Exodus 31:12–18

God had given Moses a full description of the tabernacle and its furniture, and Moses was about to receive the two tables of testimony from the hand of the LORD. But then, as if to prove the prominent place the holy Sabbath held in the mind of God, we read: "Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you."

Exodus 31 closes all this with two facts: the Spirit of God empowering man to make a tabernacle according to the pattern, and the Sabbath day tied to the order of the tabernacle... in this book when we meet with any dealing of God, of whatever kind it may be, the Sabbath day is always introduced... God therefore makes much of the sign. The reason is this. He wants to impress on His people that all His dealings, however varied, are meant to keep one thing before their minds: the rest He was steadily working toward, and into which He means to bring His own at the right time.

God had called and equipped men for this service of making the tabernacle. Now the LORD speaks to Moses again of the Sabbath. It was the sign between Him and the children of Israel, among whom He was about to dwell... Here He goes back to the first setting up of the Sabbath. It was the rest of God, expressing the satisfaction He had in His own work... Now that He is about to set up His tabernacle among them, He gives them His own rest again, as the sign between Him and them for ever.

It formed part of the law, and was distinctively a sign between God and Israel. The Sabbath was never given to the Gentile as such, whatever may be the reasonings of men... The Sabbath was the LORD's sign to Israel. To argue that God laid it on everyone alike denies that fact in principle, and denies the Scripture which declares it... How could it be a sign to one if it was the common duty of all?

The real rest of God can only be known by those who have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. The Sabbath was most strictly a sign between God and His redeemed Israel.

Even something as important as building the tabernacle had to give place to the rest that man needs, in body and in soul. "The Sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27), for God truly cares about our need of physical rest. But there is more. When a man stops his work one day a week, he is meant to see that he must not depend on his own work, but on the grace of God.

The rest of God is what the Sabbath signifies, and this was the goal God proposed to His people. We know they never entered into it, and Hebrews 4 states this fully. But His purposes never fail. What is lost under responsibility He will establish according to His own counsels of grace. There remains therefore a rest (a Sabbath-keeping) for the people of God.

Another writer has said, and it is quite true, that in this book, whenever we meet with any dealing of God, of any kind, the sabbath day always comes in. Where God deals in grace, the sabbath follows right after the manna. When the law was given, the sabbath stands at the very centre of its requirements. So it is clear that, whatever the subject, the sabbath always has its place. God therefore makes much of the sign. He would impress on His people that all His dealings, varied as they are, are meant to keep that rest before their minds — the rest He was working towards, and into which He means to bring His own in due time.

Other nations might recognise, to different degrees, the great moral landmarks set out on the tablets of stone — no murder, no lust, and so on. But the sabbath was a lasting sign that the LORD had separated that people to Himself. Other nations did not keep it as God had laid it on Israel to do. So the LORD says to the sons of Israel, without mentioning the other nine commandments at all, "Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations."

It is true that the sabbath rest set up for man bore no fruit for him. The sin he had fallen into blocked his enjoyment of it. And unless God stepped in with sovereign goodness, man could have no communion with Him from that time on. Communion clearly rests on holiness, and so we read, "So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy." So, to give His people the enjoyment of the forfeited sabbath, God must take their sanctification upon Himself.

That blood had separated them from Egypt and brought them, in figure, to God. That mighty power He put forth had brought them out. These were the ground on which God says, "Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day." Now if God had made known His sabbath to all men and given it to them, this wonderful connection with a complete redemption would have had no meaning in it… Only those who have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, can know the real rest of God.

When God gives us work to do, there may be a danger of getting carried away by it. One day in the week the work was therefore to stop. Even something as important as building the tabernacle had to give place to the rest that the body and the soul both need… When man stops work one day a week, he is meant to realise that he is not to depend on his own work, but on the grace of God.

Under Moses, God set up no form of relationship with Himself without bringing the sabbath in again — a very remarkable fact… So these sabbaths could not go on as a Jewish sabbath under the commandments. Once Christ was crucified, God no longer sanctified the Jewish people. The Lord showed this beforehand, again and again during His ministry, by the way He acted and spoke on the sabbath days.

