The Commandments: Duet 5

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Intro

Sometimes you can see something so often that you forget that it is there. You can walk past the same trinket or piece of furniture and not even think twice about it, that is until something causes you to either see it or perhaps the difference is that it is moved or simply gone. That doesn’t mean that you don’t find it worthwhile or that you are glad that it might be gone. In fact, you probably had it right there where you put it because that is exactly where you wanted it and where it would be easily seen and admired.

Today we are going to look at something in our scripture that often get’s taken for granted. It is always there and no one can ever remove it but we simply forget sometimes to give it it due. Today we are going to look at the 10 commandments. Moses is giving the people of Israel a refresher on them. The day he came down from the mountain with them was many years ago and now this new generation needs to be reminded about what they are and how they are to live by them. The interesting thing about the 10 commandments is that unlike the rest of the Law we still try to live by these commandments. The reason is because they aren’t laws exactly but more the foundations upon which the law was built. Therefore, we are going to look at them as those foundations, and see what God meant by them so that we can live our lives with them as our foundations. Let’s read:

Bible Reading: Deut 5:1-22

Humanity & God

The Commandments can be broken down into two relationships the first of those is the relationship between Humanity and God.

#1 No other God’s

God is not stating that other gods exist but that He is and always will be the only God and all others are made up. This begins the commandments because God wants there to be no questions as to where our allegiance should lay. There are no other god’s and therefore our only hope and future is to believe in the one true God. To believe otherwise is to put your hope in something that doesn’t exist, has no power, and will leave you empty which is why commandment #2 is:

#2 No Idols

The idea of us making an image and then bowing down to that image is for the most part laughable. It’s like declaring monopoly money to be real and then expecting others to just follow along with your insanity. The whole thing seems absurd but we don’t necessarily create these gods with our own hands anymore. Instead we place things, ideas, people, positions, and power in the place of utmost importance in our lives to the point that they are our serviceable gods. We are idol makers because we desire for our wants and our desires to be fulfilled and we will do anything to make sure that they get fulfilled. An idol is anything that we place above God. Therefore, because we naturally fill the god shaped hole in our lives with whatever makes us feel good at the time, the true God tells us to stop. He alone is God and He alone wants to be our God. God will not play second fiddle in our lives.

#3 Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain

This is not just using God’s name in curses or in ways that are demeaning or trivial, although those are definitively not acceptable. The more important take away is that we do not treat any part of God, (His name, His presence, His work, His Word, His love, His will, His plan, etc..) as trivial or in a demeaning way. Our every thought on the subject of God should be pierced through with AWE and REVERENCE, ESTEEM and WONDERMENT, and let’s not forget FEAR and TREMBLING. If at any point you find yourself treating God in a trivial way then you are taking His name in a vain way and this must be stopped. In Romans 2 Paul is chastising the Jews because, Romans 2:23 “You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?” Their example among the unbelievers was not just wrong but it was causing God’s name to be blasphemed. Our spiritual walk as believers is on stage every day and we aren’t just being bad examples we are demeaning God’s name. Don’t just watch what you say but also what you do it can easily take God’s name in vain.

#4 Practice the Sabbath

If God rested after 6 days of work doesn’t it makes sense that we would do the same. Or do we think that we can get away with just disobeying this over and over again. People take a day once a week and put yourself before the throne. It will make all the difference.

God’s People & Others

The second relationship that the commandments cover is the relationship between God’s people and others

#5 Honor your father and mother

This is a command for hierarchy in society. Our parents are higher on the societal pole simply because they are our parents, and without them we do not exist. We honor those who have given of themselves in order to raise us, and even if they did a horrible job that does not give us the right to show hate or disrespect. We are to Honor our father and mother because it is the right thing to do and it is as Moses points out a command with the promise of longer years on this earth simply because we follow it. I don’t know what that will mean as far as years are concerned but I believe that following it will be better for me so I will do it.

#6 Don’t murder

This is not a call to conscientious objection in times of war as many have tried to make it say. There may be times in your life where defending your own life or the lives of others, defending your country or defending your community that will require the use of lethal force. God is not stating that that is wrong or sinful.

Instead, this is a call not to intentionally murder out of hatred, jealousy, malice, contempt, prejudice, or revenge. Now we also know that Christ up the ante on this one by stating that even hatred is murdering someone in your mind so we need to not only keep our physical selves from murder but our mental thoughts as well. Good Luck.

#7 Don’t commit adultery

This one is so simple as it says exactly what it means. Don’t commit adultery and yet is it is one that we have been trying to get around since a man first saw a woman. God has a plan for sex and His plan is for our good and for the good of humanity. However, sexual sin done outside the bounds of marriage is wrong. There is no other way to say it and I can’t say it more simply. It is not that it can’t be forgiven but know that it is sin and therefore is against God’s will. Sex in marriage between a man and a woman was set up and seen as good by God, it is humanity that has distorted it. We need to take a note from chapter 4 when Moses told the people not to add to or take away from this law.

#8 Don’t steal

To steal is to take what God has not given you from those to whom God has given it. At its heart theft is a sovereignty of God issue. I want more than what God has given and because God is not sovereign to give me what I want I will take what I want for myself. The truth is that we can’t have everything we want and God is not going to give us everything we think we need. So the question we have to ask ourselves is do we trust that God will give us what we need and be content with what we have?

