In Exodus 5:5, we see an odd use of the Hebrew word Shabbat.

My initial response was to skip over this verse, because I didn’t think it fit contextually with my study of the Sabbath rest for believers.

However, the idea kept nagging at me that God used the Hebrew word Shabbat in this verse.

There had to be a reason that He used that word, and not another word. Right?

We know that nothing in God’s Word is there by accident or coincidence. God didn’t just use random words for no reason.

So, I stopped and meditated on the verse:

“And Pharaoh said, ‘Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!’”

How did the Israelites end up in Egypt?

For that, we have to go back to the end of Genesis to the story of Joseph.

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery to the Ishmaelites, who then sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the guard and an officer of Pharaoh.

You know the story. He ended up in prison on false charges, where he was forgotten until Pharaoh had a disturbing dream.

God miraculously gave Joseph the interpretation of that dream that led him to become the second-most powerful man in the land, saving thousands of lives during a 7-year famine.

It was during that famine that his family moved to Egypt.

In Genesis 42, the brothers had gone to Egypt for grain, which is where they discovered that Joseph was indeed still alive.

Egypt had become their source of stability and provision.

However, in Exodus 1:8 we read, “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.”

The source of their stability and provision is about to become their slavemaster.

“And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.”

Who is your Pharaoh?

What source of stability and provision in your life has begun to steal from you your inner peace and tranquility in the Lord?

I think we can all point to that one thing that once brought us joy and fulfillment, that thing that we know God called us to….

And we know we are still called to, but we also feel enslaved by, and we wish we could go back to that time when it felt joyful and fulfilling in our lives.

Let me tell you a secret.

Being free from that thing will not necessarily give you Shabbat.

Shabbat isn’t a freedom from pressure. Shabbat isn’t leisure and physical refreshment. Shabbat is deeper - it goes to your soul - and it is a rest in the middle of the storms of life.

Now - we need to keep the story of the Israelites in Egypt in context.

God led the Israelites to Egypt. They didn’t move there because of mixed-up priorities or sin.

Genesis 46:3 - “So He said, ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.’”

Remember: The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

God led Jacob and his great family to Egypt for a great purpose.

He was setting the stage to portray the story of Christ. Out of Egypt would come their deliverer from slavery. A type of Christ - our Great Deliverer.

And God wants to deliver you today. Not necessarily from sin (although, if the reason for your lack of Shabbat is sin, perhaps that as well).

He wants you to enter into His rest.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Who is Your Pharaoh?