"TEN" WORDS - Pt.1
Notes
Transcript
Reading:
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
Introduction:
The United States Constitution is an awesome and powerful.
It outlines the liberties, rights, and freedoms that every human being possess from their creator.
The Constitution enshrines the liberties and equality of every human being because their owner/creator is God.
The hierarchy of one human over another, whether it is importance, influence, or worth is non-existent!
Where in the Constitution does it mention and give instruction on the christian values believers in Christ adhere to?
The Declaration of Independence had proclaimed throughout the whole document the rights we have are from God and not from man.
Which makes sense considering the point of the document was to state the reasons for our succession from Britain.
Which in part the motivation was for each man to pursue what God created them to pursue, without the hierarchy or dictatorship of religious systems that were very far from the God of the bible, telling them what they could do or not do.
The Declaration recorded and stated that each person is only under God there is no man who should lord over another.
But in the Constitution we hear of laws we submit to only because we fear and have a reverence for our Creator.
I have heard it said that the Constitution operates and is only effective for society when individuals are under the authority of God first.
The Israelites here in chapter 20 are at the base of mountain of God and are hearing His voice as He speaks with Moses.
They are afraid of God’s power and are physically afraid of Him.
Even His voice demands a respect and reverence for Him.
The Israelites are operating from the foundation that God is almighty, but what they don’t realize yet is that Moses is being given a constitution for the lives of Israel.
Laws for life!
We know them as the 10 Commandments; but really the bible calls them in Hebrew:
“Ten Words”
The Hebrew phrase is: “asereth haddevarim” which may be rendered as “ten words,”.
This also what some other passages call it.
The Lord reminds them by what authority and power they are free people.
He was their Savior and His power brought them out.
He brought their freedom.
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
The “ten words” can be divided into 2 different groups for it’s content and focus.
The first section which is what we will cover today the relationship:
Between God and Man. (1-12)
Between God and Man. (1-12)
For Israel to understand how the relationship between the God who brought them out of slavery, claimed them to Himself, and them works He gives them the outline.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 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 the fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “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.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,
10 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, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
He lays first foundation stone:
He is it!
No other gods!
They had their misfit time in Egypt to follow and believe in silly things; but they know the one true God and He is their God!
English Standard Version Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before me
He commands them to keep Him in the proper position over their lives.
The Lord expects to be first and the only one in the position of authority over His child’s life.
Illustration:
Sometimes in the lull moments throughout the day I found a video:
In this video there was a man and a woman and a dog.
They wanted to see who the dog loved more, so they held a contest.
The woman on one side, the man on the other, and the dog in the middle.
When the competition started they both tried to entice the dog to come.
Guess who was loved more?
No one knows.
The dog was confused and overwhelmed with who it would want to please.
It just sat in confusion and struggled mentally until it laid down and didn’t choose either one.
This truth in God’s word shows itself to be true even in this little experiment with a dog.
When God isn’t first place, something else is and when we have to decide between the two it is confusing and can shut us down.
James teaches this truth in the N.T.
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
We choose who sits on the throne of our life.
When we place ourselves as ruler, our spiritual man is stirring up our heart and we know something is very wrong and we are internally conflicted and externally frustrated.
In the moments of desperation to quiet our frustrations, we often justify wrong things, instead of being humble we stand firm in our pride.
Either way when anyone or anything takes the throne who isn’t the Lord; our choices and views are compromised as James tells us.
All it takes to make it right and remove the bondage of frustration and pride is to repent!
Humble yourself and remove anything that is taking God’s place in you life and put Him back up there!
He must be it for our lives!
His second word is:
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
No idols!
One commentator Stuart Douglas asked a question:
“Wasn’t the tabernacle and its sacred objects, such as the ark objects that could be categorized as carved idols?”
“No. They were objects associated with Yahweh, things that surrounded His self-manifestation and gave a sense of localization to His presence, but they were not in themselves—even remotely—objects that partook of the divine nature, as idols were thought to do for the supposed gods they represented. The Israelites certainly neither bowed down to nor worshiped them.”
