Lesson Twenty Seven

REMEMBER GOD’S SPECIAL DAY

Memory Verse: Exodus 31:13
Further Study: Exodus 20:8-11, Desire of Ages: pp. 281-289; Child Guidance: p. 527-537

I don’t live far from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. If you were to drive into the city it wouldn’t be long before you saw the first memorial. It seems that on every corner is a monument to something or someone that has some significance in this nation’s history. The Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington monument, the World War II memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and on it goes. They are there to cause us to remember. 

The fourth commandment is something like those memorials. Each time the seventh day of the week, Sabbath (Saturday), comes, we are to be reminded. Not only are we to remember, but we are also to remind our children. Just as you might answer their questions about why a monument is there, you also share with them why we make the Sabbath a special day.

We keep the Sabbath to remember God as the creator.

We keep the Sabbath to remember God as the Creator. Only He could speak the world into existence. Only by Him does it continue to spin, cause the sun to shine and the air to sustain. We keep the Sabbath by resting. Not literally spending the day in bed, but we remember that once God finished His Creation, He rested. Therefore, we rest in the knowledge of His abundant love and grace for us.

Recently I had a to-do list that seemed to have no end. As the day was coming to a close, I knew the next item had an immediate deadline and rest would not come until it was completed. Just then my phone chirped. It was my daughter texting she had actually done the next item for me! Filled with surprise and relief, I sent her profuse thanks. Because she did the work, I was free to rest.

When I rest on the Sabbath, God does not. He continues to work on our behalf.

And that’s when it occurred to me that I’ve missed another important lesson from the Sabbath. When I rest on the Sabbath, God does not. He continues to work on our behalf. I can be relieved of work, worries, or tragic headlines because God is in control. Because He is, we are safe, loved, and protected. We rest in arms that hold us securely forever and ever. Being reminded of this once a week is good for my soul.

The Washington monument has stood for almost 175 years. Rock solid, it appears immovable. And yet, in 2011, an earthquake damaged the monument, a reminder that these memorials are only one terrible event from bringing them crashing down. What man has built, while meaningful, is fallible. Not so the Sabbath. The Sabbath, like God, is a constant. It remains a true memorial to the beginning of time. Let us remember, rest, remain, and be renewed.

Digging Deeper 

If you are like me, when the Sabbath rolls around you experience joy, relief, and excitement. But I must confess that, for me, it isn’t always for the right reasons. It often stems from the absence of work as well as the absence of chores. While I might sink into a chair knowing that there are six piles of laundry calling my name, I can ignore them in comfort and bliss. 

While rest and absence of labor is certainly part of the Sabbath commandment, the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary expands the meaning of rest. 

“We should ‘remember’ also that mere rest from physical labor does not constitute Sabbath observance. The Sabbath was never intended as a day of idleness and inactivity. Sabbathkeeping is not so much a matter of refraining from certain forms of activity as it is of entering purposefully into others. We cease from the weekly round of toil only as a means to the end of devoting the day to other pursuits. The spirit of true Sabbathkeeping will lead one to improve its sacred hours by seeking to understand more perfectly the character and will of God, to appreciate more fully His love and mercy, and to cooperate more effectively with Him in ministering to the spiritual needs of his fellow men” (vol. 1, p. 604).

Making it Real

After reading the above quote, what kind of activity could you plan for this coming Sabbath that either helps you understand God better, helps you appreciate His love and mercy, or helps to minister to the spiritual needs of others? Some ideas might be:

• Invite friends over for a Bible study followed by some refreshments
• Take a “scavenger hunt” walk in nature. Find things in nature that are featured in the Bible either in a story or something that reveals the character of God.
• Visit a shut-in from your church or a nursing home

Respond & Share

I love the Sabbath most because . . .
Please share with us in the comments!

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Merle Poirier writes from Silver Spring, Maryland, where she works as the operation manager for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines as well as the designer for KidsView, a magazine for 8-12-year-olds. She enjoys spending time with her family including being the grandmother of two active little boys, who greatly enjoy Starting With Jesus.

Coming next week:
“HOW WE LOVE OTHERS”
1 John 4:11, Exodus 20:12-17,
Patriarch and Prophets: pp. 308-309