Sharper Iron & The Saga of Salvation: Our Rest, God’s Work

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Rev. Stephen Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vinton, IA joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Exodus 31:12-18 and Exodus 35:1-3.

The Sabbath day was given by God in the beginning, when He rested from His work of creation on the seventh day. The LORD commanded His people Israel to cease from their labor on the seventh day every week in order to recall not only His work of creation, but also His work of redemption. That redemption would now be delivered to them through His work for them in the tabernacle that He had instructed them to build. Their cessation from physical labor every seventh day was the sign for them that it was not their own work that made them holy; the LORD alone made them holy. To be made holy by the LORD is a serious matter indeed, for only in His Word are His people given life; apart from Him is only death. All of this points forward to Christ, who is our true and final Sabbath rest. His sacrifice has paid the great price for our redemption. It is not our work that brings holiness to us; only the work of Jesus Christ can sanctify us. Whenever and wherever Jesus comes to us in His Word and Sacrament, therefore, we have true Sabbath rest.

“The Saga of Salvation” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that takes a step-by-step walk through the book of Exodus. This premier account of salvation in the Old Testament proclaims that the LORD is the one true God, the Creator and Redeemer, who alone is worthy of our worship and faith, all the while pointing us forward to the ultimate deliverance He gives through the exodus accomplished by Christ.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

Exodus 31:12-18

The Sabbath

12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Exodus 35:1-3

Sabbath Regulations

35 Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”