He really gives a proper point of view for idols.
Idols were understood to have a divine nature or share in the divinity with the image they reflected.
The idolatrous lifestyle was great seeing how:
Exodus Excursus: The Attractions of Idolatry
Idolatry minimized the importance of ethical behavior. Ritual provision of food to the gods was important; keeping a divinely revealed covenant was not.
This would run parallel with the mindset of a "license to sin" as Paul addressed in Romans.
The person needs a heart change not a system bent towards freedom to do anything without having to honor the agreement.
Conducting yourself with honor.
Illustration:
In our modern world this would call out the catholic stance on "holy things"
It is a defilement of the 2nd commandment.
Idol worship after this commandment should be convicting because now they know.
Idolatry was not merely the practice of worshiping by means of statues or pictures as focal points for worship.
It was rather an entire, elaborate religious system and lifestyle, all of it running counter to what God desires true worship to be.
With this second word they know God’s view on what is holy and what isn’t.
This information would challenge their understanding for carved idols and the gods they represented along with the whole system for worship.
The worshipping of an idol is not much different than what we would identify with witchcraft.
Exodus Excursus: The Attractions of Idolatry
A statue of a given god was carved and certain ritual incantations spoken over that statue to cause the essence of the god to enter it, the statue was then understood to become a functioning conduit for anything done in its presence from the worshiper to that god.
Idols aren’t the god; but serve as a pathway to connect with that god.
Let’s place this in our day and age.
How can we see an idol being worshipped without calling it an idol or realizing what the function is:
How about Yoga, what are you connecting to when meditating?
Yourself and aligning your spirit to reach a higher plain of calmness and peace, enlightenment.
Going back to the first lie from satan: You can become like God.
The carved image was also used in this way:
A person speaks to or offers things to the idol since it acts as a connection to the god that idol represents; they are offering things to that god.
Idols were dependent upon their subjects so if someone offers food to a god, that god was in turn obligated to use his power on behalf of the feeder-worshiper.
If you fed a god adequately and regularly, that god would, in return bless you with abundance of crops, fertility of cattle, etc...
You can get out what you put in.
This thinking is also an in the health and wealth cults.
It can be seen in the teaching of "”seed money”, or the whole concept where you give for the purpose to get more in return.
This makes it attractive to a person; but idols can be attractive for many different reasons.
Like:
There’s a guarantee: as long as the idol is present, the god is there too.
There’s a selfish motivation: idolatry is soley focused on self, revealed in the rituals, motivated by getting what you wanted.
There’s ease in idol worship: There are no requirements from the idol to manage yourself ethically, morally, or spiritually.
Idol worship is convenient: they could set up an altar to any idol anywhere and could worship at anytime.
In comparison to the Lord where He required a single location 3 times a year, which many had to make sacrifices to travel there.
Idol worship was “normal”: With exception to Israel all nations worshipped idols, it was common place in every city.
Worshipping an idol was logical: The multiplicity of gods seems more logical considering the complexity of life, the idea of 1 God over it all didn’t make sense, it’s too complex. - this is what happens when we place God on the same level as us…He isn’t, there’s no comparison.
Idol worship is pleasing to the senses: Idols were pleasing to the eye and the idols that represented them were too.
It was indulgent: They would get many benefits from the meat. It was offered to the idol, pleasing the god, the priest got his fill, they ate all the left over, it was beneficial to all.
Idol worship was erotic: They would get more from the temple prostitutes which would provide more “fertility” to their lives, children, crops, livestock, and family, etc...
All of these would be null and void by adhering to 1 God above all, especially if He won’t be bought, bribed, or fulfill selfish requests.
He does His will and you follow Him, you have nothing to hold over Him.
The Israelites needed to refrain from making any images of the former idols they worshipped in Egypt.
Don't go back to the idols that are nothing in power and authority.
The idols created by man possess man's authority and understanding.
God is existent of His own authority, which is almighty and beyond what we understand.
God is removing the improper views they hold about God, He instituted a reverence and respect by His third word.
“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.
