Title The Ten Commandments: The Fourth Commandment
Contents Ten Commandments: 4th Commandment (Ex 20:8-11)
1. Fourth Commandment: Sabbath Observance (vv. 8-11)
(1) God is the Sovereign of time (verse 8).
The word ‘remember’ in verse 8 is in the imperative form, and its original meaning is ‘marked for recognizing’. God tells us to always remember the Sabbath, prepare and keep it (Ezekiel 20:20). We live under the constraints of time and space. That's why the Bible says to "save time" about time (Ephesians 5:16). This means seize the opportunity. Time is an opportunity. But we, Christians, can seize that opportunity when we live in the world centered on Sunday. Because on Sunday we receive blessings from God, the blessings of all our lives begin on this day (Genesis 2:3). However, many believers do not think of Sunday as the first day of the week, but as the last day of the week, and think that they should rest for this day. So, there are many cases where you can't keep a holy week.
But obviously, Sunday is the first day of the week. 1 Corinthians 16:2 also says, “On the first day of each week, each of you put aside what he had gained.” The first day of every week is a Sunday. The most important day for believers is Sunday.
History is called history in English. But in our Christian faith, His-Story, His story History. Because the turning point in history is Jesus Christ. Because he was in charge of history, mankind's timetable was divided into AD (Anno Domine) and BC (Before Christ). We know this as the Western calendar, but it is divided into Zhujeon and Zhuhu. Remembering the Sabbath is saying that it should be a day to remember the Lord. That is why Sunday worship is so important. Our members cannot seize the blessed opportunity God has given us by skipping Sundays.
(2) Then, what is the meaning of the Sabbath? (verses 9-11)
① It is a day to commemorate the completion of the creation of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 2:1-3). It is a day of rest to work hard for 6 days a week and rest on the 7th day (9-10).
② It is a day to commemorate the salvation of God (Deuteronomy 5:15). The Sabbath commandment presents God's creation event as the basis for taking rest (verse 11). However, the Sabbath commandment in Deuteronomy 5 tells us to remember the grace that was redeemed through the Exodus.
③ Therefore, the Sabbath is the shadow of the Sunday (Colossians 2:16-17). The fact that the Sabbath of the Old Testament developed from commemorating God's completion of the creation of the heavens and the earth gradually developed to commemorate the deliverance of Israel from Egypt tells us that the Sabbath of the Old Testament is a shadow of Sunday in the New Testament. In fact, the Sabbath in the Old Testament is a day observed to commemorate God's completion of the creation of the heavens and the earth, while Sunday in the New Testament is a day to commemorate the work of re-creation, that is, God's completion of human salvation through Jesus Christ. This Sabbath was completed with the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross to bear our sins, and three days after His death, He rose again and entered eternal rest. And he allowed true rest to the saints who believed in him and were saved. In this respect, the Sabbath is closely related to the resurrection of Christ, and the Sabbath system of the Old Testament came to an end with the completion of the resurrection of Christ (Hebrews 4:9).
④ The Sabbath is a day of fellowship with God. The purpose of God's creation of man is to have fellowship with man and to receive glory through man. For this reason, when God created man, he created it to be distinct from other creatures. Therefore, in the life of a believer, every moment of every day should have time to fellowship with God. However, in the midst of this, God specifically set aside one day a week, and for that day, he wanted to stop doing all the worldly work and make it a day for him to be completely devoted to him and have fellowship with him.
⑤ The Sabbath is a Sunday. In the Old Testament times, the creation of the heavens and the earth was finished in six days and the last day of the seven was kept as the Sabbath. This is the evidence that God made an eternal covenant with His people (Exodus 31:15-17). The great Sabbath in the Old Testament is Sunday. But what is the biggest thing in the New Testament era? Needless to say, it is to redeem mankind from sin, who had fallen into sin and had no choice but to die because of it. For this purpose, God sent his only begotten Son into this world.
3. Why is the Sabbath a blessed day?
(1) a day of rest
There is no guarantee that life will be guaranteed or that life will develop only by continuing to work non-stop and uninterrupted. of 'rest'; The Hebrew word 'shabat' goes beyond the simple meaning of 'rest' and has the meaning of 'to stop (work)'. The Sabbath commandment is the day people were saved from work so that they would not become slaves to it. The needs of humans for survival are not met by the results of what people do. Humans must work hard to obtain bread while they live on this earth (verse 9). However, humans must ‘rest’ to ensure ‘rest’ life.
(2) holy day
Even Christians have uncompromising, inalienable, holy values. No matter how much the world changes, no matter how liberalized, democratized, cultured, and worldly things are, there are areas in which we can never compromise, give up, or give up.
First, Christians need a holy place. A place to worship God must be holy. Because God is holy, if we want to meet God in church, if we want God to speak to us, and if we want God to hear our prayers, then the church we worship must be holy. This is a holy place we set aside to worship God.
Second, Christians need holy times. Christians need both the form of godliness and the power of godliness. The form of godliness and the power of godliness. The form of godliness is outward. When you come to the chapel wearing a suit, that is a form of reverence. When we pray, we put our hands together and close our eyes, that is also a form of reverence. Closing your eyes does not mean that God hears prayer, and opening your eyes does not mean that God does not hear you. However, only if there is a form of godliness, it can contain the power of godliness. I hope you believe that you can overcome sin, overcome yourself, and overcome the world while living in the world because the power of godliness arises only if you keep holy the Lord's Day.
⑶ The Lord is the Lord of the Sabbath.
Jesus declared the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). Exodus 31:16 says, “In this way the children of Israel will keep the sabbath as an everlasting covenant from generation to generation.” This does not mean that the Sabbath can be kept or not kept according to each individual's circumstances, but it is an unchanging promise made with God that “must be kept from generation to generation.” The reason why the Sabbath is to be kept as an eternal covenant for generations is because the Sabbath is God's day, not man's.
3. What is the blessing of those who keep the day of the Lord?
(1) Receive the blessing of being sanctified (Isaiah 56:2)
(2) Give them an eternal name, and make them never stop (Isaiah 56:4-5).
⑶ Enjoy the blessing of eternal rest (Hebrews 4:9-11).
⑷ You will receive the blessing of health (3 John 2).
⑸ Receive Jacob's work (Isaiah 58:13-14).
⑹ Acquire the promised land (Nehemiah 9:14-15)
Lastly, remember that Sunday is a day of spiritual battle.
Satan prevents us believers from keeping Sunday. Because Satan knows better than anyone that that day is a blessed day for those who believe.
Ministry: Let's make a decision to keep the holy water on Sunday in 2006