Preamble of the Ten Words
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
“I am not under law, but under grace!”
How often have you heard that said in a church setting? I bet you have heard it several times.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
You have probably heard it used whenever you or a friend has been challenged on a lack of Christian obedience to God. This will really come up if someone begins to quote a verse from, heaven forbid, the Old Testament. Especially something like the book of Leviticus.
We think that we can simply use this phrase from Paul as an excuse to sin. I want to remind you what the Bible says sin is:
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Sin is the transgression of the law. In junior church, we are memorizing a series of questions and answers for basic Christian life and thought. Here is how we define sin upstairs:
Q: What is sin?
A: Sin is any want of conformity to or transgression of the Law of God.
The Bible knows nothing of a lawless Christian.
Jesus Himself was very clear on this. Matt. 5.18-19
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
If we abide in lawlessness, we are at risk of damnation. But we are also well aware of the dangers of being a Pharisee. Of so striving after obedience to God that we are left in another form of cursing ourselves.
You dare not just sit back and accept that. We must strive for obedience, and we must seek it the way God desires of us.
What do you do?
That is one of the many questions I will be answering in our series that whose name I am borrowing from Adrian Rogers. Our series as called “Ten Words To Live By,” and we will be taking an in-depth look at each of the commandments in Exodus 20.
My desire is to show you how these Ten Words are the ten foundations for holiness before God, and that they have not changed for the Christian.
This morning, in our quest to find a way, we are going to look at the Preamble to the ten words. Turn to Exodus 20.1-2
Exodus 20:1–2 (KJV 1900)
1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
This is the introduction to the Ten Commandments. It sets the tone for how we are to look and obey. First,
God Has Spoken to Us
God Has Spoken to Us
Look at verse 1 again.
This takes place when Moses ascends Mt. Sinai. In chapter 19, the Israelites arrive at the mountain after months of traveling.
They come to the base of it and God tells Moses that He will come down and meet with his people.
But what did it mean for them to hear those words, to have God physically manifest himself?
Exodus 19:9 “9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. “
Exodus 19:16 “16 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.”
Exodus 19:20–22 “20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.”
When God came and spoke to His people here, they were terrified.
This happens repeatedly in the Old Testament.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Seeing and hearing God results in sin being felt to our bones.
When we see God for who He is, we have better eyes with which to view ourselves.
What we must not do is stop here. Stopping here will leave us in the danger of despair. If all you do is look at your sin over and over, you will fail in the Christian life.
Even the Old Testament Scriptures affirm this. After seeing that God has spoke, we now see
God Has Redeemed Us
God Has Redeemed Us
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Notice how this verse is structured.
He is The Covenant God
He is The Covenant God
The word “LORD” here is Yahweh. It is only used when God enters into intimate, personal relationships.
The first thing God says to His people, before He ever issues any commands, is that He is in a relationship with His people. He is specifically their God, their Lord, their Master. He is theirs.
Deuteronomy 5:1–2 (KJV 1900)
1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
And just in case they miss this, he reinforces.
He is Our God
He is Our God
Exodus 20:2 “2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
I am going to quote, at length, one of my favorite commentators who wrote extensively on this passage. Bear with me.
He not merely declares Himself to be Jehovah, the only God to whom men are bound by the right of creation, who has given them their existence, and who preserves their life, nay, who is Himself the life of all; but He adds, that He is the peculiar God of the Israelites; for it was expedient, not only that the people should be alarmed by the majesty of God, but also that they should be gently attracted, so that the law might be more precious than gold and silver, and at the same time “sweeter than honey,” (Ps. 119:72, 103;) for it would not be enough for men to be compelled by servile fear to bear its yoke, unless they were also attracted by its sweetness, and willingly endured it.
He is The Saving God
He is The Saving God
Exodus 20:2 “2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Your God has saved you.
Before God gives his law to his people, He gives grace to His people.
Before He calls them to obey, He calls them out of Egypt.
Before He demands from them, He delivers them.
Grace paves the way for faith-filled obedience.
This is here, even in the Old Testament.
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
This fact is why we come to church with a different attitude than what the Israelites did at the Mountain.
Grace for them was real, but veiled. The Savior was present, but sin was the emphasis.
Now, we see our Savior clearly.
Hebrews 12:18–24 “18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
We come to the mountain of God full of grace-filled obedience.
You want to know how you obey God well? How you love and submit to Him?
You go to the cross of Christ. You read about it. You think about it. You journal about it. You meditate that God became a baby to save you.
This is how you keep your motivations in check.
The foundation for a life of obedience is the grace of God seen in Christ.
