The Fourth Commandment, "Remember to observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," stands as a pivotal point among the Ten Commandments. From this directive flows a stream of spiritual lessons and principles about God, humans, and our potential. Disregarding the Sabbath is akin to discarding the key to a treasure chest, ignoring a vital area of understanding that opens our minds to God and His purpose. The Sabbath is far more than a weekly day of rest; it is the one day each week we devote entirely to God, serving as a regulator and barometer of our relationship with Him. The Sabbath was created by Christ at the time of Creation, and it serves as a sign identifying God's people. It was made for all mankind, not just a specific group, and all who keep it properly are blessed. God rested on the seventh day of Creation, setting an example for us to follow by resting and remembering both the physical creation and the ongoing spiritual creation within us. God blessed and sanctified the seventh day, making it holy and set apart for His use, and we are instructed to keep it holy by adhering to principles of proper Sabbath behavior, avoiding work, cooking, and carrying burdens. Cities and countries are blessed or cursed based on how their inhabitants observe the Sabbath, with warnings given that doing business on this day brings a curse upon the whole city. Jesus, as the Creator and Lord of the Sabbath, kept it and showed through His actions the intent of this commandment, providing an example for the Christian way of life. Following His lead, the apostle Paul and the early church also kept the Sabbath, preaching to both Jews and Gentiles on this day, affirming it is for everyone. The Sabbath is a day to be loosed from bondage and is meant to be a delight, not a burden. Keeping the Sabbath properly demonstrates our worthiness to receive God's Holy Spirit, making this holy time a valuable and tremendous blessing each week as we work to improve our relationship with Him.

The fourth commandment plays a crucial role in the process of conversion and witnessing for God. It was established to provide a means of unified instruction, serving as a major player in spiritual growth. Jesus Himself affirms in Mark 2:27-28 that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, and as the Son of Man, He is Lord of the Sabbath. This highlights that the Sabbath was created as a specific, thoughtful gift from the Creator to serve humanity, not merely for physical rest but to support man's part in God's spiritual creation. Its intention is universal, made for all humanity to ensure physical and spiritual well-being. Jesus claims authority as its Lord to teach how to keep it, expecting its observance without offering alternatives. God set apart the seventh day and linked it to creation, as seen in Genesis 2:1-3, making it holy and different due to His presence within it. This holiness is a spiritual state, not physically discerned, and requires us to meet with Him on this specific day to be in agreement with His purpose. The Sabbath is a sign, voluntarily accepted, identifying a special covenant between God and His people, uniting and sanctifying them from the world. It serves as an external and visible bond, protecting God's investment in His creation and helping Christians remain pointed in the right direction with proper knowledge and understanding to negotiate the way to His Kingdom. The Sabbath enhances and protects a Christian's relationship with God, providing a witness to Him, to the person keeping it, and to the world. It forces us to think about the spiritual, about God and His ongoing creation in us, offering an opportunity to consider the whys of life and orient ourselves properly for the other six days. It is the kernel from which proper worship and response to God grow, celebrating life and its great goal as planned by the Creator, moving toward being made into the spiritual image of His Son. In Deuteronomy 5:12-15, the fourth commandment is revealed as a means to keep Israel free after their liberation from slavery, underscoring its role as a gift of freedom. God commands the Sabbath because He has a specific purpose He is working out, reminding us of His spiritual creation. It provides time to fellowship with Him, to be taught about His way of life, to contemplate its application and meaning, and to evaluate our progress. Without it, we are bound up in the physical world, and it offers time to fellowship with like-minded individuals, escape social inequities, and rest physically. No other commandment so directly identifies with God's purpose, making it a blessing and a memorial to our Creator and His purpose.

The fourth commandment, concerning the Sabbath, stands as a vital part of God's spiritual law, yet it has endured more scorn and debate than any of the other Ten Commandments. Many consider it the least significant, often dismissing it as irrelevant and replaced by another day, but it fits perfectly with the other commandments and God's purpose. The Sabbath was made for man, as Mark 2:27-28 declares, and because it originates from creation, with the Creator Himself setting the pattern by resting on the seventh day, it holds universal validity. God specifically inspired the seventh day as a period of rest and holy time, crowning the creation week and remaining vital to man's well-being. The fourth commandment provides a means of unified instruction, playing a major role in the conversion process. It is not an afterthought but a deliberate memorializing of time, symbolizing that God is still creating, as Jesus confirms in John 5:17. The Sabbath offers an essential part in producing spiritual life, a dimension the physical cannot supply. As stated in Exodus 20:8-11, God's presence makes the Sabbath holy, transcendent above other days, and we must strive to avoid mundane activities that diminish its sanctity. God has set a weekly appointment with His people on the Sabbath for purposes pertaining to His spiritual creation, blessing and empowering them with His Spirit. As Exodus 31:17 reveals, it is a sign between Him and His people forever, uniting and sanctifying them from almost everyone else. The Sabbath protects God's investment in His people, educating them in His way and preparing them to witness for Him. It enhances and protects their relationship with Him, providing a witness to God, themselves, and the world, while keeping them in a proper frame of mind to use their time correctly on the other six days. Keeping the Sabbath correctly is the nucleus from which appropriate worship grows, celebrating life as a prelude to a higher, spiritual existence rather than absurdity. It reminds us that God's creative process continues, offering a foretaste of what is to come as we grow more like Him and become sanctified from this world. The Sabbath, as a foundational law governing morality, is just as important as the other nine commandments, identifying with God's purpose and serving as a blessing to be celebrated as a memorial to our Creator and His purpose.

