The 10 commandments were given about 50 days after coming up out of Egypt. When encamped at Sinai.
How were they given to Moses? Written (not oral) by the finger of God.
The 10 commandments were written down & given to Moses to give to the people as he came down the mountain. The Sermon on the Mount was spoken by Jesus when he went up the mountain & was given to His disciples.
What were they written on? 2 tables of stone.
What happened to the first set? Moses broke after seeing the golden calf. Ex.32:19.
Where did they end up? In the ark of the cov.
(1) The solemn formula Hear, O Israel indicates that what follows (the decrees and laws) is not incidental but absolutely necessary for the survival of Israel as a nation.
(6) The first commandment very appropriately begins with God.
This is always the best place to begin. I am the Lord your God.
It begins with a great assumption...the reality of God. It assumes that God is. It makes no effort to prove God. He simply affirms Him.
The prophets never undertake to prove God; they proclaim Him.
These 10 form the heart of God’s covenant.
In compressed form they contain everything that God demands of His people.
They also are a window into the character of God.
God holds the right to command obedience.
His people,on the other hand,learn how to liveby listening to Him & doing (obeying)what He commands.
By Jesus incorporating them into His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus upheld their validity for Christians. Except an official Sabbath, which we’ll discuss in vs.12-15.
So the title, 10 words, reveals the commandments to be much more compelling than a mere divine order. As words of God, they issue from the every essence of His being.
Creation also originated with the Words of God. Throughout biblical history, God continued to speak until He finally spoke through His own Son, The Word.
The connection between the creation, Jesus, & the10 commandments - God’s word of instruction for life - cannot be broken. Mt.5:17 Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.
Next week, we’ll see the commandments are divided into 2 sections.
The first four speak of Israel’s relationship to God.
Their overall theme is the worth & worship of God alone.
The last 6 deal with interpersonal relationships.
They establish the principle that all people are of inestimable/immeasurable value & as such have rights which must be protected.
Because the first 2 form the basis for the rest, they receive extensive treatment in ch’s 6-12. The other 8 will followed in order in ch’s 13-25.
Ted Turner, founder of the Cable News Network, told a convention of newspaper executivesthat the Ten Commandments are out of date. Instead, Turner suggested a set of “Ten VoluntaryInitiatives to guide sensitive persons through the new age.”
Good news about teenagers today? According to a poll by the Gallup Youth Survey, 4 out of 5 teenagers feel the 10 Commandments are valid. Worst news about teenagers today? The same survey also stated that only 3 out of 100 teenagers can name the 10 Commandments.
The 10 commandments, the very words of God, provide all the necessary principles by which God’s people may live lives pleasing to Him.
As Moses made them relevant for ancient Israel, Jesus did for the NT community.
Remember we said the2 tablets of stonewere divided into 2 sections:
1st 4 - Relationship to God. 2nd 6 - Relationship to others. [take the 1st 4 tonight]
Title: Worth & Worship of God Alone(Deut.5:6-15)
The first 2 commandments form the basis for the rest.(they receive extensive treatment in ch’s 6-12)
The rest follow in order from ch.’s 13-25.
[1] NO OTHER GODS(6,7)
Vs.6 is crucial for understanding not only the 1st commandment but also the other 9.
The Ten Commandments were given to a people already redeemed (brought out… of Egypt), to enable them to express their love for & have fellowship with the holy God.
In Deut Egypt is frequently called the land of slavery (house of bondage).[6:6,12; 7:8; 8:14; 13:5, 10; cf. Ex. 13:3, 14; 20:2]
The Decalogue was never given to enable them to achieve justification, for that has always been granted freely through faith (Gen.15:6; Rom. 4).
Since the Lord had taken the initiative in Israel’s redemption the people were obligated to acknowledge His right of sovereignty over them and to bow to that sovereignty.
To have no other gods before Me, called for asubmissionofevery area of one’s lifetothe ruleof God.
The phrase other gods is a technical term for pagan gods which of course existed in the form of idols and in the minds of their worshipers, but were not real.
What other gods could we have besides the Lord? Plenty. (Your Father Loves You by James Packer, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986, page for April 17)
For Israel there were the Canaanite Baals, those jolly nature gods whose worship was a rampage of gluttony, drunkenness, and ritual prostitution.
For us there are still the great gods Sex, Shekels, and Stomach (an unholy trinity constituting one god: self). And the other enslaving trio, Pleasure,Possessions, and Position, whose worship is described as“The lust of thefleshand the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1Jn2:16).
Indeed the list of other gods is endless, for anything that anyone allows to run his lifebecomes his god and the claimants for this prerogative are legion.J.I.Packer
[2] NO CARVED IMAGES(8-10)
Frankly, I’m not tempted to make images of God.
But to say that, I’m looking at its outer surface instead of its inner meaning.
But lets talk about how men got to making images of their gods.
They weren’t trying to degrade nor destroy religion.
Primitive man naturally found it hard torealizea god or gods that he couldnotsee.
