Violating the Fourth Commandment

Berean Baptist on September 3, 2018

Exodus 20:8-11

The fourth commandment may well be one of the most neglected and least convicting of all the commandments in the Decalogue. This is not because of lack of seriousness in what God demands, but because the modern Christian has become so complacent about reserving time for God. I also believe the modern pulpit holds much culpability for this unhappy phenomenon. The interpretation that the fourth commandment is not a part of the moral law written on the heart is the major contributor to the problem. Many preachers who are otherwise stellar in their interpretation of scripture tell us this command is not binding on Christians today. They teach there is no such thing as a Christian sabbath which seems from my research of historical positions not to be the consistent teaching of Baptists or others.

To be fair, these preachers do not teach you are not obligated to give time to God, but rather they say there is no special day to for it. Sunday is more of a convenience based on Christian agreement that it is a good easy time for us to get together. It is by mutual consent rather than a commanded time. I fear that when the observance is taught this way it is much easier for the individual to say Sunday is not convenient for them, and since there is no command there is no need to concern themselves. We see the convenience card played too much as churches offer Friday night services for those whose weekend plans are too much encumbered to accommodate what they don’t much like doing anyway. It is not exaggeration that many Christians treat church as if they need only a light dose to assuage their conscience. After all, they do claim to be Christians, don’t they? They go to church for the minimum time to put in their appearance and while they are there it is not worship they think of. Boating, fishing, football, shopping or a hundred other plans run through their minds. In all fairness, most of the time the Friday night churches are not giving anything worth thinking about anyway.

If we have a hard time keeping Christians on track when we have a command, what happens when there is none? Evidently church attendance has been a problem from the beginning. Hebrews warned early Christians not to forsake the assembly. No doubt some of this was advice for Christians who were fearful of persecution and thus would not come, but surely there must be at least a modicum of instruction for Christians who were lax and lazy about attending. Some of them did what many of us do—seek other venues to spend our Sunday time.

We are determined to get the exposition right, and so we will follow the historical interpretation that God has not changed the principle of the sabbath. The New Testament did nothing other than change the day. If we argue there must have been some change because we don’t follow the rigid requirements of the Jews and that Jesus chastised the Pharisees for their abuses, we only need concede their practices were wrong. This does not mean there isn’t a sabbath and a right way to keep it.

The important point to realize is its status as a command. Arguably because it comes at the end of the first table of the law, it stands in a special place of importance. There should be more conviction over its violation. We will not tolerate repeat offending adulterers nor repeat thieves and certainly not mass murderers. Where is the censure of Christians over repeat violations of this command? I hope there is conviction after this little miniseries on the fourth commandment. Baptists surely need more contrition because of it.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Be Still…

Berean Baptist on June 20, 2016

 

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. (Psalms 46:10-11)

The Lord always has a purpose in the way He leads and it is always best to surrender to His divine purpose. If I had things my way, I would rather our congregational reading of the Psalms would fall at some different place than Psalm 46. This psalm is better suited for the message I will bring next week, but God has providentially decided this is what we should read this week.

There are allusions in this psalm to the tribulation in the end times when the nation of Israel will be rocked like never before. Verses 2 and 3 are compelling references to that horrible time. It is very difficult to imagine things could be worse for the Jewish people since Jesus pronounced an ominous forecast for them in Matthew 23:38. He said, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” This was the sure prediction of the fall of the entire Jewish system when both the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. Since that time, the Jews have been vagabonds, and in every century they have been hated above all people with many attempts made to exterminate them. If Hitler had been successful in winning in World War II, it may very well be the Jews would be nonexistent today. However, we know God still has His plan and no government nor any tyrant will destroy His chosen people from the earth.

Remarkably, the 46th Psalm was written at a time when another despot tried to destroy Israel. This was Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, who besieged Jerusalem with a great army and made plans to assault and destroy her if Israel did not surrender. King Hezekiah saw this massive force that was about to invade and he humbly went before God to implore Him for relief. The relief Hezekiah sought was quickly forthcoming without Israel shooting a single arrow in her defense. Instead, God dispatched one angel in the night who killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers as they slept. Within days, Sennacherib returned to Nineveh where he worshipped in the temple of his heathen god. As he did, his own sons came and murdered him. Psalm 46 was written in celebration of this silent victory. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

In the last days during the time of tribulation, Israel will once again face extermination. The Antichrist will throw the combined forces of the world’s armies against her in an attempt to do what Satan has never before accomplished. By God’s marvelous providence, the God of Jacob will come to Israel’s aid. In Matthew 23:39, Jesus said He would not return for the Jews until they say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” He has not returned because Israel is not ready to turn to Him. Israel does not acknowledge Christ as king. In the worst days of the tribulation when Satan sends a flood against them, they will do what Hezekiah did. They will turn to the Lord as their only help and they will cry out for Him to deliver them. The great Sovereign will hear their cry and He will step foot on the Mount of Olives, the same place from which He ascended, and He will call a host of angels to come destroy the armies of the Antichrist just as He did the armies of Sennacherib.

Psalm 46 has always been a great comfort to those facing impossible situations. Martin Luther penned his great hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God from this psalm. Soldiers have sung its words before going into battle. Persecuted Christians have relied on it when facing torturous deaths. Perhaps you can find comfort in it today. The worst you can imagine is no match for God. Be still and wait. Call on Him and then wait quietly while He does His work. He is with us—the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Pastor V. Mark Smith