Introduction

Grace and peace to you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. As we gather together in this sacred space, we carry with us the weight of the world, the burdens of our hearts, and the longing for something more. We yearn for rest, for peace, for a moment of respite in the midst of the chaos that life often brings. But what if I told you that this rest, this peace, this respite is not just a distant dream, but a divine promise? A promise given to us by our Creator, and woven into the very fabric of time itself.

Charles Spurgeon, the great British preacher of the 19th century, once said, "Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength... It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less."

With that in mind, let read Exodus 20:8-11: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

And again, in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 5, verses 12 to 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 a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you."

Sabbath Significance in Israel's Covenant

In the heart of the Israelite covenant, the Sabbath holds a place of profound significance. It's not just a day, but a symbol, a sign, a sacred seal of the relationship between God and His chosen people. This is a covenant that is not just about rules and regulations, but about a relationship and rest.

The Sabbath is a day of remembrance. A day to remember that the Israelites were once slaves in Egypt, but God, in His mercy and might, delivered them. Every Sabbath, they were to remember their deliverance, their freedom, their identity as God's chosen people. In the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to forget. To forget who we are, where we've come from, what we've been through. But the Sabbath is a divine reminder. A reminder of God's faithfulness, His deliverance, His love.

The Sabbath is also a day of worship. A day to worship God, not just for what He has done, but for who He is. The Creator of the universe, the Deliverer of His people, the Giver of rest. On the Sabbath, the Israelites were to cease from their work, their worries, their worldly pursuits, and focus on God. To worship Him, to honor Him, to glorify Him.

Worship is also about surrender. Surrendering our time, our talents, our treasures to God. The Sabbath is a day of surrender. A day to surrender our work, our worries, our wants to God. A day to surrender ourselves to God.

On the Sabbath we enjoy community. We get to gather together, to fellowship, to share, to support, to serve. The Sabbath was not just for the individual, but for the community. It was a day for the Israelites to come together to bear one another's burdens and build one another up. The Sabbath is a day of belonging.

Finally, the Sabbath is a day of hope. A day to look forward, to look up, to look beyond. The Sabbath was not just about the here and now, but about the there and then. It was a day for the Israelites to look forward to the promised land, to the coming Messiah, to the eternal rest.

Sanctity of the Sabbath in Scripture

In the heart of the Ten Commandments, we find the command to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO