Exodus 23:10–13 “The Meaning of the Sabbath Commandment”

Exodus 23:10-13 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Still | Hillsong Worship
• Come To Me | Jenn Johnson | You Make Me Brave
• New Wine – Hillsong Worship

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• Gizmo’s Daily Bible Byte – 055 – Exodus 20:8 – Remember the Sabbath – Lesson for Kids
• BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD – Song for Kids
• I’ve got the Joy Joy Joy | Kids Songs | Hi Heaven – Song for Kids
• THIS IS THE DAY – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth arelocated in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

Verses 10 to 13 provide further explanation of the Fourth Commandment—the Sabbath Commandment. The weekly Sabbath (observed every seventh day) is extended into the Sabbath Year (observed every seventh year) and the Year of Jubilee (observed after seven cycles of Sabbath Years). Detailed regulations regarding the Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee are found in Leviticus 25.

The Sabbath Year, the seventh year, is a time to share the grace that God has given with others. Debts are to be forgiven, and fields that have been cultivated for six years are to rest for one year. Regarding the land, it is to be diligently farmed for six years to yield produce (v.10), but in the seventh year, it must not be cultivated. There are two reasons for this: one is to allow the land to recover its depleted vitality, and the other is to offer the naturally grown produce as a gift to the poor and the wild animals (v.11).

The Sabbath is a day to cease from labor, give thanks for God’s grace, celebrate it, and share it with others. It is a day when everyone is to enjoy the blessings God has given. This command is to be applied even to slaves and foreigners (v.12). The Fourth Commandment—including the Sabbath Commandment, the Sabbath Year, and the Year of Jubilee—can only be kept by those who truly and concretely believe in the one and only Creator God. That is why it is emphasized, “You must be careful to do everything I have said to you” (v.13).

Meditation:

One of the most important contributions the Bible has made to human culture is the concept of a “culture of rest.” Without it, humanity would have created a “culture of exploitation,” driven by insatiable desires and endless labor, ending life in exhaustion. Even today, in many places around the world, the powerful treat the weak like “machines of labor.” The kind of exploitation that the Israelites suffered under Pharaoh in Egypt continues in various forms. Among the poor, some are forced to give up even their days off in order to provide for their families.

The laws concerning the Sabbath, the Sabbath Year, and the Year of Jubilee acknowledge human sinfulness but place boundaries so that sin’s demands are not endlessly fulfilled. Earning money, lending surplus money to others, purchasing someone else’s land, and enslaving others to pay off debt—these are all outcomes of human sinfulness. If one continues to follow the desires of sin, the result is a living hell. As a result, some pass down poverty while others pass down wealth. These laws are given to prevent such conditions from becoming permanent and to open the possibility for a new beginning.

This law applies not only to livestock but also to slaves, foreigners, and even the land itself. Human sinfulness harms not only oneself but also slaves, foreigners, animals, and the earth. Through this law, God conveys His will for us to care for His entire created world.

Prayer:

Creator God, we have devastated Your beautiful creation, and we confess that we, too, are complicit. In pursuit of our own desires, we have exploited ourselves, our neighbors, the land, animals, and plants. We deeply repent of this sin. Restore to us the spirit of the Sabbath so that we may fulfill our responsibilities as faithful stewards. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: God wants everyone—including people, animals, and the earth—to rest and be cared for. Sabbath is about trusting God, not just stopping work.

• For Preschool-Elementary
  • Why do you think God wants us to take a rest, even from good things like school or chores?
  • Who else does God want to enjoy rest besides you? (Hint: animals, strangers, workers)
  • How can you help someone else rest or feel cared for this week?
    
• For Youth
  • What does it say about God that He commanded rest, not just for people, but also for animals and the land?
  • How is working too much or never resting harmful to yourself and to others?
  • Can you think of a time when letting go of your own desires helped someone else? How might that connect to the spirit of the Sabbath?