Blog Interaction 2 - The Sabbath Day

Please respond to the following question (1st entry) and then respond to one other classmate's entry (2nd entry) by Friday, October 5 midnight. Thanks.

In Exodus 20.8, God commands us to both remember the sabbath and to keep it holy. The Hebrew word for remember, zakar, refers to an internal reality resutling in appropriate action. That action is found in the word holy, or kadesh. Kadesh is in the verbal form of a piel, or an imperative command, and refers to that which belongs to the sphere of the sacred. Thus, it is distinct from the common or profane. The word sabbath, or shabat, means to rest or cease from labor.

In what ways do you keep the sabbath in your life? Or do you? With this verse being a command, what consequences of not keeping the sabbath holy do you think will occur to an unfaithful believer? Is this an optional command, and if so, what other of the Ten Commandments are optional? Should Christians keep one day for the Lord?

Further consult Isaiah 58.13-14 as you prepare your answer.

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Blog Activity 1

This is the first blog interaction activity of four that will be required for the post.  Please respond to the following question:

 

1.  In class today we have been discussing how God has involoved himself in history.  Please read the following article by James Montgomery Boice at http://www.the-highway.com/providence_Boice.html concerning God's Providence, and His interaction with history.

2.  Based on our class discussion and reading this article, how has your perception of history changed?  How can you view historical events that are perceived as "evil" or "bad" in light of God's Providence? 

Welcome to the Course!

I hope that this semester will be beneficial in understanding Old Testament Survey. We will be utilizing this blog throughout the semester in order to discuss topics in more depth and to provide a venue for discussion for the student. You will be required to both respond to my question as well as one response four times during the semester. My plans are to have one blog entry per week. These blog topics will be announced in class and you may pick any topic that you are interested in. Please refer to the syllabus for the value of blog inputs and responses as it relates to your final grade.

God bless.