Honoring father & mother (part two)

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

The commandment to “Honor your father and mother,” is sometimes challenged by those who wonder how they can honor parents who have been, or who are, less than honorable.  “How can I honor my parents who failed to provide and care for me?”  “How can I honor parents who abused me?”  “How am I supposed to honor parents were (or are) alcoholics and/or drug abusers?”  These are legitimate questions for which there are answers.

First, honor your parents by saluting their rank.  In the military, service men and women are to salute those whose rank is superior to their own.  Do you suppose that ever superior officer is worth of such respect?  Of course not.  But as the saying goes, “Salute the rank even if you can’t salute the person!”

While the vast majority of parents are at least in some way worthy of respect, “Honor the parent even if you can’t respect the person.”

Did you notice the use of the words honor and respect.  We are commanded by God to honor our parents even if we cannot respect the decisions they make or the actions they take.

Our obligation to obey God’s commands is not dependent upon others’ obedience to God.  Just as husbands and wives are to obey God by being biblical husbands and wives, even when their mates are not, children are to obey God by honoring their parents, even when their parents are not being good parents.

More on honoring parents next time.

Honor father & mother (part one)

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

The fifth commandment, “Honor your father and mother,” is the first about our horizontal relationships (with one another after our vertical relationship with God.) It is fitting that our relationship with our parents is the first of the second table of the Law, since our relationship with our parents is primary. Our relationship with our parents is primary for a few reasons:

God’s first commands to Adam and Eve includes the injunction to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). This underscores God’s priority for those created in His image to bear children.

Our relationship with parents is our first relationship. God forms us from two cells, one from our father and one from our mother. God continues to form us for nine months as we grow inside of our mothers’ wombs. While in our mothers’ wombs, we hear our mothers’ voices and the rhythmic beating of their hearts. (And yes, we are human beings created in the image of God from the moment of conception!)

We come into this world, and see our first (probably blurry) glimpse after our mothers give birth. Usually the first arms to embrace us are our mothers’ arms.

From that first day outside our mothers’ wombs we are cared for by our mothers and by our fathers. We not only share our parents’ DNA, as they train us. They are our first and primary teachers. And as Jesus said, “everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). For better or worse, we receive our first impressions of God from our parents. These, and as we will see more, are foundational reasons for us to obey God by honoring our fathers and mothers.

Next time: A difference between honor and respect.

The Second Table of the Law

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." Exodus 20:12-17

When we began our consideration of the Ten Commandments, we pointed out that the commandments have been divided into “two tables” of the Law. The first table contains the first four commandments.  The second table contains the remaining six commandments.

Those numbers might suggest that the second table of the Law is more important than the first because there are two more commandments in the second than in the first.  We would suggest that is not necessarily true. (This once again proves that statistics can be presented to make whatever case a person favors!)

The first table of the Law concerns our obligations to God and the second table concerns our obligations to one another. (1) Jesus summarized and prioritized the Law by saying that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second commandment is to love our neighbors (Matthew 22:36-40).  Therefore, the first table is first and primary, precisely because not sinning against God is the foundation for not sinning against one another.  Loving God is primary. Loving our neighbors (though vitally important) is secondary.

When comparing the first and second tables of the Law, the number of commandments (4 & 6) may not be the best way to assign priority either.  Look at the overall length of the first table compared with the second table. Look at the number of words in each. The Ten Commandments (in the NKJV) contain a total of 300 words. The first table, about our obligations to God, contain 221 of the 300 words (73.6%). The second table, about our obligations to each other, contain only 79 words (26.3%).  Might I suggest that God gives more ink and attention to the first four laws about our obligations to Him than to the second six laws about our obligations to one another?

The point of this exercise is not to minimize our obligations to each other in the second table, but to emphasize the priority of obeying the commandments relating to God.  The next time someone claims not to be a sinner because he/she has never murdered anybody, ask if he/she has kept the first four commandments relating to God.

Notes: (1) Even our obligations to one another are ultimately obligations to God, since all ten commandments are given by God. So when we sin against our neighbor, we are sinning against God who (a) gave the laws, and we are sinning against God since (b) our neighbors are created in God’s image.

The Sabbath Day (part fifteen)

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

Allow me to next give a bit of historical argumentation for the perpetuity of the Sabbath, though changed from the seventh to the first day of the week.

