Although the Fourth Commandment has been likened to the keystone of an arch, being the only Commandment which overtly contains duties both to God and man, probably no Commandment has been so overlooked and ignored. It is therefore not without significance that this Commandment begins with the words, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).
We are to remember this day, but more than just take note of it, we are to keep it holy. How does one keep the Sabbath holy? Very helpful here is the statement provided in the Westminster Confession of Faith (chapter 21, paragraph 8):
“This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments, and recreations, but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.”
When one considers all that is implied here, it ought to be quite clear to us how contrary to such a spending of the Sabbath is the practice, so common nowadays, of holding “fundraising events” on this day. The argument so often put forward by those who support and engage in such events, is that it has to do with “duties of mercy” – for example, if there was to be an event to raise money for cancer research. Now, cancer research is indeed an honourable work and surely, the argument is, as long as the way of raising money for it is itself lawful (for example a cycle ride), then to raise money in this way would be, to quote words so often used today, a “right thing to do”.
Whether or not such an event in itself is lawful is however not the issue here. It is the holding of this on the Lord’s Day. Works of mercy are indeed to be done on the Sabbath, as the Lord pointed out to the Pharisees (who of course were failing to allow certain works of mercy). If an ox fell into a pit on the Sabbath it would be taken out, and if anyone came to Jesus in need of healing He would heal that person.
Therefore we conclude, if a person becomes ill, he or she must be taken to hospital and attended to. Also, to call on an elderly or sick neighbour with food is a work of mercy to be encouraged even on the Sabbath day. To raise money by an event, however, even if that event in itself cannot be faulted, is a flagrant breach of the Fourth Commandment, and it is this for two distinct reasons:
- There is no need for having such events on the Sabbath because there is no urgency. If money needs to be raised for some cause or other, why not do this on another day such as Saturday when most people are not working anyway?
- If one is engaged in such events on the Sabbath, what about the “holy rest” that is required on that day? And what about “the whole time being taken up in the public and private exercises of God’s worship”? Surely to have our minds taken up with the things of God and at the same time with fundraising events, is an impossibility. It is therefore a clear breach of the Fourth Commandment.
The Sabbath as a day of rest goes back to the creation of the world. For many centuries, indeed since the Fall, man has sought to bring the Sabbath down to the level of other days. In more recent times this assault on the Sabbath has been particularly severe and alas successful. Today people shop on the Lord’s Day as on other days. Sporting fixtures, especially football matches, are frequently held on this day. For those unable to attend, these events are beamed into people’s houses by way of TV channels.
That all these things are devices of Satan to keep people from God’s house and worship there can be no doubt. Neither can there be any doubt that these fundraising events on the Lord’s Day, even if they are for a good cause, are from the same source. Therefore they are not be engaged in or encouraged, being a flagrant breach of God’s holy law.
Rev Wilfred A Weale