#9 Don’t lie to or about your neighbor

If the second greatest commandment is Matthew 22:39 “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” then lying to or about your neighbor is in direct opposition to it. When we lie to our about our neighbor we are selfishly wanting our way over and above the way of any other. Again we are wanting what God hasn’t given and our goal should be to align our wants up with God’s wants.

#10 Don’t be jealous of what others have.

Hebrews 13:5–6 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”” If God will never leave us and He is the only God as He stated back in #1 then what else do we need? What else should we want?

Truths:

The Commandments are meant for Israel.

Now that we have define the commandments and thought them through lets take a moment and determine why they were given and what truth they conveyed to Israel and what they still convey today.

The first truth that we come to when we discuss the commandments is that they were given to a specific people, namely the Israelites.

We often think of the people of Israel in a bad light. They were rebellious and wayward, they were stubborn and hard to lead. And this is all true which is why we tend to paint them in such bad light. We often think of the major characters of the Bible and associate ourselves with them. We read about Noah and associate ourselves with his plight to save his family and humanity. We read about Joseph and associate ourselves with the injustice of his family and his eventual rise to leadership. We read about Moses and associate ourselves with his weaknesses and his strengths.

There is nothing wrong with these things but we often fail to associate ourselves with the people of Israel mainly because all we see is their weaknesses and their lack of faith. However, isn’t that exactly where we should see ourselves? Shouldn’t we be struck by the fact that we are just like the Israelites and in need of the commandments just as much. We have never been above the commandments of God because we have never been in a position where we can do without them. We need the commandments more now then we ever have because we are the chief of sinners, desperately in need of a savior. A savoir whose life brings us the fulfillment of the Law.

The Commandments are God’s

The Commandments are not given by Moses or more specifically given by men, they are given directly from God. They are a covenant made with Israel by God. We didn’t make them, we didn’t have a say in their creation, we didn’t get to raise a hand to vote for or against them. They are God’s laws and they will always stand as God’s laws. This is why in Deut. 4:4 it says that we cannot add to or take away from them. They are God’s and His alone.

The Commandments are for the living.

The Commandments are not for the dead but for the living. The world will always refute this. They would love for all of what God said in the Bible to be only applicable to the dead those ancient believers who needed them. They want this so that they can deny God’s truths or they can claim superiority over the them but God has and always will be the God of the Living and not the dead.

The law just like the law giver has not changed and never will. When Jesus came He said that he did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. This continues the concept of the Law being for the living. It does not change over time but it does remain living and active in our lives and it is vital to our continuing spiritual walk.

The Commandments were given to the Free

The Commandments were given after the Lord had freed Israel from slavery. The Commandments did not provide freedom, but freedom was required for the law to be useful. Redemption is not given through the law but law is completed and made useful because of the redemption purchased for us through Christ.

If we take this a step further Israel did not have to complete or even attempt to complete the commandments of God in order for God to free them. In other words, Moses did not come to Egypt with these 10 Commandments so that he could convince them that if they would follow them then the Lord would free them from their slavery. No, first came the redemption then came the Commandments.

For us on this side of Jesus this is a great truth for it means that salvation and redemption does not come through obedience to the truths of Scripture. Do you hear that? You don’t have to have your life altogether in order to come to Christ. You don’t have to be a good person to accept Christ. This makes the bar to salvation really really low. The good news of the Gospel is that Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And the good news of faith is that Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The Commandments were for worship

The Commandments provided the people of Israel a means to express their love for the God who freed them from slavery in Egypt. Because of God’s redemption from slavery, be it Egypt or Sin, we must therefore acknowledge His greatness and worship Him accordingly. When we realize the freedom that comes through God and from these commandments we like the Israelites before us must worship the only God in Heaven. The provider, the lover of our souls. He is to be worshiped.

Gospel

‌If you are here today and you know that you are not a believer, you have never asked Jesus into your heart, or maybe you did but haven’t ever allowed God to change you, then let me tell you how you can change that today. Your sin and your brokenness are there to point you to Jesus because only He can provide you with a real solution. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that solution. Here is the Gospel: Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and because He did, we can ask for our sins to be forgiven, and the Bible says He will forgive them. Jesus is the Lamb of God who died for your sins. God sent Jesus so that Jesus might take the punishment we deserve so that we might return to God and be called His own. Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” ‌It is just that easy. You can confess Him as your savior. If that is your desire today, you can say this prayer with me. Bow your heads. God holds out His outstretched hand for you. Are you going to continue in your sin, or are you going to take His Hand? He is calling, and all you have to do is believe.

‌It is just that easy. You can confess Him as your savior. If that is your desire today, you can say this prayer with me. Bow your heads.

‌Dear Lord, ‌I know that I’m a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin, and I ask you to forgive me. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I repent of my sins, and I ask you to come into my life and take control. I make a commitment to follow you, and I trust you as my Lord and Savior.

‌Friend, if you prayed that prayer today, I ask that you come and speak to me after the service.

‌Benediction: Romans 11:36 “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”