“Obey The LORD’S Decrees And Live By Them!”

“Obey The LORD’S Decrees And Live By Them!”(Ez.20:8-13a).
Redeem us O God, from all our troubles.(Ps.25:22).
This week, our reflections centre on keeping the Sabbath day holy and as a day of rest. This commandment is the fourth in the Decalogue. It is also the last of the four commandments stressing the vertical relationship between the LORD and the individual.
From the perspective of liberation theology, it stands out among the Decalogue as the only one that reflects man’s vertical relationship with God as well as man’s horizontal relationship with man. On the Sabbath masters give their slaves and beasts of burden opportunity to enjoy a full day of rest and no work.
There are not less than six hundred laws of “dos” and “don’ts” in the Torah, including the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are, however, the core message from which the other hundreds derive or elaborate upon. They were given to Moses directly by the LORD on Mount Sinai and carved on stone tablets.
The importance of the Sabbath law cannot be gainsaid; the reason why it has such importance to be one of the ten core foundational laws.
The first time the Sabbath is mentioned as a day of rest is on the creation story where God rested on the seventh day; but it wasnt then given as a direct command for humanity to observe(Gen.2:2-3). However, (before the Decalogue was given to Moses on Mount Sinai) during the picking of manna that is when it was commanded that manna should not be picked on the seventh day since is “to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD”(Ex.23-26).
This history is intended to highlight the importance of the Sabbath law. Subsequent prophets in their time continued to remind the people each time they violated or abused the understanding of the Sabbath day.
In today’s pericope, God, through Ezekiel, recalled how he asked the rebellious people to do away with vile images, but they did not. The LORD said. “But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned…I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. Also, I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them. Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert… they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths…”
A day of rest is very important to retreat for prayer and quiet meditation on the wonders of God’s grace. It gives us time to reflect on our incompletness and asking God to make us complete the way he wants us to be.
And like we said yesterday, if the Sabbath is a day for doing good and not evil, let us take every day to be a Sabbath to the LORD.
My friend, if that is so, whatever role you are playing now concerning last Sunday’s presidential election, ask yourself: “How is my action going to be beneficial for all the beloved people of my fatherland?”
When you are called up to open the floor, remember that DJs usually do not play the song to open the floor to its end! Be vigilant. Otherwise, you will embarrass your partner as you continue to dance when the music has stopped!
Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me daily not to desecrate the Sabbath but to make a conscious effort to follow the LORD’S decree and live by them. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
14/10/2025.