15 Reasons Why We Should Keep the Sabbath Day

In this post, learn the best reasons why you should keep the Sabbath and discover how it comes with great blessings!

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Many Christians today who revere and follow the Ten Commandments don’t think that the Fourth Commandment is important, much less, relevant in our modern time. 

The majority of people in this world ignorantly or deliberately neglect the Sabbath. After all, if the Christians don’t care, why should non-believers care as well?

As a result, this world has not really experienced the blessings and life-transforming power of the Sabbath.

The Fourth Commandment tells us:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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. 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” (Exodus 20:8-11).

The Sabbath, if observed properly and according to Yahweh’s purpose, offers tremendous and indescribable blessings.

If only the whole world would stop and consider keeping the Sabbath, I can assure you, it will dramatically change the world we live in.

Obviously, you can’t make decisions for others. You can’t force the whole world to obey the fourth commandment. You are only responsible for your own decisions.

So, today, you have the choice.

Would you follow God and keep His Sabbath? Or would you follow what you feel is right and convenient?

To help you make the right decision, here are 15 reasons why you should keep the Sabbath.

Reason no. 1: God commands us to keep the Sabbath

God commanded us to keep the Sabbath and this commandment is part of the Ten Commandments.

It was not Abraham, Moses, Jacob, or any other men who gave the Sabbath command.

It was Yahweh, the supreme Ruler of this vast universe!

So, you should ask yourself:

Who is your ultimate authority?

Is it God?

Is it other people?

Is it yourself?

If your answer is God the Almighty, then you need to keep the Sabbath.

Reason no. 2: The Sabbath is God’s sign to His people

15 Reasons Why We Should Keep the Sabbath Day
15 Reasons Why We Should Keep the Sabbath Day

We read in Exodus 31:12-13, 17:

12 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you…17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

Did you know that the Ten Tribes of Israel were lost?

The reason is that they forgot about the Sabbath!

Did you know why we were still able to identify the Tribe of Judah?

Because they are keeping the Sabbath!

This is the reason that we still have the modern-day nation of Israel in the Middle East.

They are still keeping the Sabbath and thus, they were not lost in history.

So, one of the reasons why we must keep the Sabbath is because it serves as a sign between God and His people.

However, you may argue, isn’t this sign only applicable to the physical nation of Israel?

The answer is no.

Why?

Because we are now the spiritual Israel — the Body of Christ. 

We read in the Bible:

7 “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).

This tells that if you are of faith, you become one of Abraham’s children. In verse 29 of the same chapter, we read:

“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.”

The Apostle Paul also wrote:

“For he is NOT a Jew which is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter’ whose praise is not from men but from God” (Romans 2:28-29).

So, if you consider yourself as a child of God, then you need to keep the Sabbath and make it a sign between you and God.

Reason no. 3: Yahshua kept the Sabbath

Yahshua is our perfect role model. He perfectly obeyed His Father’s Laws and thus, it is not a great surprise to see that Yahshua also kept the Sabbath.

In fact, keeping the Sabbath is Yahshua’s custom.

We read:

“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” (Luke 4:16).

Yahshua DIDN’T keep the Sunday Sabbath. He didn’t go to church on Sundays, but rather He kept the Sabbath Day and observed it on Saturday.

If you are truly a follower of Yahshua, then you should follow His example — the example of keeping the Sabbath on the right day.

How to prove the Sabbath Day?
How to prove the Sabbath Day?

Reason no. 4: The Apostles and first-century assembly of God kept the Sabbath

A lot of Christians today are mistaken in their thinking that the first-century churches kept Sunday and meet on Sundays.

On the contrary, the Bible mentioned that the Apostles kept the Sabbath along with the people of God.

The book of Acts narrates the history of the early church. In Acts 13:42-45, we read how Paul and Barnabas taught on the Sabbath and never gave any command to meet on Sundays:

42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.