Someone else has remarked, and it is quite true, that in this book, every time we meet some dealing of God — of whatever kind — the sabbath day is brought in... So God makes much of the sign. The reason is this. He wanted to impress on His people that all His dealings, varied as they are, are meant to keep one thing before their minds: that rest. He was working steadily towards it, and He means to bring His own into it at the right time.

God never gave the sabbath to the Gentile as such, whatever men may argue. If a Gentile came and put himself under the wing of Israel, then of course he kept the sabbath. But as a Gentile he had nothing to do with it. The sabbath was the Lord's sign to Israel. To argue that God laid it on everyone alike is, in principle, to deny that fact... How could it be a sign to one people if it was the common duty of all?

To be a sign, a thing must be outward, something people can see. The sabbath was such an outward observance. Keeping it carefully would have marked Israel out at once as a distinct people among the nations of the world, and shown that they were in covenant relations with God.

So the sabbath was a special witness to the relationship that existed between God and Israel. Israel was to keep it through all their generations. It kept reminding them of the greatness of the living God, who sanctified them, or set them apart for Himself.

Anyone who defiled the sabbath came under sentence of death at once. Anyone who did any work on that day was to be cut off in death. Does this seem cruel? The answer is that any Israelite guilty of breaking the sabbath was showing contempt for God. Whether people think lightly of this or not, this is enormous wickedness. Israel kept disobeying, and their rulers did not carry out God's sentence of death. People today are no less guilty when they coldly disobey the Word of God. But God deals in patient grace. He is not judging yet. He is giving sinners the chance to repent and be saved.

Men may presumptuously deny the testimony of the Holy Spirit to the finished work of Christ. They may think it a light thing to break that sabbath, that rest, by gathering just a few worthless rotten sticks of their own works. Think hard about this solemn lesson. God guarded the shadow itself with the penalty of death. What then will happen to the soul that dares to sin against the Holy Spirit, by despising the great salvation, the eternal sabbath of rest in Christ?

He knew what His people were. He knew they would always fail under responsibility. In that sense He was never disappointed by the result. On the other hand, He attached the sabbath to every relationship between Himself and the people. That shows how deeply He longed for them to enter the completion of His purposes for them... The rest of God is what the sabbath signifies, and this was the goal God set before His people. We know that they never entered into it.

Today believers are not under law, but under grace. We are not told to keep the sabbath (Col. 2:16). Instead, by grace, God gives the first day of the week as a day when believers may choose to rest from their usual work and give the time to pleasing the Lord. There is no law about it at all.

In this place God's insistence on the keeping of the Sabbath is most appropriate. When God gives us work to do, there is a danger of getting carried away by the work itself. One day in the week the work was therefore to cease. Even something as important as building the tabernacle had to give way to rest — rest the body and the soul both need... When a man stops work one day a week, he is meant to realize that he is not to depend on his own work, but on the grace of God.

The daily work stopped on each Sabbath day. The spinning wheels stood still. The shuttles lay unused. Saws and planes were put down on that one day in seven — the Sabbath of rest to the Lord... Preparing the tabernacle was work for God, but that was no excuse for breaking the Sabbath.

Someone else has said, and it is perfectly true, that in this book, whenever we meet any dealing of God — of whatever kind — the Sabbath day is brought in... So God makes much of the sign. He wants to impress on His people that all His dealings, however varied, are meant to keep one thing before their minds: the rest He was steadily working toward, and into which He means to bring His own at the right time.

Six days were for work; "but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest," when toil stopped and rest began. The word sabbath means stopping. By it God was showing that He had a time in view when toil would cease for ever.

Other nations might recognise, in different degrees, the great moral landmarks written on the tablets of stone — keeping clear of murder and lust, and so on. But the sabbath was a lasting sign that the Lord had set that people apart for Himself. The other nations did not keep it as Israel was told to.

