Sabbath: Sabbath and Obedience

It legitimizes rest as a spiritual act, not a sign of weakness.

The mark of a faithful life is Sabbath.  Not what they build.  Not how hard they work.  But how they rest.

Exodus 31:12-17:  “Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

14 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death.

16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’

(1) Observing Sabbath is Obedience to God's Command

Verse 13: “You shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you... that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.”

Sabbath is your life support. 

Sabbath is a sign

Verse 13 - "so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy."

Yahweh M'Kaddesh—The Lord Who Sanctifies

(2) God Blesses Those Who Faithfully Observe His Ways 

Verse 16-17 says, "16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ”

Isaiah 40:28 tells us, "The Lord is the everlasting God... He will not grow tired or weary." 

“refreshed.” In Hebrew, this is the word Nafash. It shares the same root as the word Nephesh, which means "soul" or "life."  Scholars suggest it literally means "to take a breath." 

(3) Obedience Leads to Peace and Spiritual Clarity 

Peace is not the absence of trouble; it is the presence of clarity. 

The invitation before us is not simply to slow down—but to trust deeper.

Trust the outcome. Believe that God can do more with your 6 days of work than you can do with 7.