A Sermon on Deuteronomy 5:1-21 The Whole Story, Part 1: 3/2/25

Introduction

Opening Statement and Prayer: If you have a Bible, and I hope you do, open with me to Deuteronomy 5. Today, in our journey through the Bible in a year we come to the 10 Commandments and see Moses repeating the God given commandments to a new generation who is finally poised to take the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering. Let’s read the word, together.

Deuteronomy 5:1–21 ESV

1 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. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. 4 The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 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: 6 “ ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 7 “ ‘You shall have no other gods before me. 8 “ ‘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. 9 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, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 11 “ ‘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. 12 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 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. 15 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. 16 “ ‘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. 17 “ ‘You shall not murder. 18 “ ‘And you shall not commit adultery. 19 “ ‘And you shall not steal. 20 “ ‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 21 “ ‘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.’

Heavenly Father, Lord, you know how serious I take the preaching of your word. In the next few moments, by the power of your Holy Spirit: What we have not, give us. What we are not make us. What we see not, show us. God move in us and help us know you, and see you, and love you, that we might live for you. Please God move for the glory of your name. In Jesus Christ name I pray, Amen.

Hook: In June 2024, Louisiana became the first state to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in all publicly funded classrooms. The mandate included all levels, from elementary schools to universities. The Governor of Louisiana signed the bill into law, citing the commandments' historical influence on Western law.

The signing of this law reignited conversations about the proper roles of church and state. The question at the center of the debate is whether such displays of religious material endorse a particular religion and violate 1st amendment freedoms. Well, I am no Constitutional scholar so I cannot answer every objection on that basis. However, this may or may not surprise you, but I think we ought to display the 10 Commandments everywhere: classrooms, courthouses, and everywhere in between. BUT… I do not believe the 10 Commandments should be displayed because of historical influence. I believe they should be displayed because they are divinely inspired by God an delivered from God, foundational to guiding human existence, and informative in how we should think ethically.

(MIS) The 10 Commandments are God’s words to guide human experience, promote human flourishing, and point us toward our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Who?

(Ex) God gives the 10 Commandments.

These are “God’s Words.” –  As God speaks God’s words, God reveals himself to his people.

He is personal and possessive.

Personal. (v. 6) – This is no distant relationship. He is not unknown. He is not unreachable. He is not far off. He is their God, and he is there. Do not miss the mind-blowing truth revealed here. The God of all things is a God who seeks personal relationships with people by saving them.

Possessive. (v.7) – God’s salvation and redemption meant that they now belonged to him. They were his people. He was their God.   The 10 Commandments are given to Israel because in God’s love, he is possessive of them, jealous for them. God will not share them. Love demands this type of possessive attitude. A simple examination of your marriage relationship proves this to be true. (Illus.) What would you do if you walked into your home and there was someone sitting in your chair eating with your family, and they said, “I thought we would share.” I know what I would do. I would share with them these hands.

(Ex - App) What was true then, is true now.

The 10 Commandments are still instructive for Christians because God will not share those whom he has entered into personal relationship with. God’s rules guide our relationship because He is our God, we are His people, and He will not share us.

Why?

(Ex) God does not give the 10 Commandments for salvation.

Notice, how God orders the relationship in the giving of the law:

First, comes salvation (v.6) “Bought you”

Second, comes command (v.7) “You shall”

God is not, first and foremost, a rule-giver. God is, first and foremost, a rescuer. God had saved the people of Israel out of Egypt. God had delivered them from bondage and oppression. He was Israel’s redeemer, savior, and conqueror. Before any commandment was delivered, salvation was given.

It is a fundamental misunderstanding of God’s law that thinks we have to obey these 10 Commandments for salvation. In other words, the 10 Commandments are not given that we might be loved by God. It’s not “Do this and then I will love you.” The 10 Commandments are given because we are loved by God. It’s “I love you, so do this.”

Ills. The 10 Commandments are not given to us as a ladder with 10 steps that we might climb to heaven.

(Ex) God gives the 10 Commandments to guide life and promote flourishing.

Obedience to the commandments does not grant salvation but it does promise a better life. (v.33)

Qualification: This is not a prosperity gospel promise. Obey God and God will make happy, healthy, and wealthy. Instead, this is a recognition that if you live life God’s way, things go better for us.

We understand this right? God is the creator of life, and so when life is ordered his way, it tends to go better.

Let me give you two examples from popular culture.

Couples who live together before marriage, which is a violation of the Sixth Commandment, are statistically more prone to divorce and more likely to be dissatisfied in marriage.

Living together before marriage has become the norm in the United States (Smock, 2000). Upwards of 70% of couples now do so (Bumpass & Lu, 2000; Stanley, Whitton, & Markman, 2004), yet there is evidence, even from couples who married in recent years, that premarital cohabitation is a risk factor for subsequent divorce (Kamp Dush, Cohan, & Amato, 2003), as well as lower marital quality (Cohan & Kleinbaum, 2002; Stanley et al., 2004). This phenomenon has been termed the “cohabitation effect.”

Those who cohabited before engagement (43.1%) reported lower marital satisfaction, dedication, and confidence as well as more negative communication and greater proneness for divorce than those who cohabited only after engagement (16.4%) or not at all until marriage (40.5%).

A recent study done by a professor at Harvard found that the greatest factor on student success, class mobility, and future earnings is: the two parent home.

