Since you believe the Sabbath should be kept, do you believe the penalty for breaking the Sabbath law should be enforced?
Hi GC nice to meet you and thanks for joining us. I know this was for another member but I thought to add some comments that might be helpful as I have studied this topic in a lot of detail from the Old testament scriptures. You are referring to the death penalty under the civil laws of Israel in the old covenant right (
Exodus 31:14-15; 35:2)? My answer is no absolutely not. The reason being is that the death penalties were civil laws for the physical nation of Israel to teach God's people that the wages of opening sinning and rejecting God's law was death. The same death penalty was not restricted to Gods' 4th commandment as a civil law for Israel but the same death penalty was given for all of God's 10 commandments. There is nothing new here as the death penalty is the same in the new covenant to all those who reject Jesus (see Romans 6:23) but will not be enforced on the wicked until the second coming.
According to the scriptures of the old covenant, the same death penalty was given to anyone who was caught breaking 1st Commandment (
Exodus 20:3),
Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Deuteronomy 17:1-5; 14:6-10;
Exodus 22:20); 2nd Commandment, (
Exodus 20:4)
Thou shalt not make unto thee any idols (
Exodus 20:4;
Deuteronomy 27: 15); 3rd Commandment (
Exodus 20:7),
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain (
Leviticus 24:16); 4th Commandment
Sabbath (
Exodus 20:8-11) see
Exodus 31:14-15; 35:2; 5th commandment (
Exodus 20:12)
honor your father and mother see
Exodus 21:15-17; 6th commandment
thou shalt not kill (
Exodus 20:13) see
Leviticus 24:17;
Numbers 35:31-33; 7th commandment
thou shalt not commit Adultery (
Exodus 20:14) see
Leviticus 20:10;
John 8:3-5; 8th Commandment
thou shall not steal (
Exodus 20:15) but only applied to man stealing or kidnapping (
Exodus 21:16); 9th commandment (
Exodus 20:16)
thou shall not bear false witness see
Deuteronomy 19:15-21 and the 10th commandments
thou shall not covet (
Exodus 20:17) see
Joshua 7:21-25.
This of course all ceased during the time of Christ when Israel was under Roman rule and law and at the death of Christ bringing an end to the old covenant and the bringing in of the new covenant. The death penalty is still in force today because it is written that the wages of sin is death for those that do not repent before the time of judgement is finished (
Romans 6:23;
James 2:8-12) but enforcement of the death penalty does not take place until the second coming (see
Psalms 9:17;
Matthew 5:22,29,30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15,33;
Mark 9:43,45,47;
Luke 12:5;
2 Thessalonians 1:9;
James 3:6;
Revelation 2:11, 20:6,14, 21:8 etc etc)
The only difference today is that we are in the new covenant now so we no longer put people to open death because we are not in the physical nation of Israel in the flesh or under the old covenant civil laws of Israel. The death penalty for sin is still the same however for those who reject the gift of God's dear son *
Romans 6:23 but Jesus says now that Vengeance is mine and his reward will be with him at the 2nd coming *
Romans 12:19-21;
Revelation 22:12. God's Word does not teach or support the false doctrine of lawlessness (without law) and Gods' 4th commandment in the new covenant is one of God's 10 commandments that give us the knowledge of what sin is when broken *
Exodus 20:8-10;
Romans 3:20;
Romans 7:7;
1 John 3:4.
And is it just the 10 Commandments that were to be kept for all their generations, or was it all of the laws?
According to the scriptures there are many laws in the bible that God wants us to believe and obey. At the same time there are many laws in the old covenant that are "shadow laws" pointing to Jesus and His role and new ministration under Gods' new covenant promise (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:24-27; Hebrews 8:10-12). For example all those laws relating to the earthly Sanctuary, the Levitical Priesthood, animal sacrifices and sin offerings, Feast days etc were all pointing to Jesus as God's sacrifice for the sins of the world once and for all (Hebrews 10:10; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Hebrews 7:1-25; Hebrews 8:1-13; Hebrews 9:1-27 and Hebrews 10:1-22). All these laws to do with the earthly Sanctuary and old covenant laws of forgiveness of sins and sin offerings and the Levitical Priesthood are all now fulfilled and continued in Jesus as the promised Christ and Messiah to who they were all pointing to in the New covenant promise of Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:10-12. However, these old covenant "shadow laws" (Hebrews 9:1-27) are not the same as God's eternal moral laws (the 10 commandments see Exodus 20:3-17) that under the new covenant give us the knowledge of what sin is when broken *see Romans 3:20. So the role of God's 10 commandments in the new covenant have the same role they did in the old covenant and that is to give us the knowledge of good (moral right doing when obeyed) and evil (moral wrong doing when disobeyed); sin (moral wrong doing) and righteousness (moral right doing) *see Romans 3:20; Romans 7:7; 1 John 3:4; Psalms 119:172. According to James in James 2:10-11 if we break anyone of God's 10 commandments we stand guilty before God as sinners breaking all of Gods' law. Therefore to break the Sabbath which is one of Gods' 10 commandments in the bible is sin in the new covenant. There is not a single scripture in all of the bible that says Gods' 4th commandment has now been abolished and we are now commanded to keep Sunday as a holy day of rest in honor of the resurrection of Jesus. This is simply a man-made teaching and tradition that Jesus warns us about in Matthew 15:3-9 that has led many away from God and His Word to break the commandments of God.
And what do you believe about all these other Christians that don't follow the Sabbath? Is it something that makes them unsaved? Since, this would be a false belief on their part.
For me personally, I believe according to the scriptures that God has His people in every Church who is living up to all the light of God's Word that He has revealed to them (see John 10:16). However, most of these Church's have departed God and His Word in order to follow man-made teachings and traditions. According to Jesus the hour is coming and now is that the true worshipers will worship the father in Spirit and in truth. God is a Spirit and those who worship the father must worship Him in Spirit and in truth (see John 4:23-24). God is calling all of is where ever we might be back to His Word so we can worship Him in Spirit and in truth. According to the scriptures as we grow in the knowledge of Gods' Word (Ephesians 4:13), God does not hold us accountable for sin until He gives us a knowledge of what sin is (see James 4:17 and Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31). When God gives us a knowledge of His Word that shows what sin is then God expects us to believe and follow what His Word says *Acts of the Apostles 17:30-31. At this time, when we have been given a knowledge of the truth of Gods' Word, according to the scriptures, if we choose not to believe and follow what Gods' Word says then God holds us accountable for sin and we will be in danger of the judgement unless we repent of our sins and believe and obey what Gods' Word says (see Hebrews 10:26-31).
Hope this was helpful
Take Care.