Baptist Catechism 72 & 73

Q. 72. What is the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment is, “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13)

Q. 73. What is required in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others. (Eph. 5:29,30; Ps. 82:3,4; Prov. 24:11,12; Act 16:28)

Scripture Reading: Acts 16:25–34

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” (Acts 16:25–34, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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Baptist Catechism 72

Our catechism says that the sixth commandment is “thou shalt not kill.” And that is indeed the way that the King James Version translates the sixth commandment as found in Exodus 20:13: “Thou shalt not kill.” But more modern Bible translations have preferred the word “murder” instead of “kill”. “You shall not murder” is what the ESV says. Really, either term will do. In fact, both are prone to misunderstanding and must be explained.

“Thou shalt not kill”, may be taken to mean that humans should never kill anything. Animals should not be killed for food, therefore. But we know this is not the meaning, for animals were rightly killed for food and sacrifice in the days of Moses and long before that. And “thou shalt not kill” may also be taken to mean that a human must never take the life of another human. And that is not true either. The rest of the law of Moses which was written to explain and apply these ten commandments to the nation of Israel teaches that men may kill in self defense, in righteous war, and as agents of the state to promote justice. Take Genesis 9:6 for example: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Genesis 9:6, ESV). This principle of retributive justice runs through the law of Moses and is even found in the New Testament (see Romans 13). So, if you memorize the sixth commandment as, “Thou shalt not kill”, you must keep in mind that it does not mean thou shalt not kill anything or under any and all circumstances. No, you do not break the sixth commandment if a violent intruder breaks into your home and threatens your family, and you take his life. 

The translation, “You shall not murder”, can be misunderstood in other ways. It is a better translation, I think, for it does clarify that it is the unjust taking of a human life that is forbidden here. But the word “murder” may be interpreted too narrowly. Not only does the sixth commandment forbid murder — or perhaps we might say, murder in the first or second degree. It also forbids carelessness which leads to the death of another human being. We might refer to this as murder in the third degree or manslaughter.  

  So take your pick. When reciting the sixth commandment you may say “Thou shalt not kill”, following the KJV, or “You shall not murder”, following the ESV. Whichever translation you choose, the important thing is that you understand what the commandment means — what does it forbid, and what does it require. 

Baptist Catechism 73

Our catechism is most helpful. Today we will ask, what is required in the sixth commandment?

And the answer given by our catechism is, “The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.” This is what is required. Next week will ask, what is forbidden in the sixth commandment? And then we will learn that “The sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.” And so the pattern continues: what does this commandment require, and what does this commandment forbid?

Before we consider the answer to question 73 piece by piece, I should say a word about the basis for the sixth commandment. I will do this by asking, why are humans permitted to kill animals for food, but forbidden from taking the life of another human without just cause? 

I should say, I do not believe that humans are permitted to kill animals indiscriminately — that is to say, randomly, recklessly, and carelessly. No, humans are to be good stewards of the created world, and they are not to be brutal, not even with animals. 

But with that said, the question remains. Why do the scriptures forbid the taking of human life without just cause? And the answer is that man is made in God’s image. There is something particularly dignified about human life. Human life is to be highly respected because the human being is the pinnacle of God’s creation. The human is made in God’s image, and this cannot be said of anything else in all of God’s creation, not even the angels. I have already quoted from Genesis 9:6, but hear it again. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6, ESV). It is because man is an image-bearer of God that murder is to punished with death. 

Think of how perverse our society is. In our society murders are often permitted to die of old age whereas the lives of millions of unborn children are snuffed out in the wombs of their mothers each and every year. This perversion is rooted in the fact that our society has forgotten that man is made in God’s image. If we were to remember this, then human life would be treated with dignity at every stage. Murders would get their just reward, and the lives of the innocent would be protected.

 So what is the basis for the sixth commandment? Man is made in the image of God. And what does this commandment require? “All lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.” 

What does the word lawful mean? It means that we are to preserve life so long as it does not require us to violate God’s moral law. This can get a little tricky. Is it ever right to tell a lie to preserve life? In general, no. But what about those who hid the Jews from Hitler’s troops during WWII? Did they do wrong when they deceived Natzi’s? I pray that we will never be faced with such difficult choices. But in general, the principle stands. The sixth commandment requires “all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.”

I do appreciate that our catechism draws attention to the obligation we have to preserve our own life. Human beings are made in God’s image. And this means that you are made in God’s image. Not only do you have the responsibility, therefore, to preserve the life of other image-bearers. You also have the responsibility to preserve your own life! 

Christians should not live recklessly, therefore. This too can get a little tricky when it comes to application. Just how cautious should we be? You will notice that our catechism does not provide us with a detailed application, but only with the principle. And I am glad about that! The Christian should not be reckless. G.I. Williamson in his commentary of the Westminster Larger Catechism (by the way, both of these resources — the Westminster Larger Catechism, and Williamson’s commentary on it — are very useful tools for the study of the Baptist Catechism, which very similar to the Westminster Shorter Catechism)… back to my point: G.I. Williamson in his commentary of the Westminster Larger Catechism lists “dueling, bullfighting [and] shooting the rapids of the Niagara River in a barrel” as a clear violation of the sixth commandment, but he admits that attempting to cross the Atlantic in a small sailboat may not be a violation. I think it is right that we are confronted with the principle that sixth commandment requires “all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life”, and then, in general, to leave it to each person to work out the specifics. 

Does this mean that we should watch what we eat? Probably. But I’m not all that interested in helping you craft a meal plan if you know what I mean. Does this mean that you should exercise? Probably. But again, I’ll leave that to you to work out (pun). But I heard that you were drag racing your car on Domenigoni Parkway, I’d surely rebuke you. I’d rebuke you for a number of reasons. You’d be breaking a civil law — a civil law rooted in the sixth commandment, by the way. And you would therefore be in clear violation of God’s moral law. You would be recklessly endangering your own life and the lives of others. 

Some live recklessly and deserve to be rebuked. But some do also live fearfully. And perhaps this is more of an issue in our day. There is a delicate balance that we all must strike, therefore. We must not be reckless with our lives, but neither can we be driven by fear. No, we must live our lives to the fullest. This means that we must live courageously and with wisdom to the glory of God. We cannot allow fear of sickness or death to hinder us from loving, serving, and worshipping God, nor can we allow fear to hinder us from loving one another. We must live courageously and with wisdom to the glory of God.

I suppose this will always require us to assess risk and reward. And do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, when the world assesses risk and reward differently than we who are in Christ do. For us the sting of death has been removed. But for the one who is dead in their sin, death is an all-consuming enemy. And for us, the greatest reward is to see God glorified and in his glory. But for the world, the greatest reward is health, wealth, and prosperity. Lord, grant us wisdom so that we might know how to walk in this world. Brothers and sisters, do not be reckless with your own life, but neither should you be driven by fear.

Not only does the sixth commandment require us to endeavor “to preserve our own life” it also requires us to endeavor to preserve the lives of others. 

You know about a year ago we were told that there was an epidemic sweeping across our land, and a pandemic sweeping across our world. Our leaders warned us that if we did not quarantine our hospitals would be overrun and thousands upon thousands would perish. I remember hearing our President say, we will see casualties like we haven’t seen since WWII if we don’t act. The call was to lockdown for a brief time in order to flatten the curve, and we complied. We refrained from assembling for corporate worship for five weeks. 

You know, taking into consideration what we knew at the time, I would do the same thing again. I do believe that the sixth commandment should lead us in that direction. And I do believe that the preservation of life does trump the ceremonial observance of the Sabbath day. We should remember what Christ said about Sabbath observance. “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” (Luke 14:5, ESV). And so the preservation of life — even the life of an ox — does take precedence over the ceremonial.  

I will not rehearse everything that has transpired over the last year with so-called pandemic, nor will I do a play-by-play for you as it pertains to our decision-making process. The point that I am making here is that the command, “you shall not murder” does not only forbid unjust killing, it does also require us to think about the preservation of life. Again, this can get tricky. Again, this requires wisdom. Again, the question of risk and reward does come into play. 

