such a measure of days. If fact the margin rendering of Genesis 7:10 is "on the seventh day," a reference to nothing but the Sabbath. You can be sure that Noah, a just man who walked with God knew about the weekly cycle, and kept God's seventh-day that He blessed and made holy.

And if you read what was given at Sinai, you see "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."
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.

The Bible never calls it "the Sabbath of the Jews." It isnt their Sabbath, but God's. Another thing you find is that the Sabbath commandment is for the "stranger" too. The fourth commandment itself says the "stranger" is to rest on the Sabbath. Exodus 20:10.'Strangers' are non-Jews, or Gentiles. Thus the Sabbath applies to them too, and the Creator who made heaven and earth also made the Sabbath....

Mark 2:27
And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

 

[Randy Kluth]

Looking at Creation with Adam and Eve there, when God created the Sabbath we can see that they knew very well about the Sabbath before the Commandments were written on the stone tablets at Sinai.

I can't say I know what laws or customs predated the giving of the Law at Sinai. However, we do know that there was oral tradition that God created the world in an organized categorization of a Week. It was a period encompassing all of creation, heaven and earth. We do not have to believe these were literal days--in fact, they *can't* be literal days.

Anyway, since God expressed these divisions into 6 days of work and a final day of rest people later saw the same pattern play out in other activities, or produced activities themselves with this number in mind. It was an acknowledgment of belief in the fact God had established these divisions in creation.

The earth may be 4 billion plus years old, but the rock dating of fossils does show some of this progression from sea and air creatures to land animals, and ultimately, to man. Perhaps we could cover this "evolutionary progress" chart with a 6 day creation overlay? Just curious?

Anyway, it seemed important for Moses to record this oral tradition and the 7 day week pattern of creation. And God continued to emphasize it in His application of the Sabbath observances. This was a complete Covenant, and had nothing to do with any sense of Sabbath observance outside of it.

 

[Bob Estey]

I can't say I know what laws or customs predated the giving of the Law at Sinai. However, we do know that there was oral tradition that God created the world in an organized categorization of a Week. It was a period encompassing all of creation, heaven and earth. We do not have to believe these were literal days--in fact, they *can't* be literal days.

Anyway, since God expressed these divisions into 6 days of work and a final day of rest people later saw the same pattern play out in other activities, or produced activities themselves with this number in mind. It was an acknowledgment of belief in the fact God had established these divisions in creation.

The earth may be 4 billion plus years old, but the rock dating of fossils does show some of this progression from sea and air creatures to land animals, and ultimately, to man. Perhaps we could cover this "evolutionary progress" chart with a 6 day creation overlay? Just curious?

Anyway, it seemed important for Moses to record this oral tradition and the 7 day week pattern of creation. And God continued to emphasize it in His application of the Sabbath observances. This was a complete Covenant, and had nothing to do with any sense of Sabbath observance outside of it.

I believe the purpose of the sabbath is to give us a day of rest each week that we need. They needed rest before the commandment, just as they did after. Didn't God rest after six days of creating the universe? So you might think most of them had a day of rest each week before the commandment was given.

 

[Randy Kluth]

I believe the purpose of the sabbath is to give us a day of rest each week that we need. They needed rest before the commandment, just as they did after. Didn't God rest after six days of creating the universe? So you might think most of them had a day of rest each week before the commandment was given.

I do think a principle of "rest" after work is established in the Law. But that particular Covenant was designed to show the necessity of legal redemption, and rest is given in that context.

In today's world, the work week cannot be kept. We have a global system, and people are living under all kinds of conditions, from Saturday to Saturday, and at any hour. I think God knew that.

The original Sabbath rest showed a complete work was intended to lead to an end of that work and contemplation of that work and enjoyment of that work. That principle is true in every big job we do.

I personally like to finish doing a job and then just kind of stare at it, enjoying the moment of completion.

 

[Bob Estey]

I do think a principle of "rest" after work is established in the Law. But that particular Covenant was designed to show the necessity of legal redemption, and rest is given in that context.

In today's world, the work week cannot be kept. We have a global system, and people are living under all kinds of conditions, from Saturday to Saturday, and at any hour. I think God knew that.

The original Sabbath rest showed a complete work was intended to lead to an end of that work and contemplation of that work and enjoyment of that work. That principle is true in every big job we do.

I personally like to finish doing a job and then just kind of stare at it, enjoying the moment of completion.

I disagree. I think the commandments were meant to help us. If I rob a bank, I go to jail, so the Lord told us not to steal. We need a day's rest each week, so the Lord told us to do just that.

 

[Randy Kluth]

I disagree. I think the commandments were meant to help us. If I rob a bank, I go to jail, so the Lord told us not to steal. We need a day's rest each week, so the Lord told us to do just that.

You're entitled to your opinion, of course. The reason I believe the way I do is because we are told that pursuit of the Law is an exercise in vanity. It cannot achieve lasting redemption, or Eternal Life.

In my view it is a bondage to follow the rules of the Law of Moses. It is a burden that only Israel had to bear for a time in its history.

