the Sabbath

Can you provide some details for those that wish to keep this day Holy? I mean, it seems like there must be some rules involved.

Sure.

God said to make the Sabbath about Him, to put away all secular work and activities and focus on Him.

Isa 58:13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words,

Jesus said the Sabbath is a holy convocation which means a holy gathering like we see at Church
Lev 23: 3 ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

The scriptures are filled with ways to keep the Sabbath holy

One way Jesus kept it who is our example to follow was by going to the synagogues, we call church and reading scripture and teaching people

Luke 4:16 So 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 to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Mark 1:21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.
The apostles followed this same example
Mark 6:2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
Luke 4:21Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.

The apostles followed this same example

Acts 15:21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Acts 13:42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

They reasoned with the scriptures on the Sabbath which we can do through bible studies

Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

They got out in nature and had prayer on the Sabbath

Acts 16:13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.

Jesus also helped the needy on the Sabbath and many examples of this healing the needy which we can do to by preaching to the needy, giving food, take them to the hospital if needed etc,

So we see from scripture its filled with ways to keep the Sabbath day holy- going to church, preaching God's Word, reading God's Word, bible studies, reasoning with the scriptures, getting out in nature appreciating all He has created for us, prayer and helping those in need.

The Sabbath is a holy gathering and what's neat is right now we do so in spirit, but one day soon Christ promises we will have a Sabbath gathering but instead of being in His Spirit it will be in His presence

Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

If one were to do all that, they would be quite busy. Where is the rest He speaks of?

You think reading God's word, studying the bible, prayer, fostering our relationship with Christ with likeminded Christian's work? According to God it is keeping the Sabbath day holy. solely focusing on Him. What could be more important- watching TV, doing laundry, going to Home Depot basically doing what we want on God's holy day?

The rest is from work and labors. He gives us 6 days to do work. Exo 20:9

Man's will sadly rarely aligns with God's will.

SB, you are doing what the Jews who opposed Jesus did in rejecting his right as Lord of the Sabbath to amend it in agreement with the inspired Pauline epistles and Hebrews.

Btw, On the seventh day God rested from creating the world but not from sustaining its functioning.

No, the Pharisees never kept the Sabbath of the 4th commandment, they kept their own sabbath full of rules and regulations that are in the commandment and crucified Jesus for breaking their sabbath. Jesus never broke the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments, nor did He ever edit the commandments because He said He wouldn't Psa 89:34 Mat 5:18 and Jesus can' lie.

Jesus was correcting them on how to keep the Sabbath because He is Lord of the Sabbath i.e. the Creator, not that He ever did away or changed the Sabbath commandment or became the Sabbath i.e. the creation as many sadly teach.

We need to be careful taking on similar teachings like the Pharisees which Jesus condemned. Keeping our own traditions instead of obeying the commandments of God. Mat 15:1-14 His version, not mans.

God rested as an example for man.

He worked 6 days and rested and sanctified the seventh day and made it holy. Gen 2:1-3 Exo 20:11

He commanded man this same week cycle.

Work 6 days Exo 20:9, rest from our works and labors and keep the seventh day Sabbath holy Exo 20:8-11

We are made in the image of Christ Gen 1:26 to be followers of Him and He always led by example. If we follow Christ, we will never fall off the narrow path, its when we think we know better than He, is where it becomes dangerous.

Meant to say that are "not" in the commandment.

For example, the Pharisees condemned the apostles for eating on the Sabbath, which there is no such law against eating on the Sabbath. Jesus provided double portion of manna on the Preparation Day, Friday so the children in the wilderness could eat on the Sabbath. What God didn't want was harvesting on the Sabbath but eating was fully permittable. This is what Jesus was correcting, no where did Jesus say He changed the Sabbath. It actually goes against what Jesus taught, as He said He owuld not alter His words Psa 89:34 Mat 5:18

Today we should do all our grocery shopping on Friday and cook any large meals the day before so we can spend minimal time cooking on the Sabbath, but eating is fully permittable.

Well, we need to take seriously the NT epistles that Jesus inspired and harmonize any apparent discrepancies.

That is a good idea, I could be wrong but I think we are at the moment considering the Sabbath of creation vs. the venerable day of the sun as worshipped by the pagans as well as obedience to the law of God vs. the formalized legalism of the Pharisees. I believe there is scripture which supports your suggestion completely:
[2Ti 2:15 KJV] 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Yes, Jesus in His own Words He would not alter the words of His covenant Psa 89:34 not a jot or tittle can be changed from His law Mat 5:18 as no one is above God. Jesus harmonizes with His own teaching when He said the Sabbath was not ending at the Cross decades later for His faithful Mat 24:20 and would be kept by His saints even in the New Heaven and New Earth Isa 66:23 thus saith the Lord.

It is problematic for you to ignore what Paul whom Jesus called to be involved with authoring most of the NT including Mark and Luke.

In MT 24:20 Jesus merely cited the Sabbath without teaching anything about it any more than he did "winter".

