Mar 13
25
Doctrinal Standard #62
- Q. What are the reasons for the fourth commandment?
- A. The reasons for the fourth commandment are these: God allows us six days of the week to take care of our own affairs; He claims the seventh day as His own; He set the example; and He blesses the Sabbath.
Memory Verses
- “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9,ESV).
Scripture
- Study Passage: Exodus 20:8-11
- Support Passages: Deuteronomy -15, Genesis 2:2-3; John 20-21; Hebrews 4
- Bible Story: John 20:11-18
Thoughts
- Prior to the giving of the Law, we find the first Sabbath established by God. In six days God created and on the seventh day he rested. God had provided an example and established a pattern of life that mankind should follow.
- Not only did God model the Sabbath principal for mankind to live out each week, he also uses the Sabbath as tactile lesson that teaches us about Christ, eternity, and the great love he has for us. For six days we are to toil, sweat, and battle with the temporal, mundane, sinful thing of this world. God has given us one day to free and release us of these obligations. In other words, the Sabbath is to give us a “taste” of eternity in paradise. It’s that sense of joy and freedom at the end of the work week that Sabbath serves as a reminder of what eternity awaits but much more magnificent. If we are not intentional we can easily miss this great blessing and miss the opportunity to teach our children through the very day that the Lord provided.
- Another unique aspect about the Sabbath is that the Lord has only partially fulfilled this feast of the Lord. The atonement of Jesus Christ fulfilled the Sabbath in that we have rest from our work to gain righteousness before God but we have not fully entered into his eternal rest. While we are righteous and forgiven of our sins we still have a sin nature. We are still called to put away the sin in our lives. We still have work to be done in our sanctification. Therefore, we have not fully entered into the Sabbath rest which Jesus has paid in full. Once the new kingdom of our Lord is consummated, we will then enter into the full Sabbath rest that Jesus has provided.
- Hebrews chapter 4 is a good chapter on this topic.
Discussion Questions
- How many days did God give us to do work? How many days to rest and worship?
- When was the first Sabbath practiced?
- What does the Sabbath give us a glimpse of?
- How has Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath?
- How has the Sabbath not been fulfilled? When will it all be fulfilled?
- Read Hebrews 4 and discuss what you observe.
