Sabbath and Obedience to Father/Mother

[ConfederateTheocrat]

My parents are divorced. My Mom and I are recent "converts" (for lack of a better word) to Presbyterianism. My Dad and Stepmother are Southern Baptists. I am at their house today, and they took me out to eat, as they do every sunday, after church. I did not eat, and sat in the restraunt starving (for the first time, as I recently have become a pro-Sabbath Christian).

Is it ok to eat on the Sabbath at a restraunt? They used the "honor your father and mother" argument to say I could. So, if my father told me to shoot someone, should I "honor" his command, or what? Acts 5:29 seems to say no. What do I do?

 

[Scott Bushey]

My opinion, you did right by taking a stand.

Matthew 10:21-22, 34-39

Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will turn against their parents and send them to their death. All will hate you for your allegiance to me; but the man who holds out to the end will be saved"¦.You must not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a son´s wife against her mother-in-law; and a man will find his enemies under his own roof. No man is worthy of me who cares more for father or mother than for me; no man is worthy of me who cares for son or daughter; no man is worthy of me who does not take up his cross and waLuke in my footsteps. By gaining his life a man will lose it; by losing his life for my sake, he will gain it.

 

[turmeric]

These are Christians with a different understanding of Sabbath than you have. You do it as unto the Lord, presumably they are keeping the Sabbath as unto the Lord in their way. I probably would have eaten with them unless they made the Sabbath-thing an issue, in which case I would have eaten nothing.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

We are to obey our parents in the Lord (Eph. 6.1). I would encourage you to read Nehemiah 13. The Fourth Commandment ought not to be in conflict with the Fifth Commandment, but when it is, you are right to "obey God rather than men." Honor the Lord and honor your parents. Speak with humility and let the grace of God be evident in your conversation. But when put to the test, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

 

[Peter]

You did the right thing Mark. People working on the sabbath are sining, by using their service on the Lord's Day you would be complicit in their sin. Preparing/serving food normally isnt a breach of the Sabbath Mat 12:1-12 but only so far as it is necessary to relieve hunger and get on with normal works of piety. In a restraunt people are doing it for money. No one in authority over you can force you to sin Acts 5:29 as you have duely noted.

Also notice the 4th commandment prohibits us from commanding our inferiors to breaking the Sabbath:
EX 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

See here for a thorough exposition of the Fourth and Fifth Commandments as they relate to this situation: http://www.opc.org/documents/WLC_frames.html

[Edited on 16-1-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[ConfederateTheocrat]

Thanks for the encouraging words everyone. I am glad I did what was right. Still, I miss the tradition of eating out after church a tad. I see several preachers there too!!

But God's way is better.

 

[Abd_Yesua_alMasih]

I could have got this completly wrong so scream me down if I have and I will give in but is the Sabbath a sign of the covenant given to those within the covenant? Is it a sin for those outside of the covenant to break?

 

[Scott Bushey]

Fraser,
All men are without excuse. All men are judged according to the Law of God. All men are responsible to obey.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by Abd_Yesua_alMasih
I could have got this completly wrong so scream me down if I have and I will give in but is the Sabbath a sign of the covenant given to those within the covenant? Is it a sin for those outside of the covenant to break?

The Fourth Commandment is part of God's moral law binding all men. It is ceremonial to the extent that it originally bound men to keep the 7th day of the week holy, but this was changed in the New Testament to the first day of the week. It is moral in that the duty to keep God's day holy is of perpetual obligation.

Acts 17.30: And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Westminster Larger Catechism:

Question 91: What is the duty which God requires of man?

Answer: The duty which God requires of man, is obedience to his revealed will.

Question 92: What did God at first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience?

Answer: The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him, besides a special command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was the moral law.

Question 93: What is the moral law?

Answer: The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding everyone to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul and body, and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he owes to God and man: promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it.

Question 94: Is there any use of the moral law to man since the fall?

Answer: Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate.

Question 95: Of what use is the moral law to all men?

Answer: The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly;to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives; to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.

Question 96: What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?

Answer: The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to flee from wrath to come, and to drive them to Christ; or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable, and under the curse thereof.

Question 97: What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?

Answer: Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned; yet, besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them: How much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.

Question 98: Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?

Answer: The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon Mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of stone; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. The four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man.

[Edited on 17-1-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[Abd_Yesua_alMasih]

I see your point and agree

 

[Ivan]

It has taken me a long time to get to the point of remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Other than attending worship, reading and studying the Bible, listening to worshipful music, listening to sermons, etc., the only time I do something outside the norm is when it is just totally necessary. Those times are rare...and should be. I try the best I can to have everything I need ready for the Sabbath day, including getting fuel for the car, shopping, and preparing meals.

It has truly become a day of rest.

 

[bond-servant]

Originally posted by Ivan
It has taken me a long time to get to the point of remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Other than attending worship, reading and studying the Bible, listening to worshipful music, listening to sermons, etc., the only time I do something outside the norm is when it is just totally necessary. Those times are rare...and should be. I try the best I can to have everything I need ready for the Sabbath day, including getting fuel for the car, shopping, and preparing meals.

It has truly become a day of rest.

Me too. . I have only recently gotten here in the last few years though...
And, on a personal, selfish note, I do enjoy Sundays more this way. And, God certainly blesses my time with Him.

 

[Ivan]

Originally posted by bond-servant
Me too. . I have only recently gotten here in the last few years though...
And, on a personal, selfish note, I do enjoy Sundays more this way. And, God certainly blesses my time with Him.

Yes, Sundays are quiet and serene. It has taken me a long time to get here too. As with everything in life, there is an ebb and flow. There are high times and low times. Seasons of showers of blessings and seasons of great dryness.

Through it all...Praise God!

 

[ConfederateTheocrat]

Thanks guys .

 

[ReformedWretch]

Very encouraging thread all!