Grace and Peace Episode 49
Presbyterian Church of Easton
September 5, 2021
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2
Heidelberg Catechism
103Q. What is God’s will for you in the fourth commandment?
A. First, that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained, and that, especially on the festive day of rest, I diligently attend the assembly of God’s people to learn what God’s Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor. Second, that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin in this life the eternal Sabbath.
Deuteronomy 5:1 Moses summoned all Israel and said: 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 male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants 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.
The Bible gives us two reasons why we need a day of rest every week. The reason, given in the Book in the Book of Deuteronomy, is that when the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt they had no rest. But when God freed them from slavery he blessed them with a Sabbath rest.
There is another reason why we should keep a sabbath rest and that comes from the book of Exodus. In the book of Exodus, the Hebrews were told to keep one day of rest each week because God made the world that way. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. So everything in creation needs a day of rest. People and animals need a sabbath day every week. Land needs a year-long sabbath every seven years.
The sabbath day is holy. We are to use it for God’s purposes. We are to rest from work and other activities. We are to focus our attention on God. We come to worship. We pray. We study our Bibles. We engage in conversations with each other. We are to enjoy this wonderful blessing from God. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the blessings of a day of rest. Blessed all in our country who have to work on Sunday mornings with employers who understand our need to worship on Sunday. We pray for the freedom to attend church, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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