Lesson #57–62—The Fourth Commandment

(Keeping in mind Thou shalt have no other gods before me.)

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Shorter Catechism Q & A #57 (Memorize)

Q. Which is the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath-day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8–11

What does it mean?

Sabbath: an intermission, a time of rest; a covenant sign whereby the people of God recognize the sovereign authority of God by their willingness to obey his Word; illustrated in the keeping of the Sabbath-year: Leviticus 25:1–4. The majesty of God as Creator, and the wonder of his Creation, is celebrated in the keeping of this commandment. Psalm 92 and 95 remind us of why we are to offer praise and thanksgiving to our Creator.

This commandment also confirms the truth of God creating all things in six days, and that it was very good.

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Shorter Catechism Q & A #58 (Memorize)

Q. What is required in the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath to himself.

What does it mean?

Matthew Henry wrote: “This is God’s day: it is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, not only instituted by him, but consecrated to him. It is sacrilege to alienate it; the sanctification of it is a debt.”

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Shorter Catechism Q & A #59 (Memorize)

Q. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath?

A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian sabbath.

What does it mean?

Discuss the difference of emphasis between the use of the last and first day of the week as the ‘Sabbath’ (noting Gen. 2:2–3, 1 Cor. 16:1–2, Acts 20:7).

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Shorter Catechism Q & A #60 (Memorize)

Q. How is the sabbath to be sanctified?

A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the publick and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

What does it mean?

What is meant by “a holy resting”? (Note Lev. 23:3, Ex. 16:25–29, Jer. 17:21–22.)

Discuss ways in which we can honor our Lord. (Ps. 92:12, Luke 4:16, Isa. 58:13, Acts 20:7)

What are “works of necessity and mercy”? (Matt. 12:11–12)

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Shorter Catechism Q & A #61 (Memorize)

Q. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employment or recreations.

What does it mean?

In what ways can we profane the things of the Lord?

• By violating his words (Ezek. 22:26, 23:38)
• By carelessness (Mal. 1:13, Amos 8:5)
• By unnecessary practices (Isa. 58:13, Jer. 17:24, 27)

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Shorter Catechism Q & A #62 (Memorize)

Q. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?

A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God’s allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath-day.

What does it mean?

What are the blessings we receive? [Ex. 31:15–16, Lev. 23:3, Ex. 31:17, Gen. 2:3]

Discuss the responsibility of those who are heads of households.

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