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Exodus 16:23-30
And he said unto them, Thisis that which the LORD hath said, To morrowis the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bakethat which ye will baketo day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning…

Exodus 31:13,14
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for itis a sign between me and you throughout your generations; thatye may know that Iam the LORD that doth sanctify you…

Genesis 2:3
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

by keeping it holy
To "keep it holy" means to set it apart for sacred use, distinct from ordinary days. Holiness involves dedication to God, reflecting His character and purposes. The Sabbath was a day for ceasing from labor, allowing for worship, reflection, and community. It served as a reminder of God's provision and sovereignty. In the New Testament, Jesus emphasized the Sabbath's purpose for human benefit (Mark 2:27), and He often healed on the Sabbath, demonstrating its intent for restoration and mercy. The concept of holiness is central to the Christian life, calling believers to live in a manner that honors God (1 Peter 1:15-16).

• God’s wording is active: “Remember” is not mere mental recollection but purposeful attention that shapes behavior (Deuteronomy 5:12, “Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD your God has commanded you”).

• Remembering anchors Israel to God’s past acts—creation and redemption (Exodus 16:23;Deuteronomy 5:15).

• In practice, remembering looks like preparing in advance so the day itself can be free from ordinary labor (Exodus 16:5).

• For believers today, remembering still involves intentional scheduling, choosing in advance to guard space for rest and worship (Ephesians 5:15-16, “making the most of your time”).

• “Sabbath” means the seventh day, patterned after God’s rest: “On the seventh day God completed His work… and He rested” (Genesis 2:2-3).

• Before Sinai the Lord introduced the rhythm with manna (Exodus 16:22-30), showing it was woven into creation, not merely a later legal add-on.

• The day belongs to God first: “It is a Sabbath to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:3). Our calendars yield to His.

• Jesus upheld the day’s divine origin while exposing legalistic distortions: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).

• New-covenant believers recognize a deeper rest fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 4:9-11), yet the weekly rhythm still preaches that truth to body and soul.

• “Holy” means set apart. The same root idea shapes commands like “You are to be holy to Me” (Leviticus 20:26).

• The day is kept holy when it is different from the six:

– Ceasing ordinary work (Exodus 20:10).

– Gathering to worship (Leviticus 23:3, “a sacred assembly”).

– Delighting in God, not merely avoiding tasks (Isaiah 58:13-14).

• Holiness is positive, not empty: Jesus healed, taught, and blessed on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16; 6:9).Acts 20:7 shows early believers meeting on “the first day of the week,” indicating that corporate worship continued, honoring Christ’s resurrection while preserving the principle of set-apart time.

• We keep the day holy today by:

– Setting aside work and consumer distractions.

– Gathering with the church family.

– Engaging in rest that refreshes body and soul, pointing to eternal rest (Colossians 2:16-17).

Exodus 20:8 calls God’s people to purposeful, rhythmic remembrance. We actively plan to honor the seventh-day principle, acknowledging God as Creator, Redeemer, and Provider. By setting apart a weekly day for rest and worship, we testify that our time, work, and well-being belong to Him and that our ultimate rest is found in Christ.

To keep it holy.--It had been already noted that the rest of the Sabbath was to be a "holy rest" (Exodus 16:23); but it is not quite clear what was intended by this. For the most part, the Law insists on abstinence from labour as the main element of Sabbath observance (Exodus 16:23-30;Exodus 20:9-11;Exodus 23:12;Exodus 34:21;Exodus 35:2-3;Deuteronomy 5:12-15, &c.); and it can scarcely be said to prescribe anything positive with respect to the religious employment of the day. That the morning and evening sacrifice were to be doubled might indeed suggest to a religiously-minded Israelite that hisúown religious exercises and devotions should also be augmented; but the Law made no such requirement. His attendance at the morning and evening sacrifice was not required nor expected. No provision was made for his receiving religious teaching on the day; no special offerings were required from him upon it. The day became one of "languid bodily ease, relaxation, and luxury" to the bulk of the later Jews (Augustin.Enarr. in Psalms 91); but probably there were always some whom natural piety taught that, in the absence of their ordinary employments, it was intended they should devote themselves to prayer and communion with God--to meditation on "high and holy themes," such as His mercies in past time, His character, attributes, revelations of Himself, government of the world, dealings with men and nations. Thus only could the day be really "kept holy," with a positive, and not a mere negative, holiness. . . .