The law summarized in the Ten Commandments

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Welcome

Prayer

Hymn - ABIDE WITH ME, FAST FALLS THE EVENTIDE (905) - HENRY F LYTE 1793-1847

Notices

Prayer Meeting - 7:30pm

Friday 7pm - Online

Sunday Morning 11am & 6pm

Tithes & Offerings - £

Main Prayer

Hymn - O SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD (544) - James Montgomery 1771-1854

Reading

Deuteronomy 4:44–5:21 ESV

This is the law that Moses set before the people of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the rules, which Moses spoke to the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt, beyond the Jordan in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the people of Israel defeated when they came out of Egypt. And they took possession of his land and the land of Og, the king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who lived to the east beyond the Jordan; from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, as far as Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon), together with all the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah. And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said: “ ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “ ‘You shall have no other gods before me. “ ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. “ ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. “ ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. “ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. “ ‘You shall not murder. “ ‘And you shall not commit adultery. “ ‘And you shall not steal. “ ‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. “ ‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

Sermon

Living before the Living God

Do not try to make the invisible visible

No other God

God reveals himself through his spoken Word

The setting for the second giving of the law (ch 4 v44-49)

This passage is an introduction to the Law

“The Law” that Moses is going to give in the next 22 chapters

“The Law” emphasizes its unity and its divine authority

There is no distinction between the its discriptors

Testimonies

Statues

Rules

They simply express the variety of instructions that were given directly to God’s People

to enrich their lives as a community and as individuals

Description of the setting to remind the people that the Lord

delivered them from slavery

to make them His own

fashions them as a nation and settles them in the land he had promised

Moses, God’s spokesman & representation, gives them the law for their obedience as His people in His land

All God has done shows he is their sovereign Lord

it is their duty & blessing tokeep his commandments

Our service and obedience derives their impetus and motivation from His great mercies towards us

The setting of the first giving of the law (ch 5 v1-5)

Moses reminds them of what took place at Horeb

They are to learn the commands and take care to do them

He reminds them that the covenant was specifically made in the lifetime of those who are now the older generation standing before Moses

They heard the voice of the Lord speasking to them out of the fire

They witness the fire that surrounded the mountain

They feared when they relaised the holiness and justice of the Lord

They must therefore take to heart his words

keep them faithfully

teaching the rising generation to live in the same obedience

Two emphases underlie what Moses says

God’s grace and love that have brought Israel to this moment. They owe him everything.

The grace and love are God’s and God is great, holy and just.

He is Lord of all, majestic, clothed in clouds and fire, glorious, the creator before whom humans feel overwhelmed and utterly out of their depth, sinful and unworthy.

These emphases run throughout the whole Bible and need to be held together in our understanding and worship

The Ten Commandments repeated (ch 5 v6-21)

Deuteronomy 5:6 ESV

“ ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

“I am the Lord your God”

declaraion of Hid greatness; He is God

“Who brought you out of the land of Egypt”

shows mercy and their indebtedness to him

The commands were never intended as a way of salvation

Nor were they spoken to the world in general

They were given specifically to the redeemed, covenant people of God

Summerising the behaviour that the Lord expected from those whom he had made His own

The grateful response of those people is to live according to His Law

The 10 Commandments have a unity and stand or fall together

Romans 3:20 ESV

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The law brings knowledge of Sin to unbelievers

It also functions in the same way in believers

We all fail and fall, and these commandments and their implications are one of the means the Holy Spirit uses to make us aware of our sin and lead us to repentance and renewed obedience.

Jesus came to fulfil the law not irradicate it

We have to view the laws in the light of the coming of Jesus and all that he did

We have to look beyond the outward application of the words and deeper into the attitudes and motives of our hearts

Compare ...

Deuteronomy 5:16 ESV

“ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

With Paul’s words...

Ephesians 6:3 ESV

“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Paul makes the promise applicable to Christians living far away from the the land or Israel

The Sabbeth has also been modified with it now the first day of the week, the day or resurrection “The Lord’s Day”.

