The Sabbath was instituted in the very beginning (Gen 2:1-3; Ex 20:11), before the nation of Israel existed. There was no death, no religion, no covenant, no law, no nation, no Jew or Gentile and, of course, no racial distinction. Jesus said the “Sabbath was made for man” (Mk 2:27)—not only for the Jews. The benefits and privileges of receiving rest, blessings, and sanctification from observing the seventh-day Sabbath are given to all mankind.

Honoring the Sabbath day is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. Even though they were first entrusted to the chosen people of the Old Testament, God’s commands are passed on to the chosen people of the New Testament (see Acts 7:38). The Ten Commandments have never been abolished; they still need to be kept by Christians today (Lk 18:18-20; 1 Cor 7:19; 1 Jn 5:2-3; Rev 14:12).

Isaiah’s prophecy that foreigners will keep the Sabbath further confirms that Gentile believers in the New Testament will keep God’s Sabbath (Isa 56:6-7). So Sabbath observance isn’t just limited to the Israelite nation.