Exodus 5:5 and the Sabbath Reform in Egypt

Pharaoh was certainly referring to the seventh-day Sabbath, as the term he used for "rest" specifically points to a cessation of labor for religious purposes, indicating that Moses and Aaron had already begun a work of Sabbath reform among the enslaved IsraelitesEP 549.1. One of the primary reasons the Lord delivered Israel from Egyptian slavery was so they could freely keep His holy Sabbath, as the Egyptians did not grant them religious libertyEP 549.1+1. The command from the pillar of cloud emphasized that the Sabbath is a sign of the relationship between the Creator and His created beings, a pledge of loyalty to the Sovereign of the universe8MR 99.3+1. When Moses and Aaron appeared before the king, they were calling the people back to the commandments of God, which led Pharaoh to complain that they were making the people "rest" from their burdensEP 549.1. This was not a mere physical rest but a spiritual return to the memorial of creation that Satan has always worked to destroy16LtMs, Ms 78, 1901, par. 12+1. The observance of the seventh day is a golden chain that binds men to their Creator, and Pharaoh's resistance to this "rest" was a manifestation of his stubbornness and defiance against the God of the Hebrews5MR 82.1+2. Just as Pharaoh hardened his heart against the light of the Sabbath and the miracles of God, many today reject the fourth commandment to avoid a duty they are unwilling to performHF 358.2+2.

... renewed the teaching about the holiness of the Sabbath, because Pharaoh complained to them, “Ye make [the people] rest from their burdens.” Exodus 5:5. This would indicate that Moses and Aaron began a Sabbath reform in Egypt— EP 549.1 (1983)

...g, 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” Exodus 31:12, 13. The Sabbath is a pledge given by God to man—a sign of the relation existing between the Creator and His created beings. By observing the ...— 3SM 256.1 (1980)

The iniquity and spiritual darkness that prevailed under the supremacy of Rome were the inevitable result of her suppression of the Scriptures; but where is to be found the cause of the wide-spread infidel...— 4SP 403.2 (1884)

From the pillar of cloud Jesus “spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily, My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sig...— 8MR 99.3 (1990)

The Lord brought Israel from Egypt, that they might keep His Sabbath, and He gave them special directions how to keep it. The instructions given to Moses were recorded ...— 4LtMs, Ms 3, 1885, par. 12 (1883)