Before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were 182 admonished by Moses to "keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it." Deuteronomy 5:12. The Lord designed that by a faithful observance of the Sabbath command, Israel should continually be reminded of their accountability to Him as their Creator and their Redeemer. While they should keep the Sabbath in the proper spirit, idolatry could not exist; but should the claims of this precept of the Decalogue be set aside as no longer binding, the Creator would be forgotten and men would worship other gods. "I gave them My Sabbaths," God declared, "to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Yet "they despised My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols." And in His appeal to them to return to Him, He called their attention anew to the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy. "I am the Lord your God," He said; "walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God." Ezekiel 20:12, 16, 19, 20.

Inden israelitterne drog ind i Det forjættede Land, formanede Moses dem til at tage "vare på hviledagen" og "holde den hellig". 5Mos. 5,12. Det var Herrens hensigt, at Israel trofast skulle holde sabbatsbuddet for til stadighed at blive mindet om deres ansvar over for ham som deres skaber og forløser, Så længe de holdt sabbatten i den rette ånd, ville afgudsdyrkelse være udelukket, men hvis denne del af tibudsloven blev tilsidesat og erklæret for ophævet, ville menneskene glemme Skaberen og dyrke andre guder. "Også mine sabbatter gav jeg dem," sagde Gud, "for at de skulle være et tegn mellem mig og dem, at det skal kendes, at jeg, Herren, er den, som helliger dem." Men "de lod hånt om mine lovbud og vandrede ikke efter mine anordninger, men vanhelligede mine sabbatter; thi deres hjerte holdt sig til deres afgudsbilleder". Da han appellerede til dem om at komme tilbage til ham, henledte han på ny deres opmærksomhed på betydningen af at holde sabbatten hellig. "Jeg, Herren, er eders Gud!" sagde han. "Følg mine anordninger og tag vare på at holde mine lovbud; hold mine sabbatter hellige, så de bliver et tegn mellem mig og eder, at det må kendes, at jeg, Herren, er eders Gud." Ez. 20,12-20.