God’s Commands

Recalling God’s Word

Text: Deuteronomy 5

Our Focus: Deuteronomy 5:6-12, 16-22, 29, 32, 33

At this time the nation of Israel had been reborn. An entire generation had died. This new generation needed to understand the law of God. They also needed to understand it because what they had seen in the past 40 years.

Though these commandments had not changed there are some differences in the way Moses presented them to this new generation.

This younger generation needed to understand that there was not one set of rules for their fathers and another set for them. There is one law, one Mediator, and there is only One Lord because there is only One God!

With these things understood then there can be no doubt that there is only “One Way” to God’s Heaven.

Every religion in the world has its own demands, they all have a means of going to a better place but the biggest thing they lack is the knowledge of the God of Love, and who instills that love to those that believe on him.

The Bible says:

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Joh 13:35  [By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another].

God loves us enough to set the standard for our lives!

If love is the standard then God uses His commandments to teach us this standard of love.

There are four important steps we are to take in relation to the Word of God:

The first step: We must first “hear” the Word of God.

The second step: We must “learn” the Word of God.

The third step: We must “keep” the Word of God.

The fourth step: We must “do” the Word of God.

Not only should the Word of God be in our heads and in our hearts, but it needs to get down to where our hands and our feet are!

We have way too many people in our world that say they live by the Ten Commandments, but if you ask, we’ll find out what they really mean is they have heard the 10 Commandments and they think they are good, but they certainly are not keeping them and being obedient to them.

1.) These Commandments are a “plumb line” to determine the crooked walls of our lives.

2. These Commandments are “mirror” we can look into to see what is in our hearts.

3.) These Commandments are “a headlight” to show us the way in the darkness of this world.

The Bible says:

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

4.) These Commandments will lead us to the truth that is in Christ Jesus!

God makes it very clear that he does not save men through the keeping of moral laws.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with these laws but there is something very wrong with us!

The Bible says:

Gal 2:16  [Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ], even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

These laws were not given to the nation of Israel while they were in Egypt. These laws were given to Israel only after they were in the wilderness.

When we live in the land of idolatry, such as Egypt was, we will not be obedient to God’s law!

When we live in our own world, with our own little idols, we will not obey the Word of God.

Moses told this new generation that their future in the promised land depended on their faithfulness to Jehovah God.

Moses told this new generation that they would have to love God with all their heart, with all their mind, and with all their strength.

Moses told this new generation that God had chosen them to be a special people.

Because of the promises to Abraham, the Lord continues to bless this stubborn and rebellious nation of Israel.

We must understand as Christians that blessings only come, when we have accepted His Son Jesus and the Work that only He could do on the Cross.

It is still by the Blood of Jesus that salvation becomes real!

*****Our Text:

**Deu 5:6  I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Israel was in a land of idolatry and Israel was living in the age of idolatry. These things will destroy us and our families. Look back at Lot. He was still saved but he lost all his family to evil and he lost all that he owned. We must separate ourselves from this evil before we will ever understand what God has for us.

**Deu 5:7  Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

The very first law and sin that is mentioned is that man had become polytheist and worshipped many gods. We must remember the Tower of Babel. These people would offer sacrifices to almost anything but especially to the Sun and the Moon. If you include the planets, these were all considered to be gods and were worship as such.

We can be sure that after the flood in the day of Noah, no one worshipped thunder and lightening. This is the time when mankind would worship God’s creation. They are still around today. They are called green-peace, and Mother Earth, and Gaia among some of the names.

But God says:

Psa 150:6  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

These are the ones that ignore the truth of God:

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

In the time of King David some of these types then became Atheist. Like children, if they could not worship whatever or whomever they chose then they simply would not believe in God.

Psa 14:1 [The fool hath said in his heart], There is no God. [They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good].

That word “fool” as used in this scripture means “insane”. [Anyone that says there is no God is insane]. This first commandment does not even mention any disbelief in the existence of God but it prohibits the worship of many gods.

The Lord wants us to obey Him, not as slaves, but as grateful children who are in love with their Heavenly Father and appreciate His Goodness, because we do not have any goodness in ourselves.

