Shorter Catechism Q. 60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified? A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.
Commentary: The fourth commandment requires us to keep the sabbath day holy. How do we keep it holy? The answer is twofold: rest and worship.
First, we are to rest from our normal work or employment. Work, of course, is good. Indeed, it is what theologians call a creation ordinance. We were created to work. Working all the time, however, is not good. It is not healthy to be a workaholic. We need time off and time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. God grants us that time in the fourth commandment. The sabbath, which means to cease or desist, is a day of rest and is akin to what we call a “holiday.”
Second, we are to worship. The sabbath is a sabbath “to the LORD your God (Ex. 20:10).” This means that it is a day to draw near to God. In the Old Testament, the sabbath was the day for holy convocations (Lev. 23:3), and for special sacrifices and other activities at the Temple. In the New Testament, the old covenant sabbath was the day for worship at the synagogue, while the new covenant sabbath or Lord’s Day was the day the early church met for worship.