but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work--neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your GodThe concept of the Sabbath originates in Genesis 2:2-3, where God rested on the seventh day after creation. This day is set apart as holy, emphasizing rest and worship. The Sabbath is a covenant sign between God and Israel ( Exodus 31:16-17), symbolizing trust in God's provision. It foreshadows the rest found in Christ ( Hebrews 4:9-10), who offers spiritual rest to believers. on which you must not do any work—
The prohibition of work on the Sabbath underscores the importance of rest and reliance on God. It serves as a reminder of God's deliverance from Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15) and a call to trust in His provision. This commandment highlights the need for physical and spiritual renewal, pointing to the ultimate rest in Christ (Matthew 11:28-30). neither you, nor your son or daughter,
The inclusion of family members emphasizes the communal aspect of the Sabbath. It is a time for families to come together in worship and rest, reinforcing the importance of spiritual leadership within the household. This reflects the broader biblical theme of generational faithfulness (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). nor your manservant or maidservant,
The command extends to servants, highlighting the principle of equality and compassion. It reflects God's concern for all people, regardless of social status, and anticipates the New Testament teaching of equality in Christ (Galatians 3:28). This provision ensures that everyone experiences rest and renewal. nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock,
Including animals in the Sabbath rest demonstrates God's care for all creation. It reflects the biblical principle of stewardship and compassion for animals (Proverbs 12:10). This provision ensures that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all living beings, aligning with the creation mandate to care for the earth. nor the foreigner within your gates,
The inclusion of foreigners underscores the universal nature of God's covenant. It reflects the biblical theme of hospitality and care for the stranger (Leviticus 19:34). This provision anticipates the New Testament message of the gospel being for all nations (Matthew 28:19). so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do.
This phrase emphasizes equality and justice, ensuring that servants receive the same rest as their masters. It reflects God's concern for social justice and the dignity of all people. This principle is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are called to love and serve one another (John 13:34-35). Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites who delivered God's commandments, including the Sabbath law, to the people. 2. IsraelitesThe chosen people of God who received the law and were commanded to observe the Sabbath. 3. SabbathA day of rest on the seventh day, instituted by God as a sign of His covenant with Israel. 4. Servants and LivestockIncluded in the command to rest, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the Sabbath rest. 5. ForeignersNon-Israelites living among the Israelites, also commanded to observe the Sabbath rest. Teaching Points The Purpose of RestThe Sabbath is a gift from God, designed for physical rest and spiritual renewal. It reminds us of our dependence on God and His provision. Equality and CompassionThe command includes everyone, regardless of social status, emphasizing God's concern for justice and equality. It teaches us to care for those under our authority. A Sign of CovenantObserving the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between God and His people, reminding us of our identity and relationship with Him. Rest as WorshipThe Sabbath is not just about ceasing work but also about dedicating time to worship and reflection on God's goodness and creation. Modern ApplicationIn today's busy world, setting aside regular time for rest and worship is crucial for maintaining spiritual health and balance. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the command to rest on the Sabbath reflect God's character and His intentions for humanity? 2. In what ways can we apply the principle of Sabbath rest in our modern, fast-paced lives? 3. How does the inclusion of servants and foreigners in the Sabbath command challenge our views on equality and justice? 4. What are some practical ways to ensure that our time of rest includes worship and reflection on God? 5. How does understanding the Sabbath as a sign of the covenant deepen our appreciation for our relationship with God? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 2:2-3The origin of the Sabbath, where God rested on the seventh day after creation, setting a pattern for humanity. Exodus 20:8-11The Ten Commandments, where the Sabbath command is reiterated, emphasizing its importance. Mark 2:27Jesus' teaching that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, highlighting its purpose for human benefit. Hebrews 4:9-10The spiritual rest that believers enter through faith in Christ, symbolized by the Sabbath rest. People MosesPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, HorebTopics Alien, Animals, Ass, Bondman, Cattle, Daughter, Donkey, Female, Gates, Handmaid, Livestock, Maidservant, Maid-servant, Male, Manner, Manservant, Man-servant, Ox, Rest, Sabbath, Servant, Seventh, Sojourner, Stays, Strange, Stranger, Thyself, Within, Woman-servantDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 5:14 4633 donkey
5636 work, and rest
7530 foreigners
8343 servanthood, in society Deuteronomy 5:6-21 1443 revelation, OT
7263 theocracy
8412 decisions Deuteronomy 5:12-14 4975 week Deuteronomy 5:12-15 4921 day
5057 rest, physical
8444 honouring God Deuteronomy 5:13-14 1653 numbers, 6-10 Library Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of PrayerThe Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 "They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Deuteronomy 5:14 NIVDeuteronomy 5:14 NLTDeuteronomy 5:14 ESVDeuteronomy 5:14 NASBDeuteronomy 5:14 KJV
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