The Word Commandment

Key Words of the Bible  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  42:56
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Deuteronomy 4:1–2 KJV 1900
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Deuteronomy 4:3–4 KJV 1900
Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.
Deuteronomy 4:5–6 KJV 1900
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Deuteronomy 4:7–8 KJV 1900
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Deuteronomy 4:9–10 KJV 1900
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Deuteronomy 4:11–12 KJV 1900
And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
Deuteronomy 4:13–14 KJV 1900
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.

Introduction

Words are an important part of our lives. Without words, we would not be able to communicate. In our series on the Key Words of the Bible, we are looking to define these important words as we study the Word of God.
The seventh word in this series is the word commandment. The words “command”, “commander”, “commanded”, “commanding”, “commandment” and “commandments” are use 900 times in the King James. The commands of God are found throughout the Scripture though they are primarily located in the Pentateuch or the Law of Moses. God has given man commands to allow us to know Him better, serve Him better and live lives full of the possession of God’s promised blessings.
Webster defines the word command as
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) (Command)
1com•mand \kə-ˈmand\ verb
[Middle English comanden, from Anglo-French cumander, from Vulgar Latin *commandare, alteration of Latin commendare to commit to one’s charge—more at COMMEND] verb transitive 14th century
1: to direct authoritatively: ORDER
2: to exercise a dominating influence over: have command of: as
The common theme in this definition is the idea of One who is in a position of authority communicating with others who are subservient to Him. This is the same idea found in the Bible. God created us. We are His. He has authority over us. Though we act as if no one else can tell us how we are to live, God has chosen to do just that in His Word. What we do with the commands of God in the Bible defines our eternal destiny!
Hebrews 1:1–3 KJV 1900
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Declaration

God has blessings for His people. The experience of the blessings of God require adherence to the clear laws of God. For the people in Deuteronomy, this was the Mosaic law. For us, the law of God is to follow the instructions in the New Testament. We need to follow the commands of God today.

1. A Command Grants Life

Deuteronomy 4:1–2 KJV 1900
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Verse 1 is the topic of the chapter. Moses says “Pay attention”, “hearken”. Moses is like a father teaching the people. The same word for teaching is the word for learning. Both things occur simultaneously. Moses calls for attention as he communicates the truth from God.
Deuteronomy 31:11–13 KJV 1900
When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
The statutes are the engraved or carved rules from God. The judgments are the decisions from God regarding the laws. The commands are the requirements of the covenant. So we see that there is a comprehensive nature to the terms used in this chapter. God is saying that we need to follow all that He has given us to do. Nothing is to be left out.
Exodus 24:12 KJV 1900
And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Jeremiah 32:11 KJV 1900
So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open:
As they were obeyed, the Command Granted Life. The truth that obedience to the laws of the covenant will result in life through possession of the land is called the Deuteronomic Principle and is found throughout the book. Retribution for obedience or disobedience is promised. Possession and blessing in the land was possible. Do you want to take advantage of the blessings that God has promised you? The only way is through obedience to His commands.
Verse 2 is a further explanation. There is a negative command here regarding adding to or taking from the commands. Moses passes on the instruction that no one should try to improve on the commands of God.
A Command Grants Life

2. A Command Guides Liberty

Deuteronomy 4:3–4 KJV 1900
Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.
Verse 3 and 4 are an illustration of the topic. The people only a few days before had been punished for disobedience to the commands of God. They encountered a people that worshiped a god of fertility. Instead of staying true to the only one who could bless them with true fruitfulness in the land of Promise, God’s people went after a god who was made of wood or stone. The punishment of God was swift.
Numbers 25:1–9 KJV 1900
And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor. And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
The sin at Baal-Peor had consequences even years later. Rebellion against the commands of God is not without destruction even in the distant future!
Joshua 22:17 KJV 1900
Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord,
Those who stuck to God were alive to hear the words of Moses. Each person hearing the sermon from Moses had made a personal choice in favor of obedience to God! A Command Grants Liberty. Each person can choose to obey or disobey the commands of God. Disobedience results in punishment. Obedience sees the blessings of God realized.
A Command Grants Life
A Command Guides Liberty

