The Blessing of Rest

INTRODUCTION.

A few years ago a friend telephoned with an urgent request. “Phil,” he said, “I’m calling to ask a favor. I need the most precious thing you have.”

Can you guess what he needed? He was asking for my time, of course. (Exodus - Saved for God’s Glory)

Exodus 20:1–11 NASB95

1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

Sabbath

“to cease or to stop

7th day

Saturday

The one commandment not repeated in the New Testament:

Colossians 2:16–17 NASB95

16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

MESSAGE.

I. The Rule - What to Do.

Exodus 20:8 NASB95

8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Remember.

Keep It Holy.

Holy =

Set apart

Different

I. What to Do.

II. The Edict - How to Do It.

Six normal Days.

Exodus 20:9 NASB95

9 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

to work - our duty

Genesis 2:15 NASB95

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

No Work.

Exodus 20:10 NASB95

10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

You

Your Sons or Daughters

male or female servant

cattle

sojourner - foreigner

I. What to Do.

II. How to Do It.

III. The Stimulus - Why We are to Do It.

Exodus 20:11 NASB95

11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

First we are commanded to.

To Remember God.

God rested on the seventh day and made it holy.

for the Israelites they were to remember the LORD bringing them out of slavery from Egypt.

Deuteronomy 5:12–15 NASB95

12 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 ‘Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 ‘You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.

IV. The Tip - Good information.

Exodus 20:11 NASB95

11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

While it is not repeated in the New Testament it is still a good idea.

CONCLUSION.