The very first sabbath is recorded in Exodus 16. The Israelites had been grumbling again. “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
This grumbling took place on the 15th day of the second month after leaving Egypt. That day marked the arrival of the quail, and the following morning was the first arrival of manna, the bread from heaven referred to in verse 4.
On the sixth day, the Israelites were instructed to gather twice as much manna to last them two days. Notice that the 7th day, the sabbath, they could not gather manna, the bread of heaven. It was not there. They could only eat it if they gathered more on the 6th day. On the 7th day, the sabbath, they were commanded to stay in their place, in their tents, and rest.
Manna, the bread of heaven, points to Jesus, the bread of life. Manna not being available on the 7th day also pointed forward to His death, the day He was in the tomb. It was preparing them for mourning. Their bread of life had fulfilled the law and the prophets, their Bible, as it became, when He fulfilled all the prophecy made about Him, including fulfilling the prophecy of the sabbath, by His burial.
In Exodus 20, the children of Israel are given a covenant. The sign of that covenant is the sabbath, which they have already been given. The fourth commandment says: 8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11For in six days the LORD made heaven and 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.
Remember. They had only just been given it, and they were reminded.
Remember to rest. No work.
Deuteronomy 5 gives them another reason to remember. 15 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.
Remember you were redeemed.
All the sabbaths they were given, weekly, annual, and jubilee, were to remind them of rest, and redemption. Thus they were also pointed forward to their Saviour, Christ, in Whom could be found both. They were to remember things that happened and to look forward to what was to happen. Except that the rest they got in Jesus was for their souls, it was not physical. It was to be permanent, eternal.
When Jesus was crucified, He fulfilled the old covenant. He was the Lamb who took away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) His body was broken for us, and His blood was shed. Matt 26: 26Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28for this is my blood of thec covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. The new covenant had been ratified. Sealed by the Holy Spirit, and its sign was love. Love so great He became sin for us, so that we could have what He deserved.
Christians are not bound by the ten commandments. They are not bound by the sabbath. Their chains are gone, grace has saved them. Instead they are slaves to love. Love saved them, and it is written on their hearts, and they give love to all.
Sabbath is about physical rest, one day in seven. Christ gives you rest, eternally. He gives you love, and because He loves us, we love others. We are obedient to His commandments of love.
And we rest in Him. Eternally.
Light of Christ 