Posted on 12/30/2014 6:02:38 AM PST by SeekAndFind
In my fifth and final column on the greatest guide ever devised for a good world — the Ten Commandments — I offer my readers what may well be the best single thing you can do (that you are probably not doing now) to improve the quality of your life, your family’s life, and ultimately the life of our society.
Many people, even among those who revere the Ten Commandments, do not think that the Fourth Commandment, the Sabbath Day, is particularly important, let alone binding.
Once you understand it, however, you will recognize how both life-changing and world-changing it is.
The Fourth Commandment reads: “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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.”
Here are six reasons why is this so important.
First, it uniquely elevated the human being. For nearly all of human history, life consisted overwhelmingly of work. In effect, humans were beasts of burden. This commandment changed all that by insisting that people cease working one day out of seven.
Second, no matter how materially poor we may be, at least on the Sabbath Day, we are not just material beings. We are elevated. Recall that the commandment tells us to keep the day holy, not merely not to work. It is enough for animals not to work; we are to make the day holy. No matter what our circumstances, we must remind ourselves at least one day a week that we are sacred beings; we have a soul to feed, not just a body.
Third, more than any other commandment, the Fourth Commandment reminds people that they are meant to be free. As the second version of the Commandment, the one summarized by Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy, states, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt.” In other words, remember that slaves cannot have a Sabbath; only free men and women can.
In light of this, in the Biblical view, unless it is necessary for survival, people who choose to work seven days a week are essentially slaves – slaves to work or perhaps to money, but slaves nonetheless. The millionaire who works seven days a week is simply a rich slave.
Fourth, while the Bible could not universally abolish slavery, the Sabbath commandment greatly humanized that terrible institution and ultimately helped make slavery impossible. Prior to the Ten Commandments, by definition a slave owner was under no obligation to allow a slave to ever rest, let alone to rest one day every week. Yet that is exactly what the Fourth Commandment commanded. Even a slave has fundamental human rights, one of them being a Sabbath day of rest. Therefore a slave is a human being, too.
Fifth, the Sabbath almost singlehandedly creates and strengthens family ties and friendships. When a person takes off from work one day every week, that day almost inevitably becomes a day spent with other people — namely, family and/or friends. It has similar positive effects on marriages. Ask anyone married to a workaholic how good it would be for his or her marriage if the workaholic would not work for a day each week, and you can appreciate the power of the Sabbath Day.
There are those who argue that without God commanding a Sabbath, people could surely decide on their own to stop working a day each week and spend the day with their spouse, family, and friends. But the truth is that almost no one does. There will almost always be some reason not to take that day off — an important work project, housework, shopping, etc.
Sixth, the Sabbath commandment granted animals dignity. Even one’s animals had to rest one day a week. It is, to the best of our knowledge, the first national law in history on behalf of animals. And its benefits to animals surely went beyond a mandatory day of rest for them. People who felt divinely obligated to give their animals a day of rest were much less likely to treat their animals cruelly any day of the week.
All six of these life-changing and society-changing benefits regarding the Sabbath are available to anyone. You don’t have to be a Jew, a Christian, or even a believer in God to derive all these benefits — though, for reasons noted, the reality is that those who believe in the God of the Ten Commandments are the ones who have kept the Sabbath alive.
The God factor plays another role in the Sabbath. Just as faith in God brings people to the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath brings people to faith in God. In our secularized modern societies, very few activities bring people to a relationship with God as effectively as does devoting a day each week to the spiritual, not just the material.
Not bad for one day a week.
That’s why the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments. No wonder that those who have it in their lives are often happier, with richer family lives, more serenity, a community of friends, and, yes, even better health.
You might want to give it a try. You will indeed have a Happy New Year.
You can see my five-minute video on the Fourth Commandment here.
— Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His most recent book is Still the Best Hope: Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph. He is the founder of Prager University
Think again, with the Sabbath gone, you the business owner can demand workers work seven days a week with no day of rest. If they don't like it, like Donald Trump you can say "Your Fired".
You worked seven days a week BY CHOICE. With the Sabbath gone and labor laws gone, it would not be the employees choice. Only you would be able to take off as the Employer unless you did not want to be Scrooge.
We are so used to the benefits of the Ten Commandments, it is hard to wrap your head around how bad it would be without them. We and our families benefit from the Sabbath even if one doesn't want to believe in it.
Otherwise it is a "Brave New World" which isn't a pretty one.
Think again, with the Sabbath gone, you the business owner can demand workers work seven days a week with no day of rest. If they don't like it, like Donald Trump you can say "Your Fired".
You worked seven days a week BY CHOICE. With the Sabbath gone and labor laws gone, it would not be the employees choice. Only you would be able to take off as the Employer unless you did not want to be Scrooge.
We are so used to the benefits of the Ten Commandments, it is hard to wrap your head around how bad it would be without them. We and our families benefit from the Sabbath even if one doesn't want to believe in it.
Otherwise it is a "Brave New World" which isn't a pretty one.
