How does Exodus 31:14 connect with the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20? The Fourth Commandment Revisited (Exodus 20:8-11) • “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God… For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth… Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11) • Key themes: – Remember – Keep it holy – Cease from work – Rooted in God’s own creation rest (Genesis 2:2-3) Exodus 31:14—The Same Command Intensified • “You must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Anyone who profanes it must surely be put to death; whoever does work on that day must be cut off from among his people.” (Exodus 31:14) • Added elements: – Death penalty for profaning the day – “Cut off” language stresses covenant breach – Personalized—“holy to you,” not only to the Lord Direct Links Between the Two Passages • Same divine imperative—“keep/remember the Sabbath” • Both base holiness on God’s own rest (Exodus 20:11; 31:17) • Identical prohibition of work • Exodus 31 explains the weight of Exodus 20 by attaching covenant penalties (cf. Leviticus 23:3; Numbers 15:32-36) Why the Added Severity in Exodus 31? • Israel is now at Sinai drawing up covenant terms; Sabbath becomes a visible “sign” of that covenant (Exodus 31:16-17) • Breaking it equals rejecting the entire covenant, thus the capital penalty • The Ten Commandments give the principle; Exodus 31 shows Israel how seriously God protects that principle Broader Biblical Echoes • Exodus 16:23—first Sabbath test in the wilderness • Leviticus 19:3—Sabbath paired with honoring parents (see Exodus 20:12) • Hebrews 4:9—points to a future, ultimate Sabbath rest for God’s people Living the Truth Today • God’s rest rhythm remains a gift and mandate (Mark 2:27) • Holiness is never optional; reverence for God’s set-apart times reflects loyalty to Him • Sabbath principles—trust, worship, and refreshment—carry forward even as Christ fulfills the Law (Matthew 5:17; Colossians 2:16-17) Exodus 31:14 doesn’t replace the Fourth Commandment; it magnifies it, showing the Sabbath as covenant sign, emphasizing holiness, and revealing the gravity of obedience first declared in Exodus 20. |
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