This commandment is worded generally enough to include any misuse of Yahweh’s name.
Mocking, making light of it, speaking about Him disrespectfully.
Jesus talked about this: Matthew 5:33-37
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is His footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
James hammers it too: James 5:12
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
We must be careful how we speak on behalf of the Lord and specifically what we say.
When people decide to use the representation of the Lord for their own desires or will they are breaking the third word.
They attempt to get what they want by using: “thus saith the Lord”.
They are claiming God’s authority for themselves for selfish reasons.
There is no mistaking with this third word how to represent Him with everything in our being.
Doing that can also be taxing on us and He knows this and:
Moses is told the fourth word:
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
The word Sabbath is:
“The day which God appointed to be observed by the Jews as a day of rest from all secular labor or employments, and to be kept holy and consecrated to his service and worship. This was originally the seventh day of the week, the day on which God rested from the work of creation;” - Noah Webster
This institutes and highlights the need for a balance between “stopping” and “keeping holy”.
The purpose of the Sabbath cannot be limited to a break from work one day a week or to the setting aside of one day a week for special attention to godliness.
Rather, both are to be done on every Sabbath.
This isn't a day that we dictate it is a day the Lord has dictated to us!
We can honor that day from the Lord or make our own day in our own authority and power; but only one is correct in honoring what the Lord has asked.
If we aren’t sure what God means and attempt to just take a “rest” day, He explains us exactly what day He is talking about.
9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,
10 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, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
The Sabbath is portrayed as a stoppage that is good for everyone, with the purpose of refocusing on holiness in order to enjoy God’s blessings of that day and its potential.
The Sabbath, in other words, is designed to help people become spiritually stronger and closer to God.
A side benefit is that people recuperate from physically tiredness; but it’s not the main point or focus.
To love God is not to have a lazy day one day a week; rather it is to focus on doing His will specially on one day a week—to worship, learn, study, care, and strengthen the spiritual man.
One area we can all strengthen is a regaining and maintaining a proper point of view for authorities He has placed in our lives.
With His fifth word He connects it to mom and dad.
The fifth word:
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
This word brings a promise from the obedience.
That your days may be long in the land.
This promise, I believe, echoes the point that a lot of societies throughout history believed.
Many adhered to euthanasia of the elderly.
If society adhered to this thinking, what happens to you when you get their age?
Instead of getting rid of the elderly honor them and care for them.
The Hebrews honored and respected their elderly in a world where many didn’t.
Respect for our elders isn’t just a moral obligation, it is an spiritual one.
We are trusting by faith the things God allows for their lives and it shows that each and every life is in God’s hands and is precious.
He cares for all.
Think about what we wouldn’t learn or know if we didn’t follow this word from the Lord?
Before you tube people actually had to learn something from someone that did it and was proficient with it.
Their craft had to be handed down in a discipleship relationship.
Not much different that the spiritual lessons we can learn from our “elders”.
Like the ten words entrusted to the Israelites:
Conclusion:
These first five words from the Lord deal with the behaviors between us and God.
The things we need to know at the basic level.
These beliefs and opportunities for obedience help us maintain a proper perspective of our relationship with God.
We aren’t in charge and neither is any idol, there is only God!
The appeal for following idols we create for ourselves shouldn’t be twisted into a fantasy or lie we buy into.
It heads towards destruction and a path away from God.
That path might take us away from properly representing the Lord and doing that, we might find ourselves easily using His name in vain, as compared to honoring it.
He knows us so well and what we are prone to so He made sure to allow a day for reflection or strengthening that relationship between us and Him.
The Sabbath isn’t to be focused on physical rest, it should be spiritual rest.
On the day He has set aside, not when we feel it is convenient.
We could easily justify some days when we really need it and others where we don’t; but honoring that day He says requires faith!
We should Honor Him and practicing that is done through.
How we honor or dis-honor our parents or even authorities over our lives.
It should remind us that all life is from God and is precious.
Every soul is one created by God and only God has authority over them.
But He has provided truth on how our relationship should be conducted between us and Him!
These are His first 5 words.
-Pray!
