What is the meaning of Ezekiel 20:20? Keep My Sabbaths holy “Keep My Sabbaths holy” is a direct command. In the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) God set apart one day in seven for rest, worship, and reflection. By Ezekiel’s day Judah had treated the Sabbath as optional (Ezekiel 20:12-13), ignoring a gift designed to: • remind them of God’s rest after creation (Genesis 2:2-3) • reinforce dependence on God’s provision, not their own labor (Exodus 16:22-30) • create weekly space for teaching children God’s mighty acts (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) The call to “keep” is active: guard, preserve, and enjoy the day as sacred. When believers today order their weeks around worship and rest, they echo this timeless principle (Mark 2:27-28; Hebrews 4:9-10). That they may be a sign between us A “sign” points to an unseen reality, like a wedding ring signals a covenant. Sabbath observance was meant to broadcast Israel’s unique relationship with the LORD (Exodus 31:13-17). While circumcision marked the males (Genesis 17:11), Sabbath marked the entire nation—men, women, servants, foreigners—declaring, “We belong to Yahweh.” Ignoring it blurred that testimony (Nehemiah 13:15-22). The Church similarly bears visible “signs” of belonging—baptism (Matthew 28:19) and the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:26)—inviting the world to see Christ alive in His people. So that you may know Sabbath was not an end in itself; it was a teaching tool. By stopping their work every seventh day Israel learned, week after week: • God is Provider—He supplied manna double on the sixth day (Exodus 16:5). • God is Sovereign—time itself is under His lordship (Psalm 31:15). • God is Sanctifier—He alone makes His people holy (Leviticus 20:8). Knowledge here is relational, not merely intellectual (Jeremiah 24:7; John 17:3). Regular, rhythmic fellowship with God deepens trust and obedience. That I am the LORD your God The Sabbath signaled covenant identity: “I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God” (Exodus 6:7). Each Sabbath rest reaffirmed: • His exclusive authority—no other gods compete (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). • His rescuing grace—He delivered them from Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15). • His ongoing presence—He walked among them (Leviticus 26:12). For believers now, every Lord’s Day resurrection celebration declares the same truth: Jesus is Lord (Romans 14:8-9), and we are His redeemed people (1 Peter 2:9-10). summary Ezekiel 20:20 calls God’s people to set apart the Sabbath as holy. By honoring that day they display an outward sign of an inward covenant, weekly learn to trust and know the LORD, and publicly affirm that He alone is their God. The verse urges a lifestyle of rhythmic rest and worship that continually points to the faithful, covenant-keeping Lord. |
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