I suppose if we were to push this principle of the preservation of life too far, we would never leave our homes. Certainly, we would never assemble. When we leave our homes, we take a risk. We might get into a car accident and be killed, or kill another. And when we assemble — when we shake hands, look into one anothers eyes, sing together, and greet one another with a holy kiss (metaphorically speaking) —  germs are spread. And there is always the risk that someone will get really, really sick, and even perish. Not to mention the fact that when we commute to church our automobiles emit gasses that warm the earth and lead to natural disasters, famine, death, and destruction (or so some people say).  

Brothers and sisters, this principle that we have a moral obligation to preserve our own life and the lives of others can be misused and abused. In fact, it can be used as a weapon against God’s people to keep them from doing what God has called them to do. 

What an interesting year this past year has been.

Conclusion 

Q. 73. What is required in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.

Clearly, this is true!

Lord, give us the wisdom to keep this commandment as we live in this world, in our families, and as a church, all to the glory of the Triune God.

New Testament Reading: Luke 24:36-49

“As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’” (Luke 24:36–49, ESV)

Old Testament  Reading: Psalm 18

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, WHO ADDRESSED THE WORDS OF THIS SONG TO THE LORD ON THE DAY WHEN THE LORD DELIVERED HIM FROM THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES, AND FROM THE HAND OF SAUL. HE SAID: I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them. I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets. You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation— the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence. For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.” (Psalm 18, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

One of my objectives in this brief sermon series is to show you how to read the Psalms like a Christian. 

A Christian believes that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, or the Anointed One, or the Christ. No matter which term we choose — Messiah, Anointed One, or Christ — we are saying the same thing. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the promised King who has come in the line of David. He is the Savior.

Of course, Jesus is more than our King. He is also our Prophet and our Priest. The one man, Jesus, fulfilled all three of these offices. As our great Prophet, he has revealed the will of God for our salvation. As our great High Priest, he has reconciled us to God by offering himself up as a sacrifice for our sins, and he makes continual intercession for us. And as our great King, he subdues us to Himself, he rules and defends us, and he restrains and conquers all his and our enemies. So the one Christ has fulfilled all three offices. He is the Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s people. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ. He is the Savior. 

Now, this idea that God would send a Savior is very old. In fact, it is nearly as old as sin itself. Soon after Adam fell into sin, God graciously announced that a Savior would be provided. But the good news that was delivered to Adam and Eve in those days was vague, or mysterious. The LORD spoke to the serpent who brought the temptation to Eve, and through her, to Adam, saying, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15, ESV). This was good news indeed. Adam and Eve would not be immediately judged. The human race would continue on. And in due time a Champion would arise who would crush the head of the serpent, who is Satan. This Champion would arise from the seed of the woman. In other words, he would be human. The serpent would do him harm — the serpent would “bruise his heel” — but this seed of the woman would have the victory in the end. Again, this is good news. But it was vague. There was much mystery. Who would this Savior be? When would he come? What would he be like? The promise of the gospel was clear. It was clear enough for God’s people in those days to put their trust in it. But it was also mysterious. 

This promise of the gospel which was announced shortly after sin entered the world would grow in clarity with the passing of time and with the establishment of each new covenant that God transacted with his people. The promise of the gospel grew in clarity in the days of Noah. It grew in clarity in the days of Abraham and Moses. And it grew in clarity yet again in the days of King David. As you know, a covenant was transacted with David which clearly communicated that through him — that is to say, in his line of descendants — the kingdom of God would be established forever and ever. In the line of David, a King would arise who would win the victory for God and his people and establish an everlasting kingdom, one that would never come to an end.

David was anointed as king of Israel, but he was not the Anointed One. David’s son Solomon was anointed as king of Israel after him. His kingdom was indeed powerful and glorious. He built God’s temple. The nations took notice. But he was not the Anointed One. And Rehoboam took the throne after Solomon. He was not the Anointed One either. 

As Christians, when we say that we have turned from our sins and have placed our faith in Jesus the Christ we are saying, among other things, we believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Anointed One. He is the Champion that was promised to Eve.  He is the priest that was promised to Abraham. He is the Prophet promised through Moses. And he is the King promised to David. He is the Anointed One of God, the Messiah. 

When we read the Old Testament scriptures, we must read them as Christians. We must agree with what Jesus taught his disciples — the Old Testament is about him!  This is what said to his two disciples after his resurrection as he walked with them on the road to the town called Emmaus. Luke 24:27 says, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” The scriptures that are referred to here are the Old Testament scriptures. The New Testament had not yet been written.  So Jesus “interpreted to them in all the [Old Testament] Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

And this includes the Psalms. Later that same night Jesus appeared to his disciples who were assembled in Jerusalem he said to them, “‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:44–47, ESV).

So there is a Christian way to understand the Old Testament scriptures. The Christian way is to see Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment of the law, the prophets, and the Psalms. The Old Testament scriptures are about him. They contain promises, prophecies, types, and shadows, all of which are fulfilled in the person and work of Christ, and in his eternal kingdom. Jesus taught this. And the New Testament scriptures, which were written by his Apostles, or under their supervision, teach this. The law, the prophets, and the Psalms are about Jesus the Christ. They find their fulfillment in him. 

The Psalms are about Jesus. Or to put it another way, the Psalms are about King David and the establishment of the kingdom of Israel. 

Now you say, wait a minute! Those are two different things! How can you in one breath say “the Psalms are about Jesus” and in the next breath, “the Palms are about King David.” Which is it? You cannot have it both ways!

Well, in fact, both statements are true. The Psalms are about Jesus, and they are about King David. This is so because Jesus is the fulfillment of David, and Christ’s eternal kingdom is the fulfillment of the kingdom of Israel. These two things: David and his earthly kingdom, and Christ and his heavenly kingdom are one. They are organically related to one other in the way that an acorn is related to an oak tree. If I hold up a book and say, this book is about acorns, but you find that it ends up being about oak trees, I have not lied to you. For the end of an acorn is an oak tree. In fact, you cannot thoroughly talk about acorns without talking about oak trees, can you?  And in the same way, when I say the Psalms are about David and his kingdom, and then I say, the Psalms are about Christ and his kingdom, I have not lied — I have not contradicted myself — for the end of the covenant that God transacted with King David is Christ and his eternal kingdom. David is the seed; Christ is the tree. David is the prototype; Christ is the real deal. In David we find the promise; in Christ, we find the fulfillment. 

So when we read the Psalms we must read them on these two levels. We must read them on the level of promise and fulfillment, type and anti-type, shadow and substance. This is what Christ taught, and this is what the New Testament so clearly teaches. These Psalms were written about David and things that he experienced as the anointed King of Israel. But his person and his works foreshadowed the person and work of his greater son, Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ. 

We must learn to read the Old Testament, the Psalms included, as Christians. But you would be surprised at how many in our day who profess faith in Christ do not. In fact, many who profess faith in Christ read the Old Testament (and preach the Old Testament) in much the same way that the unbelieving Jews in Jesus’ day read them as if they are merely about an earthly king and an earthly kingdom. No, the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus the Christ and in his heavenly kingdom, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20, ESV).

More can be said, but for the sake of time let us move on to Psalm 18. This is a relatively long Psalm, isn’t it? I will not be able to touch on every phrase as I typically do. Instead, I will highlight its sections and draw your attention to its main points, showing what they meant to David, how they were fulfilled in Christ, and how they apply to you and me today. 

This Psalm was written by King David. That is what the title says. “TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD…” Like Moses the prophet and Aaron the priest, David was the LORD’s servant. He was the servant King. This is true on a deeper level of Christ, our great Prophet, Priest, and King. Christ is God’s ultimate servant king.  

And the title also reveals the circumstance which prompted David to write this Psalm. It continues, “ WHO ADDRESSED THE WORDS OF THIS SONG TO THE LORD ON THE DAY WHEN THE LORD DELIVERED HIM FROM THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES, AND FROM THE HAND OF SAUL”. So this Psalm is about the deliverance of God’s warrior servant king from trouble. 

