The fourth commandment in the Bible reminds us that there is a Creator of all things, the earth, the sea, the heavens, and all that they contain.
” Remember the day of rest to sanctify it. You will work six days, and you will do all your work; but the seventh day is the rest of Jehovah your God: you shall do no work in that day, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your servant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger who is in your walls; for the Lord has made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is therein in six days, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the day of rest and sanctified it. ” Exodus 20: 8-11.
From Genesis to Mount Sinai, the Sabbath was known to men. Adam, Eve, and their descendants knew that there was a day of rest dedicated to the Eternal God; they knew that this day was blessed and sanctified by God; they knew that this day was set aside to worship God by giving him worthy worship; they knew that that day bore the mark of God: the Sabbath of the Lord.
The Fourth Commandment in the Bible – Sabbat: The Memorial of Creation
The day of rest is not introduced here as a new institution, but as having been founded at the time of creation (see Genesis 2: 1-3). Therefore, the order is given to remember it and to observe it as a memorial of the work of the Creator. By calling God the Creator of heaven and earth, this command sets him apart from all false gods. Those who observe the seventh day show that they worship Jehovah. As long as there are men on the earth to honor God, this day will be the sign of their allegiance. The fourth commandment of God reminds us that we must give glory to the one who created the world, the universe, and beings.
The Name and Title of the Legislator
The fourth commandment of God is the only one among the ten that mentions both the name and the title of the legislator. He is, therefore, the only one who reveals the authority from which this law emanates. He thus encloses the seal of God, and the signature of the Creator proclaims the authenticity and the obligation of his law. The fourth commandment of God answers these fundamental questions: (1) – Who should we worship? The Creator of heaven, earth, sea, and all that they contain. (2) When should we worship God? The Sabbath, that is the Seventh Day of the Week. Or should I say one day out of 7 (1 day / 7), any day? No, the verse is clear: the Seventh Day, not any day of the week.
Work Six Days and the Seventh Day Restore Your Work to Worship the Creator God
Having given men six days to work, God asks them to complete their work at this time. ” You will work for 6 days“, says the command. This is the time assigned to you. Work, fight, and give the best of yourself. But all this has a limit – the Sabbath. You will rest on this day.
In the midst of the fury of events and the severe demands of life, which like the mouth of a tomb that never says ‘enough’; God the Creator offers us the Sabbath. Certainly, the fourth commandment of God commands us to work, “ but it does not say work until you are exhausted and you collapse. He also does not say to keep working until the work is done and rest until we finish the job”. On the contrary, he states that you must work, but there is a limit to what you have to do.
Whoever created us knows our selfish ambitions. Sometimes our desires to give the best of ourselves can lead to intemperance and excesses. He gave us the fourth precept of the Decalogue as a commandment of mercy. ” In six days you will do all your work,” he says, ” but the seventh day is the day of rest. ”
Jesus reminded the people of his day that the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27). In other words, it is a precious gift that God has given us for our good and to bring us protection.
How to Observe and Worship God on Sabbat Day? What Is the Day of Sabbat According to the Bible?
The Sabbath is a day like no other. It is the day of the worship of the Creator God of Heaven and Earth, a solemn convocation (Leviticus 23: 3) to which we must respond with the greatest of reverences.
Acts of mercy and necessity are permitted on that day (see Matthew 12:12). The sick must be cared for at all times (see Matthew 12: 9-13). On the other hand, non-essential work must be strictly avoided.
– ” If you stop trampling on the Sabbath day, do not worry about your business on this day that is dedicated to me; if you call the Sabbath your day of delight, and if you consider venerable what is consecrated to the Lord; if you honor this day, by not going to your work, and abstaining from vain speeches, then you will find your delight in the Lord … ” (Isaiah 58: 13-14).
Those who, on the day of rest, discuss their affairs or make plans concerning them, are as guilty before God as if they were working. To sanctify the day of rest, we must not even let our minds stop on our secular affairs.
