Typical of these great, creative sabbaths, the Lord has commanded man to rest every seventh day, according to his reckoning, as measured by one revolution of the earth on its axis. The sabbath was instituted for man's especial benefit, for the Savior, when on the earth, declared that "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath;" _Mark_ 2. 27. There is nothing to indicate that the sabbath was a new institution at the time Israel came out of Egypt, but, being the beginning of a new dispensation, the institution was strengthened by direct commandment. In about one month after their deliverance from Egypt, when the Lord had commenced to feed them on manna, they were commanded to gather on the sixth day enough for the seventh day also. This obviated the necessity of gathering food on the sabbath, for the Lord said, "To-morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord;" _Exo_. 16. 23. In the third month after Israel came out of Egypt, amidst a wonderful display of his glory and power upon Mount Sinai, the Lord gave to Israel ten commandments, one of which was, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it;" 20. 8-11. This commandment is very sweeping and comprehensive, and the Lord makes it typical of the creative, sabbatic period of time. In the Pentateuch the passages are quite numerous in which the children of Israel are reminded of the importance of keeping this commandment. The importance of keeping the sabbath day holy is urged upon Israel in the following passage, if possible, with still more force than in the Decalogue: "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, 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;" 31. 12-18. A very important feature of this subject is expressed in the last verse. The keeping of the sabbath day was to be a _sign_ throughout the generations of Israel, that the people continually remembered that it was the Lord that sanctified them through keeping his commandments. In _verse_ 14, the Lord says, "Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you. Every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people." The command is repeated in a little different form in _verse_ 15.