God needed to create a seventh day, but He didn't need to do it. The seventh day was created to act as a memorial of creation to testify of a creation, and God as Creator.
The sun determines the 24-hour day, the moon determines the 30-day month, but the only reason why we have a seven-day week is because, that's the way God created it, and the whole world follows suit.
Because the seventh day was created for this purpose, God declares it blessed and holy, so take the day off to recognize and acknowledge its meaning, and purpose. In the same way, here in America we take the Fourth of July off from work because the Day represents a memorial of our Independence, so we have the Day off because it's special for that reason.
When you read the Fourth Commandment, it does not say, "Remember the Sabbath, to take the day off because you're tired from working six days". It says, "Take the Day off because in six days God created the heaven and earth". The seventh-day Sabbath is a memorial of creation, so stop what you’re doing and make it special because of it.
Taking the day off from work is not what makes the day holy, the day is holy so take the day off from work to make the day special. We make the day special by gathering for worship. The Forth of July is special so we take the day off and have a big parade, and cook out. Thanks Giving is a special day so we take the day off, and have a big family dinner. The seventh day is special so we take the day off to gather for worship.
Leviticus 23:3 You have six days in which to do your work, but remember that the seventh day Sabbath, On that day do not work, but gather for worship. The Sabbath belongs to the Lord, no matter where you live.
The Fourth Commandment wasn’t instituted to force people to take a break, with the fear of being put to death if you don’t. The Fourth Commandment was instituted because the seventh-day is a memorial of creation, so God protects it for that purpose. This is why no other day of the week can take its place. That’s way people who are retired, and don’t work at all, still need to make the day special by gathering for worship.
The Fourth Commandment was enacted to protect the memorial of the seventh-day with the fear of punishment.
Exodus 31:15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
The threat of punishment, that came from the law, was added because God’s people were not making the Day special. This way of protecting the memorial was only to last until Messiah came.
Galatians 3:19 Then why do we have the Law? It was given because of sin. It was to be used until Christ came. The promise had been made looking toward Christ.
Today, in Messiah, we are no longer under the threat of being stoned to death for working on the Sabbath, but that does not mean the Sabbath is no longer special. It just means our motive for keeping it special is no longer fear of being stoned to death, but rather, we keep it special because we love God, His ways and His People, so because of this, we look forward to Sabbath every week.
1 John 4:18-19 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
1 John 5:3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.
If people need to be threatened with death to keep a special Day, special, they are either deceived, not a child of God, or they don’t love God, His ways or His people. Either one of these is not a good place to be in.
1 John 3:10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
Amen…