The Ten Commandments #4 & #5

“Commandment #4: Remember the Sabbath day and set it apart for God… ’cause that’s what it’s there FOUR! (For)”

“Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart for God. You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work – not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day, He rested. This is why the Lord blessed the day, Sabbath, and separated it for Himself.” Exodus 20:8-11

Today, we are focusing on Commandments 4 & 5. They are not as intimately related as the 1 & 2 and 3 & 7, so let’s consider them individually.

4th COMMANDMENT: Hold up four fingers, look at them and say, “Commandment #4: Remember the Sabbath day and set it apart for God… ’cause that’s what it’s there FOUR! (For)”

“Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart for God. You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work – not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day, He rested. This is why the Lord blessed the day, Sabbath, and separated it for Himself.” Exodus 20:8-11

A friend once asked me how well I observe the Sabbath, as the Lord has directed us: A total day of rest. I had honestly never considered the question before. I guess I’m too busy trying not to break the other Commandments that I simply overlooked the command to do nothing! Today I want to challenge you with the same question. How well are you obeying God’s command to set aside a day of rest? I’m not talking about setting aside a couple hours to attend a church service. I’m not talking about setting aside a day to play because, in our extreme sports culture, we work at our play. I want to challenge you to set aside a day where you simply do NOTHING. Try it. It’s harder than you think!

5th COMMANDMENT: Hold up one hand, like a “high-five,” and say, “Honor your father and mother, and you will live long in the land the Lord is giving you.” Then, wave your hand down at about knee-level…as if you’re spanking a kid. Because at my house, we got a spanking if we disobeyed mom and dad!

“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

Our generation has lost much of its sense of honor and respect, even in my lifetime. Perhaps, the Asian culture is the last holdout for honoring elders. The Biblical command to “honor your father and mother” means much more than simply obeying them. It means to live a life that brings honor to them…which is impossible apart from a life wholly devoted to God through a relationship with Jesus. As a matter of fact, if your parents are against your following Jesus, you actually bring honor to them by disobeying them in that regard. Between the ages of 18-25, people generally detach themselves from their parent’s authority and set out to find their own way. They are developing their own value systems. Make sure you fulfill the 5th Commandment (and reap its articulated blessing) by establishing your value system fully and completely upon God’s Word.