27-28 Tazria-Metzora 2025

People often think of the law not to work on the Sabbath as a restriction. Consider this. People in ancient cultures often worked 7 days a week, so they got no guaranteed weekly rest. Slaves in particular worked 7 days a week. So, the Sabbath points to us being a free and privileged people. The commandment also says that everyone is to benefit from this day of rest, even the animals! So it is truly to be a day of blessed rest. It points to God being the creator because God made it holy at the time of creation, therefore those who do not keep the Sabbath, do not honor God as the creator. 

God says those who keep the Sabbath are blessed. Isaiah 56:2 NKJV says, "Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,

and keeps his hand from doing any evil." So, God gave us the Sabbath to bless mankind. Isn't this great! Isaiah 58:13 NKJV says, “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words." On the Sabbath, we stop work or doing just any work that we want to do ("your own pleasure). It is not talking about not enjoying the day. It is to be a day of delight, a true day of rest. We are to make it a holy day. The word holy means separate. We are to separate the Sabbath from doing just any work we desire ("your pleasure"). We are to not even talk about work or perhaps anything stressful, so making it a true day of rest that includes mental rest. We honor God by keeping the Sabbath.