The first thing that makes the Sabbath different, unusual, or extraordinary is seen in Scripture’s emphasis on the Sabbath as a day of rest. This does not mean that we are to sleep all day or spend twenty-four hours in total inactivity. Instead, it denotes a rest from normal labor, and as such, the Sabbath is an imitation of God’s actions in creation, wherein He labored over six successive days and rested on the seventh. One of the reasons we rest is to reflect the image of God and to remember our Creator and His labor of creation—we’re honoring God, not indulging ourselves.
