Why the Fourth Commandment Holds the Key to Heaven: Part II

Israel was on the precipice, and they blew it.

They had come so far only to let fear rule them at the penultimate hour.

Had they only trusted in God, they would have—at long last—had rest. Instead they gave in to fear and turned their backs on the LORD.

Last time we looked at the Fourth Commandment as a metaphor: our six days’ work is to be obedient and remain faithful to God. The seventh day is rest that only God can provide—heaven.

Allow me to continue that metaphor for another week with a cautionary tale from the Old Testament.

Why the Fourth Commandment Holds the Key to Heaven

Twice in the past fourteen months my family and I have traveled to Florida by car. (You’re not getting me on a plane with three young kids—especially my own.) But here’s the best part:

We drove straight through.

Ready for some rest after a long road trip

Now if you’re coming from, say, Alabama that’s not such a big deal. But we drove from Norman, Oklahoma—a twenty-hour trip.

We’re talking a full day in the car.

With three kids.

I cannot say I recommend it per se, but it was the right decision for us: it saved time, saved money on hotel and saved money on food because we ate meals in the car.

Both times we did it, getting there was much easier than getting back.

Why?

On the way there we were fueled by excitement. We were fueled by the promise of a week of fun.

But we also had the promise of rest.

We knew once we got there, we would have a week of relaxation (as much as a parents with three children can).

On the way back?

Not so much.

We would have to go back to the grind—back to work, back to responsibility.

Our lives are kind of like a road trip: exciting at times, grueling at others. But just like my family's road trips to Florida, we too have the promise of rest once we reach our destination:

. . . the promise of entering his rest still stands . . . Hebrews 4:1

But God's rest is eternal, and there is no return trip.

Our journey on earth, though tough at times, is totally bearable because we have that promise.

The Fourth Commandment as a Metaphor

So where does the Fourth Commandment fit in to all of this?

While I do believe that the commandment to honor the Sabbath is literal, and that it is still relevant (more on that in two weeks), I also believe that the Fourth Commandment is a metaphor—one that demonstrates the key to eternal life:

Why We Often Take God's Love for Granted

Before Katie and I got into the child-rearing business (8 hugs/hour), I had copious amounts of free time.

When the work day was done, I was done.

That left over five hours per day to do whatever the hell I wanted.

You know what I did with that time?

Why the Fourth Commandment Holds the Key to Peace

Have you ever tried to sleep when you were stressed out about something? How did that work out?

Believe me, I’ve been there.

One time I lost three thousand dollars.

Why The Fourth Commandment Holds the Key to Freedom

I felt like a slave.

I wasn’t doing any hard labor. I didn’t spend long hours in the sun.

But I felt just as exhausted at the end of the day.

I spent nearly an hour in traffic commuting to work, risking my life and destroying my car—the cost of suburban living and urban work.

I was stressed out before I even got to my job which was often stressful itself.

Then another hour in traffic.

I fought going to sleep because that meant the next day would come sooner.

I didn’t even notice how tired I really was until I changed jobs. I had become accustomed to it.

I had accepted it.

Rest Means Freedom

We don’t often realize we are held in bondage if the chains are metaphysical. The chains of alcoholism, workaholism and lust may not be material, but they are real.

Get More Out of Church: 5 Practical Steps

Do you desire a more meaningful church experience on Sunday?

Vinoth Chandar (cc)

Last week we looked at one way to accomplish that goal. Here are five more ways:

1. Expect to hear from God

Pray that God will send His Spirit and speak to the congregation.

And then expect that He will.

If you don't have faith that God is going to speak to you then why go to church at all?

Jesus says in Matthew 7:7 to “ask, and it shall be given you” (KJV). Ask that God would speak to the congregation and then attend in anticipation.

It may not happen every Sunday, but if you never ask will you ever receive?

2. Get plenty of rest

Getting enough rest helps ensure that you will be engaged in worship and focused during the sermon—not to mention a lot less likely to make a fool of yourself by snoring in church.

The fourth commandment tells us to rest, but if you begin the night before, you will have a better church experience.

Besides that, it will make the next step much easier.

1 Way to Get More Out of Church

Have you ever left a church service and thought to yourself, “Well that was a waste of time”?

I have.

Lest we get confused, this is not a limitation on God’s part. And it is rarely anyone else’s fault either. No, this is on us.

Photo Credit: Chad Kainz (Creative Commons)

So here is one way I have found to help avoid these instances when I feel something is lacking on Sunday: