Relationship to First Commandment
- The first commandment relates to the exclusive worship of God.
- The fourth commandment speaks to his own self-revelation a focus the things of God
Theological Justification - Creation
- God “worked” for six days as he created the world.
- On the seventh day, God rested from his work.
- Since humans are created in the image of God, we reflect the nature and character of God even in the way he rested.
- God blessed and sanctified the seventh day.
Theological Justification - Deliverance from Egypt
The people of Israel found rest from slavery
RESULTS OF REMEMBERING THE SABBATH
- Rest from work toil and labor
- Remembering God’s creation because God rested
- Remembrance of God’s deliverance
Ethical Impact - Sabbath in the New Covenant - OT Laws
- The Sabbath was a part of all OT legal codes.
- Violation of the Sabbath was punished by stoning. (Ex 31:14–15; 35:2; Num 15:32–36)
- The Sabbath laws had to be kept even during busy planting, plowing, and reaping times. (Ex 31:12–17; 34:21; 35:1–3)
Ethical Impact - Sabbath in the New Covenant - Jesus and the Sabbath
- By the time of Jesus, the Jews recognized 39 activities that were expressly forbidden on the Sabbath.
- Six occasions where Jesus encountered/created controversy over the Sabbath
- Jesus held that the Sabbath was to be a benefit to all creation.
a. He countered the Pharisees’ idea that it was unlawful to do good on the Sabbath. (Matt 12:12)
b. Helping an animal or a person was permitted.
Worship
From the beginning, the Sabbath was a day of rest and remembrance of God’s faithfulness
Worship - Did Sunday replace the Sabbath?
- The early church began worshiping together on Sundays. (John 20:26; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2; Heb 4:9–10; Rev 1:10)
i. All of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances occurred on Sunday. (Matt 28:9–10; Mark 16:12–14; Luke 24:13–51; John 20:11–23, 26–29; Rev 1:12–20)
ii. The promised Holy Spirit came on Sunday. (Acts 2:1–4)
- The idea that a day of rest is needed is still in keeping with the moral concept of the Sabbath.
- It is appropriate, theologically, to worship on Sunday as the Christian Sabbath.
Rest - Rest from physical labor
- The Sabbath has always contained the idea that one is to rest from his daily pursuit of providing for himself.
- The Sabbath law even makes provision for rest for children, slaves, and foreigners
Rest - Eschatalogical rest
- The Sabbath points to the eternal rest we will receive in eternity. (Matt 11:28–30; Heb 4)
- It serves as a type of Christ because we receive rest in his deliverance from sin.
Theology of Work 1
- While the fourth command regulates rest on one day a week, it affirms work/labor on the other six days.
- “Six days you shall labor and do all your work . . .”
- The implication is that people would be busy working to provide for themselves and their families.
Theology of Work 2
- God commands work before the fall.
1. “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” (Gen 2:15)
2. Adam and Eve were to work the garden in order to maximize its production.
3. Therefore, work is a fundamental aspect of human life.
4. Participating in work was a reflection of being made in the image of God.
Theology of Work 3
- After the fall, work becomes a source of suffering.
1. Gen 3:17-19 curse the ground to be toilsome
2. While work and labor existed prior to the fall, it was not toilsome
3. The fall brought toil and a curse
Theology of Work 4
Despite the difficulty and hardships of work, it is still a reflection of being made in the image of God
Theology of work - Work Brings
SPECIFIC REWARDS
- Provision
- Food
- Comfort
Theology of work - Laziness brings
Judgment