I always think it is a good idea to read the OT in light of the NT, rather than the other way around.
There’s a lot more information I could present, but it’s clear that you do not want to recognize the Christian Sabbath, the Lord’s Day.
I don’t know what religion you adhere to, but you apparently think you know more than all the silly fools who for 2,000 years have been observing the Lord’s Day.
It’s painfully obvious that you’re going to contradict anything I write, so I’m done.
it is always strange to me when people tell me they can present more information and then don’t and then run away from further discussion.
peace.
Nobody is “forced” to work for me. Why you keep saying that is weird. There are plenty of cushy government jobs that are 40 hours a week, no weekends and every holiday off. The beauty of America Is that you have endless opportunity to succeed. If someone wants to work a 100 hours a week and become a millionaire then great.
If you want to spend all day Sunday in church that’s great too. Your choice. You can also turn your nose up at me if I work all day Sunday to make a few more grand for my family. What you can’t do is try and pass laws based on your religion to prevent me from working Sunday.
Well, there's your problem, right there.
Christ fulfilled them for us... The purpose of the 10 commandments was not “law-keeping”.. the purpose was to lead us to Christ..
Gal 3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Rom 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Tools specific to Rom 3:21
Rom 3:21
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Tools specific to Rom 3:22
Rom 3:22
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and us
Rom 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Tools specific to Rom 7:8
Rom 7:8
But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9
For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Rom 7:24
Gal 3:25
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
The sabbath is indeed an OT type ...
Those commandments were written by His Finger from stone from His Throne..
His Throne is eternal.. so are His Commandments..
Problem is, people use pope Gregory’s calendar to either get their pope appointed Saturday, or their pope approved Sunday and call them sabbath.
Both are wrong.. and if one sees that, they see how the enemy works to steal worship from Him who created heaven, the earth the seas and all that is in them..
The world’s calendar is a counterfeit., and Jews, Muslims, Christians, secular humanists, atheists, etc, are mostly using it to set their work and worship lives..
But the calendar He gives in His sky and in His Word is not set up for this world... it would require a conscious choice to follow it...
And btw, you might note that the passages I quoted were predictive - Prophecy. Still to come. What will surely come to pass belies your position.
Those commandments are eternal...thank God Jesus kept them perfectly for me
RnMomof7, the ten commandments are moral law. The sacrificial system was ceremonial law. Do you understand the difference ?
If the ten commandments were ENDED, that would mean MURDER was acceptable and fine with God. Do you honestly think murder is ok with God ?
When we had dairy cows, on Sunday about all we did was chores — milk and feed as usual. We would try to get as much as possible done on Saturdays to free up Sundays. Matter of fact, FIL would talk about “the weekend” starting about 7 p.m. Saturday night.
Our Mennonite neighbors did the same.
Even now, Sunday is about the only day I see all of my family in the same place at the same time.
under the new covenant, we are obligated to follow the law of Christ, in other words follow the commandments Christ gave us.
I would suggest reading 1 John 3:19-24 to find out what these are. ( and no murder is not acceptable under the new covenant )
when you read the NT, you discover there is a “new covenant”, which makes the old covenant obsolete.
this is why Christians read the OT in light of the NT.
anyone who thinks this is a “problem”, probably has a problem with the historical, orthodox Christian Faith believed and taught for 2,000 years.
oh wait.....
DEUT:5
2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3 The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4 The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
6 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Jeremiah 31:31
31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 NOT according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their INWARD PARTS, and write it in their HEARTS; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2 CORINTHIANS 3:
5....but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be DONE AWAY:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is DONE AWAY was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their HEART.
16 Nevertheless when it (the heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
It is easy to see why St Paul was accused of teaching the JEWS to “forsake Moses”. Yet in his own words he never did!
He told the Gentiles that THEY did not have to become Jews or follow the letters “writtten and engraven in stone” to become Christians because God’s new covenant law had been placed in their inward parts.
***If the ten commandments were ENDED, that would mean MURDER was acceptable and fine with God.***
No, even Cain had a mark placed on him. What he did was NOT acceptable to God, and the Ten Commandments had not been given then.
Romans2:
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Romans7:
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the LAW by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the LAW, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I HAD NOT KNOWN LUST, except the LAW had said, THOU SHALT NOT COVET.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
PLEASE NOTICE that St Paul does not distinguish between ceremonial and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. He constantly refers to them as THE LAW.
Except in that it ratifies the old into itself.
this is why Christians read the OT in light of the NT.
Silly christians.
anyone who thinks this is a “problem”, probably has a problem with the historical, orthodox Christian Faith believed and taught for 2,000 years.
HAH! Now you are just trying to be funny.
We are no longer under the law..the saved are under grace.. the law was OT ... The new testament is clear..the PURPOSE of the law was to show us we are sinners in need of a savior ...
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. (Galatians 3:23-25)
Gal 3:9 18For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. 19Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one.… Jesus is that seed He fulfilled the law ..
Romans 3:28
For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
The purpose of the law was to show us we need a Savior Romans 7:7
What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
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