Sign of Sanctification
This is not only a memorial of God’s work of creation—it is also a sign of His work of sanctification, or redemption from sin. In Exodus 31:13 God says, “Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.” Centuries later, God repeated this promise to the prophet Ezekiel: “Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them” (Ezekiel 20:12). To sanctify something literally means to set it apart for a special purpose. Like God set apart the seventh day at Creation, He also has the power to forgive and cleanse people from sin and restore His character in them.