“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping 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, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
📖Exodus 20:8-11
THE 4TH COMMANDMENT: “REMEMBER THE SABBATH”A Comprehensive Exposition from Genesis to Revelation
INTRODUCTION: WHY “REMEMBER”?
Out of the 10 Commandments, only one begins with “Remember.”Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”GOD knew 3 things:
1. We would be busy and forget Him [Deuteronomy 8:11-14]
2. The enemy would try to change times and law [Daniel 7:25]
3. We need a weekly reset to remember who we are and who He is.
The Sabbath is not a Jewish tradition. It’s a creation gift [Genesis 2:1-3], a covenant sign [Exodus 31:13], and a prophetic promise [Isaiah 66:23].
It answers 3 of life’s biggest questions: Where did I come from? Who do I belong to? Where am I going?Let’s walk through it.
1. THE TEXT AND ITS PLACEMENT
Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor… but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your GOD…”Deuteronomy 5:12-15 adds the redemption reason: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt…”
Structure:
Commandments 1-4 = Love GOD [Matthew 22:37]Commandments 5-10 = Love neighbor [Matthew 22:39]The Sabbath sits at the center. If we get our relationship with the Creator right, our relationships with people will follow.
2. ORIGIN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: CREATION TO COVENANT
A. CREATION ORDINANCE
Genesis 2:1-3 “By the seventh day GOD finished His work… Then GOD blessed the seventh day and made it holy”Before sin, before Israel, before Sinai. Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man” — for all mankind.
B. IN THE WILDERNESS
Exodus 16:23-30 – The Manna test. “Tomorrow is a day of sacred rest, a Sabbath to the LORD.”GOD taught dependence: Daily bread + Weekly rest = Trust.
C. WRITTEN IN STONE AT SINAI
Exodus 31:16-17 “It will be a sign between the Israelites and me forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth”Exodus 35:2-3 – Cease from producing. Enter GOD’s rhythm.
D. THE PROPHETS
Isaiah 56:2,6 “Blessed is the man who keeps the Sabbath… foreigners who keep the Sabbath”Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you call the Sabbath a delight… then you will find your joy in the LORD”Jeremiah 17:21-22 – Don’t carry burdens. Keep it holy.
3. SIGNIFICANCE WITH OT + NT SCRIPTURE
A. IT POINTS TO GOD AS CREATOR
Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth”Nehemiah 9:6 “You made the heavens… and on the seventh day you rested”Psalm 33:6,9 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made”Revelation 14:7 “Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea”Every Sabbath we reject evolution and declare: “The LORD made me.”
B. IT POINTS TO GOD AS REDEEMER
Deuteronomy 5:15 “Remember that you were slaves… and that the LORD your GOD brought you out”Matthew 11:28 JESUS: “Come to me… and I will give you rest.”Sabbath = We stop working to earn what grace has already given. Ephesians 2:8-9
C. IT IS A SIGN/SEAL OF SANCTIFICATION
Ezekiel 20:12,20 “I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.”Exodus 31:13 “so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.”Ephesians 1:13 “Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit”Ephesians 4:30 “with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”A seal = Name, Title, Territory. The 4th Commandment contains all 3: LORD, GOD, Creator of heaven and earth.[Name][Title][Territory]
D. IT IS FOR MERCY, NOT BONDAGE
Leviticus 23:3 “a day of Sabbath rest, a sacred assembly” Hosea 6:6 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” Matthew 12:12 JESUS: “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Luke 13:15-16 He sets a woman free “on the Sabbath day”
E. IT FORESHADOWS ETERNAL REST
Leviticus 23:34 – Feast of Tabernacles = Sabbath
Hebrews 4:1-11 “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of GOD… Let us… make every effort to enter that rest”Greek word: sabbatismos = Sabbath-keepingIsaiah 66:22-23 “From one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to bow down before me” — even in the New Earth.
4. GOD’S SEAL ON THE OBSERVERS – END TIME CONTEXT
A. MARK OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Revelation 7:3 “until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our GOD” Revelation 12:17 “The dragon was enraged… and went off to wage war against… those who keep GOD’s commandments and hold to the testimony of JESUS.”
Revelation 14:12 “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of GOD who keep the commandments of GOD and the faith of JESUS.” The final issue is worship [Revelation 14:7]. The Sabbath points directly to the Creator.
5. JESUS AND THE APOSTLES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
JESUS:
Luke 4:16 “as was His custom” He attended synagogue on Sabbath.Luke 6:5 “The Son of Man is LORD of the Sabbath.”John 15:10 “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love”
APOSTLES:
Acts 13:14,42-44 Paul preaches “on the Sabbath”. Gentiles ask for “next Sabbath”
Acts 16:13 Prayer meeting “on the Sabbath”
Acts 17:2 “As was his custom, Paul… on three Sabbath days he reasoned”
Acts 18:4 “Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue”
Romans 3:31 “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.”Hebrews 8:10
New Covenant: “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.”
The NT debate was about legalism vs grace [Colossians 2:16], not abolishing the Sabbath.
6. PRACTICAL APPLICATION TODAY
How to “Remember and Keep it Holy”:
1. Cease – Exodus 34:21 “on the seventh day you shall rest” – Stop work, rest body
2. Celebrate – Psalm 92:1 “A Psalm for the Sabbath day” – Worship, music, Word
3. Connect – Isaiah 58:7,13 – Serve others, spend time with family
4. Contemplate – Psalm 111:4 “He has caused His wonders to be remembered” – Think on Creation, Cross, Coming King
CONCLUSION:
THE SABBATH IN 3 WORDS
The 4th Commandment is not about legalism. It’s about a relationship.
1. CREATOR – Exodus 20:11 “the LORD made heaven and earth” It tells us where we came from. We are not an accident.
2. COVENANT – Ezekiel 20:20 “a sign between me and you” It tells us who we belong to. We are sealed, set apart, sanctified.
3. CONSUMMATION – Hebrews 4:9 “There remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of GOD” It tells us where we are going. Every Sabbath is a taste of eternity.
Isaiah 58:14 “then you will find your joy in the LORD”
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me… and I will give you rest.”
The Sabbath doesn’t save us. JESUS saves us. But the Sabbath keeps pointing us back to the Savior who is “LORD of the Sabbath” [Mark 2:28].
Let us choose to Remember, so we don’t forget who GOD is, and who we are in Him.
Amen.
