A Day of Remembrance

We are to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. The reason, as explained in the fourth commandment, is that God Himself rested the seventh day after He made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. God even blessed the this day and made it holy (Exodus 20:8, 11). We remember this day because God has made it a special day and set an example of rest for us to follow.

When commanding the Israelites to keep the Sabbath day, God also asked the people to remember how God delivered them from the slavery in Egypt. "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day" (Deuteronomy 5:15 NIV).

Likewise, God has also delivered us, the believers, from the sinful lifestyle under the hands of Satan into the promise of God's eternal kingdom.

Through the Sabbath, God furthermore reminded the Israelites that they belonged to God. "Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I the LORD sanctify them" (Ezekiel 20:12). The Sabbath is God's way of telling us how special we are--that we are his people.