The historical context of this Psalm is well known. For this same Psalm is found almost word for word in 2 Samuel 22. David spoke these words to the LORD after he had been delivered from all his enemies, and his kingdom was made secure. In the second half of 1 Samuel, and in 2 Samuel, we learn all about David’s enemies. 2 Samuel begins with the announcement that David’s first enemy, Saul, had died. But it goes on to describe the many conflicts that David endured as he took the throne and established his reign. David’s own son, Absalom, rebelled against him and was put down. The Philistines were a constant problem for him. But David did eventually conquer these enemies. And when he did, he sang this Psalm to the LORD. 

Please make this connection before we move on. King David took possession of his kingdom through conflict and struggle. And King Jesus took possession of his kingdom through conflict and struggle. Both were required to defeat their enemies to make their kingdom secure. David defeated earthly enemies — Saul, Absalam, and the Philistines, to name a few. But Christ defeated much stronger enemies — Satan, sin, and death. This he did, not only for the Jews but for Gentiles also. And then he sat down upon his heavenly throne. This Psalm — Psalm 18 –is about the victory which God gave to David, but it is more about the victory that Jesus has won. 

We know that this Psalm is about the Christ, for this is what Paul the Apostle teaches when he quotes Psalm 18:49 in Romans 15:8-10, saying, “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name’” (Romans 15:8–10, ESV). Notice that Paul refers to Christ as “a servant” echoing the title of Psalm 18. And then he quotes verse 49 of Psalm 18, teaching that it was fulfilled, not by David ultimately, but by Jesus Christ. Yes, David would “praise [God] among the Gentiles, and sing to [his] name”. But when Paul, as one who believed that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, considered Psalm 18 he knew that it was ultimately about Jesus. Jesus is God’s servant King. Jesus is the king who would have the nations as his inheritance.  

So as Christians we must confess that this Psalm is not merely about David, nor is it merely about the nation of Israel. No, this Psalm is about the establishment of God’s kingdom through conflict, rescue, and victory, first as experienced by David, and then as experienced by Jesus Christ, David’s greater son. That is the Christian interpretation. That is the interpretation that the New Testament provides. 

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An Expression Of Praise (vs. 1-3)

This Psalm begins with an expression of praise. David says, “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:1–3, ESV)

There is energy to this Psalm, isn’t there. David is clearly excited about what the LORD has done for him. He is eager to give him praise. 

You have hearts it said that David was a man after God’s own heart. It would be a mistake to think that he was perfect. Far from it. But he did love the LORD sincerely. He did trust the LORD deeply. His longing was to see the LORD’s purposes accomplished in and through him. In this sense, he was a man after God’s own heart. He viewed himself as a servant of the LORD, and he did run to the LORD for strength. 

“I love you, O LORD”, the Psalm begins. What a marvelous and warm opening to this Psalm. “I love you, O LORD, my strength.” The LORD was King David’s strength. He did not trust ultimately in own strength, in chariots or armies, but in the LORD. And then David heaps up metaphors to describe what God is to him: The LORD is his rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, the horn of his salvation, and stronghold. You can tell that David was a king based upon the metaphors he chose. The point is this, David’s trust was not in earthly things — earthly fortresses, etc. — but in the LORD. 

This was true for David. Indeed, he did entrust himself to the LORD. But it was so much more true of Christ. “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly [namely God]. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:22–24, ESV).

These words spoken by David were true. He did love the LORD sincerely. He did look to God as his rock and fortress. But if we consider these words on the lips of Jesus, David’s greater Son, they take on a whole new depth of meaning, don’t they. Jesus’ love for the Father was most pure. His trust in the Father was most sincere. He trusted the Father to keep him, not merely from death, but even through death. He went to cross where he said, “‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:46, ESV)

What about you? Do you share David’s love for the LORD? Do you trust the LORD to keep you and to deliver you from all of his and our enemies? Are you certain that he will deliver you even from death? Is the LORD your rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, the horn of your salvation, and stronghold? Or is your trust in something else? Friends, no one else will be able to deliver you from death. Only the LORD. 

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A Description Of The Deliverance (vs. 4-19)

In fact, this is the very thing which threatened David — death! In verses 4-19 God’s deliverance is described, and it was nothing short of deliverance from death. In verse 4 David says, “The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me” (Psalm 18:4–5, ESV). 

It is impossible to know for certain what experience David is referring to here, for he had many near-death experiences. He was threatened often by Saul and his men. He was very vulnerable when he fled to Achish the King of Gath for refuge. And he was nearly killed by his own son, Absalom, who led a rebellion against him. In each of these instances, David must have felt as if the “cords of death” and “Sheol” were entangling him and tightening their grip. 

It is clear to us what the “cords” and “snares of death” are. But what are the “cords of Sheol”. Sheol is simply another way to speak of death, for Sheol is the place where the souls of the dead dwell. Prior to the death and resurrection of Christ, the wicked were tormented in Sheol, and the righteous were comforted there. When Christ rose from the dead he led the souls of the righteous out of Sheol (or Abraham’s bosom) and into heaven. Now after the resurrection of Christ from the dead, the souls of the righteous do go immediately into heaven where they enjoy the blessed presence of God, but the souls of the wicked still suffer torment in Sheol where they await the resurrection and final judgment. So David, being a righteous man living before the resurrection of Christ, described his near-death experience with these words: “The cords of death encompassed me”, and again, “the cords of Sheol entangled me.”

As I said, it is difficult to know for sure what experience David had in mind when he said, “the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me”. But the most fitting experience would be the one where David and his men hid from Saul and his men in the cave in the wilderness of Engedi. David was trapped. He was outnumbered. And as he went down into that dark cave it must have felt as if he and his men were descending into Sheol, metaphorically speaking. They probably wondered if they would ever see the light of day again. They wondered if that cave would be the grave for their bodies and if their souls would depart from there to Sheol. But David called upon the LORD. The LORD heard his voice from his heavenly abode, and he delivered him from death. 

In verses 7-19 David describes the deliverance saying, “Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:7–19, ESV)

The imagery that David uses here should send our minds in two directions. First, our minds should go backward from David’s time in the history of redemption to days of Moses, to the Exodus event (the ten plagues, and the parting of the sea), to the giving of the law on Sinai, and to the eventual conquest of Cannan, wherein Israel was brought out into a broad place. You will need to read these verses again on your own and compare the imagery used by David here to the Exodus event. It is no wonder that he used this imagery. He saw the deliverance that the LORD has accomplished for him in light of the deliverance that God had accomplished for Israel when he brought them out of Egypt. Just as God rescued Israel from death, so too God rescued David from death. 

Secondly, our minds should jump forward from David’s time in the history of redemption to the days of Christ, to his crucifixion, his burial, and his resurrection. Think of how the earth shook and how the land was covered in darkness when Christ was crucified. The imagery that David uses to describe his own deliverance is to remind us of God’s deliverance of Israel, and it foreshadows the deliverance that God would accomplish for Christ. 

But here is the difference between the deliverance that God worked for David, and the deliverance that God worked for Christ. God kept David from death, but God raised Jesus from the dead. God kept David from Sheol, but God rescued Jesus out of Sheol. David was made victorious in life, whereas Jesus won the victory over death and Sheol itself. Indeed, Jesus is “the first and the last, and the living one. [he] died, and behold [he is] alive forevermore, and [he has] the keys of Death and Hades.” And this reason we are to “fear not”(see Revelation 1:17–18).

