The seventh-day Sabbath is much more than a weekly day of rest. It is the one day each week that we devote totally to God, serving as a regulator and barometer of our relationship with Him. God blessed the seventh day, making it holy time, set apart for His use. Only God can make a day holy, and He does this by putting Himself, through His Spirit, into it. We are then instructed to keep it holy by refraining from work and other activities as guided by principles in Scripture. If we keep the Sabbath properly and work to improve our relationship with God, this holy time will be most precious and a tremendous blessing each week.

The Sabbath is holy, set apart as a cut above the other days of the week for God's use. God sanctified the Sabbath with a purpose, reflecting His call for us to be holy and dedicated to Him. It serves as a sign, a beacon, and evidence of the covenant between Him and His people, marking them as His chosen ones. This holiness signifies a separation from sinful nature and a dedication to God, mirroring His character and purpose.

The Sabbath represents a profound aspect of ownership in our relationship with God. The seventh day is explicitly declared as God's Sabbath, a holy time set apart by God Himself. Although it is God's time, we bear the responsibility to observe it properly, recognizing that it is not ours to use for personal purposes. The Sabbath was made for man, yet it remains God's day, shared with those He has called and sanctified for their benefit. Our observance of the Sabbath is rooted in God's act of redemption, freeing us from spiritual bondage. Because of this, the seventh day no longer belongs to us but to Him. Keeping the Sabbath holy reflects our commitment to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. Failure to do so, by allowing anything to become more important than this relationship, constitutes Sabbath-breaking and idolatry. We must make a clear distinction between the Sabbath and other days in our conduct, conversations, attitudes, and thoughts. On this day, we are to focus on God's ways, choosing what pleases Him and speaking of divine matters. As stewards of God's truth, we are entrusted with the knowledge and significance of the Sabbath, and we must handle this responsibility with great care.

The Sabbath holds a profound significance as a holy time, set apart by God for a unique purpose. It is not merely a day of rest, but a day of cessation from ordinary labor to focus on what is truly important. God commands us to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as seen in Exodus 20, emphasizing a deliberate act of stopping our regular activities to honor Him. This day, distinct from the other six days of the week, mirrors God's own actions at creation when He ceased His work on the seventh day, blessed it, and sanctified it as a time for reflection and satisfaction in what was accomplished. The Sabbath is a day of holy convocation, a time when we are summoned to worship together, learn about God, and fellowship with like-minded individuals. It is not about lounging or merely resting the body due to fatigue, as God Himself does not grow weary, but about refocusing our minds on His purpose. On this day, God shifted from physical creation to spiritual work, engaging in the creation of faith and holiness in those He calls. As exemplified in Genesis 2, after completing the physical creation, God rested on the seventh day, reflecting on His work with a sense of completion and well-being, setting a model for us to follow. Furthermore, the Sabbath serves as a sign between God and His people, as noted in Exodus 31, reminding us weekly that He is working to sanctify us and make us holy. It is a dedicated time to focus on knowing the Father and the Son, aligning with the essence of eternal life. This holy time facilitates spiritual growth by allowing us to step away from worldly distractions and concentrate on God's ongoing work in us. Isaiah 58 underscores that treating the Sabbath with respect and honor, restraining from our own pursuits, brings joy and elevates us above worldly cares, promising blessings in this age and the world to come. Keeping the Sabbath holy is thus a vital key to deepening our relationship with God and preparing for His Kingdom.

The Sabbath is holy ground, a time set apart by God. Just as God placed His presence in the burning bush, making the surrounding ground sacred, and just as Joshua and the priests in the Tabernacle showed reverence by removing their shoes, God has placed His presence in the seventh day, consecrating it as holy. The Sabbath is not an ordinary day; it is special because God sanctified it, setting it apart from the other days of the week. We must show reverence by keeping it holy and honoring God through assembling together to worship on this day. The Sabbath serves as a sign of the covenant between God and His people, conveying the message that we are made special by this relationship. It facilitates our understanding of our Creator, and without knowing God through the Sabbath, there is no path to eternal life. God commands us to keep the Sabbath sacred, to refrain from trampling His holy time, and to treat it with respect and honor. It is a test to see if we willingly obey what God has made sacred, identifying those who have surrendered to His will. The Sabbath is not a time for normal weekly work or activities that can be done on the other six days. It is a time to step away from the busyness of the world, to rest physically, and to change our approach from the constant rush of other days. God designed the Sabbath to serve mankind, making it a delight when kept properly. It is a time for rest, reflection, spiritual growth, and interaction with fellow believers, as God summons us to assemble together regularly every seven days for mutual encouragement and learning. This reflects the profound lesson of reverence seen in the commands to Moses and Joshua, and the practices of the priests, teaching us to have proper respect for what God has made holy.

The Sabbath is set aside as holy time, belonging to God. It is a day designated by Him for worship and service, distinct from all other days. As rendered in Exodus 20, the commandment establishes the basic rule that each person must reserve this day for honoring God, breaking off worldly business and work relationships at sunset on Friday to emphasize spiritual ones. The Sabbath looks back on creation, identifying God as the Creator who set it apart from the beginning. In Deuteronomy 5, an additional emphasis is placed on redemption, reminding us that we were servants in Egypt, thus connecting the Sabbath not only to God as Creator but also as Savior, symbolizing liberty and the preservation of our relationship with the Redeemer. God expects a great deal of respect for the Sabbath, describing it as a day of joy and delight, to be held honorable, meaning right, proper, and fitting in contrast to other days of the week. We are to honor Him by using this day to do His pleasure, will, and preferences rather than our own desires or usual activities. The emphasis is not on the amount of energy expended on the Sabbath, but on the purpose and intent behind what we do during His holy time. God's concern is with what we do and why we do it, highlighting the importance of aligning our actions with His purpose on this sacred day.