Meaning of the 4th Commandment in Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments 4 – Meaning of the 4th Commandment

Read a Quick Review of  The Ten Commandments – This is Commandment 4 about the Sabbath

The fourth commandment is about the Sabbath. God says we should keep it holy. And, we rest on that day.

In our busy world it’s getting more and more difficult to follow this command, even though many of us would like to. We seem to put aside plenty of time for work and very little time for rest.

And even less time for God.

The 4th commandment in Exodus 20 is very specific in saying that we spend time resting – and worshiping God.

How well do we follow this command? See why we fall short of the…

4th Commandment and The Holy Sabbath

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.. – Exodus 20:8-11 NASB

The 10 Commandments of God – The Fourth Commandment

Reading the 4th in the list of ten commandments brings back a story from The Andy Griffith Show I once viewed.

A traveling pastor came to town. His sermon of the day was about how people didn’t have time to slow down, relax and enjoy life. Then, Andy and Barney, plus the rest of the cast spent all day working to present a concert in the park. They wanted the townspeople to rest and enjoy. Ironic?

Work vs. Rest

You know, even with all the computers (invented as a time saving device) and modern conveniences, we work more hours now than ever before.

We’ve become so caught up in our daily lives of work and other activities that Sunday becomes just another day for us. Or, even if we do take the time off, it’s because of a football game or a golf tournament.

Why God Gave the Sabbath

God gave us a special day to slow down and worship Him. He said that the Sabbath was “Holy”.

Is It Holy to You?

A food for thought: On a scale of 1-10 how much time do you spend on Sunday thinking about and worshiping God?

I thought so. The reason I know you probably don’t spend as much time as you should worshiping God is that I don’t spend enough time either!

Let’s make a real effort to put aside time this Sunday for God’s day. After all, it‘s His 4th commandment!

Love in Christ

– Bob

If you would like to learn more about the love and life-changing experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment and see what John 3:16 says.