The TEN Commandments

Right out of Exodus Chapter 20;

1. You shall have no other gods before me

2.  You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

3 You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

4 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping 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 manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

5 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

6 You shall not murder.

7 You shall not commit adultery.

8 You shall not steal.

9 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

10 You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Most everyone has heard of the Ten Commandments given by God Himself to Moses on the mountain, written by the finger of God Himself (twice) and even seen movies like the Ten Commandments.  It's been taught in every bible believing church in America and accepted as our guidelines to live by.  Any preacher can stand before his congregation and preach on having no other gods before God, not using God's name in vain, not murdering, not commiting adultery, stealing, honoring your parents, not having idols (a big one in the Roman Catholic church), not coveting or lying (giving false testimony) and the people would stand in support and say 'amen - that's right preacher, that's the word of God, preach it!'.  However stand before most American Christians today and preach on keeping the Sabbath (not 'a' Sabbath but 'the' Sabbath as the scripture clearly states) and you may find yourself in the middle of a theological battle listening to many scream "Nope! That's 'legalism' - that was the law and the law was done away with on the cross."  Ever thought about the 4th commandment?  If the law was done away with, then that would mean would also be able to go and commit adultery, murder, and breaking the rest of the commandments, would it not?  The fact is that it is still very much a part of the original commandment of God to observe.  Observing THE Sabbath has got to be one of the most ignored commandments of them all.  I believe God knew it would be, since it is the ONLY commandment that starts off with the words 'REMEMBER' as to indicate that it would be forgotten.  No other commandments start that way.  Look a little closer and you'll see that there are 4 verses expounding on just this commandment alone.  Doesn't that seem like it should get some attention or that there is something that should be pondered upon?  When is the Sabbath?  Go back to Genisus and read the creation and see what God did on the seventh day.  The seventh day of any calendar since the beginning of time has been Saturday.  Saturday IS the Sabbath day.  According to biblical examples given it begins at sun-down Friday and ends sun-down Saturday.  If you just sit and read the scriptures related to this it shows that we are not to work nor make others work for us yet what is the busiest shopping day of the week?  We have totally forgotten and rejected God's design and command to keep the Sabbath 'holy'.

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight
       and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isa 58:13-14

If Sabbath is not a delight and a joy to your soul, the you have not yet begun to keep it as intended.  Keep trying.

Just something to think about.  I didn't write the bible so go read Exodus Chapter 20 for yourself or go to Bible Gate Way and do a search on the word 'Sabbath'.  May the Holy Spirit lead you as you continue to seek to honor and obey Him.

Other Scriptures to ponder on concerning the Sabbath.

Mark 2:27-28

Then he (Jesus) said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Exodus 16:21-30

Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.' " So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today.  Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."  Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.  Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out."  So the people rested on the seventh day.

Deut. 5:14

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 manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.

Mark 11:15-17

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: " 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers'."    Now let's look at what Jesus was referring to in Isaiah 56:6-7 where it reads And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, 
and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant- these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." 

Again, just something to think about.  I didn't write the bible so go read these for yourself or go to Bible Gate Way and do a search on the word 'Sabbath'.  May the Holy Spirit lead you as you continue to seek to honor and obey Him.