28/07/2023
Reflection on:
Exodus 20:8--10 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 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 animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.
The fourth commandment teaches that the keeping of one day in 7 days as a Sabbath is a special means of honoring God our Creator.
In the wisdom of God,he has given us this day to allow us to spend sacred time with him in order to deepen our relationship with him, and also as a time to be refreshed physically, mentally and emotionally.
From New Testament on, Christians stopped observing the Sabbath on 7 day of the week, and instead celebrated the first day of the week, Sunday,the day of Christ's resurrection (Jn 20:1--,Acts 20:7,1Cor. 16:2, Rev. 1:10). They did this because Jesus is the true rest of God ( Mt 11:28,Heb.4:3,11).
They also recognized that the Old Testament regulations for the Sabbath are part of the ceremonial law which has been fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ,so that they are no longer binding on God's people (Rom.14:5-6,Col.2:16-17).
The change bore witness to the fact of the resurrection but it also emphasized the difference between the Christian Sunday and the Jewish Sabbath,the Jewish Sabbath came at the end of the 6 days and spoke of the rest to come, the Christian Sunday comes at the beginning of the week symbolising "the rest" which Jesus Christ has won for those who trust in him.
We keep the Lord's day holy by using it in such way that we show that the Lord has our first loyalty.
And on this day we must strive to assemble with our fellow believers for prayers and God's work ( Heb.10:25).