To put it differently, if you imagine Jesus in his resurrection saying, “The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears” (Psalm 18:4–6, ESV), these words take on a whole new level of meaning. Who knows, it is possible that Jesus did quote Psalm 18 when he met with his disciples on the Emmaus road, and with others later that night back in Jerusalem. These words were true on David’s lips. But where do you imagine him being when he says them? In trouble, but alive on earth. Perhaps trapped in a dark cave. But when you imagine these same words on Jesus’ lips, where do you imagine him being. Dead. His body in the grave and his soul in Sheol. Jesus was delivered, not from death, but through death, for he did taste death for us (see Hebrews 2:9). Indeed, God “sent from on high, he took [Christ]; he drew [him] out of many waters. He rescued [him] from [his] strong enemy and from those who hated [him]… the LORD was [his] support. He brought [him] out into a broad place; he rescued [him], because he delighted in [him]” (Psalm 18:16–19, ESV). 

Verses 3 – 19 tell of the deliverance that God accomplished for David, but really this is about the deliverance that God accomplished for Christ. God did not merely deliver Jesus from death. No, “God raised him from the dead” (see Acts 13:30). 

Friends, do you believe this? And if you believe this, do you believe it truly and sincerely so that it brings you great comfort, hope, and confidence in life and in death. I have heard it said that the job of the Pastor is to prepare the members of his church to die well. That is a rather morbid perspective on pastoral ministry, but I think it is true. There is more to it, of course. As one of your pastors, I do also want to see you live well. But I suppose the two things are related aren’t they — living well and dying well? But one thing I know for sure, you will not die well if you are not certain that Jesus Christ your Savior died for you and in your places. His body went into the grave and his soul to Sheol. But from there he was raised body and soul! And he was raised, not only for himself but for you and me and all who are in him by faith. “God raised him from the dead” (see Acts 13:30). And those who are in Christ are confident that they too will be raised, just as he was raised. 

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The Reason For The Deliverance (vs. 20-36)

In verses 20-36 David tells us why God delivered him.

For the sake of time I will leave it to you to read verses 20-36 again. And I would ask you to read these verses on two levels. First, read them as David’s words, and then read them as Christ’s words. Again, you will see that they were true for David on one level, but they were for Jesus the Christ on a whole other level. 

God delivered David because he was righteous, blameless, merciful, pure and humble. If you know the story of David you know this is only true in a sense. David was righteous only in the way that you and I can be righteous, for he was a sinner like us. He was made righteous through faith in Christ (his son). And he was righteous, but only in a religious sense. He was righteous in the sense that he was faithful to God and devout. We know that he was not righteous and pure in an absolute sense.  The scriptures are clear about this. 

And whatever righteousness David did have, even that was owed to the grace of God alone. David himself says so in this passage. Beginning with verse 27 David gives all glory to God, saying, “for you save humble people”; verse 28: “for it is you who light my lamp”; verse 30: “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him”; verse 31: “For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless” (Psalm 18:31–32, ESV). On and on I could. This Psalm is filled with praise for God’s grace. David is not here claiming to be righteous in and of himself. No, but he was righteous in God and in his Anointed. And for this reason, God delivered him, “because [God] delighted in [him]” (Psalm 18:19).

But if you read these same words as if from Jesus the Christ, the Son of David, they rise to a higher level. Christ was righteous, absolutely. “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22, ESV). And for this reason “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, [in Psalm  “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’” This was how Peter preached the gospel as recorded in Acts 2:24–28. 

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The Victory Of The King Over All His Enemies (vs. 37-45)

Verses 37 through 45 do not describe deliverance from trouble, but the King’s victory over all his enemies. So the situation is advanced here. No longer does the King feel as if the “cords of Sheol” are entangling him. No longer is his rescue described. Now the King is victorious. Now he conquers his enemies. 

You will notice that some are consumed. 

In verse 37 we read, “I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed” (Psalm 18:37, ESV).

In verse 42 we read, “I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets” (Psalm 18:42, ESV). 

This should remind us of what was said concerning the Lord’s Anointed in Psalm 2: “You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:9, ESV).

But others surrender to the King. Or to use the language of Psalm 2, they take refuge in the LORD’s anointed.   

Verse 43: “You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.” (Psalm 18:43–45, ESV)

This was certainly David’s experience. After he was anointed king he ran from Saul, but God delivered him. And after God delivered him, he gave him victory over all his enemies and made his kingdom secure. That is what David is celebrating in this Psalm. 

And such was the experience of Christ, David’s greater son. He obtained his kingdom through trial and tribulation. He suffered. He died. But his soul was not abandoned to Hades, and neither was his body abandoned in the grave. He was raised! And after he was raised in glory, he ascended. And when he ascended he sat down at the Father’s right hand. There he reigns until his enemies are made his footstool at the final judgment (see Luke 20: 41-44). There he reigns until all of his elect are gathered from every tongue, tribe, and nation. They will be summoned by the gospel. And they will be subdued by the Holy Spirit. They will say, Jesus is Lord, and they take refuge in the Anointed One.  In this way — in judgment, and in salvation — every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.  

Friends, Christ will have the victory. He will have dominion over all, either as Savior or as Judge. What is he to you? Everyone who has ever lived is in a relationship with Christ. He is either Savior or he is Judge. Again I ask, what is he to you? I return now to the second Psalm to urge you to turn from your sins and to trust in him. “Now therefore… be wise; be warned… Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2:10–12, ESV)

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Doxology (vs. 46-50)

In verses 46 through 50 we find a doxology, or a concluding praise. “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation— the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence. For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.” (Psalm 18:46–50, ESV)

These are the words of King David. But more than this, they are the words of Christ. Verse 49 is the verse that Paul quotes in Romans 15:10. But as I have taught you before, when the New Testament quotes the Old, or when the Old Testament quotes the Old, do not read only the particular verse that is cited. No, take a look around. Paul wants us to see that Jesus Christ is not only the fulfillment of verse 49, but of this whole Psalm.

Jesus is the servant King. Jesus is the one who was delivered from his enemies — from the man of violence, and from death itself. And Jesus is the one who is victorious. He rules and reigns supreme. He has the nations as his inheritance. And what is his goal? The glory of God amongst the nations.

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Conclusion

Let me now conclude by reading 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 which makes this point so beautifully. Like David, but even more purely, the goal of Christ is the glory of God the Father amongst the nations. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first-fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when it says, ‘all things are put in subjection,’ it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–28, ESV)

Baptist Catechism 68 & 69

Q. 68. Which is the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment is, “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12)

Q. 69. What is required in the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals. (Lev. 19:32; 1 Peter 2:17; Rom. 13:1; Eph. 5:21,22; Eph. 6:1,5,9; Col. 3:19-22; Rom. 12:10)

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:18-4:1

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.” (Colossians 3:18–4:1, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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Introduction

I have come to really love and appreciate the instruction that our catechism provides on the Ten Commandments. One thing that I appreciate is the breadth of the interpretation. Our catechism does not give us a narrow interpretation, but a broad one. In other words, these commandments are teased out. And it is right for the Ten Commandments to be teased out, for this is what the scriptures do, and this is what Christ himself did. The Ten Commandments are to be viewed as a summary of God’s moral law. And you know what a summary is. A summary provides a brief account of something but does not tell the whole story. The Ten Commandments contain God’s moral law, in summary. 

So, the fifth commandment, which is, “Honor thy father and thy mother”, does not merely require little children to respect their parents. No, it requires us to  preserve the honor, and perform the duties, belonging to everyone in their [various] places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.” In other words, respect is to be shown to all people. And it is to be shown to all people taking into consideration their place in relation to you as either superiors, inferiors, or equals. So it is not only superiors — like parents — who are to be respected but equals and inferiors too, each in a way that is fitting. 

And where is this behavior first learned? In the home. It is in the family environment where children are to honor others. First, they are to honor their parents. Second, if they have siblings, they are to honor them as equals. And third, they are to take this responsibility with them out into the world to apply in every realm. “The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals. “

Baptist Catechism 69

The fifth commandment is the first commandment of the second table of God’s law. The first table of the law (commandments 1-4) has to do with our relation to God. And the second table (commandments 5-10) has to do with our relationships with our fellow man. The fifth commandment, just like the first commandment, is foundational then. 

Where do we start if we wish to relate to our fellow man in the right way? We start with honor. And the very first people we must learn to honor are our parents.       

