References to “seven” fill Leviticus 23.

The first time seven occurs in this chapter is at verse 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” (Leviticus 23.3).

The seventh day of every week, equivalent to our Saturday, the Lord wanted the children of Israel to observe a day of rest and to have a holy convocation, in other words, they were to worship on that day.

Rest is important, and the Lord wanted them to take a whole day off every week!

This commanded-seventh-day-of-rest was for Israel, a sign between them and the Lord, as it is written,

“Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 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” (Exodus 31.16, 17).

Of the house of Israel, the Lord spoke through Ezekiel, saying,

“Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them…I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20.12, 19, 20).

Also, the Levites in a prayer to God, recorded in Nehemiah, confessed that the Lord revealed Sabbath-keeping for the first time on Mt. Sinai,

“You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant” (Nehemiah 9.13, 14).

Therefore, Paul said not to let anyone judge you when it comes to Sabbath-keeping (Colossians 2.16, 17).