The Apostles followed the teachings of Yahshua. Part of that teaching is to keep the Sabbath. They were intimately familiar with Yahshua and if the Master has commanded to keep Sunday, then He should have clearly stated it.

But we don’t.

Instead, we see the Apostles and the people of God keeping the seventh-day Sabbath many years after the death of Christ.

Don’t be deceived.

The Apostles and the people of God kept the Sabbath.

Will you?

Reason no. 5: We ought to obey God rather men

There’s no denying that Sunday worship is never instituted in the Bible. In fact, honest scholars and religious leaders will openly admit to you that you will not find a single verse in the Bible that transferred the sanctity of the Sabbath to Sunday.

So, who made the change?

No other than the religious and political leaders.

It was not and was NEVER Yahweh who made the change!

We need to realize that it was the Almighty God who sanctified the Sabbath and it has to be kept from Friday Sunset to Saturday Sunset.

Sunday worship was instituted by men.

Who should you follow?

The Apostles gave us the answer in Acts 5:29:

“We ought to obey God rather than men.”

If you want to obey God, keep the Sabbath at the right time.

If you want to obey men, then keep Sunday worship.

Reason no. 6: The Sabbath gives you physical rest

The Bible tells us that on the Sabbath day, we must cease our work. We need to rest just like God has rested on the Seventh Day.

Remember, the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). It was created by God for our own benefit.

That’s why part of the Fourth Commandment is for us to rest

We read in Exodus 20:9-10:

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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.

Rest is given to all — not only to the members of the master’s family, but also to the servants, strangers, and even animals.

As you know, our body isn’t designed to work 24/7. God, in His great love and mercy, gave us a day where we don’t have to worry about our work. 

We are given rest from our labor.

We know from medical studies that rest is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some of the benefits of rest:

  • Healthier heart
  • Better weight control
  • Better athletic/physical performance
  • Sharper brain function
  • Improved mood
  • Lower risk for depression
  • Lower inflammation
  • Regulate sugar level in the blood
  • Improved immune system
  • Improved productivity
  • Better ability to concentration
  • Improved emotional and social intelligence
  • Reduced stress level
  • Decreased risk of accidents
  • Reduce risks of developing diabetes
  • And a LOT more!

In short, those people who keep the Sabbath are generally healthier both in body and health.

Science proves it.

Your Bible proves it.

What else do you need to be convinced that you need to keep the Sabbath?

If you want to be healthier, then keep the Sabbath!

Difference between the true Sabbath and Sunday worship

Reason no. 7: The Sabbath elevates our uniqueness as human beings

There’s no doubt: human beings need to work to earn a living, support a family, attain their dreams, and become successful in life.

However, without the right perspective and Yahweh’s guidance, we can become slaves of our own work. 

We can be slaves to our ambitions. 

We can be addicted to success, which drives us to work more and more!

In effect, when we don’t take the time to rest, we become mere beasts of burden. 

We are no different from animals of the field who are not given the privilege to rest — to take a break, relax, and unwind.

When we work seven days a week, we are essentially slaves. 

Even the millionaires and billionaires of this world who work every day in their lives are nothing but rich slaves.

But we don’t have to be like that.

With our Father’s overwhelming love, He gives us a day of rest. In effect, God has elevated our status from His creation.

We are set apart from animals and other creatures. God confirms through the Sabbath that we are His most special creation — that we have the greatest potential to be part of His Family.

No matter who you are, no matter how rich or poor, how old or young you might be, when the Sabbath comes, we all get to rest and stop from our work.

Reason no. 8: The Sabbath reminds us how He freed us from the penalty of sin

For ancient physical Israel, the Sabbath reminds them that they are once a slave in Egypt and it was Yahweh who delivered them from slavery.

We read in Deuteronomy 5:12-15:

Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God… And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

For us, Christians today, the Sabbath serves as a reminder that we are once part of the world and now, God has called us into His congregation.

