Rules on People Relating to God

Our Love for God

God Commands Our Love, Respect, and Obedience:
Choose to Love and Serve God

Exodus 20:1-11 The Message

20 1-2 God spoke all these words:
I am God, your God,
    who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
    out of a life of slavery.
3 No other gods, only me.
4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I’m unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.
7 No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.
8-11 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.

For Reflection

Idolatry is the archetype of sin. You might not erect a carved idol, but if you put yourself first, before God, and rely on self-determination, you are worshiping yourself. That separates you from a functional relationship with God. 


So, working on the Sabbath is not just a rule.  Not saving time upon which you focus your attention on the living God distracts you from your relationship to God.

Pray
Pray so that you can look beyond the rule to its intent.  Pray so that you do not elevate yourself to an object of worship.

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