Blue Space » 2009

04.15.09

9 Annoying Biblical Directives - #4 Remember the Sabbath by Keeping it Holy

I must confess that it has been a while since I have written because I have been wrestling with how to approach this fundamental yet perilous topic. Most of the Biblical directives that I plan on addressing have some basis in both the Old and New Testament. Furthermore, the topics have pretty clear delineation in the New Testament. However, this particular topic seems to have greater clarity and firmness in the Old than in the New. I’ll spare you the length of the argument of how the Old and New Testament work together by just quoting Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Keeping this in mind, the fundamental question before us is, what is the fulfillment of the fourth commandment? It is intriguing to me that this particular Biblical directive has caused me the most anguish and contemplation with regard to what to write. It is one of the Ten Commandments! You know, the ones that are carved in stone and considered by many to be the bedrock of our legal system. And yet, even in Christian circles many people operate and / or make arguments that only nine commandments continue to apply to the New Testament Church. There are sound reasons and arguments for this, and yet I truly want to find what the fulfillment of this commandment is for Christians in the good ‘ole U.S. of A.

Let’s look at the complete text from Exodus 20 verses 8 through 11.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

I think you now understand what I am up against. I mean, “Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy” I can handle. I’ll just replace Sabbath with Sunday and proceed on my merry way. What’s that you say? The other stuff, oh yeah, I suppose it does say a few things after that. Man! this commandment has a lot of additional stipulations to it. (And that was before the Pharisees got to it!) These additional stipulations continue to cause quite a ruckus just as they did in Jesus’ day when His disciples were caught picking kernels of wheat, and Jesus even had the audacity to heal someone on the Sabbath!

Let me set forth a premise that I believe is essential to the interpretation of this commandment (as well as much of the Old Testament law). Just because you throw out a portion of the commandment does not automatically allow you to forsake the entire commandment. I hope that you will forgive me for not examining all the possible interpretations and New Testament passages that may or may not apply to this commandment. There are many to examine, and I do believe that you need to examine them, consider them, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide your conclusions with regard to them. Hebrews 10:25 is certainly one of note. However, I am not entirely comfortable with the approach (whether stated or unstated) that takes Hebrews 10:25 as the complete replacement of the fourth commandment.

OK, now that I am back on my merry way. Let me attempt a paraphrase of this directive.

Don’t forget to preserve one day a week as different from the other six, one intentionally dedicated to the Lord.

This is only my paraphrase. I believe that you must create one for the benefit of yourself and your family. I have deliberately resisted the urge to rant about what I deem to be the particular errors of our contemporary society. However, I am of the opinion that the greater danger for our present society is an overly full life that marginalizes the Lord.

Author: Joseph Wendel | Permalink Comments Off | Daily Entries

John 14:6

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9 Annoying Biblical Directives - #4 Remember the Sabbath by Keeping it Holy

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