Through the law unbelievers are taught knowledge of sin

It is therefore binding upon them

Romans 2:14–15 ESV

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

written on their hearts

choosing to ignore their consciences

Commandments 6 to 9 are largely the basis of laws in nations

It is not the responsibility of secular rulers to enforce laws that directly concern the honour and worship of God

First Commandment

Deuteronomy 5:7 ESV

“ ‘You shall have no other gods before me.

God is real and he has revealed himself

Do not put imagined deities before Him

Acts 14:17 ESV

Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Second Commandment

Deuteronomy 5:8–10 ESV

“ ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

God is not to be brought down to the level of created things

His creative works bear witness to his existence and his transcendence

His Word tells us all we need to know about Him

His character shines out supremely in His son Jesus Christ

A desire for anything else shows sinful impertinence

Romans 1:18–25 ESV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Once people begin to think of God in terms of created things, their understanding of God is deformed

They lose touch with the real God

Their worship becomes debased and the need for careful obedience is undermined

in idolatry images are used as instruments of worship

Though the use of images and statues can be said to focus the thoughts of the worshippers upon the deity, almost inevitably people begin to feel that in some way the god, or his spirit, is located in or with the image.

bowing towards, praying towards or walking quietly past the image

The only acceptable to God is “in spirit and in truth”

John 4:23–24 ESV

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Two cautions and one encouragement is provided with this command

God is a Jealous God

His love is stirred into jealousy by unfaithfulness

Jealousy is not to be confused with covetousness

To covert is to desire that which is not yours

Jealousy is being denied what is rightfully yours

Sinfulness sadly warps our understanding and leads us into error in perceiving what is rightfully ours

Upon those who hate Him he visits their own iniquity

Parents bring up their children in their own passions

So a cycle of hatred and punishment is setup which may last for several generations

To the third or fourth generation

Maybe this indicates that God periodically steps in and offers the opportunity of repentance and renewal

God shows steadfast love to those who love Him, evidenced by their keeping of His commandments.

showing steadfast (loyal) love to thousands (uncountable number)

God’s steadfast love never wanes or fails towards those who love Him

Third Commandment

Deuteronomy 5:11 ESV

“ ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

The command is about God’s reputation, God’s Name

Israel must not behave in such a way as to tarnish that reputation

Rather the nation is to act in ways that enhance it

This goes to the heart of Israel’s calling to be God’s people in a pagan world

We must honour God in ...

corporate life

personal life

No one to misuse God’s Name in a curse, as if it had magic power

But is goes far beyond that...

Demonstrating our love for God and obedience to Him, by placing worship at the centre of their lives, they were to reflect the character of the Lord to the world around them

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Paul wrote of the Israelites of his day...

Romans 2:24 ESV

For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

It is a tragedy when the same is true of those who bear the name “Christian”

Fourth Commandment

Deuteronomy 5:12–15 ESV

“ ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Although some differences exist in the wording between Exodus and Deuteronomy, they are not contradictory

“To keep it holy”

Emphasis is on keeping the day seperate from other other six

A special day, without work

There was no religious ceremony or worship commanded for the Sabbath, though later it became a suitable day for the synagogue service because people were free to gather together.

The Sabbath was for the benefit of people and animals

God established it as a thythm for human life

example: 6 days of creation and day of rest

The number seven in scripture, also provides for the fact that the 7th day is blessed by God

Deuteronomy places a greater emphasis on servants and animals being allowed to rest on the Sabbath

Life as a nation places greater pressure to work the land at certain times of the year

The temptation was also to mke servants and animals work, and only israelites to rest

They are reminded of their own experiences in Egypt being made to work without rest

Their pattern of life would be different from the surrounding nations

God’s people, have a different God, they were a different people and living in a different way

Sadly the Israelites added to the commands with a regidity that became burdensome and lacking in benefit

Christians need to keep in mind the example and teachings of Jesus

His Word and Spirit will guide us in its use

Jesus’ example...

Luke 4:16 ESV

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.

Jesus said ...

Mark 2:27–28 ESV

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Early church example...

Acts 20:7 ESV

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

Paul’s instruction for thing & gifts ...

1 Corinthians 16:2 ESV

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Author of Hewbrew exhortation ...

Hebrews 10:23–25 ESV

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

John’s revelation and example ...

Revelation 1:10 ESV

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet

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Q&A

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Closing Prayer

Doxology