My time is very limited in the afternoon, and so I will not expand upon this much. But think of how devastating the breakdown of the family is to society. Think of how devastating it is for God’s moral law to be abandoned and suppressed within a society. If God’s law is not honored, and if children are not taught to honor God and man within the home, then do not be surprised when that society grows very harsh and even brutal. If we are to learn how to relate well to our fellow man, we must learn to show honor to everyone in their different places. And this is to be learned first all in the home as children are raised, ideally, by father and mother.

Notice that our catechism says that we must “preserve the honor” of others. Does this not imply that men and women possess a certain dignity by nature? Yes, and this is because they have been made in the image of God. And add to this the place that God has given them in the world. Each place — be it lowly or high — requires a certain kind of honor. This honor is to be preserved. Does this not also imply that we, because of our sinful condition, do tend towards dishonor. Throughout this history of the world, the weak have been exploited by the strong. This cannot be. And men do also slander other men. This also is a great evil. Not only are we to show honor to others who have been made in God’s image, we must also seek to preserve their honor. So this may involve standing up for the weak and oppressed and rebuking the slanderer to preserve the reputation of another.

Next, our catechism speaks of “performing the duties, belonging to everyone”. When I think of the instruction to preserve the honor… belonging to everyone”, I think of defence. We must defend the honor of others. But the words, “performing the duties, belonging to everyone”, communicates that we are to positively and proactively give to others the honor that is due to them. 

Children owe their parents honor in the form of respect and obedience. Children, honor your parents. You must. God commands it. And when you fail to honor your parents, you must learn to repent. That means that you must learn to confess your sin to God, for you sin against him when you dishonor your parents. You must ask him to forgive you in Christ Jesus. And you must also learn to ask your parents to forgive you, for you have done wrong to them. You have failed to give them what they deserve as your parent — respect and obedience. And lastly, you must ask the Lord to help you to not stubble again. Children owe their parents honor in the form of respect and obedience. 

Citizens owe respect to governing authorities; congregants owe respect to their ministers; wives owe respect to their husbands; employees owe respect to their employers. On and on I could go. But I do love this little phrase, “ in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.” It helps us to remember that honor is owed, not only to those who are over us, but also to those who stand beside us and are under us. 

Husbands, honor your wives, therefore. Am I now contradicting the scriptures with say, “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” No! I am only drawing your attention to what is said next in that same passage — “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.” So do you see that there is a special kind of honor that a wife owes to her husband, and there is a special kind of honor that a husband owes to his wife?! Yes, the husband has authority in the home, but honor is to be shown to all. As Peter says, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7, ESV)

Governors, honor your citizens.

Bosses, honor your employees. 

Parents, honor your children. “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21, ESV). “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4, ESV)

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Conclusion

So do you see how our catechism teases out the fifth commandment, and rightly so? The fifth commandment requires children to honor their father and mother, but more than this it “requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.”

Dear brothers and sisters, have you kept this law perfectly? 

No, we have violated this law in thought, word, and deed.

Thanks be to God for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who paid for all our sins and has clothed us in his righteousness if we have faith in him. 

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New Testament Reading: John 15:1-11

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:1–11, ESV)

Old Testament  Reading: Psalm 1

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

We have concluded our study of 1 Timothy. I thoroughly enjoyed preaching through that letter. And I do believe it was a timely study for our congregation. Now I would like to spend some time with you in the Psalms. I’m not entirely sure how long we will be here. If I were to guess I would say no fewer than five weeks, and no more than 10. Obviously, I will not be preaching through the whole book of Psalms in that time. That would take years! Instead, I will select only a few Psalms. My intention is to select Psalms from a variety of genres or categories. As you probably know, there are different types of Psalms — there are Psalms of thanksgiving, lament, and confidence to name a few — and I think it is good for the congregation to be exposed to the diversity within the Psalter.

Now, please allow me to make a few brief remarks about the Psalms by way of introduction to this series. We have been studying the Psalms in Sunday School for about 9 weeks now, and so some of this will be review for those who have attended that class. 

One, notice that there are 150 Psalms in total. And each Psalm does stand alone. 

Two, these Psalms are in fact songs. They were written for God’s people to sing. And God’s people have sung the Psalms for generations. The faithful who lived prior to the birth of Christ sung the Psalms. Christ and his disciples sung the Psalms. And the Christain church has sung the Psalms.  Perhaps you have noticed that as of late we have been introducing Psalms into our singing. We desire to be faithful to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in [our] hearts to God”, as Paul commands in Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19. So here in the Psalter, we find 150 Psalms, and they are songs. 

Three, these 150 Psalms have been organized into five books. Notice the heading above Psalm 1. The heading says, “Book One”. And if you were to turn over to Psalm 42 you would notice the heading, “Book Two”. Book three begins with Psalm 73; book four with Psalm 90; and book five with Psalm 107. And so these 150 Psalms are organized into five books.   

Four, though the Psalms are typically attributed to King David, David was not the only one to write them. He wrote many of them. In fact, he wrote Psalm 1, which we will be considering today. But there are many other authors, including, but not limited to, Solomon, Moses, the Sons of Korah, and Asaph. 

Five, it is clear then that these Psalms were not written all at once. No, the oldest Psalm (Psalm 90) was written by Moses (in approximately 1,500 B.C.), and one Psalm appears to have been written at the time of the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity (Psalm 126), which took place in 538 B.C. So you see that the Psalms were composed over a 1,000 year period of time.  

Six, that begs the question, who brought the book of Psalms into its final form? Who organized them into the five books, giving each Psalm its particular place? Scholars have suggested that it was a priest, scribe who lived at the time of the return from Babylonian captivity. Maybe Ezra or Nehemiah, or someone like them. That seems very reasonable to me. 

Seven, that begs another question. If the Psalms are not organized chronologically (and they are not — Psalm 90 is the oldest, Psalm 126 is the newest), and if they are not organized according to the author (again, they are not), then how are they organized? Is the order random? 

Some wonderful work has been done on this question. In particular, I appreciate the work of O. Palmer Robertson in his book, The Flow Of The Psalms. He recognizes that the Psalms are about God’s king and God’s kingdom. And he claims that the five books of the Psalter are organized according to the theme of the development of the Kingdom of Israel under David. He claims that the theme of book one is confrontation. As you know, King David took the throne through trial and tribulation (and so it was for David’s greater son, Jesus the Christ). And the Psalms found in book one of the Psalter do tend to have the theme of confrontation or trouble. Robinson says that book two has the theme of communication corresponding to the establishment of the kingdom of Israel under David (and ultimately Christ). These Psalms carry the theme of hope in the midst of distress. Book three has the theme of devastation, Robinson says. If you know the history of Israel you know that after David and Solomon the kingdom was divided and eventually destroyed. The question on everyone’s mind must have been, will God keep his promise to David? And if so, where is God? (and this must have been the question when Jesus hung on the cross and lay in the grave). The Psalms found in book three have this theme — devastation. Book four has the theme of maturation. Psalm 90 is the first psalm of book four. And the first words of Psalm 90 are “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.” This was the Psalm written by Moses. So here, after the devastation of book three the people of God are reminded of God’s faithfulness to Israel in the days of Moses to redeem them from Egypt, to lead them in the wilderness, to sustain them, and to bring them into the land of promise. Our God is a covenant-making and a covenant-keeping God. That is the mature perspective that the people of God must maintain from generation to generation. And finally, book five carries the theme of consummation. In book five we are carried along to the heights of the praise of God Almighty. You will notice that the last five Psalms begin and end with the exhortation, “Praise the Lord” (Hallelu-YAH)! And consider the climax of Psalm 150: 

“Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 150, ESV)

Wow. And now you know why this book was known to the Hebrews as “the book of praises”. It does not only have praises in it. No, there are wisdom sayings,  laments, and imprecations found within the Psalms too! But the book does move us to praise! The Psalms are songs for worship. And the Psalms do climax with a grand call to worship. This book aims to move us to “Praise the Lord!” (Hallelu-YAH).

