The New City Catechism — Week 10
Question 1 — What does God require in the fourth, and fifth commandments?
Answer — Fourth, that on the Sabbath day we spend time in public and private worship of God, rest from routine employment, serve the Lord and others, and so anticipate the eternal Sabbath. Fifth, that we love and honor our father and our mother, submitting to their godly discipline and direction.
Leviticus 19:2–3 (ESV)2“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
The American calendar is made up of many dates celebrated by various people among various cultures. New Years, Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving are all days celebrated and great days to celebrate the meaning our nation and those we love. But there is a special day that rolls around every week that was made for us and for something we need desperately—rest.
Rest is a practice rooted in the creation account. The Bible shows us in Genesis 2 God rested from his work, and in the Ten Commandments God establishes the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a day that was made not for God, but for us. We were given a day where we can and should rest from all work and devote ourselves to things that get neglected during the busy work week.
Today, Christians don’t gather or worship collectively on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until after the resurrection of Christ did Christians begin to gather and worship on Sunday, calling it the Lord’s Day. Sunday is an important day for believers and should be treated in the same way as the Sabbath in the Old Testament. We gather, limit our work, worship, and love our families more on Sunday because Sunday is special and important to us!
Another area that is very much a part of our culture as Americans is the family-unit. The family is extremely important in healthy development of children and worship. God created and designed the family. And in the fifth commandment, God commands children to love their parents, respect, and obey them.
The Bible says in Exodus 20:12, if children obey their parents, God will bless them throughout their lives. Because of sin, children from their very first years are disobedient and breed trouble for their parents. So often we ask why God commands certain things in the Bible, but we really don’t have to look farther than our own childhood to see why.
If we honor our parents, the promise is applied; and if we honor our parents, we honor God. We do these because we love them both our parents & God, but also we know that our God is one who blesses those who are obedient to his commands.
This week, live with anticipation of the Lord’s Day where we gather with our brothers & sister in Christ to worship our Savior who has accomplished so much for us. And with Mother’s Day behind us and Father’s Day ahead, live to honor your parents. It is good and acceptable to God.