• Jesus claimed to be the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28, & Luke 6:5). Is He the Lord of something that as passed away? (1)

• Jesus rose on the first day of the week, a day we observe not only on Easter, but weekly, every Lord’s Day.

• 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 states that the believers met for worship weekly on the first day of the week—the day that came to be called the Lord’s Day. John referred to the Lord’s Day in Revelation 1:10.

• The early Church Fathers (the first generations after the Apostles), kept and taught the Lord’s day as a Christian Sabbath. (Examples include, but are not limited to: Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Athanasius.)

• The chief theologian of the Middle Ages (sometimes referred to as the Medieval Age) was Thomas Aquinas. He taught that the Ten Commandments is an expression of natural law which binds all men, and therefore the Sabbath commandment is a moral requirement along with the other nine, and was to be observed on Sundays. The Roman Catholic Church to this day refers to Sunday as a “Holy Day of Obligation.” (2)

• The Reformers in the16th century observed and taught the Lord’s Day as a Christian Sabbath. (Examples include, but are not limited to: Luther, Calvin, Beza, and Knox.) The same was true of the 17th century (the century of the great Confessions, Puritanism, and the spread of Christianity to the New World).

• More Christians for more of Church history observed and taught the Christian Sabbath than not. In fact, the greatest departure from observing the Christian Sabbath was due to a new theology in the 19th century that is based on a separation of Israel and the Church, the Old and New Testaments, and subsequent rejection of the Law. This has and continues to greatly influence the rejection of the Sabbath day.

Notes:
(1) Some argue from Hebrews 3:7-19, that the Christian Sabbath is not a day, but a new relationship with God that is not dependent on works. These say our relationship with Christ is our Sabbath rest. I do not disagree with the thought of the Christian life as a life of rest. But does that negate the Sabbath Day? If so, does the Christian life lived in light of Christ’s sacrifice negate the special observance of the Lord’s Supper? It does not. We would therefore affirm that the Christian life of rest is punctuated by the special observance of the Sabbath Day of rest, but does not negate the observance of the Sabbath Day.
(2) This fact is cited not to base biblical truth on the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (which are unbiblical in many ways), but merely to demonstrate that “Christianity” has consistently associated the Lord’s Day with the fourth commandment.

The Sabbath Day (part fourteen)

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

How shall we understand the relationship between the seventh day Sabbath and the first day Sabbath? The London Baptist Confession 1689 explains this in the following words: (The Westminster Confession is very much the same.)

(Chapt. 22, Par. 7) It is the law of nature that in general, a portion of time specified by God should be set apart for the worship of God. So by His Word, in a positive-moral and perpetual commandment that obligates everyone in every age, He has specifically appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy to Him.  From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, the appointed day was the last day of the week. After the resurrection of Christ it was changed to the first day of the week, which is called the Lord’s Day.  This day is to be kept to the end of the age as the Christian Sabbath, since the observance of the last day of the week has been abolished.

Did you read it? Did you notice the parts I underlined? Let me comment on these each in turn:

The law of nature is a reference to the fact that the Sabbath was ordained, blessed, and hallowed by God from creation. The Sabbath is a creation mandate.

The Sabbath is a positive-moral and perpetual commandment that obligates everyone in every age. The Sabbath is a creation mandate, for all people throughout all of time. It is not merely Jewish law, nor exclusively a Christian precept.

The Sabbath is to be observed on one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy to Him. The word Sabbath does not refer to which day, but to one day in seven set apart for rest and worship.

From creation forward to the resurrection of Christ, the appointed day was the last day of the week. Those living under the Old Covenant observed the Sabbath day on the seventh day of the week, our modern Saturday. The seventh day aspect of the historic Sabbath was exclusively for the Jewish religion and nation.

After the resurrection of Christ it was changed to the first day of the week, which is called the Lord’s Day. Since the resurrection of Christ, the day was changed, but the Sabbath remained. Why? To commemorate not merely God’s finished work of creation, but Christ’s finished work of salvation. The seventh day commemorated the original creation, and the first day (the Lord’s Day) commemorates the new creation in Christ. Beginning in Acts and the New Testament epistles, the day of Sabbath worship for Christian rest and worship has been the Lord’s Day, Sunday. Every Sunday (not just Easter) is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection!

The Lord’s Day, observed on the first day of the week, is to be kept to the end of the age as the Christian Sabbath. Sunday is the Christian Sabbath, and it will be until Christ comes again.