You can imagine him praying off into space to an ear of mere nothingness.
He made an image therefore, to assist his sluggish imagination.
He was trying to bring a sense of reality into his worship.
Of course this wasn’t only felt by primitive man alone, people have made use of thevisible in order to make more real the invisible all through the centuries.
I grew up doing this as a Catholic. I’ll even argue I wasn’t worshipping our statues but only venerating them (having great respect for)ok weird to kiss them if they fell
Ash Wednesday is today - derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the forehead as a celebration and reminder of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God.
Illustration of an icon from island of Patmos.
Frank Boreham tells of a certain lovely saint who had the habit of setting a vacant chair before him every time he prayed. This man explained his reason, he told the following story: years before he had complained to his pastor that he found great difficulty in realizing that God was present and listening. Therefore his pastor told him to set a chair before him, and to imagine that is Lord was sitting in it, as he surely would be. He found the practice so helpful that he kept it up through the years.One night he slipped away while others slept. But in the morning, when they found his cold hand resting upon the chair that he had set for his Master, they knew that he had not died alone.
Problem: The images that these ancient people made in order to help them worship were, perhaps, of real assistance for a time. But in the end, they became a hindrance & a snare.
How? little by little worshippers came so to fix their gaze upon the image that they forgot the one that was imaged.
They became so absorbed in the means that hey forgot the end, So concerned in the picture that they lost sight of the reality. So intent upon that help that would help them realize God that they lost Godaltogether.
So, don’t take your eyes off the goal, and don’t confuse the means with the end. This becomes the abiding principle 10,000 years from today as it is at the present moment.
The bible can become this. Is the bible the means or an end?
Jesus said, You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. Jn.5:39
Use the bible like you would a telescope. It’s a wonderful instrument that can bring far things near.
But some make a toy of it. Some open the case to look at it, then put it back. But its not to look atbut to look...through!
The second commandment did not prohibit art in Israel (as the making of the tabernacle demonstrates), but rather the making of an idol to represent the Lord.
The danger in this practice was twofold:
First, since other nations used idolatry to express their devotion to their gods therewas always the danger that the worship of the Lord could be contaminated by idolatrous forms of worship.
Second,any attempt to represent God in any form from the natural world wouldhave called into question the sovereignty of the One who cannot be limited by anything.
As a jealous God (4:24; 6:15; 32:16, 21) He does not share His sovereign position with any other.
Simply remember, worship is always to be spiritualnotmaterial.
(5:9b) At first glance 5:9b may seem to contradict Ezekiel 18:20.
However, the phrase those who hate Me must certainly refer to the children, not to the fathers.
Children who hate the Lord will be punished.
Rebellious God-hating parents often produce children to the 3rd & 4th generation who also hate God. But if sin is contagious so is goodness. :)
[3] DON’T MISUSE GOD’S NAME(11)
To misuse God’s name means literally, “to lift it up toorattach it to emptiness.”
This command forbids using God’s name in profanity but it includes more.
Latin,Pro(before)/fanum(the temple) before the temple or outside the temple.
It’s allowing your mouth, which Jesus said was directly connected to your heart, to become acommon placerather thanaholy place.
That’s why instead our mouths should speak, Hallowed be your name.
Reverence is the doorway into the audience chamber of the king.Andthat dooris fast shut in the face of the profane.
But this prohibition is much more than using profanity, but lying.
This is a directive against using God’s name in a manipulative way
Lying - calling God to witness to the truthfulness of what the person said. Yet, in spite of doing so, the person goes on w/their lying.
We’re not to use Gods name falsely/insincerely by calling Him to witness to a lie. This was necessary because men are given to lying.
To swear to God, so as to make people believe you, while lying, is lying under oath.
Today a Christian who uses God’s name flippantly or falsely attributes a wrong actto God...has broken this commandment.
[4] SABBATH DAY(12-15)
The Sabbath Day was a gift of Godto Israel.
According to Ex.20:11, Israel was to observe a day of rest each week so she could commemorate God’s Creation of the world in six days & His rest on the 7th day.
Thus Israel’s observance of the Sabbath was a testimony to her belief in the personal,transcendent God who created the world.
This belief was a doctrine unique to the ancient Near East.
In Deut the reason for observing the Sabbath is not the Creation of the world, but the redemption of Israel from Egypt, which in effect was the creation of Israel as a nation.
So by observing the Sabbath before her pagan neighbors Israel was expressing her faith in the personal God who created boththe worldandher as anation.
This is the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated in the NT, and Paul argued against enforcing it (Rom.14:5-6; Col. 2:16-17).
The day of worship was changed in the early church to the first day of the week, in commemoration of Christ’s resurrection.
The temporary nature of the command regarding the Sabbath is due to the fact that it served as a sign of the Mosaic Covenant (Ex. 31:12-17).
After the Mosaic Covenant was done away with there was no longer a need for its sign. In its place Christians have the Lord’s Supper as the sign of the New Cov.
Here Moses repeats the Ten Commandments, the basis for God’s Moral Law.