Christ has done everything we need for our Salvation. We only need to receive his Grace in our lives, and obey the Spirit he has given us.

Moral law speaks to our conscience all the time. But it doesn't require obedience to outdated rules. That is not freedom, but bondage, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Bob Estey]

You're entitled to your opinion, of course. The reason I believe the way I do is because we are told that pursuit of the Law is an exercise in vanity. It cannot achieve lasting redemption, or Eternal Life.

In my view it is a bondage to follow the rules of the Law of Moses. It is a burden that only Israel had to bear for a time in its history.

Christ has done everything we need for our Salvation. We only need to receive his Grace in our lives, and obey the Spirit he has given us.

Moral law speaks to our conscience all the time. But it doesn't require obedience to outdated rules. That is not freedom, but bondage, as far as I'm concerned.

But go back to what I said - if you rob a bank, you go to jail. So "do not steal" would seem to be good advice.

 

[quietthinker]

Was the Sabbath kept prior to the Commandments at Sinai?​

I'm sure it kept itself, however I guess there would have been sticklers all along!

 

[Hobie]

I can't say I know what laws or customs predated the giving of the Law at Sinai. However, we do know that there was oral tradition that God created the world in an organized categorization of a Week. It was a period encompassing all of creation, heaven and earth. We do not have to believe these were literal days--in fact, they *can't* be literal days.

Anyway, since God expressed these divisions into 6 days of work and a final day of rest people later saw the same pattern play out in other activities, or produced activities themselves with this number in mind. It was an acknowledgment of belief in the fact God had established these divisions in creation.

The earth may be 4 billion plus years old, but the rock dating of fossils does show some of this progression from sea and air creatures to land animals, and ultimately, to man. Perhaps we could cover this "evolutionary progress" chart with a 6 day creation overlay? Just curious?

Anyway, it seemed important for Moses to record this oral tradition and the 7 day week pattern of creation. And God continued to emphasize it in His application of the Sabbath observances. This was a complete Covenant, and had nothing to do with any sense of Sabbath observance outside of it.

Yet, the fact that weekly cycle remains says otherwise.

 

[SavedInHim]

Was the Sabbath kept prior to the Commandments at Sinai?

It doesn't matter one way or the other. Christians are guided by the inspired words of the New Testament which clearly teach the Sabbath is optional.

 

[Hobie]

It doesn't matter one way or the other. Christians are guided by the inspired words of the New Testament which clearly teach the Sabbath is optional.

So you can choose what part of Gods Word to throw away, which Christ Himself used for truth....?

 

[mailmandan]

Now although God's rest on the seventh day (Genesis 2:3) did foreshadow a future sabbath law, there is no Biblical record of the sabbath being kept before the children of Israel left the land of Egypt. *Nowhere in Scripture is there any hint that sabbath keeping was practiced from Adam to Moses.

Look at Deuteronomy 5:1-15 which gives the commandments to Israel. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.

Nehemiah 9:13 - “Then You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. 14 “So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and laid down for them commandments, statutes and law, through Your servant Moses.

If every man from Adam to Moses kept the sabbath, why is the Hebrew word for the weekly sabbath found in the Ten Commandments, never found in the book of Genesis? Why is no one before Moses ever being told to keep the sabbath? Why are there no examples of anyone keeping the sabbath before Moses? Why were the Patriarchs never instructed about the sabbath but were instructed regarding: offerings: Genesis 4:3-4, Altars Genesis 8:20, Priests: Genesis 14:18, Tithes: Genesis 14:20, Circumcision: Genesis 17:10, Marriage: Genesis 2:24 and Genesis 34:9. Why would God leave out the sabbath command in Genesis if it was for everyone to keep before Moses?

The word "sabbath" first appears in Exodus 16:23 - Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.

Sabbath keeping with all its rules and regulations, was part of a covenant with Israel (Exodus 16:23, 29; 31:12-18; 35:1-3; Leviticus 19:30; 23:2-3, 32; Numbers 15:32-36; 28:1-10; 29:39-40; I Chronicles. 23:30-31; II Chronicles 31:2-4; Isaiah 1:13; Amos 8:5; Nehemiah 10:31) that is not binding on Christians under the new covenant.

Colossians 2:16 - Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

 

[Hobie]

Now although God's rest on the seventh day (Genesis 2:3) did foreshadow a future sabbath law, there is no Biblical record of the sabbath being kept before the children of Israel left the land of Egypt. *Nowhere in Scripture is there any hint that sabbath keeping was practiced from Adam to Moses.

Look at Deuteronomy 5:1-15 which gives the commandments to Israel. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.

Nehemiah 9:13 - “Then You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. 14 “So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and laid down for them commandments, statutes and law, through Your servant Moses.

If every man from Adam to Moses kept the sabbath, why is the Hebrew word for the weekly sabbath found in the Ten Commandments, never found in the book of Genesis? Why is no one before Moses ever being told to keep the sabbath? Why are there no examples of anyone keeping the sabbath before Moses? Why were the Patriarchs never instructed about the sabbath but were instructed regarding: offerings: Genesis 4:3-4, Altars Genesis 8:20, Priests: Genesis 14:18, Tithes: Genesis 14:20, Circumcision: Genesis 17:10, Marriage: Genesis 2:24 and Genesis 34:9. Why would God leave out the sabbath command in Genesis if it was for everyone to keep before Moses?