Observing the Sabbath on Saturday, the last day of the week has been abolished. The only aspect of the Old Testament Sabbath that has been rendered obsolete by the resurrection of Christ, is observing it in the seventh day.

More on this next time…

The Sabbath Day (part thirteen)

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

God blessed and hallowed the Sabbath day. What does that mean?

The Sabbath day is a blessing from God for all people, but especially for His people who follow His example by observing the Sabbath day. As Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). By these words we should understand that the Sabbath day is a blessed gift from God not a burdensome day. If you think of the Sabbath day (the Lord’s Day) as a religious burden to be endured rather than a blessing to be enjoyed, I pray that the Lord will turn your thinking around on that. (1)

The blessed gift is having a day to rest from our regular labors, which are very often, laborious. The blessed gift is having a day to give special and intentional attention to worship. While being created in God’s image means we are to work (being creative and industrious), our even higher calling is to worship God. The Sabbath is a day of rest and a day of worship—I pray you understand these as God’s blessings.

The Sabbath day is hallowed, meaning, “holy,” set apart from something for something. The Sabbath (Lord’s Day) is not to be viewed like all others. While every day is a day to worship and glorify God, honesty demands us to admit that our regular labors distract us from more intentional worship. So God sets aside one day in seven from what is common for what is holy. It is a day to set our minds on what is holy above what is common. Hearts that desire more of God are grateful for a day each week that is hallowed for precisely that.

Next time: Why the Christian Sabbath is not the seventh day, but the first day of the week.

A footnote: (1) Those who view observing the Lord’s Day as an intrusion into what they would rather be doing are worshiping other things (including their own desires) above God. Additionally, few things are as burdensome as living to satisfy the flesh.

What is so good about Good Friday?

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

It is a theological irony that we call Good Friday “good.” What Jesus subjected Himself to while on the cross was anything but '“good.” But it was for good. I was for our good because it is by His death on the cross that He saved His people. It was for the Father’s glory which is supremely good.

This lesson has practical ramifications for the Christian life. Many things that we experience in our lives are unpleasant and not so good in the short run. But isn’t it true that our suffering is commonly the pathway to spiritual growth and maturity? (James 1:2-4 “count it all joy…).

God’s Word encourages us (Romans 8:28) that “all things work together for good…” That is not a promise of freedom from all pain and sorrow! Quite the contrary. It promises us that all things (even those we don’t think of as good), are being worked together by God to bring about good.

Back to “Good Friday.” That Friday was in so many ways excruciatingly bad. That Saturday was a day of hopelessness, despair, and confusion—not knowing what was ahead the next morning.

Then there is Resurrection Sunday. The greatest of great days! Resurrection Sunday could not have happened if it were not for the pain, sorrow, and despair of Good Friday.

I pray that thinking about that will make your celebration of Resurrection Sunday that much more joyous!…

The Sabbath Day (part twelve)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

We are working our way through the fourth, and longest, of the Ten Commandments. This time let’s consider God’s words regarding the Sabbath as He reminds us (from Genesis 2:1-3) that He not only established the Sabbath day at creation, but that He symbolically observed it Himself as the Supreme Example, showing us the importance of this commandment.

God’s Sabbath day commandment dates back to creation. Let those words sink in when considering the importance of the Sabbath.

God symbolically observed the fist Sabbath day. I say symbolically because God needed no rest! God’s creative power by which “He created everything that exists out of nothing at all,” is infinite. Yet He expended no power, meaning, He needed no rest. Therefore, His initial observance of the Sabbath was symbolic—that is, it was for our benefit not His!

Which of the other commandments did God keep as an example to us? That matters!

Further, God’s observing the first Sabbath day (albeit symbolically) is a powerful example that we, who do need a Sabbath rest, best not neglect it. May God have mercy on those who say it doesn’t apply to us!

In the next few blogs (yes, there will be more!), we will consider the blessings and the holiness of the Sabbath day, and why the Christian Sabbath is not the seventh day, but the first day of the week.

The Sabbath Day (part eleven)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

Let us continue our consideration of the “not working” part of the commandment, to whom it applies, in particular:

It applies to those who serve, or work for us. Why would we obey God’s command to not work on the Lord’s Day while expecting others to work for us? Few if any of us have “servants,” but should we expect our employees to work on the Lord’s Day—whether they are believers or not? And what are the people who cook and wait on us in restaurants? Are they not working for us—as servants?

When we engage in “unnecessary commerce”(1), are we not putting others to work, for us? We cannot stop others from working, but we can cease having them serve, or work for, us—on the Lord’s Day.

