Exodus 20:1-11 - The Ten Words: Living Unto God

The Word Read

Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from:

Exodus 20:1–2 ESV

1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Behold, brothers and sisters, this is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.

Exordium

Beloved in Christ,

I invite you to open Holy Scripture to Exodus 20 this morning.

The Ten Commandments might be one of the most well-known passages of Scripture. Most Christians are familiar with these commandments, and many people may be able to recite a handful of them. The Ten Commandments were staples of our society. I’m sure for most of you, the Commandments were posted in your classrooms. You’ve probably seen them in courthouses or government buildings. At the core, we are familiar with these commands. In the model we use to educate our children, they learn the Ten Commandments put to song. One of my children advocated that I make them come up and sing to you this morning. 

Before we look at the text this morning, I want to set the stage for us in two ways. First, historically. What we have before us in Exodus 19-Numbers 10:10 is called a Suzerain Treaty. These types of treaties were frequently used in antiquity. In these treaties, a greater king or kingdom, called a Suzerain, makes a treaty with a lesser king or kingdom, called a Vassal. The Suzerain sets the terms of the treaty, and the Vassal agrees. Typically, the Vassal agrees to offer the Suzerain honor and some form of service. The Suzerain covenants to protect the lesser king and kingdom. This is the type of covenant we see between God and Israel. God is the Suzerain, the King, and the people of Israel are the vassals. So, what we have here is a covenant between Yahweh and His people. 

Today, God is our King, and we are His servants. We often forget this truth. In a culture teeming with anti-authority beliefs, we can let this mindset sink into our churches. Indeed, Christ is our Redeemer, Brother, Friend, and the Lover of our souls. However, we mustn’t forget He is our King. He has a kingdom, and we are the King’s servants. Our lifelong goal is to hear Matthew 25:23 when we pass into eternity: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” We desire to submit to the King of the universe and follow what He has ordained as godly, for His glory and our good.

Secondly, the Ten Commandments are not merely an ethical code. I’d argue the Ten Commandments have much to do with your head and heart, not just your behavior. Actions flow from what the head thinks and the heart believes. So, as we work through the Ten Commandments, we ought to spend time thinking about our hearts, not simply our actions. This is clearly what Jesus speaks of when He summarizes the Law in Matthew 22:37-40:

Matthew 22:37–40 ESV

37 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. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

We must deal with the heart if we seek to follow the Lord’s commandments.

My thesis for these verses is that worshiping God and revering Him in our hearts are essential to the Christian life. 

Exodus 20:1-2 - Preamble

Exodus 20:1–2 ESV

1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

The Ten Commandments open with a preamble. Have you ever read a document that had a preamble and thought, “This is utterly pointless. Why is this here?” Well, that is not the case with these two verses. Here we learn that God spoke these words to the people of Israel. The people, upon hearing God’s voice, tell Moses that he should talk to them about God’s words. They were terrified they would die if they continued to listen to His voice. We learn that God’s voice is powerful. 

The Bible you have in your hands this morning is powerful. As Hebrews 4:12-13 states:

Hebrews 4:12–13 ESV

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Surely, this moment at Mount Sinai was dynamic, and the moments you engage the Lord in His Word are powerful. Do we come with the same posture to the Word of God? Do we know that this is His Holy Word that reveals to us the way of salvation and all ways of godliness? Are you having a transformation in your heart as the Spirit works in you while you digest the Word? The Word is living, searching the depths of your heart, causing you to see the areas of sin and failings that need to be addressed. The Word is living in that it causes us to be built up in Christ, forcing us to look to the only One who keeps us constantly. God’s Word is powerful. 

As God speaks, He reminds them of who He is, what He has done, and who they are. He is Yahweh, the God who brought them out of their slavery. He is the Most High God. He is their Redeemer and Rescuer. They were under the great bondage of the Egyptians until He conquered them. It is because of this deliverance that they are now called to walk in holiness. Redemption preceded obedience to the Law. This is significant because it means that their salvation did not depend on their own works, but on God’s gracious and redemptive act. For us, we recognize that the Holy Spirit must regenerate our hearts before we can respond in faith to the Gospel. This is the promise we have in Ezekiel 36:26-27:

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

God must first give us a new heart. God will put the Holy Spirit within us first, and then we are caused to walk in God’s statutes, carefully obeying His rules. Redemption always precedes obedience. 

The final note I want to address before we get to the first commandment is that there are three uses of the Law. I’m sure some of you know this already. Simply put, the first use of the Law is to act as a mirror, reflecting the righteousness of God and illuminating our sinfulness, causing us to look to Christ for salvation. The second use of the Law is to curb or restrain sin. Thirdly, the Law enlightens us to see what is pleasing to the Lord. In no way does the Law save us. The people in the Old Testament were never saved by obeying the Law. They were saved by grace through faith, trusting in the Messiah who was to come.

