“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. ”
God says the Sabbath is a sign, which means it reveals that you and the LORD are in a covenant relationship of faithful love and that He is the One doing the work of sanctifying you. You see, our hearts are called into the weekly rhythm of Sabbath rest, because…
It’s a Sign that God is Making You Holy.
It’s a sign that He not only makes a day holy, but He makes people holy as well. It’s kind of like a wedding ring. It is a sign that a person has been set apart as special and has entered into a marriage covenant. It symbolizes relational faithfulness to ones spouse. It says that the person wearing it belongs to their spouse in a deeply intimate and committed way that they share with no one else. Similarly, the Sabbath reveals the same thing about ones relationship with Jesus.
The Sabbath was to be a sign between Yahweh and His people throughout their generations. However throughout much of the story of God’s people in the Old Testament, the more unfaithful they were to their covenant relationship with God, the more the Sabbath ceased to be cherished. So God would often raise up prophets like Ezekiel to call His people back to faithfulness to Him and this also included faithfulness to the weekly Sabbath rest. God said through Ezekiel almost the exact same thing He said to them through Moses… “Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’” Ezekiel 20:20. Can you hear the heart of God in this verse? He’s saying to treat this weekly, 24-hour, date day with Him as special, unique sacred space so you will know that He is your God.
You see the Sabbath is about relationships and relationships need time to deepen. God wants to be in relationship with you everyday, but just like a marriage, He wants set aside time, free from work and distractions, so that your relationship with Him can deepen. Because it’s as you deepen your relationship with Him that He makes you holy and resting on the seventh-day Sabbath is a sign that this is taking place.
Yet this weekly rest is pointing to a still deeper rest. Ultimately Jesus, the Messiah, would come through the descendants of Abraham, through the tribe of Judah, from the royal line of David, as the fulfillment of the covenant promises. And as Yahweh said through Ezekiel that if we hallowed the Sabbath, we would know that He is the Lord, Jesus came along and said…
CJ Cousins
Follower of Jesus, Husband, Father, Pastor, Author.
Watch this next sermon in the series this Nov. 3rd at 10:40am. Click this image to watch live.