"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work" (Exo. 20:8-10).
Do you honour this commandment God has given us?
Before you answer, do you know that the seventh day starts at sunset on Friday and ends at nightfall on Saturday? (If you are uncertain about this then please do some research about the day of the Sabbath).
I was struck today about how God views the Sabbath as recorded for us in Ezekiel 20. After the exodus from Egypt God gave the Israelites His statutes, "by whose observance man shall live" (Eze.20:11). God also said that the Sabbath is a sign between God and them that it is He who sanctifies them. So the Sabbath is not only for us a day of rest, but by observing it we have life and we are sanctified.
As followers of Jesus, saved through His blood, are we exempt from complying with this commandment? Not at all. Jesus said that those who love Him keep His commandments. And as Jesus is in the Father (John 14:20-21) we know that the Sabbath is His commandment. If this is not enough to convince you to observe the Sabbath, then follow the example of Jesus. He observed the Sabbath. "So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up and read" (Luke 4:16).
Ezekiel 20 also describes God's anger and punishment to those who defiled or profaned His Sabbath. Because of their rebellion, those who came out of Egypt were not allowed into promised land.
Brothers and Sisters, let us not rebel against our God like the Israelites did who came out of Egypt. Let us stop following our own way and the ways of the world and observe all the commandments God has given us, including the Sabbath, according to His way as recorded for us in the Word. Through His way we have life.
My Prayer
Father please forgive us for not honouring the Sabbath you introduced for us according to Your wisdom. Forgive us our rebellion for following after the world, be it through willful disobedience or through ignorance. Please instruct us and teach us Your ways Father. We pray in the name of Jesus. Aman.