“Let’s take a moment to celebrate the economic and social power of families. The prevalence of two-parent families in communities predicts their average level of student achievement and social mobility rates for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, even after adjusting for income, education, ethnic composition, racial segregation, and other community factors. Children learn more if they have two parents, and they benefit as well from living in places where two-parent families are the norm.”

“The gold medal goes to dual parent families, which by a wide margin contribute more to an equal opportunity society than any other factor.”

Why does a certain ordering of our lives reflect a greater level of human flourishing? Because when we order our live according to God’s guidance things tend to go better.

Ills. So, while God does not give the law as a ladder to climb in order that we might get to heaven. God does give the law as a track to lay before us that we might walking according to his plan and experience greater freedom and greater flourishing. 

(Ex) God gives the 10 Commandments as a Spiritual Diagnostic.

The law functions not simply as a map that tells us how we should walk in perfection; it also functions as a mirror to reveal our imperfections. (v. 32)

What?

(Ex) Jesus provides a helpful summary of the 10 Commandments in the New Testament. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Jesus tells us that all of the 10 Commandments can be summed up perfectly by this: Love God. Love Others.

(Ex) Let’s get to know the commandments and see how we are obeying.

While we go through these I will add a little explanation of what they mean. Can i invite you to do something as I explain? Just put a little `/ or x sign by the commandment to grade yourself. Check for obeying it perfectly. X for needs some work.

Table 1: Love God

You shall have no other God’s before me. (6:7)

Demands total allegiance, and top priority in our life. Have you ever loved something more than you love God, or made something in your life more important than God?

You shall not have any idols. (6:8)

Demands that we give things the honor, affection, and love that belongs to God alone. Have you ever treated something temporary as if it were eternal?

You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain. (6:11)

Demands we speak in such a way to honor God’s name and being. Watch your mouth. Did you cuss on Woodruff road this week?

You shall observe the sabbath. (6:12)

Demands that we rest in observance of how God made us and how God saved us? Do you take intentional time to rest and remember how good how God has been to you?

Love others

You shall honor your mother and father. (6:16)

Demands we obey our father and mother as the authority of God in our life. Have you done this your entire life? Truth be told, you’ve never done this well at any part of your life.

You shall not murder. (6:17)

Demands we honor our fellow human beings and respect their God given value. Jesus clarifies this in the sermon on the mount, to obey this fully means that we love and respect people and if we even hate someone in our heart we have committed murder.

You shall not commit adultery. (6:18)

Demands total marital faithfulness. Again, Jesus clarifies that this goes beyond mere sexual faithfulness and goes to the heart! If in your heart you’ve lusted after another person you’ve committed adultery.

You shall not steal. (6:19)

Demands integrity and honesty in all our transactions. Have you ever looked at Facebook on company time?

You shall not lie. (6:20)

Demands honesty in all of our words. Truthfully, we are all liars.

You shall not covet. (6:21)

Demands that we be content with all that God has given us and refuse to want what God has not given us. Have you ever scrolled through intagram and been mad that someone had something that you didn't?

How did we do? Not good. Yea. We’ve been given a law, but we aren’t good at obeying.

How?

(Ex) The problem presented by God’s 10 Commandments is that they are impossible to obey!

Test Time: Result. Failure.  We are given commands that we cannot possibly obey. Our lives are evidence of this. Israel was evidence of this.

Ills. God giving these commandments to sinners like us is the equivalent of a parent taking a toddler who can’t swim to the pool and throwing them in and commanding, “SWIM.”  I remember one time when Dani was about 2 years old she walked up to the edge of the pool with no floaties on and jumped in. The problem was she couldn’t swim. I had to jump in and save her, then put her floaties on to help her swim.

This is true of us.  We can’t swim. We fail.

So, we need someone to save us from drowning and to help us swim. We need someone to forgive us where we have failed to obey and then we need someone to help us obey in the future.

(Ex) The 10 Commandments point us to Jesus, our Savior.

We cannot obey the law perfectly. BUT…  Jesus Christ did obey perfectly, and on the cross, he died for our sins to forgive our failures. In other words, Jesus is the one who jumps in and saves us from drowning. But the gospel is not just that God forgives us where we fail by dying for us. The gospel is that Jesus Christ helps us to obey by rising from the dead. You see his death paid the price for our sins, but his life gave us a new life. This means that when we are saved, Jesus gives us a new heart, a heart that wants to obey the commandments. In other words, Jesus is not just the one who saves us from drowning; Jesus is the one who helps us swim.

The 10 Commandments are from God, and they are meant to guide our life, but more than anything, the 10 Commandments point us to Jesus our Savior!

Invitation

I am not a constitutional scholar. I cannot say with authority whether or not the 10 Commandments should be in classrooms and courthouses, although I am all for that. I can tell you this, the 10 Commandments should be written on our hearts because we have a savior who has obeyed them perfectly and given us a heart to obey them as well.

Application: If you are not a Christian today, the action step for you today is simple.

You need Jesus to save you from your disobedience. So, right now you should call out to him. Repent of your sin, acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior and he will save you from your sin and give you a new heart. I please with you today, recognize your sin and call on Jesus and ask him to forgive you and save you.

Application: If you are a Christian today, you have some actions steps you need to take too.

First, repentance. Do the 10 Commandments reveal an area of your life where you need to repent? If so, run to Jesus in repentance today and ask him to help you obey his divinely given word that is meant to guide your life.

Second, worship. We should worship the personal, possessive, and kind God who gives us this word to make it through this life.