So, though it is true that each Psalm stands alone, there is a structure to Psalms. The five books are carefully organized. And there is a structure to each of the five books, with little clusters of Psalms positioned intentionally here and there to give emphasis to certain themes. 

Obviously, there is more to say about this — much more! But this is an introduction to Psalm 1. And speaking of Psalm 1 I will now ask, eighthly, is there something significant about this Psalm which has been placed in the first position in the Psalter? 

Answer: certainly yes. 

In fact, we must see that booth Psalms 1 and 2 have been carefully selected and critically placed at the introduction to the Psalter. They have been called the twin pillars of the Psalter — the grand pillars that we must walk in between to enter the Psalter. And as we consider Psalm 1 today, and Psalm 2 on the next Lord’s Day (Lord willing), we will notice that Psalm 1 is law, and Psalm 2 is gospel. And so to enter the Psalter we must first consider law and gospel.   

What is law? God’s law reveals what it is that God requires of us. God’s law says do this and you shall live. And no, God’s law is not confined to the first five books of the Bible but is found throughout the scriptures, Old Testament and New. Commandments are found throughout the scriptures. And Psalm 1 is certainly law, as we will soon see. It teaches us how we must walk if we wish to have abundant life and to stand before God. 

I must warn you ahead of time that God’s law cuts in two directions now that we are fallen into sin. On the one hand, the law tells us how we must live. That is good! It is a light to our feet! But on the other hand, the law also reveals that we have come short of it. And it is also good that the law does this for us. For though it is bad news, it is true. This is our condition. 

What then is gospel? The gospel is the good news that despite our failure to keep God’s law, a Savior has been provided. And in him — through faith in him — we find refuge from the wrath of God due to us for our sin. Psalm 1 is law, as will soon see. But Psalm 2 is gospel. We will consider Psalm 2 in detail next Sunday, Lord willing. But I can demonstrate that it is gospel very quickly. 

Look at the beginning of Psalm 2. “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us’” (Psalm 2:1–3, ESV). That is not good. It is a description of humanity in rebellion against God and his Anointed — that is to say, his Messiah.

Look at the middle. In verse 6 God says, “‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you’” (Psalm 2:6–7, ESV). So God has appointed a king. And we learn in the verse that follow, this king is the  King of kings. He will have the nations as his heritage, the ends of the earth as his possession. Again, this is not good news for the rebellious kings and their rebellious people. This Son of God will judge them.

But look now to the end of Psalm 2. Verse 10: “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:10–12, ESV). Now, there is good news! There is the gospel. This Son who is King of kings, and Lord of lords — this Son who will judge the nations in their rebellion — is also a refuge. “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

The word “blessed” is significant. You will notice that Psalm 1 begins with the word “blessed” (it means “happy”), and Psalm 2 concludes with the word “blessed”. We will come back to this observation at the end of this sermon, but for now please know that Psalms 1 and 2 belong together. They are the pillars that we must walk between in order to enter into the Book of Psalms. They are law and they are gospel. So let us now enter into the Psalter by walking between these pillars. Today we consider the pillar of Psalm 1 which teaches us the way to go if we wish to please God, to be happy, and to have life everlasting. And next Sunday we will shift our attention to the pillar of Psalm 2 to consider the gospel — though we have all rebelled against the Lord and come short of his holy law, God has provided a Savior so that we might take refuge in him.   

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The Way Of The Righteous Described

In Psalm 1 two paths are set before us. There is the way of the righteous, and there is the way of the wicked. You will notice, there is no other way. Only these two. 

The way of the righteous may also be called the way of life, for this is where it leads — it leads to life. And this way is set before in verses 1 through 3. In verse 1 we read, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers…” (Psalm 1:1, ESV).

Blessed means “happy”. So the Psalms begin with a description of the man, or woman, who is happy. Do you wish to be happy? Do you wish to be blessed? Then take this path. Of course, this is no superficial or fleeting happiness that is being described. No, this is true happiness. This is lasting happiness. This describes one who is deeply satisfied and full of life — life abundant, and life eternal.

You will notice that the way of life is first described in negative terms. “Blessed is the man who walks not…” Life’s a journey. We are sojourners. We live one moment, one day, one week, and year at a time. And so the life of a man is described using the metaphor of walking. And if we wish to have a blessed life then here is the path that we must not follow. We must not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor [stand] in the way of sinners, nor [sit] in the seat of scoffers…” 

There is a downward progression here. 

If we wish to be blessed then we must not walk in the counsel of the wicked. You will notice that the text does not say, do not walk in the presence of the wicked. We have no choice but to walk in the presence of the wicked. The righteous must live in this world. And in this world, there are many who have taken the path of sin and death. The righteous must walk in their presence to shine as lights in the darkness. No, the text does not say “presence” but “counsel”. Do not walk in the “counsel” of the wicked. Do not walk with the wicked to learn from them, to take advice from them, to be influenced by them, to go in the way that they have gone. This is an important lesson for young and old, but it is especially important for young people to hear. 

In life, there are two ways. There is the way of life and the way of death — only these. And ss you choose your path be sure that you do not walk in the counsel of the wicked! I am pleading with you to reflect deeply on this. As you walk in this world, who are you surrounding yourself with? Who are you being influenced by? Who are you looking to as a model and guide? I suppose there was a day when this applied only in a literal sense. Who are you surrounding yourself with literally? But in our day and age, the question must also be asked digitally. Who are your counselors? Who is influencing you? Who’s view of the world are you adopting as your own?  It may be someone that you have never met face to face. Now please hear me. I am not suggesting that you live an isolated life. The call is not to pull away entirely from all who are ungodly. No, but I am calling you to consider who it is that you walk with, either literally or digitally, so as to be influenced by them. Brothers and sisters, young and old, we are to influence the world. We are not to be influenced by the world. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…”

And then we read, “nor stands in the way of sinners”. Do you see the progression? Those who choose to walk in the counsel of the wicked will soon find themselves standing with sinners. We are to picture a man or woman who is now comfortable with the company of sinners. No longer are they merely being influenced by them concerning the way they should go. Now they are standing with them. They are keeping company with them. They are a part of the group. 

And next, we are warned, do not sit in the seat of scoffers. So the downward progression continues. The one who chooses the wrong path first walks in the counsel of the wicked, then they stand with sinners, and finally, they take their seat among the scoffers. In wisdom literature, scoffers are those who live in rebellion against God, who hate knowledge, and love folly. Proverbs 1:22 says, “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” And in Proverbs 21:24 we read, “‘Scoffer’ is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.” Have you ever met a scoffer? I have. They are those who live in sin and rebellion against God, and they do so proudly. They are worldly through and through. They are puffed up with pride and conceit. They love what is evil, and they hate what is good. And they scoff at God and the people of God. How did the scoffer become a scoffer? At some point they began to walk in the counsel of the wicked, then they stood in the way of sinners, and then they took their seat amongst the scornful. 

Do you wish to be blessed? Do you wish to be happy, truly happy? Then do not go the way of the wicked. The blessed man, the blessed woman, does not go this way, and in verse 2 we read, “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” So here the way of the blessed man is described, not in negative terms, but in positive terms. “Blessed is the man who walks not” in the wicked way, “but his delight is in the law of the LORD…”

Notice something very important. The righteous way begins in the heart. Do you see it? “But his delight is in the law of the LORD…”, the text says. And I should say that the same is also true for the way of the wicked. The wicked go in that bad way because they first walk in the counsel of the wicked. In other words, they delight in the counsel of sinful man. And so the way of the wicked and the way of the righteous are contrasted. But the difference is first in the heart. It is a matter of delight. These two ways that are set before us in this Psalm do manifest themselves in real walking and real talking — these ways do show themselves in either sinful or holy living — but the choice of the one path or the other is made first in the mind and the heart. It is about delight before it is about behavior.    

Delight. That is such a powerful word. The blessed man delights in the law of the LORD. This means that he takes great pleasure in God’s law. He loves it and is drawn to it. He sees it as good and beautiful and he takes pleasure in it.

