Exodus 12:16
“In the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no kind of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.”
What does Exodus 12:16 mean?
God is setting apart the first and seventh days of Passover as sacred times when the people should gather together and rest from their regular work. The only exception is preparing food, because people still need to eat even on holy days, and that practical work can't wait. This pattern reflects the rhythm God built into creation itself, where rest isn't laziness but a vital part of how we're meant to live, and it shows that even our spiritual observances need to account for basic human needs.