Lesson-13

"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries

Lesson 13

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

Introduction: We have established in the previous lesson that the Ten Commandments were not abolished, neither were they to be changed. Mal. 3:6; Matt. 5:17,18. It is still wrong to kill, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet. We still should not worship idols, or use God’s name profanely, and we should honor and respect our parents. Then why should we not obey the fourth commandment?

1. When did God make the Sabbath? Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11.

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Note: Sabbath did not begin at Sinai. It began at Creation. It is not Jewish. It was made before there ever was a Jew. It is a memorial of Creation, and a reminder that God is our Creator.

Before a law can go into effect, it must have the seal of authority. Every country has or should have a seal. The leader of the country usually has a seal. Our president has his own seal. It gives his name, his title, and his territory--Bill Clinton, President of the United States. The fourth commandment contains God’s seal. It has His name--GOD, His title--Creator, and His territory--Heaven and Earth. Without a seal God’s law would be void. For this reason Satan especially hates the fourth commandment and does all he can to get the whole world to disregard it.

2. When does the Sabbath begin and end? Lev. 23:32.

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3. How do we know when “even” begins? Mark 1:32.

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Note: From these references we can conclude that the Sabbath begins when the sun goes down one day, and ends when the sun goes down the next day. Further, the days of Creation, as recorded in Genesis 1, all began at even. They were also literal twenty-four hour days just like we have now. If we say they were not, but that they were long periods of time, maybe a thousand or more years long, we are limiting God’s power. In Ps. 33:6,9, we are told, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made...For He spake and it was done: He commanded, and it stood fast.” Doesn’t that sound like a pretty quick accomplishment? And the fourth commandment tells us to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” and “six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work.” Why should He put so much emphasis on long indefinite periods of time? See Ps. 89:34; 111:7,8.

4. Can we be sure the Sabbath is the same as at Creation? Has time been lost?

Note: Though the calendar is constantly being updated to compensate for the 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 47.8 seconds in the year, yet the week of seven days has never been altered. Time can be traced to the very second by the position of the stars. The Department of Astronomy at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., declares that from the position of the stars every moment of time has been kept track of since before 500 BC. Reliable sources testify no time has been lost.

5. What day of the week is Sabbath? Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11.

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6. What day of the week is Sunday?

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Note: It is the first day. Most, if not all dictionaries will tell you Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, and Sunday is the first day, as will also most calendars. Is there any verse in the Bible that says Sunday is holy and is now to be kept as the Sabbath?

The first day of the week is mentioned only eight times in the Bible (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1,2,9-14; Luke 24:1; John 20:1,19; Acts 20:7,8; 1 Cor. 16:1,2.), and none of them indicate that a change has been made, and Sunday is now holy, replacing the seventh day Sabbath.

7. Is there a prophecy of an attempt to change God’s law? Dan. 7:25; Matt. 15:9.

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8. Has this prophecy been fulfilled?

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Note: The early followers of Christ suffered much persecution, as is recorded of even earlier times in Heb. 11:36-38. Many gave up their lives. But by defeat they conquered and the gospel spread. Never giving up, Satan planned new strategies. His tactic to gain the victory this time was to join the church and bring in idolaters who only partially accepted Christianity. The majority of Christians were gradually led to compromise and lower the standards. Images of the saints were introduced to replace the idols the heathen worshiped and violated the second commandment. Then Sunday, “the venerable day of the Sun,” was brought in, at first to share attention with the true Sabbath and later to replace it.

“The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday as a legal duty is a constitution of Constantine in 321 AD enacting that all courts of justice, inhabitants of towns, and workshops were to be at rest on Sunday (venerabili die Solis), with an exception in favor of those engaged in agricultural labor.” Encyclopedia Britannica, ninth edition, article “Sunday.”

9. Is there another law besides the Ten Commandments? Neh. 9:13,14; 2 Kings 21:8.

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10. Who wrote the Ten Commandments and on what? Deut. 9:9,10; 10:1-5; Ex. 31:18; 32:15,16.

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Note: If you read further in Deuteronomy, you will see how and why the first tables of stone were broken by Moses, and how God wrote them again on the tables of stone that Moses “hewed.” You can also read it in Exodus 32 and 34.

11. Where were the Ten Commandments that were written on stone placed? Deut. 10:5.

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12. Who wrote the other law, and where did he write it? Deut. 31:24-26.

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13. Where was this law kept? Deut. 31:26.

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14. Which law was nailed to the cross? Col. 2:14-17.

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Note: These verses show plainly that the law here referred to was not the Ten Commandments. This also tells us that these laws were a “shadow” of things to come, that is, the first coming of Jesus and His work. Therefore they met their fulfillment when Jesus was crucified---“nailed to the cross.”