3. A Command Gives Light

Deuteronomy 4:5–8 KJV 1900
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Verse 5 is a restatement of the topic. Moses reminds them that his job was to teach the written and verbal commands of God to the people.
Verse 6 is the application of the topic. Obedience is the correct response to the commands of God. Take care. Show concern. Watch your step. Moses says, “Keep the commands of Scripture with diligence!”
The importance of the commandments is seen in verses 6-8. The word translated wisdom is the same word found in Proverbs. Wisdom comes by obeying the Word of God. Understanding is the point of learning and gaining information. Understanding is granted by God.
Proverbs 8:32–36 KJV 1900
Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: For blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.
What does make a nation great?
The armies of the Macedonians were able to conquer all of Greece in the 300s BC. They went on to defeat the Persians in battle multiple times. They captured the kingdom of Egypt and built an empire that stretched from Europe to India. Would it be correct to call this nation great because it was led by a man we know in history as Alexander the Great?
During the lead up to the First World War, there was a concept in International Affairs regarding the idea of a Great Nation or a “Great Power”. This was a nation that could represent itself through ambassadors and was instrumental in keeping peace or in resolving disputes. It could fight another Great Power on its own and was self-sufficient. Does this make a nation truly great?
The answer to the greatness of a nation is found in verse 6-8. A great nation is:
defined by obedience to the statutes found in the Word of God v. 6
described as near to God and in close communication with Him v. 7
determined to have the righteous laws given by God v. 8
Psalm 147:19–20 KJV 1900
He sheweth his word unto Jacob, His statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: And as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.
Israel was great because of the laws of God and the promises that came thereby. Growth or greatness comes through the commands of God. A Command Gives Light to the world so the other nations will see the greatness of God!
A Command Grants Life
A Command Guides Liberty
A Commands Gives Life

4. A Command Guarantees Love

Deuteronomy 4:9–14 KJV 1900
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
In verse 9, Moses zeroes in on the problem and the reason for the sermon he is preaching. The beginning of disobedience is the soul of man. Our heart is where the rebellion begins to take root.
Proverbs 4:23 KJV 1900
Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.
Jeremiah 17:9 KJV 1900
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
We must be sure to take great care to follow what God has commanded. The specific commands here are the ones spoken directly by God on Horeb, the Ten Commandments. The purity of God is seen in the way that He showed Himself on Horeb as He gave these commandments. The same word is found in the description of the burning bush as God appeared to Moses.
Exodus 19:16–18 KJV 1900
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Exodus 20:1–17 KJV 1900
And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
God says, “Keep these commandments!” “Fear me!” is the command of God. “Pass on what you have learned to each generation because the holiness of God is the standard He will judge by.”
Joshua 22:5 KJV 1900
But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
But, you say, we cannot keep the Ten Commandments. You are right! We cannot measure up to the commands of God. What can be done? What is the plan of God to bring righteousness to mankind? Remember, A Command Guarantees Love! Because of the commands of God, a standard that we cannot meet, Jesus came to die for us!
Galatians 3:19–26 (KJV 1900)
Wherefore then serveth the law? …But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

If you set aside a glass of water with dirt and garbage in it and left it undisturbed for a few days, the particles would settle to the bottom of the glass so that the water would begin to look drinkable. However, we all know that it would still be dangerous to drink, even though that wasn’t readily evident. If you took a sterile spoon and stirred the water, it would become readily evident that the water was not clean.

The law is like the sterile spoon—though perfect in itself, it was intended to make evident to us the true nature that exists within us.744

God has blessings for His people. The experience of the blessings of God require adherence to the clear laws of God. For the people in Deuteronomy, this was the Mosaic law. For us, the law of God is to follow the instructions in Gal 6:1-10. We need to follow the commands of God today.
Galatians 6:1–10 (KJV 1900)
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
What law are you following?
Someone without salvation is still bound to follow the law of Moses. She has to measure up to a standard that is unreachable. He is only condemned by the severity of the words from Horeb. Nothing we can do on our own will pass through the fire of the mountain! Nothing we can do will meet the high requirements of the Ten Commandments.
Someone with salvation is commanded to follow the law of Christ. For the Christian, the question is how closely are we walking to the Spirit? How far are we walking to the path of the flesh? What seeds are we sowing in our fields? Are we indifferent to the need to follow God? Are we actively going our own way? Have we setup another object of worship on the throne of our hearts?
Today, you can choose to follow the commands of the Bible. What are you going to do about the commandments? Obedience to the commands of God begins with salvation through the righteous death of Christ for you on the cross. In the story of the Philippian jailer we see this command,
Acts 16:29–31 KJV 1900
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
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