WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday December 6, 2015
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THE LORD’S DAY
(Keeping the Sabbath as a response to GOD’s holiness)
(Exodus 20:8-11 & 31:12-18)
“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You
have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your GOD. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This
includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your
livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in
six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth,
the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day HE rested. That is why
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart
as holy” (Exodus 20:8-11 – NLT).
The fourth commandment of
the Decalogue (Ten Commandments), which is stated above, was put into place by
GOD as a way of providing a solemn day of worship to HIMSELF as creator of the world
we live in. Man was to schedule his work in six-day increments, and on the
seventh day, he is commanded by GOD to rest from his weekly labors. However,
this was not to be a day of lazing around in inactivity, but rather, it was to
be a day of spiritual enrichment and refreshment, through paying homage to GOD,
by way of religious observances, study, and praise. And to show how serious GOD
is toward this commandment, HE placed a death sentence on any one who violated
it.
The
“Sabbath Day” was also to be holy, or “set apart” from all other days as a
reminder of how the Israelites were forced to work seven days while in slavery
in Egypt, and over time, became disinterested in giving honor to GOD on any day
of the week whatsoever. They, for the most part, were tired, and were being compelled
and brainwashed by their oppressors to forget their GOD, the real GOD, and
instead, began showing respect, reverence, and worship for the false gods of
Egypt.
In
the present “Church Age” most denominations observe the Sabbath on Sunday because
of JESUS’ resurrection (New Testament), which occurred on the first day of the
week (Acts 20:7). However, Seventh Day Adventist for example still base their
Sabbath on Saturday, which is based on GOD’s creating of the universe in six
days, and then resting on the seventh day (Old Testament). Both perspectives
are OK, and fall within the parameters of being obedient to GOD’s fourth command.
The
fourth commandment is the only one that is not repeated verbatim in the New
Testament, even though the apostles themselves established Sunday, the first
day of the week, as Sabbath of the Christian Church, and their day for worship
services and observances. However, the idea of having six days of work and one
day of rest was introduced by GOD HIMSELF following the creation (Genesis
2:2-3), and all mankind is commanded to refrain from working on the seventh day
here in Exodus 20.
Throughout
Old Testament Scripture man is also reminded by GOD to respect the observance
of the Sabbath Day law. The name “Sabbath” derives its origins from the Hebrew
root word “shabath” (shaw-bath) which means “rest”. However, it not only
suggests physical rest, but also an “inner rest” that restores man’s spirit by
contemplating and meditating on the LORD and HIS goodness.
In
Exodus 31:12-18 we are reminded by GOD again to keep the Sabbath Day command, as
the Lord there gave these instructions
to Moses:
“Tell the people of Israel: Be
careful to keep MY Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant
between ME and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know
that I AM the Lord, WHO makes you holy. You
must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates
it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the
community. You have six days each week for your ordinary
work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day
dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the
Sabbath must be put to death. The people of Israel must
keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a
covenant obligation for all time. It is a permanent sign
of MY covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day HE stopped working and
was refreshed” (NLT).
When the Lord finished speaking with Moses
on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of
the covenant, written by the finger of GOD. The Sabbath is a celebration
and a reminder of Israel’s pledge of allegiance to GOD, and that GOD is Israel’s
only GOD.
And finally, there are three acts of GOD
that are associated with the Sabbath;
·
Creation: The creation story.
·
Redemption: The Sabbath is a symbol of GOD’s covenant
relationship with Israel that is rooted in HIS miraculous delivery of Israel
from slavery in Egypt.
·
Covenant Ties: The Sabbath is a reminder of the bond between GOD
and Israel which is in the law that was miraculously delivered the people
through Moses.
Observing
the Sabbath will always stand as an expression of our love and obedience to
GOD. Today, because of our greed, bad financial decisions, envy of our
neighbor, etc., it is one of most disrespected commands of all the Decalogue. Sin
and irresponsibility in our lives causes us to have to work a tremendous amount
of overtime to keep up with the unnecessary financial burden we put on
ourselves to satisfy our greed, and to keep up with the Joneses.
GOD established the Sabbath for us to stop
our daily routine and recognize HIM as the source of all of our blessings and
strength. The Sabbath Day concept precedes the origins of the Jews, and therefore,
must be respected by anyone, Jew or Gentile, who chooses to worship and follow
the GOD, WHO created all things. And so, to ignore the Sabbath amounts to
ignoring GOD HIMSELF, WHO created the Sabbath, both, for HIM, and for the good
of all mankind.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official
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