5 and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands.7 And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. 8 But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.
“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.12 Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.
“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. 14 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, 16 because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless, my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.
18 “And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules,20 and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. 21 But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.
“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. 25 Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, 26 and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.
The ongoing dealings of God with His people are further underlined, for example, in 10-17. It is in relation to the disciplines of grace that the law was given at Sinai. We can surely link this up with Paul's teaching about the law in Romans 7. The giving of the law, seen against this background, is surely significant, for it represents God's gracious dealings with His people, this rebellious, fractious, idolatrous people who would not listen to His voice. This is why He thrust the law at them. We should notice in passing what is said about the Sabbath. Here is a statement which should deliver us from any legalistic thinking. It is far from the mark to think of the Lord's Day in Sabbatarian terms. Keeping the Sabbath is not a question of craven observance, the strict puritanical observance of an outdated law, nor is it a legalistic anachronism, but a sign of the covenant between God and man. Keeping the Sabbath is therefore an assent on our part that the Lord is hallowing us, a bearing witness to God and to man that we belong to Him. If the Lord is hallowing me unto Himself, and if I want to bear witness that I am glad of that hallowing, then I shall want to be in God's house on the Sabbath as a testimony that I am on the Lord's side. It is this that transforms the Sabbath day and makes it a joy and a delight, not a craven, irksome duty. God does not want our reluctant worship, but the glad response and outgoing of our hearts, and when this is given, God comes in all His grace and power in response to it. It is this that 'makes' true worship, and makes it the very gate of heaven to our souls.