The Fourth Commandment

Good morning, Church!

Let me begin today with a light-hearted story. There was a pastor who went out golfing every single Saturday, without fail. One beautiful Saturday, he was about to head out the door when his wife reminded him, "Honey, isn't it time you obeyed the fourth commandment, 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy'?" The pastor, quick on his feet, replied with a grin, "My dear, I'm doing exactly that. The Bible says, 'The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.' What better place to keep silence before the Lord than out on the golf course?"

In jest, this pastor justified his activities, but today, we are going to take a closer look at the fourth commandment as it is written in Exodus 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."

What does it mean to "remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy"? At its core, this commandment is about rest and reverence. God, in His wisdom, knew we would need a day of rest. He understood the value of taking time to recharge physically, mentally, and spiritually.

You might remember the story of Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath in Luke 13:10-17. Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, and a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years was there. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 

The synagogue ruler was indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, but Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" 

This story demonstrates how we are to honor the Sabbath - it's a day of liberation, not just from our physical work but also from the burdens of our spirits.

While the Sabbath is a day of rest, it is not merely a day of inactivity. It's a day to realign ourselves with God, to renew our spirits in His presence. As Jesus said in Mark 2:27, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

In keeping the Sabbath holy, we also follow in the footsteps of our Creator. Genesis 2:2-3 tells us, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

So, let us use this day not only for physical rest but also for spiritual rejuvenation. Let us take this day to cease from our labors, to rest in the Lord, and to honor Him in the quiet moments.

Let's pray: "Heavenly Father , we thank You for the gift of the Sabbath, a day set aside for rest and rejuvenation. Help us to understand the true essence of keeping the Sabbath day holy. May we cease from our labors, not just physically but also mentally and emotionally, and find our rest in You. Teach us to use this day to realign ourselves with You, to renew our spirits in Your presence, and to serve others in love as Jesus did. May our Sabbath observance bring honor to Your name. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen."

In conclusion, let us remember the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. It's not just about following a rule; it's about honoring God, taking care of ourselves, and showing compassion to others. As we navigate through our busy lives, let us not forget the fourth commandment and the wisdom it holds for us. May the peace of God be with us as we remember the Sabbath, keeping it holy, every week. 

God bless you all.