4 Ten Commandments

I had a dear friend call me a few years back. He was in a bit of a situation. He'd been out of town on a business trip. He arrived home on his wedding anniversary. His wife remembered; he did not. Forgetting important days can be hazardous to your being.

Today we continue in our study of the Ten Commandments. We've made it to number four. It's found in Exodus 20:8-11: "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You shall not do any work, you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your town. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it."

Of all the Ten Commandments, this is the one probably taken most lightly. Against the other commandments, like thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, this one seems rather mild. When I was a child, this commandment was a little easier to keep. Some of you will remember the blue laws. Everything was closed; nothing was open, not a grocery store or a restaurant or a gas station.

There was no place to go on Sunday except for church. That's no longer true, unfortunately. To many, Sunday has become just another day of the week. God tells us that it is a special day.

What did the command mean long ago when it was given? And what do you think the penalty was for breaking this command? Maybe a good talking to, maybe a slap on the wrist, or a fine of some sort? Exodus 31:15 tells us the penalty: "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death."

You'll find a story in the 15th chapter of the book of Numbers where a man was stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. God was serious with this command. You may ask, why is God so against work? God's not against work; he's against work consuming our lives. He's against us finding our significance and self-worth only in our work.

He's against us filling our lives so full of work that we don't have time for him. Work is important; God is more important. God telling us to connect and rest is all about priorities. Taking time to rest with a big part of what this day is all about.

God made man's body. He knows how much it can handle. He knew that if they didn't take time to recharge their batteries, they were going to destroy themselves. I think of a friend of mine that worked all the time, seven days a week, 16 plus hours a day. His stroke slowed him down.

The rest we are to receive on the Sabbath is more than physical rest. It's spiritual, it's emotional, it's important. I lived in farm country for many years. Many of my friends right today are in the middle of planting season. It's a busy time.

You would think that God would make an exception for them, wouldn't you? Surely they could work right through the Sabbath. Exodus 34:21 tells us, "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in plowing time and in harvest time you shall rest."

I know there are nurses and doctors and police and many others that have to report to work on Sundays. As a pastor, that was my busiest day. If that happens to you, you should take a day when you can rest and recharge and worship.

After the resurrection, the early church celebrated the Sabbath on Sunday. They enjoyed it. In fact, the Romans suspected the Christians of having drunken parties on the Sabbath, on the grounds that Christians obviously enjoyed the Sabbath so very much. And shouldn't we enjoy this special day?

I saved this quote for years. I don't know who to attribute it to. Perhaps Joy Davidman, who I talked about in my first sermon on the Ten Commandments, wrote this, and I quote, about the Sabbath: "On this day man returns to the Garden of Eden. The curse of Adam is lifted somewhat, and we are allowed to catch a glimpse of the garden of paradise, where everything God made was good. On this day we are commanded to only enjoy." I love that quote.

During Coven, I know many churches have been closed. Many of us have worshipped online only. Parents with small babies can still be anxious about returning to large groups, or groups of any size. However, as God's people, we must still set aside the day for worship and rest and to enjoy.

To turn this command to the positive, we would say, enjoy the Sabbath. Enjoy the Sabbath. Over the years, many man-made laws were made about the Sabbath. It became a day of drudgery and confusion. Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So enjoy the Sabbath.

It is really a matter of trust, isn't it? Can you really afford to stop, you may ask. God asks, can you really afford not to? Chick-fil-A's done okay stopping on the Sabbath, haven't they? Honor God, and he will honor you.

Do you trust God enough to enjoy the Sabbath? It's important that we remember. I'll close with these words from Psalms 46:10. God tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth." Enjoy God today. Exalt him every Sabbath. God bless you.

Let's pray. Father, if we're watching this on a Sunday, let it be a great Lord's Day. Let us refrain from the things that get between us, and let us connect and enjoy and rest and celebrate. Thank you for loving us so much that you give us this special day. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. God bless.