How does livestock apply? In a farming and/or ranching context, livestock are not pets. They are “tools/equipment of the trade.” While humans have a humanitarian responsibility to care for animals, we should not put them to work to earn us money on the Lord’s Day. I can well imagine that most are thinking “Huh?” Of course! Because few, if any of us, are engaged in this kind of business. To apply the principle to a non-agricultural setting, maybe we should think in terms of not having our businesses run on the Lord’s Day, even if we are not personally working.

Lastly, the commandment applies to “strangers” among us. Let this be a reminder that not only are we not to labor on the Lord’s Day, we are not to put others—including non-believers—to work on the Lord’s Day. It doesn’t matter that they may not be believers. Do not all of the Ten Commandments apply to believers and non-believers alike?

Next time: God not only established the Sabbath, He was the first to observe it as the perfect Example.

Note: (1) “Necessary commerce” might include purchasing emergency medication when someone is sick.

The Sabbath Day (part ten)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

Before continuing, isn’t it ironic that the longest of the ten commandments is the one that is most dismissed and explained away by many believers? Hmmm…

The text of the commandment not only tells us that we are to “do no work,” it also tells us to whom the commandment applies: Us, our children those who serve us, our livestock, and strangers. Let’s consider them one at a time. (This will take more than one post.)

It applies to us, meaning all of us. That is pretty obvious. As mentioned last time, there are some jobs that need to be manned 7 days per week, but these are the exception, not the rule.

It applies to our children. How often have the children of believers—even of believers who understand the Sabbath issue—worked on Sundays? The reason? Restaurant and retail jobs (the ones young people most often have) are open on Sundays. What we found with our children was that when they applied for the job, they made it clear from the beginning that they could not work on Sundays for religious purposes. Were there jobs they did not get because of that? Yes. But they did get jobs. In fact one of the girls didn’t get a job because of that, but then two weeks later the store manager called and gave her a job after all—with Sundays off! (1)

The point is, on what are we ordering our lives? The Word of God, or the dictates of secular employment? As mentioned in an earlier post, honoring the Sabbath is largely a matter of faith. Will we do as God says and trust Him?

More on “to whom does the commandment apply,” next time…

Note:
(1) Making the need for Sundays off clear from the beginning is the key. Also, when choosing a career or even which jobs to apply for, thought should be given to whether or not that career or job requires Sunday work. Then choose accordingly.

The Sabbath Day (part nine)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

Having addressed the working aspect of the fourth commandment, let’s launch into the not working part. As mentioned, not working does not mean being idle. Nor does it preclude works of worship, service, charity, or emergency (donkeys do fall into ditches from time to time! Luke 14:5). It refers, rather, to our regular labors and commerce. (Refer to the previous post for an explanation of those terms if needed.) So how should we implement this?

First, because God does not give us a laundry list of dos and don’ts, we ought not create such a list either—not for ourselves and especially not for others. We are each responsible to make appropriate application based on a God-informed conscience. God-informed means honestly asking the Lord for direction. We should also remain open to the likelihood that over time our consciences will mature in sensitivity.

There is little doubt that working at our regular jobs on the Lord’s Day must generally cease. I say generally because there are jobs that must continue for the health and safety of society. These jobs likely include: police, fire, medical services, and even maintaining utilities. This is an illustrative, not an exhaustive list.

I would hasten to counsel Christians who understand the concept of the Sabbath, who also work in these kinds of jobs, to request and do all they can to get Sundays off as a matter of religious conviction. I would also counsel Christians to do everything they can to be sure to go to church on Sunday even if they must also work, and to plan another day as a Sabbath day. I would also offer these additional cautions:

• Be honest with yourself about what kinds of work truly fall into the category of “necessary.”

• Realize that if you are a student, your work is school, so plan ahead so that your necessary home work that is due on Monday is not put off until Sunday. Work that could be done during the six days but was neglected until the last minute on Sunday is not really necessary work. It is more likely a matter of poor planning.

More to think about next time…

The Sabbath Day (part eight)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

Part EIGHT!? Let us be reminded that the fourth commandment is the longest of the Ten, and contains more detail than any of the other nine. It only stands to reason that one needs to spend more time considering all that God said that day when His words shook Mount Sinai and terrified God’s people!

Last time we considered the working part of the commandment. Now let’s consider the not working part. It is imperative that we understand the word work in two ways, and not in a third or fourth.

