More thoughts on the 4th commandment

I am writing thoughts this week about the 4th commandment, which I preached about this past Sunday. See yesterday's blog for more information.

One of the things that I noticed in my study of this commandment is what we called biblical theology in seminary. To explain briefly, systematic theology is taking a topic like: The Sabbath Day, and then making points about the Sabbath Day, using various texts of Scripture to "prove" the point. In biblical theology, there is more of an effort to take Genesis through Revelation, and study the entire biblical context of any issue presented by the Scriptures, noting the process and development throughout. Both systems can be helpful in Bible study; but I have a deep appreciation for biblical theology. I feel it causes me to let the theme develop rather than trying to force it and find verses to support my thought.

One theme that came out from my study had to do with the focus of the Sabbath Day. It may seem like the focus is on us (mankind). I mean, didn't God give the 7th day Sabbath rest so that man can rest from His work? Isn't this about us? Didn't Jesus say:

Mark 2:27 - "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Yes, He did. It was in the context, however, Jesus is explaining how the Sabbath was to help man accomplish the purpose of taking a day of rest (explained elsewhere) and that the rules of the rules and regulations of the Sabbath Day were not to burden them to the point of not being able to do what was needed.

The purpose for the Sabbath is really directed to God, first of all.

Ultimately, this is all about God, not about us. It begins with God praising His own creation, and ends with everyone praising him. The first mention of Sabbath rest was for God and about God. it is important to note the first time something appears in the Bible.

Genesis 2:1-3 – “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

Genesis 1:31 – “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

God created everything, and in a sense, He took a deep breath, looked at it and concluded: IT IS VERY GOOD! And on that note, He rested. God wasn’t tired, like we get tired. He wanted to make a point. He wanted His creation to be remembered. So, when we come to the laws of Exodus, this was originally all about God and giving God His due, not just for man’s selfish benefit.

Then, the commandment tells us that man's rest was to be given to God:

Exodus 20:9,10 – “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.

Part of giving it to God, was taking time to worship Him on that day:
Leviticus 23:3 – “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.”

Eventually, all the old regulations passed away with the Old Covenant, but once again, this was about what God did through Jesus:

Hebrews 9:12-15 – “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

And notice, in those verses, that when we benefit from what Jesus did, we then are to do what is right in order to serve and worship God. It is all about Him.

There is then, a rest that all believers enter when they get saved, but realize when this temporal life is over. But, as a preview of that, it is explained that the people of the Old Covenant, those who disobeyed God in the wilderness, were not allowed into God's rest. Notice, though, that this is about God:

Psalm 95:7-11 – “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your father put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, they are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways. Therefore I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter my rest.”

Hebrews 4:8-10– “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”

This rest is the eternal, Heavenly rest for Christians. God gives us this rest, to spend eternity praising Him. We only have this eternal "rest" because of the gift of God: eternal life; not because of us:

Ephesians 2:8 - "For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works..."

In summary:
When God rested on the 7th day, it was God resting and finding delight and satisfaction in His own creation. There was no command for man to rest.

Remember, when God first rested, it was about glorifying Himself because of His awesome creation. And when He first instituted the Law of the Sabbath for Man, it had to do with resting, yes, a physical rest; but it also had to do with focusing on God in worship.

In the end, the eternal Sabbath rest for Christians will be all about praising God for His salvation and worshipping Him forever!