Exodus 20:8–11
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The Sabbath was a day set aside for rest and worship. God commanded a Sabbath because human beings need to spend unhurried time in worship and rest each week. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (v. 8). The basis for this commandment is the creation when God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:2-3). The idea behind it was that people were to work six days and worship on the seventh. For violation of this commandment God imposed on Israel the death penalty (Exodus 31:15).

Although it is best not to work without an interval of rest, as God’s original pattern shows, this commandment was far from being the most important as some sects would have us believe. This was not to be a day of slothful inactivity but for spiritual service through religious observances. In fact it is the only commandment not repeated for Christians to observe in the New Testament.

When Christ died on the cross he took away such require­ments as holy days, new moon observances and the Sabbath day restrictions (Colossians 2:14-17). The day of worship has even been changed from Saturday to Sunday because of Jesus resurrection on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

Application

How do you spend your Sundays?  For some in the ministry it may be their most busy and tiring day of the whole week. The thing I need to keep in focus is that it should be a time for worship and if some time for rest can be included that is great.