But Peter himself said that the law of Moses was an impossible burden to keep, and said that those who teach the law of Moses must be kept are provoking GOD.
So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke [of the law of Moses] that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way those also are.” Acts 15:10-11
Act 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Act 15:2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
There were those who were teaching that salvation was earned by keeping this law and also many others that the Pahrisees had added.
Israel knew they were taken into captivity primarily for breaking two Commandments, idolatry and Sabbath breaking...
Eze 20:15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
Eze 20:16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
Eze 20:17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
Eze 20:18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
Eze 20:19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
Eze 20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
Eze 20:21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
Eze 20:22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
Eze 20:23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
Eze 20:24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
For some strange reason (a carry over from Egypt), ancient Israel was fixated on idols of calves. They also did not keep the Sabbaths. So, the Scribes and Pharisees added to the Law safeguards, fences around the Law. God nowhere tells us how far to travel on the Sabbath. He nowhere tells us what a burden is on the Sabbath. He really doesn't tell us how much work we can do on the Sabbath (preparing meals, bathing, dressing ourselves, etc.) but the Pharisees sure did. They did not want anyone even getting close to breaking the Sabbath again because they feared another captivity. So they came up with a lot of extremely stringent regulations that are not what God intended. He intended that one day a week, we spend our time with Him, but not as if we are imprisoned on the Sabbath...
Isa 58:13 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:
Isa 58:14 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.
We are not made to be imprisoned by the Sabbath, we are made to enjoy a wonderful day communing with our Creator...
Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Let's read a few verses prior to this...
Mar 2:23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
Mar 2:24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
Know what the accusation here is? They were accusing the disciples of harvesting and threshing grain. The disciples were pulling off heads of grain and rubbing them in their hands to remove the chaff from the grain and the Pharisees accused them of harvesting and threshing grain, thereby breaking the Sabbath. This is why Christ had such harsh words for the Pharisees. From another example of the disciples eating without the benefit of the Pharisaical traditional washing routine...
Mar 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.