Have you ever delighted in something? I know that you have. Every human does. We have this wonderful capacity to perceive things outside of ourselves; to consider them to be either good or bad, lovely or un-lovely; to move towards that which we consider to be good and lovely; and to delight in that thing, whatever it may be — an object, a person, or a thought. Delight. What we delight in does truly determine the course of our lives. 

So what do you delight in? Have you ever paused to reflect upon that question? And you will notice that I did not ask, what should you delight in? No, I asked what do you delight in? That is a more difficult question to answer. It’s one that you might not be so willing to share. And of course, I am urging you to think about ultimate things. What do you delight in above all? It is good for us to delight in small and ordinary things — a cold glass of water on a hot day; tasty food; companionship; the beauty of nature — but what do you delight in ultimately? What are the delights — the pleasures, passions, or affections — that move you and drive you so as to determine the course of your life? Think about that. 

You know, as a pastor I do often provide counsel to people who are struggling with sin. It may be sin in the mind, or it may be sin involving word, or deed. And I do not wish to come across as overly simplistic here — this is a complicated issue; there are so many factors that come into play — but one thing that we certainly cannot ignore is the heart. Where is your heart?  What do you love? What do you delight in? This is how human behavior works. We move towards that which we love. Yes, there are habits to be broken. Yes, there is thinking to be altered. But it is the heart that determines our behavior. As Christ said, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45, ESV).

So what do you delight in? What is your greatest love? What is your treasure? I hope that you would say, God is my delight! I love him more than all! Above all I long to know, worship, and serve him! Friends, this is the beginning of the way of the righteous. Stated differently, this is what distinguishes between the two ways. The one who is blessed delights in God and in his law, whereas the wicked delight in the world and the things of this world. Stated in yet another way, the righteous happily walk in submission to God and his law, whereas the wicked walk in slavish submission to other things. They submit to their sinful passions. They submit to the wisdom and philosophy of this world. They submit to the voice of the evil one. 

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” 

To meditate is to ponder something. The one who is righteous delights in God’s law in the heart, and reflects upon it continuously in the mind. Brothers and sisters, we must know God’s law. We must understand what it requires and what it forbids. And we must also have the wisdom to apply it so that we do in fact keep it. That is what is described here. The blessed man walks, not by the counsel of the wicked, but according to God’s counsel. The blessed man delights in God’s law. He meditates upon it continually, so as to walk according to it in all things. Dear friends, do you wish to be happy? Then live in obedience to your Maker. Submit to him. Receive his word. Meditate upon it to understand what your God requires of you, and then walk accordingly.

In verse 3 the righteous man is described as being “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3, ESV). What a beautiful image. And how true it is. 

Trees do not flourish unless they are watered. And men do not flourish unless their souls are nourished by God. God is the stream of water in this metaphor. He waters his people by the streams of his Word and Spirit. To abide in God through the keeping of his word means that you have access to never-failing streams of living water. And this will result in a fruitful life — a life that produces good things. Your leaf will not wither. This means that you will thrive consistently, even in times of drought. 

If you ever look upon an arid desert-scape and see a line of green trees you know there is a stream of water there.  Though the environment is very harsh, and though the drought has caused all other trees to wither, those flourishing trees have found a source of life. And so it is for the blessed man, who delights in God’s law, who walks in the way of life. His leaf does not wither. Even when the conditions of life are very harsh, he prospers — this means that he does not lose his vitality —  for his roots are sunk down, not into the temperamental, unreliable, and ever-changing springs of this world, but into God who is faithful.

Just a moment ago I asked you, what do you delight in? And here I can ask the same question but in a different way: what do you have your roots sunk into? Where do you draw your life from? What is the source of your vitality? To put the matter bluntly, if your roots are sunk down into some created thing, it will certainly fail you. It will soon run dry, and you will wither. But if your roots are sunk down into God who is life, he will never fail you. Never will he run dry. Never will he change course so as to leave you dry. No, he is unchanging. He is faithful. He will sustain you in good times and bad, and even through death.   

So we have considered the way of the righteous man. He or she is blessed and happy, for their delight is in the law of the Lord, and their roots are sunk down deep into the streams of the living God. 

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The Way Of The Wicked Described

Now let us briefly consider the way of the wicked. 

In verse 4 we read, “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” Could there be a greater contrast between the righteous and wicked? The righteous are like a fruitful tree nourished by never-ceasing streams of water whose leaf does not wither. But the wicked are like chaff — the dry, dead, and nearly weightless husk that falls from grain when it is processed, which is driven away by the wind. That is what the wicked are like. 

I hope you can see that this is serious, friends. We are not simply analyzing beautiful poetry here. No, we are handling God’s word. And he has something to say to us regarding life and death. If we wish to approach him — if we wish to stand before him now and for all eternity — then we must approach him in a certain way. We must go the way of the righteous and avoid the way of the wicked. This is very serious. Your life depends upon it now and for all eternity.

And to that point, look at verse 5: “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Verses 5 and 6 mirror verses 1 and 2 with the repeat of the words “wicked”, “sinners”, and “stand”. Though wicked stand together in this world, and though they may appear to stand with such strength, they will not stand in the end. That is the point. At the judgment, they will be blown away like chaff, “for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish”, or come to nothing. 

To “know” means more than to be aware of.  God is not only aware of the way of the righteous, he knows it, meaning that he cares for those on that path, he claims them as his own, and will keep them. The righteous will stand now and for all eternity, for God will make them to stand, for he cares for them. 

Psalm 1 is very beautiful. I would imagine that many know this Psalm and love it, particularly verses 1-3. But I hope you would agree that it is a very serious Psalm. It has to do with life and death and judgment. Friends, there is a way that leads to life, and there is a way that leads to death — eternal life, and eternal death are in view here. 

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Who Is This Blessed Man?

At the beginning of this sermon, I told you that Psalm 1 is law. Law says, do this and you shall live. Gospel says, live because of what has been done for you. Psalm 1 is law. 

And I did also warn you that God’s law cuts in two directions now that we have fallen into sin. Not only does it show us the way that we should go, it also reveals that we have not gone that way, at least not perfectly so. So the law guides, but it also condemns. 

Psalm 1 does both of these things, doesn’t it? It has shown us the way that we should go. But if I were to ask you, brethren, have you kept this law perfectly? What would be the honest answer? No, we have violated this law in thought, word, and deed. No, I have at times taken the counsel of the wicked. I have stood in the way of sinners. I have sat with the scornful. My delight is not perfectly nor perpetually in the law of the LORD. No, in times past, and to this present day, my love is misdirected and impure.

Who then is the blessed man of Psalm 1?

It is Christ, and Christ alone.

Christ is the blessed man. Only he walked in the way of life, and perfectly so. In him, there is no stain of sin. His food was to do his Father’s will, and this he did. Having kept God’s law perfectly and perpetually he did enter into life. He stood before the Father, and he sat down upon the throne prepared for him.

So what about us? Can we walk in the way of life? Can we be blessed and happy? Is it possible for us to stand in the judgment?

Yes! But only in Christ. We must be found in him. We must repent and believe upon him to have our sins washed away. We must trust in him to be clothed in his righteousness. We must be renewed by his word and Spirit. 

