The Ten Commandments (Part 1)

I must confess to you that I have labored a great deal over this morning’s passage of scripture. How do I go about preaching these truths in a helpful and meaningful way?

The Ten Commandments as they are most commonly known as have become a bit of a controversial topic in our culture. There was a crusade years ago to remove them from our public courts. Some wanted them to remain while others removed them. Many see them as an antiquated list of harsh commands.

We must ask ourselves, what sort of bearing do the Ten Commandments have on our lives.

Read Exodus 20:1-17

The law of God in the Old Testament can be seen on three levels of specificity. The most broad level breaks the law down into two areas.

Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Leviticus 19:18 ESV

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

The love of God and the love of neighbor are central to the law and all of the laws in the Old Testament can be filed away into these two categories. We are even able to separate the Ten Commandments in such a way. And as you dig deeper into the Old Testament, you will see over 600 specific laws given to the people of God, each one being filed away under love of God and love of neighbor.

Our love and duty to God is highlighted in the first four while a love of neighbor takes place in five through ten. Because of this distinction, this morning, we will only cover verses 1-11. My plan is that we will answer three questions this morning. The first question, “who are the ten commandments for”, is covered before the commands themselves begin in verses 1 and 2. Then with verses 3 through 11 we will answer “what do they mean?” and “how do they lead us?”

First,

Who are the Ten Commandments for?

In verse 1 of chapter 20 we are told that God spoke these words. Typically in the book of Exodus, the Lord speaks to Moses who then relays what he has been said to the people. However, these words are given directly to the people. This is supported by the response of the people in verse 18. They are stunned because they have directly heard the voice of the Lord.

Verse 2 goes on with the Lord introducing Himself as Yahweh, or I am. He then goes on to further identify Himself as the one responsible for their deliverance from Egypt. We are introduced to the love of God here, though it is not specifically mentioned in this specific verse. Down in verse 6, the steadfast love or loving kindness of God is mentioned. This chesed love defines the covenant relationship that God has for His people.

Because God loved Israel and delivered them from Egypt, the terms of that deliverance are obedience to these commands. We need to notice that the people did not earn their deliverance by keeping the commands. They did nothing to deserve that and it was solely dictated by the love that God had for them. But because they were given salvation from enslavement, they had a moral obligation to adhere to these ten words from the Lord.

So, the commands were for those who had been delivered from Egypt. But this helps us to understand why most of the commandments are framed in a negative light. “Do not, do not, do not” is stated with clarity because the Lord was speaking to a people who were free. Laws are given to people for their own good. They are loving restrictions. A positive command restricts us to only do that thing. Whereas, a negative command only prohibits what is stated in it.

These commands are not binding on you and I, though they are beneficial and still align with what Jesus had to say about Christian conduct.

With that being understood, let’s look at the first commandment.

The Lord is to have supreme priority over all things in our lives.

We are to love and trust God. We put Him above everything else in our lives. It is helpful to understand that the use of “gods” does not imply that there are other supernatural beings that oppose God. Instead, I want to point out that

We should allow this commandment to guide our lives in terms of our thoughts, actions, and desires. When we give the Lord priority in our lives, all other things fade into the background. No, the other responsibilities in our lives do not fade away. Instead, they are guided by the Lord and by His calling on our lives to be a light in the world. The first commandment leads everything about us. It gives context for the remainder of the commandments.

Next,

No Idolatry

The second commandment is a bit peculiar because it is one of two that have an extensive explanation. I think that is telling because most of the others tend to just sit on their own. The point here is not simply don’t worship other gods, since this was covered in the first commandment. The main emphasis here is on physical objects and the danger that they hold. This is the reason why we do not have a picture of Jesus hanging in the sanctuary. Of course, any picture of Jesus would be wildly inaccurate because we don’t know what His facial features looked like.

However, beyond that, any time there is a physical object, that tends to become the focus of worship rather than the one who is being worshipped. This is certainly to warn the people of God of worshipping the gods of the nations but it is also to warn His people that the likeness of God should not be recreated because any attempt to do so would woefully fall short of Him.

I also want to point out that this is a generational problem, passed down from father to son. We see this in the evil kings of God’s people who would erect asherah poles and worship other gods.

The second command leads our lives by removing any sort of distraction from worshipping the Lord in the way that He deserves to be worshipped.

Third,

No incorrect use of God’s Name.

This command is also a bit odd because there is a punishment that is included. Though it is vague, this is the only commandment where a punishment for breaking it takes place.

We have to ask ourselves three questions when looking at the third saying. First, What is included in using the Lord’s name in vain? The primary thing for Israel during this day would be to swear in the name of the Lord. To make a promise, “If I am lying to you, the Lord will strike me dead.” Such a use of this would be use the Lord’s name in vain. However, a second use would be any time we flippantly use the Lord’s name. This is how we often think of using the Lord’s name in vain. When something unbelievable happens, saying “O my God” when you’re not actually crying out to Him.

The second question is: Why is this important? It is important because simply using the Lord’s name recognizes His power. To use it in an improper way would be to devalue His omnipotence.

The third question, then, is: What sort of punishment would go out? It is not specified but I believe that the punishment could range anywhere from something minor all the way to death. And we have examples where death takes place for this very thing. For instance, in Jeremiah 14:14-16.

Jeremiah 14:14–16 ESV

And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

The third commandment leads our lives in honoring God and using His name in a proper way. This gives Him the respect that He is deserving of.

Finally, this moring,

Observe the Sabbath Day in a holy way.

Again, it is helpful for us to recognize the details and explanation given here. We should understand that this observation is two fold. First, the Lord desires that we would be intentional about caring for ourselves and resting for a day. Second, this is a day set aside for focusing on godliness. It is important that we keep both of these things in mind as we recognize the Sabbath.

Notice also that this was for the entire household, not just individuals in it. One commentator noted that often when there was a covenant among people, there would be a physical sign of that covenant. In this case, the world looks on and sees that we rest and worship on the Sabbath. This is a signal to them that we belong to the God of the bible.

The observance of the Sabbath leads us toward godliness and rest. We care for ourselves and families and dedicate a day to His worship.

As a concluding statement, it is easy to come away from the Ten Commandments feeling inadequate. These sayings reveal to us the holiness as well as our sinfulness. It seems as though we have been given an impossible task. Yet, there is one who kept the law to perfection. And He died on cross for my sins and yours so that we won’t have to endure the punishment that we deserve for breaking the law. And the same Father who sent His Son has also given you and I His Spirit that we might have a helper to aid in our efforts.

As we reflect on these commands, they are all related to our love of God. If you’re here this morning but have never been saved, you have no obligation to follow these commands. Following them will not save you. But, confessing your sin to the Lord and calling out to Him to have you as His own does and would give you the freedom to follow these things.

Maybe you’re here today and find yourself lacking in one of these four. Would you seek the Lord? Call out to Him and ask that He guide you back to a place of obedience where your love for Him will be seen by all who look on.