Lord's Day 27

Devotion

Believe it or not, the fourth commandment is the commandment most violated by professing Christians. Everyone does their best to keep the other commandments (no other gods, don’t murder, don’t lie, etc…), but when it comes to keeping the Sabbath, most Christians see this as a suggestion rather than a command of God.

As a pastor I hear more excuses as to why this commandment should is unnecessary; “I’m not under the law, so I’m free to do what I want on Sundays,” “The crop won’t wait ‘til Monday,” “I work all week and this is my only day to sleep in,” or my favorite, “I can worship God and keep the Sabbath just fine on my fishing boat.” If we were to treat the other commandments so flippantly, could we really be called the people of God?

It is for good reason that God commands us to keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath came before the fall because God created us to enjoy the blessings of life and to find great pleasure in it, and we can’t do this if we are constantly occupied by our occupation. We are not strong enough to go without rest, it’s not how we were made. We were made in the image of God, who rested on the 7th day. If we neglect our Sabbath, we are saying that we are stronger than God and we deprive ourselves of His intended blessing. Without Sabbath, we become consumed by our work, and our work becomes our god. Keeping the Sabbath curbs our workaholic tendencies built when our security is outside of God.

The commandment requires that we keep the Sabbath holy, that is, set apart for God. It is a day when we are to worship the Lord corporately and individually, to pray for one another, and to serve one another in the Lord’s work. It is the Lord’s Day, we are to live it for God.

Prayer

Almighty God, forgive us for treating the Sabbath as if it were just another day. May we learn to rest in you, and to trust in your care and provision. By your Spirit, enable us to keep this day holy for the sake of Christ our Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Question 57

Q. 57. Which is the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.

Scripture Proofs

Ex. 20:8-11.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 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. 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.

Question 58

Q. 58. What is required in the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself.

Scripture Proofs

Deut. 5:12-14.

“ ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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 or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

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