The Ten Commandments: Law or Love?
Notes
Transcript
In Matthew’s Gospel, a Jewish lawyer approached Jesus and said…
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
In Galatians, the Apostle Paul explains this idea in greater detail…
Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
The tutor, or Pedagog, that Paul is referring to would pick up children at their home and walk with them through the cities, teaching them.
CIT: God wants His people to obey out of love and loyalty, not out of fear of judgement.
Read and Pray
Commandment #1 No Other Gods (v.2-3)
Commandment #1 No Other Gods (v.2-3)
“Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. ‘Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Commandment #2 No Idols (v.4-6)
Commandment #2 No Idols (v.4-6)
Have no idols or objects in place of Him.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Commandment #3 Don’t Take God’s Name in Vain (v.7)
Commandment #3 Don’t Take God’s Name in Vain (v.7)
Don’t use God’s name disrespectfully or make promises on His honor that tarnish His reputation when they aren’t kept.
‘You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.
“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.
Commandment #4 Keep the Sabbath Holy (v.8-11)
Commandment #4 Keep the Sabbath Holy (v.8-11)
Don’t disrespect God by trying to work harder than Him or becoming self-reliant. Take a day off.
Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word, Then you will take delight in the Lord, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Commandment #5 Honor Father and Mother (v.12)
Commandment #5 Honor Father and Mother (v.12)
When you disrespect your parents or others in authority, you are accusing God of failing to provide leadership. When you reject the authorities God puts into your life, you won’t have the protection and blessings from Him that come with those authorities.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
Commandment #6 Don’t Murder (v.13)
Commandment #6 Don’t Murder (v.13)
God gives and takes life, and He gives authority to governments, not individuals.
‘See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Commandment #7 Don’t Commit Adultery (v.14)
Commandment #7 Don’t Commit Adultery (v.14)
Sex outside of lifelong marriage between one man and one woman distorts God’s artwork and offends Him, and it denies the other person’s dignity by treating them as an object and not a person made in God’s image.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
Commandment #8 Don’t Steal (v.15)
Commandment #8 Don’t Steal (v.15)
When you believe you are more deserving of what you are stealing than the person who owns it, you are being prideful and taking God’s place as your provider.
He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.
Commandment #9 Don’t Bear False Witness (v.16)
Commandment #9 Don’t Bear False Witness (v.16)
Lying or manipulating others with our words encourages others to believe untrue things God, His people, and His world. Tearing someone down in front of others is accusing God of making an error in creating that person. This is also one reason why we don’t swear or curse.
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Commandment #10 Don’t Covet (v.17)
Commandment #10 Don’t Covet (v.17)
Desiring things that God has not given us always gets us into trouble with Him and others. When we are not content with what we have, we are accusing God of not loving us and providing well for us.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
What to Remember:
What to Remember:
1. God’s law is a picture of what perfect loyalty to Him and love for Him looks like.
1. God’s law is a picture of what perfect loyalty to Him and love for Him looks like.
2. God is perfectly loyal and loving to His people, even when they fail to keep His law.
2. God is perfectly loyal and loving to His people, even when they fail to keep His law.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
