Sabbath is part of what you call "the moral law".
It appears to me that Sabbath-breaking is only immoral for Jews.
An offense against the Sabbath-keeping community.
You sidestepped the question. But I can drop it if you wish.
Perhaps
@Sister-n-Christ could take a stab at it?
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I understand why you might see the Fourth Commandment as different from, say, 'You shall not murder' or 'You shall not steal,' which have more immediately obvious social harm when broken. Some see the Sabbath as purely ceremonial. However, from my perspective, the Fourth Commandment is deeply moral, and breaking it can indeed be seen as undermining the principles behind the other nine commandments, in line with the idea that offending in one point makes one guilty of all.
The idea from James 2:10 isn't that breaking the Sabbath *is* literally murder, but that it reveals a disregard for the Lawgiver and the source of all moral law. It's about the orientation of the heart.
So, how could my disregard for the Sabbath (the Fourth Commandment) materially connect to breaking the others? Here's how I see it:
Regarding the First Commandment ("You shall have no other gods before me"): If I choose to disregard the Sabbath, what am I prioritizing over God? Often, it's my work, my ambitions, my leisure, or my desire for more income. These can become 'other gods' I serve, placing my desires and the demands of the material world above my relationship and duty to the Creator who ordained rest and set-apart time. My allegiance shifts.
Regarding the Second Commandment ("You shall not make for yourself a carved image... you shall not bow down to them or serve them"): While I might not be carving a wooden idol, by rejecting the Sabbath's call to cease from my own works and acknowledge Him, I might find myself 'bowing down' to the idol of materialism, constant productivity, or even self-reliance. I'm effectively serving the works of my hands or my intellect rather than the Creator.
Regarding the Third Commandment ("You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain"): If I claim to follow God but intentionally ignore a command like the Sabbath, which He explicitly calls "holy," am I not treating His name, His authority, and His commands lightly? It can become a form of hypocrisy, where my actions don't align with my professed allegiance, thereby making His name seem less significant or His commands optional.
Regarding the Fifth Commandment ("Honor your father and your mother"): God is our ultimate spiritual Parent. Disregarding His explicit instructions for our well-being (spiritual, mental, physical rest) and His honor, like the Sabbath, can be seen as dishonoring Him, much like a child might dishonor earthly parents by rejecting their wise and loving guidance.
Regarding the Sixth Commandment ("You shall not murder"): While not direct murder, constant refusal to rest (a core Sabbath principle) and driving myself (or others, if I'm an employer) relentlessly can destroy health, shorten life, and crush the human spirit. It can reflect a devaluing of human life and well-being, which is at the heart of the prohibition against murder. Am I not, in a way, 'killing' my spirit, or contributing to conditions that diminish life by ignoring God's provision for restoration?
Regarding the Seventh Commandment ("You shall not commit adultery"): The Sabbath is about setting aside time for God and sacred things, which includes fostering spiritual and relational health. If I consistently neglect this, my spiritual, emotional, and even physical well-being can suffer. This can make me more vulnerable to temptation or lead to a neglect of other important covenant relationships, including marriage, because my priorities are disordered. It's about faithfulness; if I'm unfaithful to God in this dedicated time, where else might that pattern of unfaithfulness creep in?
Regarding the Eighth Commandment ("You shall not steal"): The Sabbath time is set apart by God, for God, and for our God-given need for rest. By using it purely for my own gain or worldly pursuits without regard for His claim or my own need for holy rest, am I not 'stealing' what He has designated? If I'm an employer and deny others their rightful Sabbath rest for my profit, I'm stealing from them.
Regarding the Ninth Commandment ("You shall not bear false witness"): If I profess faith and a commitment to God's ways, but my actions (like consistently ignoring the Sabbath) contradict that profession, I'm presenting a false witness about what it means to follow God. My life isn't aligning with my words, which is a form of falsehood.
Regarding the Tenth Commandment ("You shall not covet"): Often, the primary urge to break the Sabbath comes from covetousness – wanting more wealth, more success, more possessions, or fearing I won't have enough if I stop producing. It's a failure to trust in God's provision and a desire for what He hasn't ordained for that time, or what belongs to others in terms of market share or opportunity. The Sabbath teaches contentment and trust.
So, from my perspective, the Sabbath isn't just an arbitrary rule; it's deeply woven into the moral fabric. Breaking it often reveals an underlying heart issue—a prioritization of self over God, materialism over spiritual well-being, or distrust over faith—that can easily lead to violations of the other commandments in spirit, if not always in literal deed. It's about who or what ultimately commands my allegiance and how I value what God values. Its observance is a moral act of acknowledging God's sovereignty, our dependence, and the need for sacred boundaries in a fallen world.
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