The fourth commandment plays a crucial role in the process of conversion and witnessing, as established by God to provide a means of unified instruction. It was not created merely for its own sake, unlike the other days of the week, but as a specific service for mankind, a thoughtful gift from the Creator to serve His creation. The Sabbath was made for man, not just for the Jews, with a universal intention to ensure both physical and spiritual well-being. Jesus claimed authority to teach how to keep it, expecting its observance without offering any alternative. The Sabbath holds universal validity from the act of creation itself, not originating from any human figure or group, as it was God who made it for man. Scripture clearly specifies the seventh day, not just any seventh day, as the day God ended His work, rested, blessed, and sanctified it. This deliberate act by God, who does not tire, sets an example for man to stop physical labor and focus on a one-on-one relationship with Him, emphasizing the Sabbath as the most important day of the week. God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath uniquely, crowning the creation week, with no other day receiving such distinction. It symbolizes that God is still creating, focusing on His spiritual creation, which began with the Sabbath and continues today. This day plays an essential role in producing a quality of spiritual life that the physical alone cannot supply, making it irreplaceable for achieving God's purpose. The Sabbath is described as holy, a term implying it is different and a cut above other times, conferred with a spiritual quality by God that man cannot replicate. This holiness makes the Sabbath worthy of respect and devotion, set apart for sacred use, even though it may not appear different from other days. It represents a special appointment with God, a time to be in His presence in a unique way that no other day can provide. The Sabbath serves as a sign, an external and visible bond that unites and sanctifies God's people from others, identifying their commitment to Him. It is a major means by which God protects His investment in us, educating His children in His way, building character, and preparing them to witness for Him. The manner of keeping the Sabbath becomes the real sign of sanctification, distinguishing God's people from the world. Sabbath-breaking is linked to idolatry, as seen in historical contexts where failing to keep the Sabbath intensified Israel's idolatry. The Sabbath was given so that Israel would know the true God and fulfill their purpose to witness for Him, but their failure to observe it led to rebellion. Keeping God's Sabbath is the best protection against idolatry, as it instructs and fills His people with His Spirit, transforming them into the image of His Son, fostering greater obedience and the right attitudes to glorify Him. The Sabbath enhances and protects one's relationship with God, providing a witness to Him, to the keeper, and to the world. It keeps us pointed in the right direction with a proper frame of mind, offering the right material to negotiate the way to the Kingdom of God. In a material world, the Sabbath forces a focus on the spiritual, presenting an opportunity to consider the purpose of life and experience a foretaste of what is to come. It is a celebration of God's ongoing creative process, a prelude to life on a higher level, and a wonderful free gift from God to assure us of being in His Kingdom in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Fourth Commandment plays a crucial role in providing a means of unified instruction and is integral to the process of conversion. It establishes the Sabbath as a thoughtful gift from the Creator, made for all mankind to ensure physical and spiritual well-being. The Sabbath was not created for its own sake but as a service to humanity, with universal intention from the time of Creation. Jesus claims the authority to show how to keep it, always expecting it to be observed, with disputes arising only over the manner of observance. The Sabbath memorializes God as Creator, drawing attention to His unparalleled contributions. It is rooted in Genesis, where God rested on the seventh day, blessing and sanctifying it as a specific period of holy time. This act of resting was itself a creation, symbolizing that God continues to create, though in a spiritual rather than physical form. On the Sabbath, God works in a different way, focusing on salvation and spiritual creation, as Jesus demonstrated by His actions on that day. The Sabbath is not an afterthought but a deliberate memorial of time, reminding us that God is still reproducing Himself and inviting us to be part of His spiritual creation. It is set apart for sacred use, made holy by God's presence, which transforms it into something different from ordinary days. This holiness is not physically discernible but must be revealed, and no other day can be made holy by human proclamation. God has set an appointment with His people to meet on the Sabbath, a specific time when His presence is uniquely available. Keeping this appointment is essential, as meeting at another time means missing His presence. The Sabbath serves as a sign, a visible bond that unites and sanctifies God's people, separating them from others by their observance. It is not merely the act of keeping the day but how and why it is kept that truly sanctifies, distinguishing God's people through their purpose and approach. The Sabbath enhances and protects one's relationship with God, providing a witness to Him, to the individual, and to the world. It keeps us in a proper frame of mind, offering material to navigate towards God's Kingdom amidst a materialistic world. Observing the Sabbath forces a spiritual mode, pointing towards God as Creator and acknowledging His ongoing creative process. It is a celebration of life, a prelude to an infinitely higher existence, offering a foretaste of what is to come as we become more like Him. In Deuteronomy, the Fourth Commandment emphasizes keeping the Sabbath to remain free, recalling spiritual slavery and looking forward to liberty from sin and the world through God's creative process. It is through Sabbath instruction that God teaches His people to keep His Commandments and maintain freedom. Historically, breaking the Sabbath was linked to captivity, as it resulted in missing fellowship with God and the sanctification His presence provides. The Sabbath is an awesome gift, identifying with God's purpose, providing rest, reminding us of His spiritual creation, and offering time for teaching, contemplation, fellowship, and escape from worldly inequities.