Exodus 20:3 - Do Not Worship Other Gods

Exodus 20:3 ESV

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

This is the commandment that Adam and Eve miserably failed in the Garden of Eden. Instead of the worship of the Lord being first in their hearts, they gave themselves over to sinful rebellion, placing themselves first. Since that moment, humanity has struggled not to worship any other gods. 

The people came out of Egypt, which boasted over 700 gods. Furthermore, they were coming to the land of Canaan, where there were even more gods for them to worship. The commandment they are given is to worship Yahweh exclusively. Giving their worship to any of the other gods around them would be considered a significant violation of the covenant, akin to treason. 

Another great sin that violates this first commandment is Atheism. Is this not a prominent sin in our world, nation, state, county, and city? The enemy has blinded the eyes of those in the world so that they cannot see that they are a sinner in great need of a great Savior. Atheism boldly declares that there is no God. They declare Psalm 14:1:

Psalm 14:1 ESV

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

In prideful arrogance, the atheist shakes his fist towards the heavens and says, “There is no Creator who formed me. I am an independent being responsible to no deity.” As such, we should warn our family members and friends who are atheists. We should commit to praying for them every day, asking the Holy Spirit to open their hearts and eyes. 

This commandment is one that Israel constantly disobeys. They run after the gods of the countries around them. God, in His grace, disciplines them. They repent and call out for God to save them. He does. They walk with Him, but after some time, they return to rebellion. This is the story of the book of Judges. However, their hearts had violated this commandment long before their actions. 

Similarly, how often are our hearts given over to worship someone or something other than Christ? How many of us can relate to our flesh being weak and an inability to place God as first because our flesh rages? Consider the ways our hearts create gods to follow: families, parents, children, safety, career, retirement, lifestyle, food, ambitions, financial stability, and health. All of these can become gods in our hearts. In what ways have you given greater honor and glory to someone or something other than the Lord this week? Furthermore, when the Lord reveals that something has become a god to us, do we recognize this as treason? 

How would you define treason? In America, it is one of the worst, if not the worst, crimes you can commit. It is considered an act of war to give the nation’s enemies aid or support. If convicted, the person can face the death penalty. Now, think of this in terms of our relationship with God. When we pursue other man-made gods, we commit treason against our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Rescuer, and Deliverer. This should grieve our hearts. 

This is one reason I love reading the Puritans. They write in such a way that helps me to understand why sin is grievous to God’s heart and mine. In the men’s Thursday group, we are reading John Owen’s “The Glory of Christ.” One of the most poignant sentences we read this week was that we should constantly and consistently behold the glory of Christ by faith. In essence, He should be the exclusive focus of our lives. As we discussed this sentence, I felt the weight of the sin I’ve committed by placing lesser gods as the primary focus of my life. Christ has saved us, and He is worthy of preeminence in our lives. So, what “gods” have taken your focus? We need to repent of such a treacherous sin, running to repent through Christ, who lives to make intercession for us. 

Exodus 20:4-6 - Do Not Commit Idolatry

Exodus 20:4–6 ESV

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.

The second command expressly forbids the people of Israel to worship images or the likeness of creatures. The wording brings us back to Days four and five of creation, where the sun, moon, stars, and fish were created. The Egyptians worshipped the sun, the moon, and various sea creatures. The people of Israel were not to repeat this idolatry. 

Today, it may seem silly for people to worship graven images. We are aware that this issue persists globally. However, to us in America, it seems rather odd. “Why would you worship an image? That is no god!” However, we must again be confronted that idolatry is a matter of the heart. As John Calvin once quipped, “Man’s heart is an idol factory.” Whether we realize it or not, our hearts produce idols at a rate that we may not be aware of. Each day, we are confronted with the idols we’ve created. 

Furthermore, we, as a local church, create idols. Every local church can create corporate idols that influence how the community perceives us. Some churches would desire to be known as the place where the social elites gather. We are important to the community because the rich attend our church. We are influential because doctors, lawyers, educators, and other well-respected professionals attend. Instead of being known as a Christ-centered church, we can desire to be respected due to worldly desires and standards. Idolatry can abound in the pews both individually and corporately. 

Paul, in Romans 1, writes about Gentiles who are unrighteous.  Romans 1:22-23:

Romans 1:22–23 ESV

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Let me reread that last sentence. Those who claimed to be wise are really fools. They have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things. Think of what this idolatry is - it is not worshipping the immortal, but worshipping images of mortal man and animals. Isn’t that interesting? This is why Paul calls them fools. They are no longer even worshipping what has been created by God, but what creatures have created. 

