THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
After liberating them from their harsh captivity, much like in a battleground, I instructed them in the wilderness with beneficial and righteous laws that would grant them life. I refer to both commandments and justifications interchangeably, as although they go by different titles, they share the same essence. They are termed commandments because they originate from God and the Lord, who commanded adherence to them; they are called justifications because not only are they established righteously, but they also have the power to vindicate those who observe them. It is essential to recognize that God has distinguished the Sabbaths from these commandments and justifications, which offer life to those who observe them.
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He proclaimed, “I have given them My commandments, and My justifications I have revealed unto them,” highlighting their benefits, that whoever practices them will find life in them. He then added, “I have given them My Sabbaths also,” but He did not state that those who observe them will find life through them; instead, He indicated that they are to serve as a sign between Him and them, so they may comprehend that He is the Lord who sanctifies them. For I have established a Sabbath rest for them, not to provide life, but to ensure that this distinctive practice in their lives would set them apart from pagan customs and remind them of My blessings; as from the physical rest, standing before God, and hearing the Divine teachings, they would gain understanding, realizing from those Divine words that God is the Creator and Benefactor. Thus, both the rest itself and their presence before God were life-giving.