4th Commandment LD38/Hebrews 4:1-11 &39&40 I marvel at the Father's example of the 4th commandment as they are exposing from scripture the heart and soul of this commandment....in the liberty and freedom in Christ! They do this as sanctified pilgrims and strangers in this earth as we take hold of the Sabbath for our own spiritual good in that liberty.
This is a current thought in scripture. Chapter 4 uses the word "rest" as a reoccurring theme as he continues to compare the old and new dispensations. Christ fulfilled the labors and we begin our week in that rest that He talks about. God labored Himself for 6 days and rested (a day of enjoyment) on the 7th day. What do we learn from this day of rest that the Lord took?
1. The idea of rest (inactivity) is not compatible with God.
2. We may never labor the Lord's day with laziness but a busy day filling it with the Glory of God and the enjoyment of it!
The old testament rest was a picture of the Heavenly Canaan and rest. We enter in Christ's rest in principle and they live out of that rest the remaining days of the week until we understand that our Lord's day is our sojourners rest as we travel to glory. As we are able to rest from our chores and duties with the heart and center being what the child of God yearns for. The church service as we begin to enter into our final rest as we travel along. We hear the Gospel preached which is Christ and Him crucified as we are sanctified to the eternal rest! The meanwhile God preaches the Word to us that we may be sanctified as we move into that eternal Sabbath! It IS the guiding Light that leads us! The sacraments also being a sign and seal of what the preaching and Word of God teaches us. We are encouraged on our journey under the Word of God and the sacraments. That is why we support and use Christian education for our children in their journey here below also. Even as in Israel that was no poor, so we collectively collect and care for the saints of God as God never uses leaves His people and always cares for His saints.
How could we live through the week without the Lord's day as we so quickly loose vision with our faces to the ground? We are diverted to the earthly so easily, but the Lord will have us energized, realizing what this life is all about. So we will with renewed zeal set our sights on the Heavenly. We have our heart set on that Kingdom and NEVER loose sight of the importance of the Lord's Day and Church. Always first and foremost in our lives! Teach this to your children!!!