Then the Lord gives the reason as to why His people should not worship these graven images: He is a jealous God. When we think of the Lord, do we believe that He is a jealous God? As Exodus 34:14 says:

Exodus 34:14 ESV

14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

Not only is God jealous, but His very name is Jealous. The Lord views idolatry as spiritual adultery. His jealousy is not petty, as that of an immature boyfriend who doesn’t like their fling speaking with another girl. When His people commit idolatry, His jealousy is a covenant jealousy akin to a husband’s or wife’s jealousy when they discover their spouse has been unfaithful. The faithful spouse’s anger is righteous. Their anger is justified because their spouse has broken the covenant they made before the Lord. 

Likewise, the Lord becomes jealous for His people when their hearts are given to idolatry. His jealousy is righteous, just, and good. The Lord’s love for us is so strong that He refuses to share us with anyone or anything else. For us, why would we give our worshipful love to anyone but Christ, who has saved us from the bondage of sin? Why would we pursue the false treasures of the world and the devil when neither has died on our behalf? Both seek to enslave us, but Christ has come to free us. Are you in spiritual adultery at this moment? Do you know the Lord is jealous for you? He lived for you. He died for your sins. He rose again so that you might have life. For those of us in spiritual adultery, we need to feel the jealous covenant love of God, repent of our adultery, and run to the throne of God through Christ Jesus, where we will receive grace and mercy. 

Notice the last portion of this section, the Lord visits the iniquity of the father’s children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him, but gives steadfast love to thousands of those who love Him and keep His commandments. This seems intriguing. How many people do we know who have been saved but grew up with parents who admittedly hated the Lord? In those days, family units often lived together, meaning that three or four generations could reside under the same roof. It would be no surprise if the effects of a sinful father spilled onto those who lived with him. 

Furthermore, there is a contrast here to show the Lord’s heart. He desires to shower love, grace, mercy, and covenant love on those who are His children, the thousands of those who love Him and keep His commandments. He shows His royal love and loyalty to those who are called by His name. 

How many of us have heard a “fire and brimstone” sermon? All hell, all Law, all condemnation, no Gospel hope, no pointing people to the saving and redemptive hope in Christ. I think we can all say we’ve sat under those at some point. Furthermore, how many of us would say we’ve given these same messages to unbelievers in deep sin? “Don’t you know that homosexuality is a horrible sin that leads to hell? Don’t you understand that the transgender movement is contrary to the Word of God? It all leads to hell.” Yet, those words only show the first part of the reason for God’s jealousy against those who hate Him. Without offering the Gospel to those in sin, we fail to show them the grace, mercy, and love of God. We, in essence, speak all hell, all Law, all condemnation without any Gospel hope. Our response to our friends should be: “Yes, dear friend, I know that you are in sin, but Christ has died for you. Your sins can be forgiven. No sin is too great for Him to forgive. He desires for all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and that includes you!” Christ is also jealous for all of humanity to worship Him. 

Let us guard our hearts so that we may not commit idolatry against the God who loves us with jealousy. 

Exodus 20:7 - Do Not Misuse the Name of Yahweh

Exodus 20:7 ESV

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.

The third commandment deals with the misuse of Yahweh’s name. The word “Yahweh” is used 6,828 times in the Old Testament, 1,820 times in the Pentateuch, and 398 times in the book of Exodus. The name Yahweh certainly fills the pages of the Old Testament. Additionally, Deuteronomy 28:58 declares that the Lord’s name is both glorious and awesome. 

This commandment covers a wide array of misusing Yahweh’s name. This could be in terms of making an oath or a vow. One could misuse Yahweh’s name by uttering blasphemy against the one true God of the universe. One could use the Lord’s name in a superstitious manner. At its foundation, misusing Yahweh’s name means not treating God with reverence. This is precisely the sin of Pharaoh in Exodus 5:2:

Exodus 5:2 ESV

2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

Pharaoh treats Yahweh’s name lightly, not giving Him the reverence due to His name. This all originated in Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh did not merely speak sinfully, but his heart did not revere Yahweh. 

Finally, we see that those who take the Lord’s name in vain will be found guilty. We are not given the specifics on their consequences, but not revering Yahweh is a grave sin.

How many of us think taking the Lord’s name in vain is simply saying, “Oh my, G.” We’ve heard this often, haven’t we? However, taking the Lord’s name in vain is much more than this sentence. There are many ways in which we can take the Lord’s name in vain today. 