Yes, we have been slaves to Satan, slaves to sin, and slaves to our human nature.

However, God rescued us from all of these by sacrificing His Son, Yahshua the Messiah. Through the life and sacrifice of Yahshua, God redeemed us from the penalty of sin.

Just like the Israelites who were freed from the Egyptians, God has also freed us from the bondage of sin.

The Sabbath bears this truth. 

Every time we observe the Sabbath, we also proclaim the TRUTH that we accept Yahshua’s atoning blood, repent of our sins, and live a renewed life dedicated to our Father.

Reason no. 9: The Sabbath strengthens relationships among people

The Sabbath requires us to refrain from working and doing our usual labor.

What happens when you keep the Sabbath? Inevitably, that extra time — that extra day — for not having to work would cause people to spend that extra time with others!

What a beautiful day it is to spend the Sabbath day with your spouse, children, friends, families, relatives, and spiritual brethren!

It’s no wonder that those who keep the Sabbath are generally the same people who have a good relationship with others, especially with their family.

Imagine, everyone is required NOT to go to work, but instead, they will spend a day with their family.

Ask anyone who has a workaholic father, mother, sibling, or spouse. Ask them how wonderful it would be if their loved one would not work for a day and simply spend the day with them.

That’s when you can better appreciate the power of the Sabbath Day.

Those who argue that people can choose any day of the week to rest or serve as a Sabbath would find it hard to be together.

Why?

Because everyone has their own schedule. They would even find excuses not to rest. There’s always a new project, a house repair to take care of, an errand to do, items to buy, a class to attend to, and the list of excuses just goes on and on.

Unless a Higher Power would command people to stop working and set aside a specific day to rest, people would not consistently get together to spend time with each other.

As you can see, the Sabbath Day is more than just resting, but it is a day that keeps people together and strengthens their relationship with each other.

Reason no. 10: The Sabbath Command values the life of animals

I have heard a lot of people saying that the Bible is completely silent when it comes to animal welfare.

That’s absolutely incorrect.

The problem is most people didn’t know about the Sabbath and so, it follows they also don’t know how the Sabbath upholds the dignity of animals. It is just sad that since people ignore the Sabbath, they also ignore its benefits to other creatures.

We read in Exodus 20:8-9:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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.

Technically, if you own a cattle or any beast of burden, you are not in any way obligated to give your animals a day of rest. In fact, you have the freedom to do whatever you want to do with the animals you own.

However, the Sabbath makes sure that you don’t cruelly treat your animals. You need to be kind to them and give them enough time to recuperate and relax.

People who are divinely commanded to give rest to their animals and obey this command at the same time would less likely treat their animals cruelly not just on the Sabbath, but on any day of the week.

God wants us to be responsible stewards of His creation and the Sabbath teaches us how to fulfill our role as the caretaker of that creation.

Reason no. 11: The Sabbath reminds us who our Creator is

You may not know it but the Sabbath is a weekly reminder of who our Creator is. It points back to the creation week when God re-created this world after the angelic rebellion.

We read in Exodus 20:8, 11: 

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…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.

God gives us a reason why we need to keep the Sabbath and that is because He made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them during the creation week.

The Sabbath constantly reminds us that it is God who gives us life. It is God who sustains us. It is God who takes care of us.

We will not be here without God.

And definitely, we are NOTHING without God.

Because of this powerful reminder, it helps us to be humble and remember God in everything that we do.

Every week, the Sabbath stands as a reminder of who we are, who God is, and what our true purpose is on earth.

Reason no. 12: The Sabbath brings us closer to God

The Sabbath day is a holy day set apart for a special purpose.

I once read someone negatively said this about the Sabbath:

“Sabbath-keepers spend 1/7th of their life in idleness.”

The speaker pertains to the fact that we don’t do any work on the Sabbath.

However, this person completely missed the purpose of the Sabbath.