This generation struggles to shift from a workday mode to a Sabbath-keeping mode due to the fast pace of life and numerous distractions that prevent the Word of God from taking deep root. Surrounded by man-made creations like concrete and steel, people are losing touch with God's Creation, which shifts their focus away from what He has made. Additionally, a Protestant societal influence teaches that time belongs to individuals for personal pleasure, often disregarding a day as belonging to God or observing the wrong day. God is deeply concerned about how the Sabbath is kept, as it impacts the quality of the outcome. He warns against defiling the Sabbath, which means to pollute or treat as common, emphasizing that it must be regarded as holy and not profaned. Disrespectful or halfhearted service, as seen in Malachi, applies to the Sabbath, where treating it as secondary to other priorities is unacceptable to Him. God desires His people to strive for perfection in keeping the Sabbath, not settling for minimal effort or assuming any approach will suffice. He overlooks frailties but expects the best effort, as it benefits both the individual and serves as a witness to others. The Sabbath is a test commandment and a sign uniting God's people as a religious organization committed to Him. Neglect of the Sabbath, often due to familiarity or distraction rather than deliberate intent, is a significant concern, as highlighted in Hebrews. God notices this neglect within His church and urges His people to give earnest heed to avoid drifting away from their great calling. The Sabbath prefigures a future rest in the Kingdom of God, which remains unfulfilled, serving as a reminder of the ultimate goal and the need to strive toward perfection. God instructs that the Sabbath be approached with respect, regarded as holy ground, and not trampled upon by common use. It is central to walking in God's way, producing the right fruit like peace and joy, and fostering faith and submission to Him. The Sabbath provides an expanse of time for communication and fellowship with God, focusing on His way of life to ensure unity with Him. Distractions from this purpose miss the mark, though God is patient, primarily concerned with the attitude and intention behind Sabbath observance. He set the Sabbath as an appointment time, where the focus—whether carnal or spiritual—depends on the motivation for what is done.

God gave us the fourth commandment to enable us to worship Him, the One True God, better. It provides us with the time to fellowship with Him and understand Him, ourselves, and our place in His purpose. How to use this time becomes of paramount importance. The Sabbath was made for man, as Jesus declares in Mark 2:27, to equip us to come out of spiritual slavery and to help us in staying out. God blessed the Sabbath day, something He did to no other day, conferring a blessing upon the whole creation as the capstone of Creation week. By blessing a recurring period of time, God promises to be man's benefactor through the whole course of human history, invoking His favor as our spiritual benefactor, while including the physical as well. Jesus ties His ministry to the Sabbath concepts of blessing, deliverance, liberty, and redemption. Comparing the Sabbath commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 reveals that God wants us to remember His acts of creation and that we were slaves in Egypt. Each Sabbath should remind us that God is Creator and Liberator. We keep the Sabbath because we are and want to remain free. God has used His Sabbaths to perform acts of liberation throughout His dealings with Israel. He requires His people to keep the Sabbath to sustain their liberty. God's Sabbath memorial, His Independence Day, recurs every week to serve as a constant renewal of our spiritual heritage from Him and of our original release from sin, reorienting us in any area where we may have turned aside.

