And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it isa sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.’”

  - Exodus 31.12, 13

Do not profane the Sabbath of the Son of God, but conduct your business at the proper time. On Sundays meditate on the Scriptures, read them aloud and make copies of them.

  - The Rule of Ciarán, Irish, 7th or 8th century[1]

Those old Celts surely knew how to have fun. Especially on the Lord’s Day.

Ah, think of it – a whole day set aside for nothing else but thinking about and communing with the Lord, resting our weary bodies, meditating on Scripture, talking about spiritual things, reviewing our week in the light of God’s Word, and wandering in our spirits through the corridors of glory in the throne room of King Jesus. What fun!

No pressures of work. No outside diversions or distractions to keep us from our focus on the Lord. Just a whole day set aside for being in the beautiful presence of Jesus Christ.

To many people – perhaps most? – that doesn’t sound like much fun. What about football? Going out to eat? Heading out to the lake? Getting in a little tennis or golf? Doing some shopping? Isn’t Sunday supposed to be a day for me?

Well, no.

It’s significant that of only one of His commandments does the Lord use the phrase, “surely.” Our text shows us which one. That Hebrew word, ach!, is an exclamation made for emphasis, and it appears only in conjunction with the fourth commandment.

The Lord’s Day should be regarded as a sign to remind and renew us in the sanctifying grace of God. Ignore the sign and you might miss the next turn in your journey with the Lord, or you may careen off the road God has mapped out for you along the path of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. Submit to the sign and your journey will make recognizable progress, week after week.

The Lord’s Day is just that – His day. We must not presume to make it our day, one in which our rules, our preferences, and our interests are paramount. God has a plan for how we should use His day, and those who regularly submit to that plan call the Sabbath a delight and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The two versions of the Ten Commandments provide two different verbs for making best use of the Lord’s Day, and two different reasons why we should. This week in Crosfigell I want to explain each of these, and help you think a little more clearly about how you can begin to make the most of this day God surely wants you to keep as a sign for your sanctification.

First, the verbs: In Exodus 20.8 God commands us to remember the Sabbath. That is a very active word in the Hebrew, which is frequently used to describe God’s detailed attending to the needs of His people. We remember the Lord’s Day as we should when we plan for it well and conduct all the details of it in line with God’s purposes for our sanctification.

In Deuteronomy 5.12 God commands us to observe the Sabbath. That word is literally, “guard,” and it recalls the work of the cherubim with their flaming sword, guarding the Garden of Eden against Adam’s return (Gen. 4.24). That use of the word harks back to God’s original charge to Adam in Genesis 2.15, where the word is used with respect to Adam’s duty to guard the Garden from whatever might spoil its God-intended use.

So we are to remember the Lord’s Day, arranging all the details of it to further our sanctification; and we are to guard each Sunday against anything that might come in and spoil its purpose as a sign for our sanctification.

“Surely,” the Lord commands us to keep His Sabbaths “throughout your generations.”

We ignore such signs at our own peril.

Psalm 95.7-9 (Tidings: “O Zion, Haste, Thy Mission High Fulfilling”)
You are our God, we are Your sheep, Your people:
Speak, Lord, and let us hearken to Your Word.
Let not our hearts grow hard through sin and feeble,
As when our fathers sinned against You, Lord.
 Come, let us worship, kneel to our Lord;
 Worship our Maker: Father, Holy Spirit, Word.

Have mercy upon me, O God, from whom and through whom is the rule of all created things for Thee, O God.To Thee be glory and honour forever and ever. Anonymous, Litany of the Trinity[2]

A Day for Singing
One excellent way to spend the Lord’s Day is by singing to the Lord. Here’s where The Ailbe Psalter could help you. Our Psalter offers all 150 psalms cast in familiar hymn tunes, so that you can sing the Lord’s own words back to Him. If you don’t know the tunes, you can find them all on YouTube, usually in instrumental form, so you can sing along with the melody.

Order a copy of The Ailbe Psalter today, so you can begin to “remember” and “guard” your Sundays with singing to the Lord.

Please prayerfully consider becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.
T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.