God’s moral will is not decided by some standard external to him, but derives from his own character and attributes. One of the places in the Bible this is clearest is in Leviticus 19:2, where God commands: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” In other words, in the same way that God is altogether set apart unto himself, i.e. to his own glory, so he commands his people also to be fully set apart unto his glory.
What does it look like to be holy as God is holy? As Leviticus 19 goes on to answer that question, we are surprised. We expect one or all of the first three commandments to be listed after this summary injunction. Yet, that is not what we find. Instead, we find commandment #5 and commandment #4 in Leviticus 19:3: “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God."
Why would the text deal with revering parents and keeping the Sabbath immediately after calling for God-like holiness? It seems to be that these two commandments deal with foundational truths.
The Sabbath not only reminds us we regularly need rest—a rest that we can find only in God—it also reminds us we need regular times of concentrated worship of God that recharge us by his grace.
The command to revere parents reminds us that from early in life children are to learn to submit to, honor, and obey their parents, and this prepares them for submitting to God as their king.
What we discover in these two commandments, then, are some important and foundational truths. The New City Catechism, #10, explains them this way: “What does God require in the fourth and fifth commandments? Answer: 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.”
Joyfully Resting In And Honoring Our Heavenly Father With You,
Tom
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