Sermon Tone Analysis

The Sabbath was established for Worship (Exodus 20:8-11)

The first time the seventh day was set aside as special is found in Genes 2:2-3 where the Lord God rested from the work of Creation.

God blessed the seventh day and consecrated it as Holy.

The wording of the 4th commandment begins with the imperative to remember it and to keep it holy.

God had already consecrated the day, the Israelites were to keep it set aside.

It was a day that was to be distinct from the other days.

It was a day to worship God

The idea of worship is reinforced in the second mentioning of the seventh day, which is found in .

This is the first time the seventh day is identified as the Sabbath.

This is when Moses tells the people to gather twice as much Manna on the 6th day because there will be no Manna given on the Sabbath.

Moses expressly tells the people that the Sabbath was to be a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.

God had given the people a break from their labor so that they could be physically refreshed and ready to worship.

These previous mentions of the Sabbath show up in the wording of the 4th Commandment: the Israelites were to finish their work in the 6 days, but the Sabbath was to be for the Lord.

The Sabbath was to be a holy (set apart) day reserved for the things of God.

“We are to celebrate on the Sabbath … we should look upon this day as the best day in the week … God has made all the days, but He has blessed this (The Ten Commandments, by Thomas Watson, pp 96-97)

Implications of the Fourth Commandment

The Sabbath was established to regulate the Israelites’ week of a seven day period.

Historically, the Egyptians had a 10 day week, but God imposed a seven day cycle for His covenant people.

He set the pattern in Creation Week with 6 days of labor, and 1 day for rest.

(This reinforces the idea of 6 literal days for creation).

While God had no need for rest, humans do.

God gave the people a pattern.

An important concept found here is that work is assumed; there is no basis in the Bible (OT or NT) for idleness or laziness.

The people were expected to work and to be industrious.

Adam was given work to perform prior to the Fall.

Work in and of itself is good, and is not part of the curse.

While work is good, workaholics are not good.

Time off is necessary for humans because we need a break from the work cycle.

That time off, however, is to be set aside for worshiping the Creator God of the Universe.

“The relationship between the first three commandments and the fourth is becoming clear.

The first three impress upon the saint the necessity, indeed the priority of worship.

The 4th insures the time which is required for worship.

When viewed together these commandments inform us that it takes time to be holy.

The fourth commandment prohibits preoccupation with the normal activity of work so that men may worship God.

(Preceptaustin.org,

Exodus commentary by Bob Deffinbaugh, accessed 2/6/19)

Deffinbaugh continues by citing God’s command to Pharoah in where God says, “Let My son go that he may serve Me.” Deffinbaugh then asks, “What is it, I have long wondered, which made Israel’s freedom essential to her worship?

Now I better understand, in the light of the Fourth Commandment.

Slaves have no time of their own.

The Israelites did not have the necessary time to worship God and to serve Him.

In order for them to serve God it was necessary for them to have sufficient freedom to do so.

Bondage with regard to time is thus a hindrance to worship.

Later in the book of Exodus (), Moses is told by God that the Israelite’s observance of the Sabbath was to be a sign to the surrounding nations.

Observance of the Sabbath was so crucial the penalty for violating it was death.

God was very serious in having His people set the Sabbath apart, and when He judged the nation with destruction and the Babylonian Captivity, the length of the Exile (70 years) was based on the nation’s refusal to observe the Sabbath years ().

Their refusal to honor God and trust Him by taking off every 7th year resulted in His Name being dishonored in the sight of the pagans.

The 4th Commandment is the only Commandment that is not specifically reinforced or reinterpreted in the NT.

Nevertheless, the principles and the focus of this Commandment are still expected of Christians in the modern day.

We will look more closely at how Jesus and the Apostles viewed the Sabbath next week, but the issue of how the essence of this Command needs to be addressed.

Consider the consequences for the Israelites who violated and transgressed the 4th commandment: death and exile!

God took the Sabbath observance very seriously in the OT, and because He is the same God of the NT, He still takes the observance of the Sabbath seriously.

When God’s modern people (Christians) do not honor or observe the Fourth Commandment, what are the consequences?

Realizing that while there are those who profess Christ even though they do not possess Christ, the perception of the unbelieving world remains the same: Since Sunday is not important to Christians, why should it be important to me?

When Sunday becomes a day like any other, the Church loses its distinction in the world, and we dishonor the name & reputation of God.

“The reason why God instituted the old Sabbath was to be a memorial of the creation; but He has now brought the first day of the week in its room in memory of a more glorious work than creation, which is redemption” (The Ten Commandments, by Thomas Watson, p. 96)

“The reason why God instituted the old Sabbath was to be a memorial of the creation; but He has now brought the first day of the week in its room in memory of a more glorious work than creation, which is redemption” (The Ten Commandments, by Thomas Watson, p. 96)

The Jewish Sabbath ran from Friday night at twilight to Saturday night at twilight.

In the early Christian Church, the observance changed from the last day of the week to the first day of the week.

This change was based on the fact that Christ rose from the dead on Sunday - the first day of the week.

Watson reminds us that we are to work and be industrious on the other 6 days.

God is not honored by idleness.

That which is holy is set apart, distinct, put to different use.

Thus, God distinguished the seventh day be resting, as opposed to working.

Israel must do likewise, so that what happened on the Sabbath was to be different, somehow, from what happened on any other day.

(Bob Deffinbaugh)