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Exodus 20.1-17

This past weekend Pastor Jeff Manion talked about the command, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20.8). It’s a command about taking one day of rest in seven.

The word “Sabbath” means “to cease or stop, implying rest.” This concept, a day for rest, was completely foreign to the ancient world. There were no weekends or vacations in either the Egyptian culture God’s people fled or the Canaanite cultures they were about to enter. With this command, God changes the paradigm by establishing a new rhythm for his people.

By speaking into the Sabbath, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2.27), Jesus challenged the legalistic interpretations of the Sabbath prevalent in his day. Even today some religious people still take a legalistic approach to the Sabbath, setting up rules about going to church, mowing lawns, eating out, or working on Sundays.

Meanwhile, others are more likely to ignore the command going straight from rest to recreation. Our culture tends to move directly from overbooked weekdays to a weekend programmed full of recreation with no thought to God.

Pastor Jeff Manion helps us see the worth of the Sabbath through three important conversations: Work, Rest and Reflections on Sabbath Rest. Through these, we learn the value of a cycle of work and rest.

Today, as we continue to memorize the Ten Commandments, memorize Exodus 20.8 to help you remember the goodness of the work and rest cycle established by God.