The observance of the Sabbath by Moses is a significant aspect of the Israelite religious life as outlined in the Pentateuch. The Sabbath, a day of rest on the seventh day of the week, is rooted in the creation narrative and is codified in the Mosaic Law. Moses, as the leader and lawgiver of Israel, played a crucial role in establishing the Sabbath as a central element of Israelite worship and community life.

Institution of the Sabbath

The concept of the Sabbath is first introduced in the creation account in Genesis, where God rests on the seventh day after creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 2:2-3). This divine rest sets a precedent for the Sabbath, which Moses later formalizes for the Israelites. The Sabbath is presented as a day of rest and holiness, reflecting God's own rest.

The Fourth Commandment

The formal observance of the Sabbath is enshrined in the Ten Commandments, which Moses receives from God on Mount Sinai. The Fourth Commandment explicitly instructs the Israelites to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Exodus 20:8-11 states: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy."

Sabbath Regulations

Moses provides additional regulations concerning the Sabbath in the Mosaic Law. These laws emphasize rest and cessation from labor, extending the command to all members of the community, including servants and livestock. In Exodus 31:12-17, the Sabbath is described as a sign between God and the Israelites, a perpetual covenant that underscores the sanctity of the day. The passage warns of severe consequences for profaning the Sabbath, highlighting its importance in the covenant relationship.

Sabbath in the Wilderness

During the Israelites' journey in the wilderness, the observance of the Sabbath is tested and reinforced. In Exodus 16, God provides manna for the Israelites, instructing them to gather twice as much on the sixth day to prepare for the Sabbath, when no manna would fall. This miraculous provision underscores the necessity of resting on the Sabbath and trusting in God's provision.

Sabbath as a Covenant Sign

The Sabbath serves as a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, symbolizing their unique relationship. In Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Moses reiterates the command to observe the Sabbath, linking it to the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. This connection emphasizes the Sabbath as a reminder of God's redemptive acts and His ongoing relationship with His people.

Sabbath Observance and Community Life

Moses' instructions regarding the Sabbath extend beyond individual rest to encompass the entire community. The Sabbath becomes a time for communal worship, reflection, and renewal. It serves as a weekly reminder of God's creation, provision, and covenant, fostering a sense of identity and unity among the Israelites.

Conclusion

The observance of the Sabbath by Moses is foundational to the religious and social life of Israel. Through Moses, God establishes the Sabbath as a day of rest, worship, and covenantal remembrance, integral to the identity and faith of the Israelite community.Numbers 15:32-34
And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks on the sabbath day.
Nave's Topical Index

Of the Observance of the Sabbath.
... are sure to say, that ever since this precept was given through Moses, the observance
has been ... it is not in the exemption from work of the sabbath"that is ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter iv of the observance of.htm

The Pharisees' Sabbath and Christ's
... not question the authority of the tradition, nor ask where Moses had forbidden ... appealed
to Scripture to bear out His teaching that Sabbath observance must bend ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the pharisees sabbath and christs.htm

The Law Anterior to Moses.
... the burden of the law of Moses, please God ... God," uncircumcised and inobservant of
the Sabbath, was chosen ... the merits of righteousness, without observance of the ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter ii the law anterior to.htm

Whether the Third Precept of the Decalogue, Concerning the ...
... man,' etc.] receives circumcision on the Sabbath day, that the law of Moses may
not ... the ark on the Sabbath did not break the precept of the Sabbath observance. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the third precept of.htm

Fourth Commandment
... the building of the tabernacle, He referred especially to the sabbath, and gave
injunctions for its strict observance; and later, when Moses was conveying the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/fourth commandment.htm

Whether all the Moral Precepts of the Old Law are Reducible to the ...
... of the decalogue; whereas He gave the other precepts to the people through Moses. ...
Reply to Objection 2: The precept of the Sabbath observance is moral in one ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether all the moral precepts 2.htm

Divorce
... at seeming variance with His free views concerning sabbath observance, fasting,
and ... He carefully distinguished between a command and a permission of Moses. ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 10 1-12 divorce.htm

Against the Jews on the Question of the Sabbath.
... Moses, of a truth, was the first to abide fasting with God for forty ... a very small
share to Him and be at rest, the observance of the Sabbath was devised for ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter xxiii against the jews on.htm

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
... rescued from the flames on a Sabbath, although not worn, as constituting "a burden!"
It was said that Moses had received the law of their observance from God ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 13 among the people.htm

The False and the True Sabbath.
... the Lord] spoke, face to face, to Moses on Mount ... Sabbaths of the Jews were the true
Sabbath, we should ... Barnabas here bears testimony to the observance of the ...
/.../barnabas/the epistle of barnabas /chapter xv the false and the.htm

What day is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday? Do Christians have to observe the Sabbath day? | GotQuestions.org

How is Jesus our Sabbath Rest? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath? | GotQuestions.org

Sabbath: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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