NOTE.—In their bondage the Israelites had to some extent lost the knowledge of God, and departed from His precepts. The Sabbath came to be greatly disregarded by them; and in consequence of the oppression of the Pharaohs, especially the Pharaoh of the exodus, as witnessed by the rigorous exactions made upon them by this latter king through their taskmasters, its observance was made apparently impossible. See Ex. 5:1-19. The special point, both of reform and of conflict, just preceding their deliverance from bondage, was over the matter of Sabbath observance. Moses and Aaron had shown them that obedience to God was the first condition of deliverance. Their efforts to restore the observance of the Sabbath among the Israelites had come to the notice of Pharaoh; hence his accusation against them, “Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, _let_ [hinder] the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.... Behold, the people of the land are many, and ye make them _rest_ [Heb., _Shabbath_] from their burdens.” Ex. 5:4, 5. Deliverance from this oppression was indeed, therefore, an additional and special reason for their keeping the Sabbath. But Egypt and Egyptian bondage simply represent sin and the bondage of sin. See Rev. 11:8; Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:15; Zech. 10:10. Every one, therefore, who has been delivered from sin has the same reason for keeping the Sabbath as had the Israelites who were released from Egyptian bondage. 10. What does the psalmist say was the reason why God brought His people out of Egypt, and placed them in Canaan? “And He brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness: and gave them the lands of the heathen: ... _that they might observe His statutes, and keep His laws_.” Ps. 105:43-45. NOTE.—Their deliverance from Egyptian bondage was a reason for the keeping not only of the fourth commandment, but of every precept of God’s law. This is indicated by the preface or preamble to the law as given on Sinai: “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me,” etc. Ex. 20:2, 3. See also Lev. 19:35-37; Deut. 10:19; 15:12-15; 24:17, 18. Likewise, every one who, through Christ, has been delivered from the bondage of sin, God calls to obedience, not only in the matter of Sabbath-keeping, but to every precept of His holy law. “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that _keepeth the Sabbath_ from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing _any_ evil.” Isa. 56:2. 11. What is the meaning of the word sabbath? Rest.