The Fourth Commandment
In His own voice, our Creator gave us The Ten Commandments. Jesus, the Word who was with God from the beginning [John 1:1], was there when the Commandments were written in stone. Christians should view the Commandments with that perspective. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.” [John 14:15]
The Ten Commandments are recorded in the Book of Exodus, chapter 20, verses 2 – 17 and Deuteronomy 5:1–22.
There is a slight difference – but no conflict – between the wording of the 4th Commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15 so both are quoted. Other than for the archaic language of the King James Version, I find that there is no difference between the NIV and KJV so I’m only quoting the NIV which is easier to read and understand.
Here is the 4th Commandment:
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 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. 11 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. Exodus 20:8–11 (NIV84)
12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 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 ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5:12–15 (NIV84)
This Commandment does not mandate a day of “worship”; it neither says anything about which day God’s people should choose to assemble nor does it forbid “manual labor” though the 7th day is to be a day of “rest”.
Like all the other 9, it is a PERSONAL Commandment. On the 7th day, YOU are cease doing whatever it is that you do to make your living. That is the meaning of the word translated as “work” in the 4th Commandment.
The Hebrew word malakah (pronounced mel-aw-`kaw) means “your occupation, or your business (including public, political or religious business)”.
If you are a preacher, priest, pastor or Bible teacher and that is how you make your living, the 4th Commandment orders you to cease that activity on the 7th day!
Just as God rested on the 7th day [Exodus 20:11], you are to rest; put away the cares, concerns and problems associated with making a living and remember your Creator.
Furthermore, you are to give that same rest to those over whom you have control.
Our Creator, the designer of our DNA and our minds, knows that such breaks in our routine work are truly refreshing to our bodies and our minds and we actually function significantly better when we go back to work.
Did you realize that this Commandment is the reason we have “weekends”? It was only Israel at first; no other culture throughout most of history mandated that servants, slaves or hired workers be given time off one day in 7. Because God’s people observed that concept, this practice eventually became followed worldwide.
God promised Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing for the whole world. Weekends are part of that “blessing”.
Read the Commandment closely and you’ll find that there is no mandate for a “sacred assembly” of God’s people. I read that Commandment many hundreds of times before I realized that truth.
All of the conflict over the Sabbath over these centuries since Jesus could have been avoided if we had truly understood the difference between the Commandments (especially the 4th Commandment ) and the “law of Moses”.
The mandate for a sacred assembly is part of the “law of Moses” – the Old Covenant which no longer has authority over God’s people – and is found most specifically in Leviticus 23:3.
3 “ ‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. Leviticus 23:3 (NIV84)
A “sacred assembly” is NOT included in the 4th Commandment.
God spoke the 10 Commandments in His own voice and when He finished speaking the Ten Commandments, He said “nothing more” and wrote them in stone.
Do we think God gave no other Commandments in His own voice for no reason?
The “law of Moses” was perfect for what it was intended. It served its purpose beautifully – to bring the children of Israel through the centuries to the time of Jesus. Paul explained this at length in his letter to the Galatians and specifically Galatians 3:19 and 3:24.25.
Summary
The 4th Commandment mandates that YOU observe the 7th day and keep it set apart from the other 6 days in the week. It is an individual mandate! If you believe Saturday is the Sabbath, then follow the Commandment; if you believe it’s another day, follow the Commandment – it’s between you and God an none of anyone else’s business!
The 4th Commandment tells you to have nothing to do with the work that you do in your business – keeping in mind that time and circumstances can temporarily alter that mandate [Luke 13:15; 14:5 – the “ox in a ditch”].
We should follow our Lord’s teaching:
11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:11–12 (NKJV)
27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27–28 (NKJV)
So, policemen, our military, doctors, nurses and others who are essentially “on call” 24 – 7 have nothing to worry about from the 4th Commandment. They are “doing good” and their activities are “lawful”.