Let us understand the word work as referring to “usual labor” and as commerce, or “for profit” labor. These first two ways mean we are to do our usual labor for six days (five if we are so blessed), and to rest from our usual labors on the Sabbath. Similarly, we are to do what we do to make a living (commerce) for six days, and to rest from commerce on the Sabbath. This is a reminder of the faith issue—we are to work for only six days and trust God on the Sabbath.

The third and forth ways we should not understand work, is that the commandment is not a call to idleness. Rest, yes. Mere idleness, no. Idleness is easily a selfish pursuit. Worship and serving others are not commerce, but they do require effort. In other words, the Lord’s Day is not simply a “day off.” Rather it is a day to rest from our usual labor and from commerce in order to exert ourselves in worship and in serving.

A well intentioned person once questioned having ministry team meetings on Sunday. “Isn’t that work?” she asked. I explained that it is ministry and about worship, which is not the same as going to work. She understood and therefore it was a good question!

One other application of this principle has to do with people who are “employed” in vocational ministry. Like the priests in the Old Testament, pastors (and others) are paid for what they do in ministry even on the Lord’s Day. That is why pastors need to take another day during the week to rest from their labors since they are “working” (albeit in worship and service) on the Lord’s Day.

Next time: Answering a few questions regarding not working on the Lord’s Day.

The Sabbath Day (part seven)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

The fourth commandment gets more specific that any of the others, giving some detail about compliance. It not only addresses the issue of not working on the Sabbath, it also addresses the matter of working. The commandment clearly states that we are to work six days before not working on the Sabbath (the seventh day—although the word Sabbath does not refer to the number seven).

Before dealing with the not working part of the commandment, let’s consider the working part.

• Work is God’s plan for humans from the beginning (Genesis 2:15). Work is not a part of the curse on our sin. The curse on sin is that work (sweat and thorns) is more difficult than before Adam sinned (Genesis 3:17-19).

• God’s will is that we work six days, then worship and rest on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is God’s gift.

• Not working every day requires faith, trusting God to supply our needs when we devote a day to worship Him rather than working every day.

• Due to modern conveniences, most are able to only work five days and have two “days off.” This allows us a day to rest, doing as we please, and the Sabbath to give special attention to worship. (So much for missing church because it is one’s only day to sleep in!)

• Working is a reminder that we are created in the image of God who created everything in six days and “rested” on the seventh, establishing the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3).

Next time: More about not working on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath Day (part six)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

We started considering ways we can “keep the Sabbath day Holy.” We’ll conclude that list of suggestions this time. But before doing so, let us be reminded why this is important. We are considering the Ten Commandments. We are considering the fourth commandment about how God is to be worshiped on the Lord’s Day. May I suggest, this matter is important.

That said, let’s consider three more ways we can “keep the Sabbath day holy.”

First, exercise Christian hospitality. We can “keep the Sabbath day holy” by inviting people over for a meal on the Lord’s Day once a month. Consider inviting two kinds of people.

• Inviting people from church over is a great way to worship the Lord through hospitality. May I suggest praying about inviting people, who you may not know, so well instead of your friends? Ask the Lord to bring to mind those who are new to the church and/or are not so well known. I trust that the reason is obvious.

• Another kind of person to have over are people who do not already know the Lord. I am not suggesting inviting people over to trap them into sitting through a presentation of the gospel. Just invite people over to show the love of Christ. If the opportunity to share the gospel arises, great. But initially, we want to show the love of God, so people do not feel like they were set up for a religious multi-level marketing pitch!

Second, engaging in acts of kindness or mercy is a great way to worship the Lord. Visit a shut-in or someone in a hospital. These kinds of visits need not be lengthy or have any agenda other than simply showing kindness. That you went to see them is more important than anything else. If you want to kick it up a notch, bring a meal or a plate of “homemade something.”

Third, sharing Christ is an act of worship. I will not give specific details other than to encourage you to ask the Lord how you can share Christ and the gospel on the Lord’s Day, and with whom. Whether speaking with someone or writing to someone, if you earnestly want to share Christ, and seek Him about how, He’ll show you a way.

Lest we forget the general context of this blog post, we are thinking of ways to worship the Lord on the Lord’s Day. The suggestions shared in this and the previous post are intended to help us “keep the Sabbath Day holy.”

Next time: A little about working and not working on the Lord’s Day.

