Question 10 (March 5, 2023)

Q: What does God require in the fourth and fifth commandments?

A: Fourth, that on the Sabbath day we spend time in public and private worship of God, rest from routine employment, serve the Lord and others, and so anticipate the eternal Sabbath. Fifth, that we love and honor our father and our mother, submitting to their godly discipline and direction.

MEMORY PASSAGE: Leviticus 9:13

Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

Family Teaching Guide

DAY 1:

Recite question and answer then read the memory passage.

The fourth commandment deals with making time for God and worship as well as rest. God made us as human beings and has given us the gift of rest that we should take advantage of in faith.

DISCUSS: The modern world is obsessed with business. Time seems short for everyone. We idolize productivity. We often have calendars and schedules that are packed full. Deadlines at work and school to commitments, involvement in organizations, sports, and numerous other things crowd out our time. Think of how much you have to do in a day. You wake up and go to school, have classes all day, and maybe practice for a sport after school. homework, and that’s not to mention plays, performances, games, work, and other commitments. Do you ever wish you could just hit pause for a day? Well God has given us that gift. He has given us a day for physical and spiritual refreshment and rest. He has given us a day that is set aside for the church to gather to worship (the importance of prioritizing worship of God with the people of God) and for us as individuals to rest from all of the commitments and burdens of life. Far from being a burden, this is actually a gift. But like all gifts from God, it must be received by faith. We have to trust that God knows best. We have to trust that he will take care of our needs. We also have to trust that he knows what he is doing when he says rest rather than working and trying to be more productive on a day set aside for him. We have to trust that we are created and not God. Rest is essential for humans. We do grow tired while he does not. We have to trust that we need time to rest. Ultimately, this commandment points us to Christ who did all the work necessary for our salvation so we can rest from laboring to earn God’s favor in what he has done. God has ordained that children be in submission to their parents and honor them (respect them, obey them and love them with joy and eagerness). This submission to parents is really submission and obedience to God.

Additional reading: Mark 2:27; Gen 2:3; Heb 4:9-10

DAY 2:

Recite question and answer then read memory passage.

The fifth commandment addresses how children are to relate to their parents.

ASK: What does it mean to honor someone?

DISCUSS: God in his kindness has placed authority over us for our good. One of the most basic authority structures is that of the family. In the family, God has given children to parents who are charged with caring for them, protecting them, and raising them to know the truth about God. The only way that can work is for godly parents to exercise god-honoring authority and for children to joyfully and lovingly submit to their parents as God-given authority. Submitting to authority can be hard. Pride wells up within us. Our own desires conflict with what we are told. At times we have trouble trusting. Yet, God is teaching us something profound in the 5th commandment. He is teaching us to honor and obey him. The relationship between a child and a parent is to be a picture of the relationship God has as a father to his children (believers). By learning to lovingly and joyfully trust and obey our parents, treat them with respect, and submit to their authority, we are learning what it means to be part of God’s family and relate to him as his children. For parents, they are to seek to image God as a father by reflecting his love, patience, kindness, discipline and grace in how we relate to our children. God has ordained that children be in submission to their parents and honor them (respect them, obey them and love them with joy and eagerness). This submission to parents is really submission and obedience to God.

ADDITIONAL READING: Ephesians 6:1-4; Col 3:20; Proverbs 30:17