He is the vine; we are the branches. Whoever abides in him and he in them, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Christ you can do nothing. As the Father has loved him, so has he loved you. Abide in his love. If you keep his commandments, you will abide in his love, just as he kept his Father’s commandments and abides in his love. These things Jesus spoke to us so that his joy may be in us, and so that our joy may be full. (see John 15:1–11, ESV)

Brethren, choose the way of life. But know this for certain, to walk in this way we must first be found in Christ, for we are sinners saved only by the grace of God through faith in the Son. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2:12, ESV)

Baptist Catechism 65

Q. 65. How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

A. The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days, and spending the time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. (Lev. 23:3; Isa. 58:13,14; Isa. 66:23; Matt. 12:11,12)

Scripture Reading: Leviticus 23:3

“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.” (Leviticus 23:3, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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Introduction

The Sabbath is a very important theme that runs throughout the pages of Holy Scripture. It was instituted by God at creation. The people of God kept it even before the Ten Commandments were given to Israel on Sinai (see Exodus 16:22ff.) Israel was commanded to keep the Sabbath day holy. This law is at the heart of the Ten Commandments, which is rightly called a summary of God’s moral law. Christ kept the Sabbath himself, and he taught his disciples about the proper observance of it. Tell me, if Christ had intended to throw the Sabbath into the trash bin of history, why would he say so much about its proper observance? And the early church kept the Sabbath. They rested and assembled for worship one day out of seven. They assembled for worship on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the day that Christ rose from the dead, entered into rest and inaugurated the new creation. This is the Christian Sabbath. And the writer to the Hebrews expressly says “there remains a Sabbath rest [Sabbath-keeping] for the people of God…” (Hebrews 4:9, ESV). The Sabbath will find its fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth. There we will enter into the fulness of the rest that Christ the second Adam has earned for us.

All of that is review. And all of that could be greatly expanded upon if we had the time. In fact, we have studied the Lord’s Day Sabbath in detail before, and I trust that we will have an opportunity to consider it in detail again in the future. But for now, I hope you are convinced that the Lord’s Day Sabbath is to be kept by the people of God even today. The fourth commandment still stands. In other words, when we fail to keep the fourth commandment we do in fact sin against God. Do you believe this? I hope you do. 

But now the question is, what are we to do on the Lord’s Day Sabbath? How are we to set it apart as holy unto the Lord. Baptist Catechism 65 is a very helpful summary of the scriptures teaching on this point. Again, “The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days, and spending the time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.” 

You will notice that neither the scriptures, nor our catechism, provide us with a detailed list of dos and don’ts for the Sabbath day. The Pharisees did that. And Christ rebuked them for it, especially when their lists went beyond or contradicted the teaching of Holy Scripture. And neither do I think that we should make detailed lists of dos and don’ts for one another. It is better to teach the principles and to let each person and family decide how exactly to keep the day. There are obvious violations, of course. And we will address those. But there is also room for differences in application. 

Let us now consider Baptist Catechism 65 

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Baptist Catechism 65

It teaches that “the Sabbath is to be sanctified…” This means that the Sabbath day, which is now Sunday (as we learned last week) is to be set apart and treated as holy. In fact, this was established at creation. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:1–3, ESV). And the fourth of the Ten Commandments requires this, saying, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8, ESV). The other days of the week are common days. We are of course to be holy on those days as well. But the days are common. They are for common things. Things like common work and recreation. But the Sabbath day is a holy day. It is set apart for holy things, principally worship — public and even private worship. 

So, “the Sabbath is to be sanctified…”and then we read “by…” By what? What are we to do on this day? “The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting…” The Sabbath day is a day of rest, but it is not a day of inactivity, as we will soon see. On the Sabbath day, we are to rest from certain common things so that we might devote ourselves to certain holy activities. 

If your view of the Sabbath is that it is a day for sleeping in or napping, I’m afraid you have missed the point. The Sabbath day is for you. God intended for us to find rest, enjoyment, and refreshment on this day. But we will find true rest, enjoyment, and refreshment on the Sabbath day only when we recognize that it is, above all, a holy day — a day to worship and to take our rest in God. 

Next, notice the words “all that day”. It is the Lord’s Day, not the Lord’s hour or morning. Break the habit, brothers and sisters, of running off from church in the morning to common things. The whole day is to be kept holy unto the Lord. Go from public worship to private worship. Go to the enjoyment of your family and speak of the things of God. Have brothers and sisters into your home and speak of the things of God. Read your Bible. Read good books about the Christian faith. Take a nap if you need one so that you might be strengthened for the rest of the day and the week to come. Treat the whole day as holy, dear brethren, and see how truly refreshed you will be. 

“The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employment and recreations as are lawful on other days”, our catechism says. In other words, we are to cease from our regular, common work and our regular, common recreation, not because they are sinful (I hope they are not!), but because they are not fitting for the day. Regular and common work and recreation is for the other six days, but not the Sabbath day. 

Does God care about what you do on the other six days of the week? Of course he does! We are to worship and serve him on those days too! And we are to work diligently on those days so that we might in fact keep the Sabbath. But on the Sabbath, we are to set those common things aside. The Sabbath day is not a day for common work or common recreation. It is to be kept holy.

So, we are to rest. We are to set aside worldly things (worldly means common here, not sinful). But what are we to do. We are to “[spend] the time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship…” This means, one,  that we are to assemble with God’s people for corporate and public worship. The Sabbath was always for this. In Leviticus 23:3 we read, “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” (Leviticus 23:3, ESV). What is a “convocation”? It is a formal assembly of people. So what were the Old Covenant saints to do on the weekly Sabbath day? They were to hold a “holy convocation”. In other words, they were to assemble for worship. Does that sound familiar to you? It should. The writer to the Hebrews spoke to New Covenant saints saying, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24–25, ESV).

I’m afraid that many modern Christians take this to mean, I really shouldn’t miss going to church… too often. Or, I can miss church, but I should at least get together with my Christian friend from time to time for… “fellowship”. I think it means something different. I think it means (quite clearly in the context of Hebrews, and in light of the rest of scripture), do not ever neglect to assemble with God’s people to worship God’s name on God’s appointed day. In fact, when you do, you break God’s law. In other words, you sin — sin being “any [failure to conform] unto, or transgression of, the law of God” (Baptist Catechism 17).

Perhaps at this point you are thinking, he sounds like a legalist. But I might reply to you saying, I don’t think you know what legalism is. And, you might be guilty of lawlessness (antinomianism). The law is good, brothers and sisters. Have you forgotten what Paul wrote to Timothy? “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully…” (1 Timothy 1:8, ESV). And have you forgot the words of Christ, how he spoke to his disciples saying, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15, ESV)?

Now, if I said, keep the Sabbath to earn eternal life, then I would be guilty of legalism. But I have not said that. I have taught you to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and for life eternal. This you must do, for you have violated God’s law. You (and I) have failed to keep the Sabbath day holy. But Christ never did. He kept it purely, perfectly, and perpetually. And though he had no guilt of his own, he died on the cross to pay the sins of others. Trust in him alone, and not in your own works-righteousness. But having believed upon Christ — because you love him and are grateful for his sacrifice made on your behalf — obey him. Keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. In them there is goodness, life, and peace.

Now one question remains. Are there any exceptions? Is there ever a time when it is right to work on the Lord’s Day Sabbath or to neglect to assemble with the people of God for worship. Answer: yes. “Except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.” 

What are works of necessity? They are not the things that you forgot to do on Saturday that can wait till Monday. But as you know, there are some things that simply must be done because they are necessary. You may cook on the Sabbath day and clean up after the meal. You may help a neighbor who is in need. Perhaps their car won’t start. Help them. You do not violate the Sabbath when you do. And some work jobs that are absolutely necessary in a continual sense. Criminals do not observe the Sabbath. Police officers must work. The same can be said of emergency room doctors, nurses, and even water district employees. You get the point, don’t you?

And what are works of mercy? These are acts of kindness shown to those who are in need. Do you remember how the Pharisees scoffed at Jesus for healing on the Sabbath day? They missed the point, didn’t they? Visit the sick on the Sabbath. Exercise hospitality. Help those in need. To use an example from biblical times, if your neighbor’s ox falls into a ditch, help him dig it out. The preservation of life, yes, even the life of an Ox, trumps the ceremonial observance of the Sabbath day. 

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Conclusion

As you can see, I have not given you a detailed list of dos and don’ts. But I have, with the help of our catechism, set the teaching of the Bible before you. I hope to move you to keep the Lord’s Day Sabbath holy by appealing to the goodness of the thing. The Sabbath is a delight. The people of God should long for it. They should be eager to keep. For God has commanded it, and his law is very good.