You shall remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy

You shall remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. This is a most important commandment because it’s to do with how we structure our lives to the glory of God and the advancement of our joy and flourishing.
We looked at three things:
• The relevance of the commandment for today
• The command to work for six days
• The command to rest and worship

The relevance of the commandment for today.
There are two really good reasons to believe this commandment is still a commandment for us today.
Firstly, the simple fact that it’s on this list of ten. Since no other commandment on this list is no longer applicable, let us think this one still applies also.
Secondly, because the basis for this commandment is not in the purity or religious ceremony of Israel, but rather in the actions of God as Creator. Because God worked six days and rested, we must work six days and rest one. This practice by the people of God was maintained on the seventh day of the week right up until the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and since then on the first day of the week, called the “Lord’s day.” It would seem then that the Sabbath commandment still applies and is to be observed on Sunday for the believer after the resurrection.

The command to work six days
Here we are told that we must fit all our work into six days and that we have been given six days on which to work. This means that we are to be productive and work in various ways for six days. Not just doing paid work, but all the earthly duties that typically occupy our week are to be done and pursued for six days. It also means that if we are not able to get all our work done in six days then we have too much work we’re committed to, and it’s our duty to scale down our lives and careers so as to maintain a pattern of six days work and one day for rest and worship.

The command to rest and worship
Here we are told to not only rest from all work for the whole day but told to keep that whole day holy to the Lord. This means more than simply going to church. It means giving the whole day to God and holy rest. Let’s use this time wisely, to think and talk about the Lord, and to do things that are truly restful.
We should also recognize that when we engage in this Sabbath rest, we are getting a taste of the heavenly rest that God has entered and which we will enter one day through faith in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4 tells us “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5 And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.” 6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.