Anyone who defiled the Sabbath came at once under sentence of death. Whoever did any work on that day was to be cut off in death. Does this seem cruel? The answer is that any Israelite guilty of breaking the Sabbath was showing contempt for God. Whether people think lightly of this or not, this is enormous wickedness.

People may arrogantly deny what the Holy Spirit says about the finished work of Christ. They may think it a small thing to break that Sabbath, that rest, by gathering just a few worthless rotten sticks of their own works. Think hard about this solemn lesson.

He knew what His people were, and how they would always fail when responsibility rested on them... Yet He tied the sabbath to every relationship between Himself and the people. That shows how deeply (to use human language) He longed for them to reach the full purpose He had for them, and to enjoy fellowship with Himself in sharing His rest... So a rest — a sabbath-keeping — remains for the people of God.

The sabbath was never given to the Gentile — the non-Jew — as such, whatever people may argue... How could it be a sign to one nation if it was the common duty of all?

Man has no right to alter God's law in reference to the Sabbath, no more than he has to alter it in reference to murder, adultery, or theft.

The stir of daily work stopped on each sabbath day. The spinning wheels rested, and saws and planes stayed idle on that one day in seven — the sabbath of rest to the LORD. Is this not why the reminder to keep the sabbath comes before the instructions for building the tabernacle? It was work for God to prepare the tabernacle, but that was to be no excuse for breaking the sabbath.

Another writer has remarked, and it is perfectly true, that in this book the sabbath day always comes in. Whenever we meet with any dealing of God, of whatever kind, it is there… God therefore makes much of the sign. The reason is that He would impress one thing on His people. All His dealings, varied as they may be, are meant to keep His rest before their minds. He was steadily working towards that rest, and He means to bring His own into it in due time.

The sabbath was never given to the Gentile as such, whatever the reasonings of men may be. If a Gentile came and put himself under the shelter of Israel, of course he kept the sabbath. But as a Gentile he had nothing to do with it. The sabbath was the LORD's sign to Israel… How could it be a sign to one people if it was the common duty of all?

The sabbath was therefore a special witness to the relationship between God and Israel. They were to keep it throughout all their generations. It kept Israel reminded of the greatness of the living God, who sanctified them, or set them apart for Himself.

Under Moses, God never set up any form of relationship with His people without bringing the sabbath in again. That is a very remarkable fact. In Ezekiel 20:12 we read, "Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them." So these sabbaths could not continue as a Jewish sabbath under the commandments. Once Christ was crucified, God no longer sanctified the Jewish people. The Lord showed this beforehand, again and again during His ministry, by the way He acted and spoke on the sabbath days.

This was not given to Gentiles, and it is not given to the church in the present age (compare Colossians 2:16-17). The Lord Jesus was in the grave on the sabbath day, and was raised "the first day of the week"… Yet no law is made of this at all, for we are not under law, but under grace. We should regard the first day of the week as "the Lord's Day." So we can be glad for the privilege of using it entirely for the Lord's pleasure, without attaching any legal bondage to it.

He knew what His people were, and how they would always fail under responsibility… On the other hand, He attached the sabbath to every relationship between Himself and the people. That shows how earnestly He longed for His people to enter the completion of His purposes for them… We know they never entered it, and Hebrews 4 states it fully. But His purposes never fail. So what is lost under responsibility, He will establish according to His own counsels of grace.

The seventh day is not, then, a type of a millennium at all, but of final and eternal rest.

Someone else has noted, and it is quite true, that in this book every dealing of God, of whatever kind, brings in the Sabbath day… So God makes much of the sign. He wants to impress on His people that all His dealings, however varied, keep one thing before their minds: the rest He was working toward. He means to bring His own into that rest at the right time.

If any one of the ten commandments rests on God's claim alone, it is the sabbath… For this reason the sabbath tested His people more than the other nine did. So it was the special sign between the LORD and Israel. No other commandment could have been such a sign, and none ever was. It was the badge, easy to recognise, that marked the Jewish people off from everyone else.

