What's The Purpose of the Sabbath?

Ezekiel 20:12: "Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy."

In Ezekiel 20, the elders of Israel had come to inquire of the LORD, but the LORD would not respond to them due to their rebellion in following false gods. Their licentious behavior was worthy of God's wrath; still, God had chosen these people from all the nations of the earth to inhabit His Promised Land. Although each generation of Israelites from the past seemed to defile themselves by following after their selfish desires, God still wanted them to know that if they were submissive and obedient to Him as Lord, He would bless them with the land "flowing with milk and honey."

The LORD mentioned that the purpose of the Sabbath was for His people to see that they were set apart for the purpose of God's pouring out His blessing upon them uniquely, if they would simply surrender themselves to His Lordship. As the Sabbath was one day set apart from the others as a time of rest and meditation upon the LORD, so too it was a teaching tool of the LORD to let the Israelites know that they were called out and set apart by God as His chosen people. Tragically, the chapter continues by stating that the Israelites desecrated the LORD's Sabbath through their rebellion, idolatry, and immorality. They did not take the time to reflect upon the unmerited goodness of the LORD by His choosing them to receive His divine blessings.

For Christians today, we would do well to reflect upon this passage as a reminder that we should take time to meditate upon the goodness of our God in calling us out to receive His divine blessings. When we succumb to the demands of this ephemeral life, we can lose sight of the gift of grace that God has bestowed to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. We MUST consecrate time from our hectic schedules to meditate upon the LORD and His choosing us to be part of His royal family. To fail to reflect regularly upon our God and His gift of holiness to us is to fall into the temptation of self-centeredness. And when we lose focus on our Lord, we will most assuredly become the rebellious, self-indulged people not unlike the Israelites mentioned in Ezekiel 20.