The fourth commandment uniquely begins with "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," distinguishing it from the other commandments. God charges His people to remember the Sabbath, implying a blend of mental activity and external observance. If we remember the Sabbath with godly understanding, the appropriate response is to keep it holy with utmost reverence. The Hebrew word "zākar," meaning to remember, first appears in Genesis 8:1, where God remembers Noah and acts to ensure survival through the Flood, fulfilling His covenant. This covenantal aspect of remembrance recurs in various instances, reinforcing that remembering the Sabbath in Exodus 20:8 carries a covenantal light. As part of the Old Covenant, the Sabbath is a weekly observance and solemn duty, essential for receiving promised blessings. God emphasizes the Sabbath's covenantal importance in Exodus 31:12-17, declaring it a perpetual covenant and a sign between Him and His people, that they may know He is the Lord who sanctifies them. Keeping the Sabbath ensures ongoing sanctification, setting God's people apart and providing a holy convocation to grow in righteousness. Failing to meet with Him on His day risks losing godly understanding and slipping back into the world. As His chosen, observing the Sabbath remains a solemn responsibility under the New Covenant, vital to attaining the Kingdom of God, compelling us to keep it holy.

The Sabbath plays a vital role in God's continuing creation of His sons and daughters, as He did not cease His work after the initial creation week but continues to labor, especially on the Sabbath day. This day, as emphasized in Leviticus 23, is a holy convocation, a time of solemn rest, marked by the Hebrew term "shabbaton," which suggests a Sabbath of greater intensity and specialness, derived from "Shabbat," meaning to cease or stop. It is not merely a day for lounging but a day officially summoned for worshiping God together, for learning, and for fellowship with like-minded individuals to grow in understanding of Him. In Exodus 20, the Sabbath command is structured into three parts: to keep it holy, to cease from work, and to remember that God hallowed it at creation, setting an example for us to follow. Genesis 1:31 through chapter 2 shows that on the seventh day, God rested after completing His physical creation, blessing and sanctifying this day as different, separate, and devoted to Him. This distinction is crucial, as the Sabbath is not like the other six days; it is a day for reflection and contemplation, mirroring God's own satisfaction and sense of completion in His work, rather than resting due to fatigue. God's work on the Sabbath shifts from physical creation to spiritual endeavors, focusing on building faith in Christ, as defined in John 6:29. This spiritual work involves creating holiness in those He has called, moving from crafting the material world to shaping the character and spirit of His people. In Exodus 31:12-13, the Sabbath is a sign identifying God's covenant people, reminding us weekly that He is the One who sanctifies, making us holy and separate, as He continues His creative process in us. The Sabbath, therefore, is the primary day for coming to know God, facilitating growth in holiness and a grasp on eternal life, as linked in John 17:3 with the concept of knowing the Father and the Son. It is a day carved out for focused attention on God's work in us, distinct from the distractions of everyday life. Isaiah 58 promises that treating the Sabbath with respect and honor, restraining from personal pursuits, results in joy and elevation above worldly cares, marking it as a major key to spiritual growth and preparation for God's Kingdom.

God commands us to be holy as He is holy, using the Hebrew terms qadosh, meaning holy, and qadash, meaning to be cleaned, consecrated, purified, and sanctified. To become holy like Him, we must undergo a cleansing process, sanctifying ourselves to reflect His purity. In Genesis 2, God sanctified the Sabbath, making it holy like Himself through His presence. In Leviticus 23, we are commanded to keep His Sabbaths, observing them as holy convocations, days of assembly where the holy God desires to be with His future holy people. Keeping this command requires gathering together with God and His people to focus on becoming like our holy God. The Sabbath is a day dedicated to qadash activity, set apart by God for recreation and cleansing, distinct from the other six days due to the distractions of the world. God ordained it to be holy, a constant reminder that He is the one who sanctifies us, cleansing and purifying us to become qadosh like Him. His presence makes the Sabbath holy, just as His presence made the ground holy by the burning bush in Exodus 3. Profaning or polluting the Sabbath by engaging in personal work or activities not aligned with God's qadash purpose carries severe consequences, as He warns that those who defile it will be put to death. Jesus Christ, as the Lord of the Sabbath, demonstrates how to keep this day through His actions, starting and ending His ministry on the Sabbath. His habit was to be in assembly, in the synagogue, as part of a holy convocation. Through His Sabbath healings and teachings, He emphasizes mercy and good works, showing that the Sabbath is not a day of idleness but of spiritual work, healing, cleansing, and demonstrating God's lovingkindness. Following His example, we must gather on the Sabbath, using this time for extending mercy and doing good, ensuring our work is not self-focused but aligned with God's sanctifying purpose. Polluting the Sabbath can occur through distractions, thoughts, or conversations that stray from qadash activity, such as focusing on worldly matters like sports, news, or personal projects. Our conversations and actions on this day should build up faith and aid God's sanctification process, raising the bar on how we engage with one another. Allowing our minds to wander or speaking carelessly can defile God's holy time, even while physically present in assembly. We must work harder to control our thoughts and words, seeking God's help to remove pollutants from our minds during this sacred time. God differentiated the weekly Sabbath and the Day of Atonement as more stringent, instructing no work be done and emphasizing preparation beforehand to avoid physical labor on these days. Warnings in Amos 8 and Malachi 1 caution against longing for the Sabbath to end or offering half-hearted sacrifices through distraction, as such actions pollute His holy day. As priests in training, we must use the Sabbath, as Jesus did, for mercy, healing, cleansing, and doing good, not forsaking the commanded holy convocation to worship God and remove pollutants from our lives. Blessed are those who keep from polluting God's holy Sabbath, focusing on Jesus Christ, the highway of holiness, who sanctifies us through His redemptive work.