	"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries home \| Bible Studies Lesson 13 THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT Introduction: We have established in the previous lesson that the Ten Commandments were not abolished, neither were they to be changed. Mal. 3:6; Matt. 5:17,18. It is still wrong to kill, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet. We still should not worship idols, or use God’s name profanely, and we should honor and respect our parents. Then why should we not obey the fourth commandment? 1. When did God make the Sabbath? Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Note: Sabbath did not begin at Sinai. It began at Creation. It is not Jewish. It was made before there ever was a Jew. It is a memorial of Creation, and a reminder that God is our Creator. Before a law can go into effect, it must have the seal of authority. Every country has or should have a seal. The leader of the country usually has a seal. Our president has his own seal. It gives his name, his title, and his territory--Bill Clinton, President of the United States. The fourth commandment contains God’s seal. It has His name--GOD, His title--Creator, and His territory--Heaven and Earth. Without a seal God’s law would be void. For this reason Satan especially hates the fourth commandment and does all he can to get the whole world to disregard it. 2. When does the Sabbath begin and end? Lev. 23:32. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. How do we know when “even” begins? Mark 1:32. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Note: From these references we can conclude that the Sabbath begins when the sun goes down one day, and ends when the sun goes down the next day. Further, the days of Creation, as recorded in Genesis 1, all began at even. They were also literal twenty-four hour days just like we have now. If we say they were not, but that they were long periods of time, maybe a thousand or more years long, we are limiting God’s power. In Ps. 33:6,9, we are told, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made...For He spake and it was done: He commanded, and it stood fast.” Doesn’t that sound like a pretty quick accomplishment? And the fourth commandment tells us to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” and “six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work.” Why should He put so much emphasis on long indefinite periods of time? See Ps. 89:34; 111:7,8. 4. Can we be sure the Sabbath is the same as at Creation? Has time been lost? Note: Though the calendar is constantly being updated to compensate for the 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 47.8 seconds in the year, yet the week of seven days has never been altered. Time can be traced to the very second by the position of the stars. The Department of Astronomy at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., declares that from the position of the stars every moment of time has been kept track of since before 500 BC. Reliable sources testify no time has been lost. 5. What day of the week is Sabbath? Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 6. What day of the week is Sunday? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Note: It is the first day. Most, if not all dictionaries will tell you Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, and Sunday is the first day, as will also most calendars. Is there any verse in the Bible that says Sunday is holy and is now to be kept as the Sabbath? The first day of the week is mentioned only eight times in the Bible (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1,2,9-14; Luke 24:1; John 20:1,19; Acts 20:7,8; 1 Cor. 16:1,2.), and none of them indicate that a change has been made, and Sunday is now holy, replacing the seventh day Sabbath. 7. Is there a prophecy of an attempt to change God’s law? Dan. 7:25; Matt. 15:9. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 8. Has this prophecy been fulfilled? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Note: The early followers of Christ suffered much persecution, as is recorded of even earlier times in Heb. 11:36-38. Many gave up their lives. But by defeat they conquered and the gospel spread. Never giving up, Satan planned new strategies. His tactic to gain the victory this time was to join the church and bring in idolaters who only partially accepted Christianity. The majority of Christians were gradually led to compromise and lower the standards. Images of the saints were introduced to replace the idols the heathen worshiped and violated the second commandment. Then Sunday, “the venerable day of the Sun,” was brought in, at first to share attention with the true Sabbath and later to replace it. “The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday as a legal duty is a constitution of Constantine in 321 AD enacting that all courts of justice, inhabitants of towns, and workshops were to be at rest on Sunday (venerabili die Solis), with an exception in favor of those engaged in agricultural labor.” Encyclopedia Britannica, ninth edition, article “Sunday.” 9. Is there another law besides the Ten Commandments? Neh. 9:13,14; 2 Kings 21:8. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 10. Who wrote the Ten Commandments and on what? Deut. 9:9,10; 10:1-5; Ex. 31:18; 32:15,16. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Note: If you read further in Deuteronomy, you will see how and why the first tables of stone were broken by Moses, and how God wrote them again on the tables of stone that Moses “hewed.” You can also read it in Exodus 32 and 34. 11. Where were the Ten Commandments that were written on stone placed? Deut. 10:5. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 12. Who wrote the other law, and where did he write it? Deut. 31:24-26. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 13. Where was this law kept? Deut. 31:26. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 14. Which law was nailed to the cross? Col. 2:14-17. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Note: These verses show plainly that the law here referred to was not the Ten Commandments. This also tells us that these laws were a “shadow” of things to come, that is, the first coming of Jesus and His work. Therefore they met their fulfillment when Jesus was crucified---“nailed to the cross.”