Exodus 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
The rest here spoken of is primarily the spiritual rest of faith in God, and not merely the physical rest that we have come to look forward to with eager anticipation. God did not rest over the Sabbath hours because He was tired, neither should we in our own experience, use the sacred hours as a time to catch up on sleep which we deprived ourselves of during the six working days. The "Rest" referred to in the passage comes primarily from the quality time that should be spent with our Creator and with each other, and therefore, if we use the Sabbath merely as a day of physical rest, the essence and purpose of the sacred hours are lost upon us, and we will begin the coming week with a heavy load that should have been relieved over the Sabbath hours.
In order to "Rest' in the fullest and truest sense of the word, ample preparation should be made during the week, and we should always make sure not to work ourselves to a frazzle, with sleep-deprivation, so that when the Sabbath draws on we are nearly at the point of collapse. Appropriate rest and physical exercise together with faith in The Living God will ensure that our energies are at a peak during the Sabbath hours, instead of us huffing and puffing in the valley of overdue slumber.
Another purpose of the Sabbath is the restoration and renewal of relationships, both vertically and horizontally, and as such, we should endeavor to mend any broken friendships or heal any wounds that may have been inflicted over the six working days. This aspect of the Sabbath rest is mentioned by Christ as being in harmony with the spirit of true worship as engaged in by fellow believers. Let's read:
Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
When we rest as God originally designed, we will be drawn into closer fellowship with Him and with one another through the preaching of the word, communion with each other, and time spent in nature, wherever this is possible. To be rejuvenated both spiritually and physically has much to do with communion with God, and therefore the necessary changes that are long overdue, should be adopted by the grace of God, so that the purpose of the sacred hours may have true meaning for us individually and collectively.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reminds us of God's purpose for us in the celebration of the Sabbath rest, and it is our privilege and duty to realize the blessings and benefits that are implied. Let's read:
Exodus 31:13 Speak thou also saying" ..... "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.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. "Good night" and God bless!