The Sabbath Day (part five)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

Because the Sabbath day is a day and not merely the brief time spent in church on Sunday morning, we might wonder if we are to spend the entire day in worship, scripture reading, and prayer. While some might, few will. And it is not necessary that we do.

While the Sabbath day is for worship, it is also a day for rest from our regular labors. Therefore, rest and recreation are perfectly appropriate, as long as we can do what we do as unto the Lord! But shouldn’t that be true of every day? Yes, but it is especially true of the Lord’s day.

In the next posts we will address the matter of working six days and not working on the Sabbath, but for now, suffice it to say that we each should seek the Lord to “keep the Sabbath day holy” as per the commandment. And a great way to do that is to devote as much time on the Lord’s day to holy activities at, or associated with, church.

For instance, at times there are adult Sunday School classes. Why not commit to that opportunity? After all it is the Lord’s day. And if I may insert this, please do not make the mistake of thinking Sunday School is a substitute for corporate worship. It is not. Think of three elements of the corporate worship service that are not in Sunday School: worship in song, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper!

Also on the Lord’s day there are opportunities for more prayer. We have a 30 minute pre-worship prayer meeting from 9:45—10:15 am. We also have a monthly lunch prayer meeting on the fourth Sunday of each month. Why would we neglect these opportunities for prayer on the Lord’s day? After all it is the Lord’s day.

And what about Home Fellowships? They meet on the second Sunday of each month. They are a time for ministering to one another in the body. After all, it is the Lord’s day.

I’ll make a few more suggestions on how to keep the Lord’s day holy next time.

The Sabbath Day (part four)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Considering the fourth commandment a phrase at a time, we will begin this post with the words “Sabbath day.” Many believers in our day think they are honoring the Sabbath day by attending church for an hour and a half, and then doing whatever else they may want to do with the rest of the day. We need to be reminded that the Sabbath day is one day in seven, not an hour and a half out of 168 hours that make up a seven-day week. The entire day belongs to the Lord.

That thought brings us to the phrase “keep it [the Sabbath day] holy.” What does it mean to keep the Sabbath day holy? There is ho hard and fast rule, or set of rules, that everyone must subscribe to. The text simply says keep the day holy. I will therefore offer some ideas and encourage each of us to honestly and prayerfully ask the Lord how HE would have us keep the Sabbath day holy.

First, remember, we are talking about the entire day, not just the time we are in church.

Second, keeping the day holy will not mean exactly the same thing to every believer, so let us each obey the Lord as He convicts us, and refrain from imposing our convictions regarding details on others.

Third, keeping the day holy, certainly does include participating in corporate worship in church with God’s people. Of course, when we are too ill to attend corporate worship, or providentially hindered in some other way, we will not be able to attend public worship. However, this must be the exception, and we must do all we can to see that it does not become the norm.

What about the rest of the Sabbath day? How are we to keep it holy? More on that next time…

The Sabbath Day (part three)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

Considering the text of the fourth commandment, one cannot but notice that it is the longest of the commandments. Instead of simply saying “Keep the Sabbath Day holy,” and moving along to the fifth commandment, God was pleased to provide more detailed instruction. Let’s consider the detailed instruction God has provided.

“Remember the Sabbath day.” The word remember is a reminder, as stated last time, that: (a) The commandment regarding the Sabbath was not new. God established and exemplified the commandment in Genesis 2:1-3. The commandment was also given in some detail regarding the gathering of manna in Exodus 16. It is also a reminder that: (b) We must not forget or dismiss the fourth commandment in generations to come, including in our generation though we are under the New Covenant.

“Remember the Sabbath day.” Two things here. First, what does the word Sabbath mean? Contrary to what some may suppose, it does not refer to the number seven. The Sabbath day was too be observed every seventh day, to be sure, but that detail is emphasized in the rest of the commandment, not in the word Sabbath.

The word Sabbath means rest, and in context, rest from regular daily work to worship God. We are to worship every day and we are to do everything we do as worship (1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 12:1-2).

Second, the word day is important. The fifth commandment has nothing to do with the other “sabbaths” Israel was commanded to observe in the ceremonial law. Those included monthly sabbaths (aka, new moons), and sabbath years, as well as the fifty-year Jubilee. The weekly Sabbath day was unique. It was not part of the ceremonial Law exclusively for Israel which was fulfilled by Christ. It is, therefore, to be remembered by Christians. Paul’s words to the Colossians 2:16-17 about not observing the festivals or new moons or sabbaths were not about the Sabbath day.

