Foreword:
The following excerpt is taken from The Ten
Commandments by Arthur W. Pink
(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)
In this blog series I will work through this very
important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style
questions at the end. I have been much convicted by the writings of Pink and I
pray your walk will also be strengthened meditating on his teaching of
scripture …
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT PART II
It should thus be quite evident that this law for the
regulation of man's time was not a temporary one, designed for any particular
dispensation, but is continuous and perpetual in the purpose of God: the
Sabbath was "made for man" (Mark 2:27) and not simply for the Jew; it
was made for man's good. What has been pointed out above upon the twofoldness
of this Divine statute receives clear and irrefragable confirmation in the
reason given for its enforcement: "for in six days the Lord made heaven
and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day"
(v. 11). Observe well the twofoldedness of this: the august Creator deigned to
set an example before His creatures in each respect: HE worked for "six
days," He "rested the seventh day!" It should also be pointed
out that the appointing of work for man is not the consequence of sin: before
the Fall, God put him "into the garden of Eden to dress and to keep
it" (Gen. 2:15).
1) It is so common to say “rest in peace” when someone
dies but this turns out to be untrue in almost every interpretation of the
phrase. The damned will never know rest though the devil placates the world
with the false treaching of annihilationism (i.e. when a person dies they totally cease to exist). The Saint (saved elect person) will also not rest
either – but this is a pure blessing. Imagine eternity with nothing to do? That
would be a curse. According to Scripture, what work has God set for us to do (in the millenial kingdom
and then in the eternal state to come)? But there is a rest that is given to
the dead who die in Christ – it is the rest from temptation and the struggle
against sin, a true peace – a bliss. What sin or temptation do you struggle with that you long to be free from - to rest from?
2) Did God totally rest in the seventh day? Or was his
rest from a particular activity? What was Jesus’ teaching about the sabbath and
how did it differ from the legalism of the scibes and pharisees? How should
this contrast affect our use of the Lord’s day (Sunday)?
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