Of the Ten Commandments, keeping the Sabbath Day is highlighted for special attention. The reason for this focus is because it is to remind God’s people of how He makes them holy (v12-13). God has been teaching about items associated with the tabernacle being holy, the Sabbath was a weekly reminder to enable God’s people to be holy, set apart for the Lord.

The seriousness with which God views the Sabbath is seen in that those who break it were to be put to death (v14b-15). God expects His people to be diligent to keeping this day holy, set apart from other days.

This commandment was to be kept as an everlasting covenant (v16) throughout all generations. With Jesus rising on the first day of the week the Sunday is now the Christian Sabbath, and believers have no right to neglect it.

There seems to be delight in God as He remembers the six days of creation and His first Sabbath on which ‘He rested and was refreshed’ (v17).

The ‘finger of God’ wrote these commandments (v18) and that emphasises again the importance of being serious about obeying.