Lesson 3: The 4th Commandment

The Sabbath

Exodus 20:1-7 And God spake all these words, saying, I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

now the 4th commandment

Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, 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 manservant, nor thy maidservant, 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.

Deuteronomy 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Now there are 2 ways to teach this. PROVE THE POINT or show MODERN VALUE.

Some one to turn this into a modern law: extreme dogmatism: a PRINCIPLE
Technically, Sunday is the first day, so Saturday is the last: Sabbath
**** this was a literal command to the Hebrews for total rest!

Sabbath: = rest, intermission (rest of the heart)

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— what about calendars?

Jews & Moslems etc… all use different calendar systems
Ours was developed by Egyptians in 2773 BC = in 46 BC was adopted by Julius Caesar (hence “Julian”) = Later found to have an 80 day error.. hence Leap Year! = Later Pope Gregory 8th corrected another 10 day error (Gregorian)

The point is… our calendar is to shaky to be vehement about it

So Far: Every commandment has been found in the N.T. (except this one)

EVEN Jesus himself even broke it:
John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

When you look at Acts 15 (1st Gen. Conf.) – No mention of it?
So is Sabbath breaking not a sin any longer?

Galatians 4:9-11 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. WOW?

Colossians 2:16-17 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.

LET’S LOOK TO JESUS STATEMENT:

Matthew 12:1-14 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple. But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift [it] out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

P O I N T : JESUS MADE THIS COMMANDMENT PART OF THE CEREMONIAL LAW!

but what about the underlying moral principle?
Even things left under ceremonial law have applicable principle for N.T.

THE IDEA OF PROPORTIONATE TIME FOR REST & WORSHIP WAS ESTABLISHED BY GOD!

Genesis 2:2-3 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

We were made in the image of God… Therefore, we must apply the principle. You found this principle even in God’s Manna distribution… 6th day you must gather enough to last the 7th!

THE CONCEPT: We NEED one in six days for REST & WORSHIP!

The day of Atonement was called the Sabbath:
but it was 10th day of 7th month

THE N.T. DROPPED THE IDEA OF SATURDAY… BUT KEPT THE 7th DAY PRINCIPLE!
1st Century Church kept the 1st day:

I Corinthians 16:1-3 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first [day] of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as [God] hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by [your] letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.

The CONCEPT of proportionality was in giving also! Tithe & Offering

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

HOW DOES THIS COMMAND FIT US? IS IT BINDING ON US?
yes, for 3 reasons 1. The command came from God that made the day holy – rested 2. REMEMBER: You were slaves back in Egypt until God saved you 3. The Sabbath was made for man, not vice versa

Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

We were made in God’s image: This concept came from God’s nature!
WE NEED TO ESTABLISH RHYTHMS BETWEEN WORK AND REST
God wrote this law into every cell of our body:

Dr. Hagler of Switzerland = oxygen depletes from working days.. needs replaced on 7th day.
Dr. James Brown (British) = “we are prescribing periods of rest, we have too many Sundays in arrears”
1850 The Harrison Family stopped to honor the Sabbath on their way to the Gold rush… They arrived first and healthy

SUNDAY IS NOT A DAY TO DO WHAT WE COULD DO OTHER DAYS!
A wise person will take advantage of the Sabbath principle! God knows our frame!
Don’t make it all gloomy either! Be careful of Idolatry

they couldn’t ( pick up sticks, kindle a fire, no more then 3-6,000 steps

Luke 14:5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
—————>>>> THE BARE MINIMUM! ( just pull it out, don’t plow! )

SUNDAY IS NOT A TIME FOR BEACH OR BALL GAMES! ( especially the beach )

Deuteronomy 15:5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

—->>> The Sabbath reminds us of God: RENEW OUR love, values, soul ETC…

EX: 1924 OLYPICS – Eric Liddel (Scottsman) Refused to run on Sundays.
But on the 200 meter (his testimony convicted another runner named PETER MARSHAL) – which inspired the Movie “Chariots of Fire”

GOD DOES HAVE A CLAIM ON OUR TIME!
It is our responsibility to follow thru
Be Careful when you plan your Sundays: Will I miss a blessing?

OUR SABBATH is ANY DAY CELEBRATED BY THE CONGREGATION!
Someone once called this the hardest commandment of the New Testament

Hebrews 10:23-26 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

FUN POINT: HOW DO PEOPLE DIE? 20% in auto accidents 17% at home 14% Pedestrians on sidewalks or streets 16% air, rail or water

ONLY .001% die in church! ——>> CHURCH IS THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE!