The Sabbath is the first commandment given to Israel, being issued before she gets to Mount Sinai (Ex. 16:22-30); and it is the last commandment given for the people before Moses returns to them from atop the mountain (Ex. 31:12-17). Like bookends, the command to keep the Sabbath secures the content of God’s relationship with Israel.
What Does it Mean to Know God? by Scott Hafemann taken from The God of Promise and the Life of Faith by Scott Hafemann, copyright 2001, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187, www.crosswaybooks.org, p. 47.