What a moving testimony to God's delight in the creation, still unspoiled! He rested on the seventh day. This was not rest as we use the word, the opposite of being tired. It was rest as the opposite of the six days' work. "The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them"; "So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy" — the day on which He could look over the completed work with delight. What a beautiful picture of that eternal rest He is yet to have in the redeemed creation! (Revelation 21:5-6)

Notice the unusual wording in verse 17: the Lord rested on the seventh day and was refreshed. He must have been looking ahead to His own work on the cross and the wonderful results of that work.

This is the only Sabbath God ever celebrated, as far as the inspired record tells us. After this we read of God commanding man to keep the Sabbath, and man failing completely to do it. But we never read the words "God rested" again. Instead the word is, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." (John 5:17) A Sabbath in the strict sense of the word could only be kept when there was truly nothing left to do… Could God rest among the sighs and tears, the groans and sorrows, the sickness and death, the degradation and guilt of a ruined world?

The sabbath stands for the rest of God, and this was the goal God set before His people. We know they never entered it, and Hebrews 4 states this fully. But His purposes never fail. So what is lost under responsibility will be established according to His own counsels of grace. There remains, then, a rest — a sabbath keeping — for the people of God, and all who believe will enter that rest.

The first day of the week, the day of Christ's resurrection, became the sign and witness of rest for us. We begin our work with it — that is, with redemption in Christ — instead of ending with it… Under the law the seventh day was the symbolic rest, because God had rested from the works of the first creation. For us the first day of the week is the witness of a better redemption and a better rest.

So it seems the two tablets contained the ten "words," or commandments, spoken in Exodus 20, now written by the finger of God. These were the commandments Israel promised to keep as the condition of blessing. They left the ground of grace God had put them on after they crossed the Red Sea. Of their own accord, for themselves, at God's proposal, they took on the responsibility of obedience.

The importance of the occasion of the introduction of the law is surely emphasised by God condescending to write upon the tables of stone the commandments with His own finger. It was indeed a momentous occasion, for God, in His wisdom, was bringing home to men through the law their utterly sinful condition, and their inability to obtain divine blessing on the basis of human righteousness.

Our chapter ends by telling us that Moses was given two tablets of stone. The commandments on them stood as a testimony, and the very finger of God inscribed them. Notice the material: stone, the most rigid thing there is. You cannot twist it the way you can twist rubber, but you can break it.

The finger of God wrote what stands on the two tablets of stone. It set out what He required from the people the law was addressed to. It was not the revelation of God. It was the lawgiver stating His demand on the people of Israel. He says to Israel, in effect, "You are to be that, or come under the curse." They were not that, and so they came under the curse.

It was the moral law that was kept in the ark and in the tabernacle. That is why they were later called the ark of the testimony and the tabernacle of testimony. The ark, with the gold mercy-seat above it and the golden cherubim, formed the throne of Jehovah on the earth. The law inside the ark — "the testimony" — was the moral foundation of that throne… But because man was a sinner, the law had to condemn him, and rightly so. The whole world comes under judgment before God.

Satan, whatever he does, can never get ahead of God. He may try to block God's purposes. He may even seem to delay them. But he can never defeat them. So in the scene before us, the Lord had finished speaking with Moses (Ex. 31:18). He had arranged everything according to His will before the people fell into sin.

The law on tables of stone. The judgment of the impious Belshazzar and Babylon on the plaster of the wall — Daniel 5:5. The grace of God written on the dust by our Lord — John 8:6.

At Sinai you get God's requirement set before the people, engraved by the finger of God on the tablets of the covenant. But here in Christ you get the full and blessed answer to that requirement… Those tablets were placed in the ark of the covenant. Christ is the true Ark of the covenant, the Man who is perfectly according to the heart of God. "Your law," He could say, "is within My heart."

In the coming day under the new covenant the law will be written in the hearts of the people. At the present time the Spirit of God is writing not the law but Christ upon the hearts of those who receive the Gospel. But here God's righteous demands on men were inscribed on stone.