Mar 6

Exodus 20:8-11
Memorise Exodus 20:9-10
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy”

Today’s verse refers to the 4th commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”. Do you look forward to the Sabbath every week? When you’re attending the worship services, do you feed bored, and wish you can be somewhere else? To answer today’s question, we should go back to the basics, and consider: Why did God institute the Sabbath? It was because God Himself rested on the seventh day, setting us a pattern for rest from our labour during the rest of the week (Exodus 20:11). However, it is not simply a day of rest, but it is a day that all who belong to God must keep holy. That is why the verse starts with “remember” the Sabbath day, for all who belong to God to remember that this day too belongs to God, and thus we must come worship Him in the house that belongs to Him. In this way, we are a visible witness to the world that we are His, and that is why it is a sin if we disobey this command to come to church on the Lord’s Day. Conversely, most unbelievers are surprised to find any Christian who does not do so!

However, to remember the Lord’s Day does not simply mean our physical presence, but also refers to our mental state of worship. On this day, our minds must be sanctified with spiritual things, to compensate for the previous six days where our minds were largely bombarded with things of this world. Therefore the main activity on the Lord’s Day must be the feeding of God’s Word, for this sanctifies our mind. It is thus a double blessing when a church is able to have an evening service as well!

We must likewise prepare ourselves to be sanctified towards holiness. Just as the Jews cleansed themselves in ritual baths before entering the Temple, we too should prepare for the Lord’s Day by not sleeping too late the night before, and spending the morning preparing our minds to be fed by God’s Word. One can hardly be ready to be fed if one is more focused on post-church plans, or our minds otherwise be preoccupied with worldly matters. We must remember that we are coming to the Lord’s house, and coming into the presence of the Almighty God who gives us life itself.

Thought: Do you call the Sabbath a delight?
Prayer: Lord, I thank Thee for liberating me from sin, and now I am free to worship You in gratitude.