450. Why did God “bless the Sabbath day and declare it sacred” (Exodus 20:11)?

God did so because on the Sabbath day one remembers God’s rest on the seventh day of creation, and also the liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt and the Covenant which God sealed with his people.


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2168. The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD."92

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2169. In speaking of the sabbath Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."93

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2170. Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day."94

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2171. God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant.95 The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.

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2172. God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed."96 The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.97

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2189. "Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Deut 5:12). "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord" (Ex 31:15).


Acesse nossos estudos biblicos:

Moses’ Intercession: How does Moses’ intercession for his people teach us about prayer and God’s mercy? (Exodus 32-34)

God’s chosen people: What does the book of Leviticus teach us about the choice and holiness of God’s people? (Leviticus 20:26)

The Beatitudes: Understanding Their Meaning and Importance (Matthew 5:3-11)

What is the meaning of Jude 1:4, which speaks of the condemnation of those who pervert the grace of God?

What does the statement “God so loved the world that he gave his son” in John 3:16 mean?

What is the spiritual battle mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:3-4, and how can a Christian fight it?

What can we learn about divine justice from the Lord’s vengeance mentioned in Abdias 1:15?