Physical rest is only one aspect of Sabbath-keeping. We stop doing our work so we can better use our time in the service of God.

We divert our focus from our work by resting and transfer our focus to God.

Yahshua, Himself said that we can’t serve two masters at the same time (Matthew 6:24). 

How can we focus on God if we are working on the Sabbath?

Obviously, it is necessary for us to stop our labor so we can better serve God on the Sabbath.

Keeping the Sabbath is not only about resting, but it is about drawing closer to God!

Every Sabbath gives us extra time to pray, study the Bible, and worship God. All these activities will inevitably bring us closer to our Heavenly Father.

Just like in any relationship, we need to invest time into it for the relationship to grow.

The relationship we have with God is no different.

If we want to nurture our relationship with Him, then it is a must that you spend time with God and the Sabbath can tremendously help in this aspect.

Reason no. 13: The Sabbath helps us learn more about God

One of the most important things we must do on the Sabbath is to gather together as one Body of Christ.

We read in Leviticus 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 word “convocation” in this verse came from the Hebrew word, “miqrâ’.” It means a public meeting.

Clearly, the Sabbath is a day for the people of Yahweh to congregate, see each other, and hold a holy convocation or meeting.

It is on the Sabbath that God’s people hold services, where people are taught the word of God.

The Sabbath gives everyone the unique opportunity to see each other, encourage each other, get connected with each other, and most importantly, learn about God’s way of life together.

That’s why, the Hebrew writer, who is believed to be Paul, tells us in Hebrews 10:24-25:

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

One thing we must not do as disciples of the Messiah is to forsake and neglect our coming together as God’s people.

When we gather with like-minded people, with people who share the same faith, we are encouraged. We worship God as a harmonious group. We become united. We learn from each other.

We feel the nurturing power of the Body of Christ and we can’t effectively experience this without the Sabbath.

Reason no. 14: The Sabbath brings great blessings

The Sabbath isn’t just a special day for us, but it is a special day for God.

Remember that God blessed the Sabbath and thus, those who keep the Sabbath of God would also be blessed.

When we keep God’s Sabbath, we are positioning ourselves in a place of blessings.

That’s why we read in Isaiah 58:13-14:

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,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Who pronounced these blessings?

Well, we just read. It is Yahweh who pronounced the blessings.

And what God has blessed man can’t curse!

If you want to delight in Yahweh, then keep the Sabbath.

If you want to be exalted by God, keep the Sabbath.

If you want to have all your needs taken care of by God, then keep the Sabbath.

In short, the blessings are in the Sabbath and those who keep the Sabbath also enjoy God’s blessings!

Reason no. 15: The Sabbath pictures the coming rest for God’s people

In Hebrews 4:1-11, we read of the special type of rest God has prepared for His people.

No doubt: it is exhausting, both physically and spiritually to live in this world ruled by Satan.

The Sabbath reminds us that there is a better world that is coming — that one day, God will send back His Son again not as a baby in a manger, but a conquering King who will establish His Kingdom here on earth!

In Hebrews 4, Paul explains that the Sabbath rest foreshadows the coming true rest for God’s people.

It tells us that there is a time when we will have a rest from the chaos, mess, and suffering that we all witness on this earth.

That rest will finally come when our Savior will destroy the rule of men and establish the rule of God.

In that glorious day, the Bible describes it this way:

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

What a wonderful world we are looking forward to!

Friends, this is what the Sabbath is all about!

The Sabbath day brings hope. It brings joy. It brings peace knowing that there will come a time when the whole world will enter God’s true rest!

Final words

These are just some of the best reasons why you should keep the Sabbath. There are others, but the reasons I have listed here should make you stop and think.

Consider what your beliefs are right now.

Know what the Bible really teaches about the Sabbath.

The Sabbath brings a lot of benefits. It brings a lot of joy and peace. It brings a lot of physical and spiritual blessings.

God is offering you the Sabbath.

Will you accept it?

The choice is yours.