Next time: What does it mean to keep the Sabbath day holy?

The Sabbath Day (part two)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

As previously promised, in this post, we will provide a biblical argument that the fourth commandment was not exclusively for Israel but that it is also for Christians.

First, God’s plan for the Sabbath day was established long before the Ten Commandments were given—and even before Israel existed. The Sabbath Day was established on the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:1-3). Attesting to this, the text in which the Ten Commandments were given refers to God’s establishment of the Sabbath Day, and the fact that God (in Genesis 2) symbolically observed the Sabbath Day. The fourth commandment is the only one of the Ten Commandments in which God refers to Himself (at the time of creation) as an example to be followed.

Second, in Exodus 16, also before the Ten Commandments were issued (in Exodus 20), God gave Israel instructions regarding the gathering of manna, the “bread from Heaven” (v.4). In verses 5 and 22-30, God warned Israel to gather the manna for six days, but not on the seventh because the seventh day was a “holy Sabbath to the Lord” (v.23). As mentioned, this was before Exodus 20, the giving of the Ten Commandments.

Third, the first word of the fourth commandment (v.8) is “Remember.” This indicates that this is not the first time the Sabbath was known, having been established by God at creation, and mentioned again when giving instructions about the gathering of manna. The people of God were to “remember” what God had already established. We too are now to “remember the Sabbath Day” not to forget it, whether by neglect, or by wrongly dismissing it is irrelevant.

God’s Sabbath was established at creation, known by the people of God before the Ten Commandments were given, and therefore it is not to be dismissed by God’s people in the New Covenant any more than we dare dismiss the other nine of the Ten Commandments.

Next time: We will begin unpacking the fourth commandment one phrase at a time.

The Sabbath Day (part one)

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

The fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath is likely the most controversial of all of the Ten Commandments. It should not be. The most debated controversy is over whether or not Christians need to keep this commandment. It is one the Ten Commandments, friends! Why on earth should it be obsolete?

Let me explain why some Christians believe in the obsolescence of the fourth commandment. It stems from believing that the Sabbath day was exclusively for Old Testament (OT) Israel, and since we are “not under the Law,” the fourth commandment is no longer applicable. (Which of the other commandments are we free to ignore?)

Are there aspects of God’s OT law that are not specifically for New Testament (NT) Christians? Yes. The ceremonial law has been fulfilled by Christ and rendered no longer a part of NT worship. The prime examples of this have to do with the OT temple, the OT priesthood, and the OT sacrifices. Because of Christ, these are obsolete for NT believers—so much so that it would be sinful to continue to practice them.

There are other NT believers who believe (and with whom I agree) that the Sabbath day is not exclusively for OT Israel or a part of the ceremonial law that was halted by Christ’s sacrifice. To be fair, there are other “sabbaths” that were part of the OT ceremonial law. Examples include monthly and annual sabbaths. The weekly “Sabbath Day,” however, is part of God’s moral law summarized in the Ten Commandments and are therefore required of all believers.

Next time: Biblical reasons the Sabbath is not merely part of the OT Jewish ceremonial law

“the LORD will not hold him guiltless”

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” Exodus 20:7

As a brief follow-up to the first three posts about taking the Lord’s name in vain, let’s consider the last phrase in (v.7), “the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” This additional phrase is particularly pertinent to this command because it is one we are so used to hearing (and even breaking ourselves?), we may be tempted to dismiss it as, “no big deal”.

But it is a big deal! It is a big enough deal that God adds words akin to saying, “And don’t think this doesn’t matter. It most certainly does matter!”

Courts let criminals slide, sometimes by finding the guilty “not guilty,” or by minimizing, or even suspending the sentence. That cannot happen in the absolutely just court of God.

The court of public opinion scoffs at this offense. Television omits or “bleeps” numerous forms of profanity, but taking the Lord’s name in vain is routine even in shows deemed appropriate for younger viewers. Walking down the street we commonly hear people of all ages using the Lord’s name in vain and it is considered, “no big deal!” The fact that so few think taking the Lord’s name in vain matters is also taking the Lord’s name in vain by considering it “common.” Yet the Lord’s judgment stands.

Lets us, therefore, be more concerned with God’s ruling than the rulings of either our courts or popular opinion. And though none of us can personally change our blasphemous culture, let us be doubly sure that we do not personally break this commandment because it matters to God.