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Past Ponderings

Friday, January 9, 2015

PONDERING... What does God require in the fourth and fifth commandments?

This is part of a catechism study we're doing on Sunday mornings.

What does God require in the fourth and fifth commandments?
Fourth, that on the Sabbath day we spend time in public and private worship of God, rest from routine employment, serve the Lord and others (permissible works of necessity and mercy), and so anticipate the eternal Sabbath. Fifth, that we love and honor our father and our mother, submitting to their Godly discipline and direction.
  • Exodus 20:8-12 ESV - "8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you."
  • Leviticus 19:3, 30 ESV - "3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. ... 30 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD."
  • Leviticus 23:3 ESV - "3 "Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places."
  • Isaiah 58:13-14 ESV - "13 "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; 14 then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.""
  • Matthew 12:11-12 ESV - "11 He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
Extras
  • Romans 14:5-6  One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  6  The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
  • Hebrews 10:24-25  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  25  not neglecting to together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Fourth, that on the Sabbath day we spend time in public and private worship of God
The importance of public (in or outside of scheduled church services) and private (alone in person or heart) is emphasized throughout scripture and not exclusive to Sabbath worship. We should worship all the time. Even more so on the day set aside exclusively for worship.

That on the Sabbath day we rest from routine employment, serve the Lord and others (permissible works of necessity and mercy), and so anticipate the eternal Sabbath.
So here's the tricky part. Do you work on Sunday or not? That might be a bit a simplification of the commandment. There are two types of rest referred to in this commandment neither of which God need, but which He demonstrated for our example. First, there is a need for physical rest. This is clear throughout the Bible. Our bodies need time to recoup; our minds need to be redirected. Second, we are to be resting, not from work, but in anticipation of heaven--our eternal rest in Christ. Here we will cease from all our labors and our battle with sin. This is what the Sabbath time is suppose to be about. Time set aside to worship and praise God as we will do in heaven.

Paul tells us in Romans that it does not have to be a specific day, but implies that our hearts should see every day as holy unto the Lord. There are two pitfalls that need to be avoided here. 1. Emphasizing the importance of a single day at the expense of other days and/or other people who do not worship on that day. Exalting that day (especially when the rest of your week is lived entirely for yourself) is day-worship, not God-worship. 2. Ignoring all days in an attempt to be "free from legalism". This leads to just not worshiping at all. A lot of people in our society are like this. They don't attend a church (public worship, Christian fellowship, local body of Christ) because "they can worship God anywhere and don't need a church for that". Unfortunately, there isn't usually a lot of worship that goes on in that kind of "anywhere". The Bible tells us not to neglect meeting together because we were designed to live this Christian life in community.

There are times when work on Sunday is permissible (works of necessity and mercy). I cannot say what is necessary for each person or what constitutes a "work of mercy". I would just urge you to enter into these decisions with much prayer.

Fifth, that we love our father and our mother
This commandment extends to two kinds of parents: Earthly and Heavenly Father. First, we are to love them. Even when this is difficult (at least on the earthly side).

That we honor our father and our mother
Second, we are to honor them. Respecting who they are and what they say. "You are told, Honor you father and mother (Ex 20:12). [But] you heap insults on your parents, which you certainly don't want to endure from your children" (Augustine of Hippo as quoted in the New City Catechism).

Submitting to their Godly discipline and direction.
For our Heavenly Father, this is a given. Everything He does is Godly. We are to follow all instructions and advice our parents give us in so much as they align with Scripture. For parents, this is a high calling to know and raise your children according to the Word.

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