The Fourth Commandment, concerning the Sabbath, stands as a test of our faith and obedience to God. He is serious about our keeping of the Sabbath, adding a commandment to ensure we are prepared to observe it properly. The test is not merely knowing about the Sabbath, but how we keep it, and preparation is essential to passing this test. God commanded preparation, such as doing heavy cooking on the day before, to ensure that the Sabbath remains free from distractions and mundane tasks. This preparation day, beginning on Thursday night, allows time to arrange necessities like clothing, fueling the auto, and cleaning the house, clearing the way for proper Sabbath observance. The Sabbath is no different in appearance from any other day, yet it requires faith to keep it as holy time, sanctified by God's presence within it. Preparation is as much a command as the Sabbath itself, though it may not carry the same weight as the Ten Commandments; it is a vital attachment to the Fourth Commandment. God's intent is to train us to avoid bad judgments, preparing us as kings and priests for His Family. The issue is not just the labor expended, but the motivation and purpose behind our actions on the Sabbath, ensuring we focus on spiritual aspects and fellowship with Him.

The Fourth Commandment was given to better enable us to worship the one true God by providing us with time to worship Him, to fellowship with Him, and to better understand Him, ourselves, and our place in the purpose that He is working out. How to use that time becomes of paramount importance to all who are converted. A major purpose of the Sabbath, apart from being a sign, is so that we might know God, tying it to eternal life. Keeping the Sabbath identifies the true God to us, and it is not merely observing the day but how it is observed that enables one to know Him. The Sabbath is a necessary fixture in having eternal life, as without knowing God, there is no eternal life. The Sabbath is clearly stated to have two major purposes: to remind us that God is Creator and to show us that it is the day He has given to keep us free, reminding us that we were once slaves. Every Sabbath, we are reminded that God is our redeeming Liberator, and we keep the Sabbath because we are free and want to remain free. Those who do not keep the Sabbath do not retain their liberty. God has specifically used the Sabbath throughout history as the day to emphasize deliverance, liberty, and the keeping of His people free, performing pointed acts of liberation on that day. The Sabbath is a day of liberation, of liberty, and of freedom, blessed by God to bring a person to a more abundant and fuller life, liberating them from whatever holds them in bondage. Its primary intention is spiritual, though it includes physical benefits as well, such as rest that enhances health. Jesus ties His ministry to Sabbath concepts of blessing, deliverance, liberty, and redemption, identifying His mission with the liberating intent of the Sabbath. He magnified the Sabbath law, affirming its importance by beginning His public ministry on a Sabbath and focusing attention on its intent through His actions and teachings. Jesus' actions on the Sabbath, such as healings and casting out demons, signal an attack against the forces of evil, beginning a holy war to free mankind from bondage. These acts, done on the Sabbath, reveal God's intended use for the day as a time for redemption, liberty, joy, peace, and service through fellowship and instruction that reorients devotion in the right direction. He shows that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, relieving burdens and delivering others from physical and spiritual ailments, even when the need is not urgent. To fail to do good when the opportunity presents itself implies destructive efforts and attitudes. The Sabbath is a day to show compassion towards the weak and defenseless, relieving them of burdens, as seen in giving rest to those under one's authority. Jesus argues for a right, merciful evaluation of those under heavy burdens, using the Sabbath to free them, emphasizing true values in its observance. Through His examples, the Sabbath emerges as the day God blessed to keep us free and prevent us from returning to bondage.

The Fourth Commandment, as highlighted in Deuteronomy 5:15, reveals a significant purpose for observing the Sabbath. God instructs us to remember on this day that we were slaves in Egypt and that He brought us out, establishing the Sabbath as a profound memorial of redemption. This purpose emphasizes liberation from bondage, underscoring that the Sabbath is not merely about rest but about recalling God's act of deliverance. When a nation or individual fails to keep God's Sabbath, as seen in Ezekiel 20, they risk losing their liberty and returning to bondage. Thus, the Fourth Commandment serves as a reminder of our freedom through God's redemptive power, urging us to honor this day as a testament to His saving grace.

Even though the term "holiness" appears 900 times in scripture, God's people struggle to understand it. The first time it appears in scripture is God's appearance at the burning bush (Exodus 3) when the ground became holy because of God's presence, just as when the Commander of God's Army met Joshua. The principle of sanctification applies to time as well as place, as God sanctified the seventh day Sabbath as a covenant sign between Him and His people (Ezekiel 20:12) as a "test commandment" of obedience. We keep the Sabbath when we cease from ordinary work, gather in holy convocation, rest, focus on God, and appreciate the day of delight (Isaiah 58:13-14) a day designed for rest, worship, and spiritual growth (Mark 2:27). Holiness demands both inner humility and outward reverence. As Moses removed his sandals, God's people must surrender pride, show respect, and walk in obedience, maintaining holiness in all their conduct (I Peter 1:15-16).