Exodus 20:8
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
The final day of creation was set apart by God as one of greater importance than the others. Genesis 2:3 tells us that “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work which [He] had created and made.” The biblical term sanctification refers to a separating of something for the pleasure of God. The Sabbath has been set apart by God as a special day since the dawn of creation.
The Sabbath represents the completion of God’s creation process. It points to His sovereignty over the world that He fashioned. Once God had completed His work, He could say that it was good. He was in control. He was free to rest. His sanctification of the Sabbath set it apart to be a source of pleasure. His commandment to the Israelites is important because it reminded them that they too were sanctified, or set apart, for God’s own pleasure. God commanded them to keep the Sabbath holy as a testimony to His completed work in their lives. Those that did not rest as God had rested were worthy of death. Their unrest on God’s day of rest represented a rejection of God’s sovereignty in their hearts. This was unacceptable.
If you are a child of God, then you have been sanctified by Christ, set apart for God’s own pleasure. Your salvation is final, complete, and good. The fourth of God’s Ten Commandments should never be far from your heart. You are to take joy in setting the Sabbath aside as a day of rest. It reminds you of God’s sovereignty over everything from the world’s creation to your own sin. It points others to His esteemed value and importance. It is a practical reminder of the spiritual victory God won when He sanctified you for His own good pleasure.