The Fourth Commandment Explained
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8
The Meaning of the Commandment
The Fourth Commandment stands apart as both a spiritual and practical call to rest. It reminds humanity that life is not sustained by effort alone but by the presence and provision of God.
When God gave this commandment, He said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.” (Exodus 20:8–10).
This instruction goes beyond ritual. The Sabbath is not merely a day of inactivity but a day of remembrance. God rooted the commandment in creation itself, saying, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:11).
By resting, God established a pattern of rhythm, reflection, and renewal, a balance between work and worship that keeps the soul aligned with its Creator.
The Purpose of the Sabbath
The word “Sabbath” means rest or cessation. It was never intended as a burden but as a blessing. Through it, God teaches that rest is holy, not idle. Humanity, made in His image, is called to reflect His rhythm: to work diligently and to rest intentionally.
The Sabbath reminds us that time belongs to God. He gives each day as a gift, yet commands that one day be returned to Him as an act of worship. This sacred rhythm protects the heart from exhaustion and greed, teaching that trust in God matters more than constant striving.
The prophet Isaiah later described the true spirit of Sabbath keeping: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord.” (Isaiah 58:13–14).
The Sabbath was never meant to be a restriction; it was meant to be a joy, a day that reconnects life with God’s presence and purpose.
The Example of Creation
The pattern of the Sabbath begins in the opening chapters of Genesis. Scripture records, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Genesis 2:2–3).
God’s rest was not the rest of weariness but of completion. He looked upon what He had made and declared it good. By blessing and sanctifying the seventh day, He made it distinct, a reminder that life is meant to include pauses of gratitude and worship.
Human rest, therefore, is an act of faith. To pause from labour is to declare that life is sustained not by endless effort but by divine provision. The Sabbath teaches that work has purpose, but it is not the purpose of life. Worship and rest bring the meaning that work alone cannot supply.
Sabbath as a Covenant Sign
For Israel, the Sabbath became a visible sign of their covenant relationship with God. In Exodus 31:16–17, God said, “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”
Each Sabbath reminded the nation that they were set apart. As God rested and was refreshed, they too were invited into His rhythm. The Sabbath was a declaration of identity, a weekly proclamation that they belonged to God and trusted His care.
Neglecting the Sabbath, therefore, was not simply breaking a rule; it was breaking communion. To forget the Sabbath was to forget who sustained them. By commanding rest, God was not taking something from His people but giving them something they desperately needed, time to realign their hearts with Him.
Jesus and the Spirit of the Sabbath
When Jesus came, He clarified the true purpose of the Sabbath. Religious leaders had turned it into a list of prohibitions, missing its meaning. Jesus restored its intent when He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27).
The Sabbath was designed for humanity’s benefit, to renew the body, refresh the mind, and restore fellowship with God.
Jesus also demonstrated mercy on the Sabbath. When criticised for healing, He responded, “Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:12). His actions revealed that the Sabbath is not about inactivity but about doing good in alignment with God’s will.
Through Christ, the Sabbath finds its fulfilment not in a single day but in a deeper rest of the soul. The writer of Hebrews explains this when he says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:9–10).
In Christ, believers enter the ultimate Sabbath, rest from self-reliance and peace in God’s completed work.
What the Commandment Teaches
This commandment teaches that rest is sacred, work is purposeful, and worship unites them both. It reminds believers that time is holy when used rightly. The rhythm of labour and rest reflects trust in God’s provision and obedience to His design.
It also teaches that continual striving without pause is a kind of slavery. The Israelites, once bound in Egypt, were forced to labour without rest. The Sabbath commandment was therefore an act of liberation, a weekly reminder that they were no longer slaves.
“And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deuteronomy 5:15).
Rest became a symbol of freedom.
Living the Commandment
To live this commandment today is to reclaim balance. It is to recognise that constant activity cannot satisfy the soul. Observing rest, whether through a specific day of worship or intentional times of reflection, keeps faith alive in the middle of life’s demands.
This rest is not limited to ceasing from labour; it also involves setting aside distractions, worries, and ambitions to focus on God. The Sabbath invites believers to remember their dependence on Him, to give thanks for His provision, and to renew their strength through His presence.
Keeping the Sabbath holy is, at its heart, a practice of gratitude. It reminds us that every breath, every task, and every moment belongs to the Creator who rested and blessed the seventh day.
Summary
The Fourth Commandment teaches that rest is divine, purposeful, and holy. It invites humanity to remember their Creator and to reflect His rhythm of work and worship.
The Sabbath was made for life’s restoration, not restriction. Through it, God calls His people to trust, to rejoice, and to find peace in Him.
To keep this commandment is to remember that time is sacred, work has meaning, and rest reveals faith. It is to honour God not only with effort but with stillness , resting as He rested, and rejoicing in His goodness.
Scripture References
Exodus 20:8–11 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
Isaiah 58:13–14 – “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord.”
Genesis 2:2–3 – “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
Exodus 31:16–17 – “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”
Mark 2:27 – “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:12 – “Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Hebrews 4:9–10 – “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.”
Deuteronomy 5:15 – “And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”