In MT 5:18 Jesus referred to the Law, not specifically to the Sabbath.

Isaiah merely refers to the Sabbath as a day of the week and to the New Moon as a month.

Perhaps it would help for you to write out the verses you cite, so that possibly you would realize such strained interpretations before you post?

Jesus said He had all authority and commanded all of the apostles to observe everything He commanded, so no the apostles did not have free rein to countermand one of God’s commandments. They were His faithful servants and a servant is never greater than their master John 13:16

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.

Jesus sited the flight from Judah in the destruction of Jerusalem prayed would not be in winter or on the Sabbath, which was almost 40 years after the Cross. Hard to make the case the Sabbath ended at the Cross when He said it would be kept by His faithful.

Mat 5:18 is taking about God’s law and if you keep reading in Mat 5:19-30 the commandments He directly quotes from the Ten Commandments Mat 5:19-30. First you would have to prove that the Sabbath is not a commandment of God when God claims it is Exo 20:6 Exo 20:8-11 written by His own finger Exo 31:18 to not be included with the other commandments from the Ten.

Hope this helps.

Paul’s writings followed three ideas:
Law Reveals Sin: The law shows humanity’s inability to achieve righteousness on its own, highlighting the need for a Savior (Romans 3:20).
Grace Provides Salvation: Grace, through Jesus Christ, offers redemption and reconciliation with God, something the law alone could not accomplish (Titus 2:11-14).
Interwoven Relationship: The Bible teaches that law and grace are not opposed but work together. The law reveals the need for grace, and grace fulfills the law’s righteous demands through Christ (Romans 3:31, Galatians 3:24).

Peter and John also a contributed to the subject and helps understand the balance between the law and grace:
[2Pe 3:15 KJV] 15 And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

[1Jo 3:4 KJV] 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. .

1John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.. KJV — 1John 2-KJV — 1John 2:6

I think it's fine if Christians observe the sabbath, but it creates a stumbling block when taught it's a requirement.

We are either under the law of Moses, or we are not. Believing we are not under it's authority (which you must believe if you are a Christian because Paul clearly said so) and believing we must observe the 4th commandment (ie, under its authority) is logically inconsistent and inherently contradictory, which creates a double mind that makes the Christian walk unstable and devoid of power.

If you want to observe the sabbath, fine. But don't put a put a yoke of bondage on others by teaching it's a requirement of the Christian walk.

There are more verses you might want to consider, here is one:
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. . KJV — Ecclesiastes 12:13-KJV — Ecclesiastes 12:14

Yes, of course, we must keep God's commandments, but what are they? The law of Moses or the law of Christ?

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law [of Moses],) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. Hebrews 7:11-12

So what is the new law?

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1 John 3:2

Stated more succinctly:

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

For the whole law is fulfilled in one saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:14

Did you know the Ten Commandments are the law of God who is Christ? They were written by God's own finger and are very much part of the entire bible. He called them My commandments right in the unit of Ten Exo 20:6 'My" meaning God. Moses is not God.

Regarding Heb 7 the law that is being referred is the priesthood. The law said the priest needed to come from the tribe of Levi but Jesus being from the tribe of Judah made it necessary for the priesthood law to change, which is the entire context of that chapter.

Did you know the greatest commandments is a summary of the Ten Commandments?

The second greatest commandments are all found in the Ten Commandments on how to love our neighbor

Rom 13:9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” [a]“You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

It goes without saying the greatest commandment to love God with all our heart, mind and soul also come from the same unit of Ten.

Exo 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [b]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting[c] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

The summary on how to love God and love man does not delete the details and love to God and love to man never went undefined.

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Those were part of the law of the old covenant, which is no more. The priesthood having changed, there was of necessity a change of law also

So we can worship other gods, vain God’s holy name, profane God’s Sabbath, murder, steal, lie, commit adultery now? Have you really thought this through? Because no scripture says what you are teaching, Jesus taught the opposite. Mat 5:19-30, Mat 15:3-14, Mark 7:7-13 Mat 19:17-19

The New Covenant is not established on new laws- it still has God’s law, from tables of stone to tablet written in the heart Heb 8:10, the New Covenant is established on better promises. Heb 8:6 God’s law is perfect for converting the soul Psa 19:7 can’t make something perfect more perfect, but God gave us better promises on how to keep these laws since He is the doing now, we just need to cooperate. It’s still a sin to break the least of these commandments even in the NC. 1 John 3:4 James 2:10-12 Mat 5:19-30

I am not sure if you have read Hebrews 7, but there is nothing in that entire chapter saying the Ten Commandments is the law that changed.

What it does talk about though is the law that had to change was the priesthood.

In the law of Moses, the priesthood had to come from the tribe of Levi because they were the only tribe that was loyal when Moses went up to get the Ten Commandments.

However Jesus being our High Priest in the New Covenant came from the tribe of Judah. So in order for Jesus to be our High Priest, the law of the priesthood had to change, the context of this entire passage.

Heb 4:11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has [b]officiated at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.