Different Life: 3rd CommandmentНамуна

Both Exodus and Deuteronomy say the third commandment is about rest. The Hebrew word for sabbath, “shabbat,” carries the same meaning as the Hebrew verb “shabat,” which means “to stop” or “cease from labor.” It also sounds strangely similar to the Hebrew word for seven, “shebah.” So you might say that the third commandment is like a pun: The shebah day is a Shabbat on which we should shabat.

Whew. That’s a mouthful.

Here, we see God build a rhythm. There’s a rhythm of words, but more important is a rhythm of life. This seventh day, or Sabbath, is holy to God. That is, it’s set apart to him in a special way. God is holy. It’s good to remember that. So God sets up a rhythm by which we are intentionally prompted to remember just how holy he is. Every seventh day is a holy day, or “hol-i-day.” It brought national solidarity to Israel (much like national holidays today). Something special. A time of celebration. A day of blessing. It is a time to step away from the dreary doldrum and daily routine. Because God is amazing, let’s not take him for granted. It’s so easy to forget.

This is why people have come to associate going to church or synagogue with the Sabbath. It’s an intentional way to stop, remember that God is holy, and devote ourselves to him. As Martin Luther once said, “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it” (Luther’s Small Catechism, third commandment). It’s about “being occupied with God’s Word and putting it into practice” (Luther’s Large Catechism, third commandment).