The word "sabbath" first appears in Exodus 16:23 - Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.

Sabbath keeping with all its rules and regulations, was part of a covenant with Israel (Exodus 16:23, 29; 31:12-18; 35:1-3; Leviticus 19:30; 23:2-3, 32; Numbers 15:32-36; 28:1-10; 29:39-40; I Chronicles. 23:30-31; II Chronicles 31:2-4; Isaiah 1:13; Amos 8:5; Nehemiah 10:31) that is not binding on Christians under the new covenant.

Colossians 2:16 - Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Need to read what it says..
Genesis 26:5
because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

And before the two tablets...
Exodus 16:23
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.

And how can you remember if it wasnt given yet..
Exodus 20:8
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

 

[mailmandan]

Need to read what it says..
Genesis 26:5
because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

And before the two tablets...
Exodus 16:23
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.

And how can you remember if it wasnt given yet..
Exodus 20:8
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

I have read it and Abraham was before the law of Moses. According to God's word, Abraham was called by God to leave his home and travel to a new land that God would show him. Abraham obeyed God’s command and left his home. God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6; Romans 4:2-3)

Salvation is by grace through faith, not works, (Ephesians 2:8,9) and not by grace plus law, faith plus works.

The Bible does state that Abraham obeyed God's voice, kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes, and His laws, but the specific charge, commandments, statutes, and laws that Abraham kept are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. It's important to note that the Bible does not provide a comprehensive list of charges, commandments, statutes, and laws that Abraham kept. Therefore, you cannot say with certainty which specific laws Abraham kept. It is clear though that Abraham was a faithful servant of God and obeyed His commands.

Once again, notice in Deuteronomy 5:1-15 which gives the commandments to Israel. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.

Also, in Nehemiah 9:13 - “Then You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. 14 “So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and laid down for them commandments, statutes and laws, through Your servant Moses.

That settles the issue for me. Your argument is inconclusive and I'm not sure why you are so obsessed with the 10 commandments (with a heavy emphasis on the 4th commandment) in the first place. Apparently, you must be trusting in your best efforts to obey the 10 commandments (with a heavy emphasis on the 4th commandment) as a means to obtaining salvation.

The 10 commandments were a ministry of condemnation and not a ministry of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 3:6-9) Nobody has flawlessly obeyed the 10 commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) except for Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5)

 

[Hobie]

But

I have read it and Abraham was before the law of Moses. According to God's word, Abraham was called by God to leave his home and travel to a new land that God would show him. Abraham obeyed God’s command and left his home. God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-6; Romans 4:2-3)

Salvation is by grace through faith, not works, (Ephesians 2:8,9) and not by grace plus law, faith plus works.

The Bible does state that Abraham obeyed God's voice, kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes, and His laws, but the specific charge, commandments, statutes, and laws that Abraham kept are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. It's important to note that the Bible does not provide a comprehensive list of charges, commandments, statutes, and laws that Abraham kept. Therefore, you cannot say with certainty which specific laws Abraham kept. It is clear though that Abraham was a faithful servant of God and obeyed His commands.

Once again, notice in Deuteronomy 5:1-15 which gives the commandments to Israel. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.

Also, in Nehemiah 9:13 - “Then You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. 14 “So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and laid down for them commandments, statutes and laws, through Your servant Moses.

That settles the issue for me. Your argument is inconclusive and I'm not sure why you are so obsessed with the 10 commandments (with a heavy emphasis on the 4th commandment) in the first place. Apparently, you must be trusting in your best efforts to obey the 10 commandments (with a heavy emphasis on the 4th commandment) as a means to obtaining salvation.

The 10 commandments were a ministry of condemnation and not a ministry of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 3:6-9) Nobody has flawlessly obeyed the 10 commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) except for Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5)

But not the one of God, which is the key..

 

[Hobie]

Was the Sabbath kept prior to the Commandments at Sinai?​

I'm sure it kept itself, however I guess there would have been sticklers all along!

As in firm holders of the truth?

 

[quietthinker]

As in firm holders of the truth?

yes

 

[Hobie]

yes

Yet many today reject it...

 

[quietthinker]

Yet many today reject it...

What others do/ think/ believe Hobie, is their business. When I leave their business in their court I am not burdened with what isn't my business. I leaves me free to love them and work on my own flaws.

 

[Big Boy Johnson]

the Lord told us not to steal. We need a day's rest each week, so the Lord told us to do just that.

Under the New Covenant... we are to enter in to resting IN Christ with our entire lives, walking with Him by faith having ceased from our own work.

This is a far superior rest than Saturday sabbath ever produced!

It's one of the reasons why the old covenant was taken away so the New Covenant could be established as the Lord wanted to bring forth better promises. Resting IN Christ receiving the peace He gives is much better than taking Saturday off from work.