They were to celebrate it as a sign of God’s covenant.
Bible Reading: Exodus 31:12-18
The Sabbath
12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘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. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”
18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
Reading Questions: What is the Sabbath? Why were the Israelites to observe the Sabbath? What does it mean to desecrate? What were the Israelites to do to someone who desecrated the Sabbath? Why do you think God commanded that? What does that mean for us?
Journal Writing: What is an important truth from the Bible reading? Why do you need to know that truth?
Application Prayer: Write out a prayer for God’s insight and help into how you can apply the truth from the reading.
Week’s Memory Verse: Exodus 20:11
11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.