– And the command also concerns ” the foreigner who is on our walls “. During the sacred hours, all members of the household must unite to honor God: as is the case for the opening of the Sabbath (Friday night). Each Sabbath, we must go to the temple to worship God as did Jesus (Luke 4:16), the apostles (Acts 13: 14-15, Acts 13: 42-44, Acts 17: 1-3).
In almost all false religions including false Christianity, worship is a matter of action. It is only in the Bible that we are recommended to worship by giving up our activities, putting aside our efforts and struggles, stopping our labors, and resting with the certainty that the work is done for us. The fourth commandment of God says, ” The seventh day is the Sabbath day.” Etymologically, what does the Sabbath mean? It is this day that the Bible calls in Hebrew ” Shabbat ” – which translates into English as “ Sabbath ” and which means ” the Day of Rest of the Lord, the Day consecrated to God, the Sabbath of the people of God “. Literally, it simply means ” rest “.
The seventh day is the rest chosen by God himself. It is this day that invites us to join Him in His rest. “You will not do any work on this day.”
We often hear that we can choose any day of the week to do this on the seventh day, as much of modern Christianity teaches. Yet all know it, but many reject it. The truth is that the Sabbath has been, remains, and will remain on: Saturday – in English ” Sabbath “; in all the calendars of the world, it is the day that comes after the 6th day, that is to say on Friday. And as according to Genesis, logically day begins in the interval from one sunset to another: that is why the Sabbath is observed from Friday evening (at sunset) to Saturday night (at sunset).
Although many Christians worship God on Sunday and consider Sunday as the Sabbath, the Bible’s truth about it remains intact, immutable, unquestionable: the true day of God is Saturday. Never has the Bible changed that day or since Adam, nor during the arrival of Jesus, nor after Jesus. The Sabbath will never be changed and will always be observed by the true worshipers of God.
The Sense of Sabbath Observance
Sabbath observance has existed from the beginning, it still exists today and will always be a celebration of God’s work and not of ours. Like Adam, we rest to show that we accept reality, trust in the perfect disposition of God for our well-being and fulfillment. It means that we trust in His hands trusting His wisdom, His plan, and our provisions for our lives.
The conclusion of the First 4 Commandments: Exodus 20: 1-11.
In conclusion, we concede to God His place as Creator and our willingness to accept our place as creatures. So, a deep and meaningful meaning, our rest on the seventh day of the week is adoration.
As we rest with Him, we declare to the whole universe that the Sabbath rest is the sign of a faith-based relationship with God.
But our Sabbath rest does not just symbolize that relationship – it promises and strengthens that relationship and becomes part of its reality. Our rest on the seventh day not only declares that we find assurance, and therefore peace, in the love of God it strengthens this assurance. It affirms and at the same time confirms the relationship between God and his creature.
That is why the Sabbath is the complement and the guarantee of the first three commandments that command us to worship God and give him first place in our lives.
It might be possible to observe the first three commandments in our hearts, to observe them in a certain way that might not be immediately perceived by others. We could decide in the heart to honor God and give Him first place. It is possible that no one notices that we do not bow to images. But that would not be the case with Sabbath observance. It recognizes itself immediately, it is a public renunciation. This is probably the reason why Scripture says that the Sabbath is ‘a sign’ of the covenant between God and His people (see Ezekiel 20: 12, 20).
To summarize, let us remember that the Four First Commandments of the Decalogue govern the duties of the man towards GOD. They claim all our love, our respect, our consideration, and our worship for God.
” Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is the only LORD, and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. ” Deuteronomy 6: 4-5. (Read also Matthew 22: 37-38).
Is not the fact that God is our Creator and Redeemer worth more than worthy of being adored and glorified by his creatures?
Continue the study of the Ten Commandments by clicking on the following link: The Fifth Commandment of God- Honoring Parents.