The rest of Deuteronomy is actually an amplification & application of these commandments.
Israel was to hear, learn, keep, and do these laws (1).
For in obeying the Law they would be honoring God and opening the way for victory and blessing.
Why did God give this law?
To reveal sin.
Rom. 3:20 NLT For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
To prepare the nation for the coming of Christ. - Gal.3:19-24 (read) [yellow tab]
To make them a separated nation on the earth. - We read in Deut.4:5-8.
We are going to grab #5-#8 commandments tonight.
Listen for each of these commandments establishing the principle that all people are ofinestimable/immeasurable value& as such have rights which must be protected.
Slide#4 #5 HONOR FATHER & MOTHER(16)
For some this came/comes easy...for others very difficult.
Some will look for the fine print or footnotes.
No exception clause for those who have had horrific parents.
To honor one’s parents means to value or prize them highly.
Children living at home express this by obeying their parents.
This commandment was critical for the existence of the nation:
that you (pl.) may live long (cf. 6:2; 11:9; 25:15; 32:47) and
that it may go well with you (pl.) in the land.
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Parents, especially fathers, rather than the religious leaders, were to pass the covenant values to their children.
Honor - on obedience when younger, honor as their older.
Honor means to attach weight to;to put in the place of superiority;to hold in highopinion; to reverence.
Results: days long & well in the land. [life, longer & better]
Speaking of nationally not nec individually. A philosophy not a personal reward.
That this sacredness of the family ideal be maintained.
Example in Israel: every Fri night (start of shabbot) home with family’s. (even secular Jews)
Slide#5 And this literally in recent history did change/keep their land. Yom Kippur War Oct 1973. A coalition of Arab states led by Egypt & Syria against Israel as a way of recapturing part of the territories which they lost to the Israelis back in the 6-Day War. The war began with a surprise joint attack by Egypt and Syria on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur...but 1 phone call to a house reached the whole family of soldiers, both enlisted & retired)
Slide#6 Parents to be honored...be honorable.
You’re a child for a little while but someones child forever.
When you’re younger you need to obey your parents; When you’re older you need to still honor your parents.
Now that we’re older we don’t have to obey them, but we are till honor them.
How do we honor dishonorable parents?
Some of you have legit hurts.
Others though have unreasonable expectations.
How do you deal with a dishonorable parent?
Prov.19:11 And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
Remember your parents are fallen sinners. [cut some slack]
Salute the uniform - may not respect the oneinthe uniform,butmust honortheuniform.
At least honor motherhood & fatherhood.
IV. Slide#7 #6 YOU SHALL NOT MURDER(17) Reverence Human Life
Murder means to take someone’s life illegally.
Since man was created by God and in His image, man should not take another human’s life apart from divine permission.
So, the bible doesn’t say you shall not kill. (eg. KJV)
This commandment, therefore, did not prohibit capital punishment or engaging in war, both of which were regulated by laws in the Torah.
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I would add to that list a police officer, a judge handing out a sentence, self defense.
Slide#8 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, & the authorities that exist are appointed by God...for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.1
Why is murder wrong?
Not situational ethics. [that there’s flexibility in the application of moral laws, according to circumstances]
But we understand life through the 10 commandments that law is God-centric. Laws and truth are external. God is the author of life. God is sovereign man.
Gen.9:6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
We’re below God & above animals.
Slide#9 Not like animal rights activist & president of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment ofAnimals)Ingrid Newkirksaid in 1985,“Aratis apigis adogis aboy. They're allmammals.”
No Ingrid, we are different. We are made in the image of God. We shouldn’t mistreat animals, but if your house is burning down & you can’t grab both the kid & the dog, the kid is more important. (on most days...Ha!)
Slide#10blank What Is Meant By Murder? (Mt.5:21-26)
Murder is the 1st of 5 illustrations Jesus uses to show proper Interpretation of the law.
The false interp. was, that if your hands weren’t Red w/Blood than you were alright.
Jesus arrests a man before he commits murder. [If your never Angry, you’ll never Murder]
So the Problem was their limited Interp. of murder.
Jesus shows 3 degrees of anger.
Murders root & fruit (eg. beg. & ending) are Anger.
Slide11 3 degrees of Anger:
Anger - as a non-verbal concealed emotion [yet it’s not really concealed, w/God it’s a heart Revealed]
Raca - is anger as a verbal outburst. Now it’s directed to the person.
Raca = fool, empty headed. Not Latin or Greek. hard to interp (It’s Aramaic).
Chrysostom & Augustine say the word means nothing, but rather express “the emotion of an angry mind”. [A word that can’t be translated into another language like: Aahh! Tsss! Tsic(tongue on teeth sound) So, the writer puts down the word itself]
You Fool - Anger as an outburst, but now with intent.
Whole Bible (46)Old Testament (1)Individual Books (4)
Verses 1-5
Verses 6-15
Verses 16-19
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IV. Slide#7 #6 YOU SHALL NOT MURDER (17) Reverence Human Life
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