103. Q. What is God's will for you in the fourth commandment? A. First, that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained, and that, especially on the festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God's people to learn what God's Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor. Second, that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through His Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath. My reflections on the reading from the book...
The concept of a Sabbath was present from the very beginning, when God set aside one day in seven, demonstrated in His resting on the seventh day of creation. The Mosaic Law taught God's people that they should turn aside from their regular labors to observe the Lord's Day, demonstrating their trust in God's gracious supply. Christ taught His disciples that the Sabbath was a day of freedom (Luke 13:10-17), a day for healing (Luke 14: 1-6), and a day for doing good (Mark 3:1-6). The fourth commandment points to the eternal rest appointed for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9-10).
We set aside the first day of the week, as we rest from our daily employment and pursuits, to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and worship the Lord together with fellow believers.
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