For example, we can diminish His attributes and titles revealed in Scripture. We can take the sacraments for granted. We can violate an oath or vow we’ve made in the Lord’s name. We can take the Word of God and the preaching of the Word of God lightly or altogether ignore them. We can pervert the Word by believing in false doctrines. We can become apathetic in our faith, or even backslide. We can profane the Lord by misapplying His providential will for our lives. We can oppose the truth, grace, mercy, and love of God. I’d argue that we have all in some way transgressed this commandment this week. 

As I wrote this portion of the sermon, I began to reflect on ways I’ve not upheld the Lord as holy in my own life. I was immediately overwhelmed with guilt and shame, knowing I had not revered God as I should, and as He has commanded. The question for us is, what can we do about this? Knowing that I’ve not kept the Lord as preeminently holy in my life, how can I find solace? The answer is always Christ. Yes, our hearts are prone to wander, prone to diminish the greatness and glory of God, but it is indeed a precious treasure that we can run to Christ and find forgiveness when we violate this commandment. Why can we run to Him? Because He is the only person who has ever revered God perfectly, both in His heart and in His actions. There is always Gospel hope when we do not keep God holy in our hearts as we ought. 

Exodus 20:8-11 - Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

Exodus 20:8–11 ESV

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.

The fourth and final commandment, as it relates to God, is to keep the Sabbath Day, and to keep it holy. This commandment uses the most words out of the 10. The word for Sabbath means “stoppage” or “cease.” The commandment is for the entire household of faith to cease from their normal/daily activities and focus specifically on Yahweh. 

The word “remember” is crucial as it signifies a call to action. For the Israelites, remembering something was not simply an intellectual exercise as it is for us today. Remembering meant action. So, remembering the Sabbath is a call to action. It is a holy break meant to draw the attention heavenward towards their great Redeemer on the seventh day of the week.

The Lord also provides the reason for this holy stoppage: The Lord worked for six days in creation and then rested. The purpose of the Sabbath is not merely physical, but incredibly spiritual. A few months ago, a few of us were being waited on at King’s Mill by a waitress. We were reading through the shorter catechism, and she noticed our book. She, her husband, and her children were reading through the 1689 London Baptist Confession. They were missionaries who were serving in Europe and were on furlough for a few months. She began to tell us how her children thought it was wrong and sinful for American Christians to work on Sundays. Why? It violated the fourth commandment. 

I do believe this commandment has been pushed to the back burner for American Christians. We absolutely “yes and amen” that Jesus is our ultimate Sabbath, but Jesus as our Sabbath does not mean we can ignore this commandment. Do we forget any of the Ten Commandments? We wouldn’t dare say that Jesus is our salvation and we have the license to murder, commit adultery, worship other deities, or commit idolatry. Yet, adhering to the Sabbath Day to keep it holy is one that we are willing to violate. Furthermore, we help others violate this commandment by shopping on Sundays and going out to eat. I’ll be the first to say that studying this commandment caused me to reflect on how I prepare for the Sabbath. Am I willing to get everything I need for the Sabbath so I don’t have to run to Walmart on Sundays? Do I prepare myself and my family so that we are entirely focused on the good gift of the Sabbath?

So, why do we neglect this commandment? First, I believe we often think of the Sabbath as physical, rather than spiritual. Keeping the Sabbath as holy helps us to reflect on how we have sinned during the week. We can reflect on the ways we have given ourselves over to idolatry. We can look back and see the times that Christ was faithful to us despite our faithlessness. We, to the best of our abilities, spend the day reflecting on the goodness of the Gospel, the truth that Christ died for a sinner like me, the reality that out of love He hung on the cross for my sins, and we behold Him by faith. The Sabbath Day is a tremendous spiritual gift that helps us mature in our faith every Sunday. 

A second reason as to why we neglect the Sabbath Day is because, I believe, one of the great sins of America is lazy leisure. Satan has tricked us into thinking we can use our leisure time for our purposes, instead of using that time to the glory of God. We live in a world of incredible technological advances; yet, how do we utilize the time we have gained as a result? Do we use it to scroll our phones, waste the day by watching television, or do we use it to worship God, enjoy Him, and help one another grow into the image of Christ Jesus? As we prepare to leave in a few minutes, let us think of ways to keep this day holy and remember Christ, our Lord and Savior. 

Closing

The ultimate goal of the Ten Commandments is not to provide a checklist for how we should live. If we follow these commandments, then we will be happy and have a long, successful life. The ultimate goal for us to live according to the Ten Commandments is that we may have joy. God desires us to walk in joyful communion with Him. By His grace, He gave these commandments to His people so that they would walk as a holy nation set apart from the world. Let us this week, worship God as the only true God, not commit spiritual adultery against Him, take His name in vain, and keep the Sabbath Day as holy. Let us enjoy our relationship with Christ as we walk in His Kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit.