Aug 13, 20225 min read

Christian Discipleship Lesson Seven

This lesson will include the questions, answers, and commentary for fifty-nine through sixty-eight of this Discipleship. This seventh lesson answers questions concerning the Ten Commandments, as per the Holy Bible, emphasizing the third and fourth commandments.

Christian Discipleship Lesson Seven

QUESTION 59: WHAT IS THE THIRD COMMANDMENT?

Answer: The third commandment is, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Scripture: Exodus 20:7.

Primarily because of this commandment, the Israelites refused to use the personal name of God. In the Bible, when LORD is spelled out in all capital letters, the translators used LORD instead of the tetragrammaton YHWH. In other words, they substituted LORD for the personal name of God, YHWH, pronounced Yahweh. This rendering was at the request of the Hebrew scholars who were helping them with the translation. The Israelites refused to use God’s name for fear of using it in vain. Today, many people use God’s name as an expletive, which is absolutely disgusting. Do not use the LORD’s name in vain.

QUESTION 60: WHAT IS REQUIRED IN THE THIRD COMMANDMENT?

Answer: The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God’s name, titles, attributes, ordinances, words, and works. Scripture: Psalm 29:2; 111:9; 138:2; Deuteronomy 32:1-4; 28:58-59; Matthew 6:9; Ecclesiastes 5:1; Job 36:24; Revelation 4:8; 15:3-4.

God is our creator and sovereign Lord, so everything about Him and His deeds and works should be revered as precious and blessed. This concept includes His precepts, covenants, and laws, which we learn and follow as part of our ongoing sanctification. In other words, we separate ourselves from this world and try to live every moment in service to God as prescribed by Biblical scripture.

QUESTION 61: WHAT IS FORBIDDEN IN THE THIRD COMMANDMENT?

Answer: The third commandment forbids all profaning and abusing of anything whereby God makes himself known. Scripture: Exodus 20:7; Malachi 1:6-7; Leviticus 20:3; 19:12; Matthew 5:34-37; Isaiah 52:5.

Using God’s personal name, other names (Jesus, Adonai, Elohim, Jehovah, etc.) or titles (King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jehovah Jireh, El Shaddai, etc.) is the sin of using God’s name in vain (unproductively, disrespectfully) and is strictly prohibited.

QUESTION 62: WHAT IS THE REASON ANNEXED TO THE THIRD COMMANDMENT?

Answer: The reason seized by the third commandment is that the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not allow them to escape his righteous judgment. Scripture: Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 28:58-59; Malachi 2:2.

Again, this is why Jews will not use God’s personal name. You may not receive judgment by mankind for using God’s name in vain, but you will not escape the righteous judgment of God for this offense.

QUESTION 63: WHAT IS THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT?

Answer: The fourth commandment is, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it, thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11.

This commandment is self-explanatory but directed to the Israelites. Nevertheless, as per God’s example, we are to work for six days and rest on the seventh day.

QUESTION 64: WHAT IS REQUIRED IN THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT?

Answer: The fourth commandment requires the keeping holy to God such set times as he has appointed in his Word, expressly one whole day in seven to be a holy Sabbath to himself. Scripture: Leviticus 19:30; Deuteronomy 5:12.

The Hebrew word sabbath is defined as a day of rest. It is not a day of worship. We are required to worship our Lord at all times, every day. We are to rest on the Sabbath, and it has also become customary congregationally to worship on the Sabbath.

QUESTION 65: WHICH DAY OF THE SEVEN HAS GOD APPOINTED TO BE THE WEEKLY SABBATH?

Answer: From the creation of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath. Then the sabbath became the first day of the week after the resurrection, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath. Scripture: Genesis 2:3; John 20:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Revelation 1:10.

As Christians, we keep the sabbath to commemorate the resurrection of Christ. Initially, the sabbath was on the last day of the week. The Hebrews started each day at sunset, so the Hebrew sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. Using modern timekeeping, we start our Christian sabbath (day of rest) at midnight Sunday morning and end at midnight Monday morning. Regardless of which day you rest, the mandate of the fourth commandment is to rest one day every seven days.

QUESTION 66: HOW IS THE SABBATH TO BE SANCTIFIED?

Answer: One day in seven should be especially devoted to corporate worship and other spiritual exercises that restore the soul’s rest in God and zeal for His name. It should provide physical refreshment and devoted service to Christ. Scripture: Leviticus 23:3; Isaiah 58:13-14; Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:27; Romans 14:5-6.

This corporate or congregational worship has no mandate within this scripture but is a convenient way to obey the instruction to assemble together, exhorting one another, found in Hebrews 10:25.

QUESTION 67: WHAT IS FORBIDDEN IN THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT?

Answer: The fourth commandment forbids dishonoring the Lord’s Day by actions or thoughts that divert the soul from spiritual refreshment, deprive the body of renewed energy, or distract the mind from its special Sabbath focus on the Lord. Scripture: Ezekiel 22:26; 23:38; Jeremiah 17:21; Nehemiah 13:15-17; Acts 20:7; Mark 2:23-28; Romans 14:5-6.

The Sabbath is not just a time to rest your body but also a time to refresh your minds with scripture, spiritual songs, and worship of our perfect God. It’s a time to refocus your mind on following Christ and learning and obeying Biblical scripture.

QUESTION 68: WHAT ARE THE REASONS ATTACHED TO THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT?

Answer: The reasons attached to the fourth commandment are God’s creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh and his blessing on the Sabbath day. Scripture: Exodus 20:9-11; 31:16-17; Genesis 2:2-3.

God provided the example by creating in six days and resting on the seventh day. He could have made everything instantly, but he chose to give us an example to live by for our collective good. So, keep the sabbath to keep it holy. Rest is the mandate with congregational worship as a blessed observance to refresh our hearts and minds as we worship our perfect God.