We are to worship God by resting

The fourth commandment has been widely misunderstood because of confusion over what is symbolic and what is moral. God himself lays down the pattern for it in his resting after the six days of creation. In these passages we find some of the main teaching on this for his people both before and after the birth of Jesus.

It is important to remember that the fourth commandment, to keep the Sabbath holy, is relevant for all people because of the need for us to rest from our work. The most wonderful aspect of the Sabbath, however, is found in the rest that Jesus gives to his people through what he has accomplished in his death on the cross. The forgiveness of sins, received by faith alone, leads to holy living and rest from their consequences, which he bore in his body at Calvary.