**Deu 5:8  Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Deu 5:9  Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, Deu 5:10  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

We should see that the first four commandments have to do with our relationship with God. There are only two types of people in this world.

1.) Those that “hate” God.

2.) Those the “love” God.

There is no middle ground!

God goes into detail when He forbids the making of any likeness of anything that could be worshipped.

Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment we have is to love The Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our might.

You will not convince very many that they have idols of worship today but the truth is that anything that you place between yourself and the Lord becomes your god. Anything that takes first place in your heart is an idol!

We already know that the Lord “does not” punish children and grandchildren because of what their parents do but He can and will permit the consequences of those sins to affect their future generations. Children will imitate their parents!

As we go through the Old Testament we will read many places where Israel is called a whore and in idolatry because they had broken this commandment.

But, The Lord will also bless successive generations of those that are faithful to Him!

**Deu 5:11  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

The Apostle Paul wrote that the mouth of mankind is full of cursing and bitterness.

All we have to do listen at our places of work, the television, the movies and in almost any other place we are around others and we hear foul-mouthed people and dirty-minded people. It like the entire language has been changed into something evil, which it has.

God hates these things and He says so and He will certainly not hold those guiltless who take His name in vain.

God’s name represents [God’s character and His reputation] and to honor His name is to also look good’ to the people that are around us.

Using God’s name even in an oath to defend a dishonest statement, and cursing and swearing are just some of the ways we can dishonor the Name of Our Lord.

**Deu 5:12  Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Deu 5:13  Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: Deu 5:14  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. Deu 5:15  And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

We should not find it odd that all these commandments are repeated in the New Testament except this one about the Sabbath. The Sabbath day was not given to the Church. The Sabbath is the seventh day of the Jewish week. The Church meets on the first day of the week because this the day Christ Jesus arose from the dead.

The Sabbath was given to Israel as a sign between them and God. This sign was not given to any other nation. The Sabbath had it’s beginning in the week of Creation and this was an actual week of seven 24 hour days. The Sabbath was part of Israel religious life even before these laws were given. At Mount Sinai the Sabbath became part of God’s covenant with Israel. Canaan land was to be Israel’s place of rest.

This not so for the church, as the church can only rest in Jesus Christ and look forward to eternal rest in Heaven!

The Old Testament will prove that Israel did not honor the Sabbath Day, The Sabbath Year, nor the Jubilee of Sabbaths and they are still in punishment for this.

[Sunday is not to be called the Christian Sabbath]! Sunday is the first day of the week, which was and always will be The Lord’s Day.

The Sabbath symbolizes the Old Covenant of Law just as the Lord’s Day symbolizes the commemorates the New Covenant of “Grace”.

At the time of Moses there was no Roman Calendar, the seventh day just followed the sixth day. The 8th day was the day of New Beginning.

**Deu 5:16  Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

When we are born into this world, our fathers and mothers stand in place of God until we know Him individually. As little ones we look up to our parents. The Bible tells us to listen to the instruction of our fathers and not to forsake the law of our mothers.

If those two parents love the Lord then those children born in to their house should be trained in God’s ways and God’s Word.

We can see that Moses was speaking to Israel but God’s Word will hold true even today, Any Nation That Does Not Do This Will Not Be Blessed.

In a house that the children do not honor their parents affects the entire nation. In America this is a nation wide problem. It is true that their are many parents that do not deserve the honor from their children but God also tells these parents to not provoke your children into wrath but bring them up in the Lord. We know America is trying it’s best to kick God out and we as Christians are just setting around in our fancy pews and allowing this to happen. It is a fact that we think more of our bellies and our pocket books than we do God.

**Deu 5:17  Thou shalt not kill.

The word “kill” in our English translation is used here for the original Hebrew word “ratsach”. This Hebrew word means to murder.

Some the Hebrew definition is: dash in pieces, put to death, murder and it is referring to human beings.

This would be an act of premeditation, or killing out of anger, or for a personal grievance.

This verse has nothing to do with warfare! God had already told His people that they would have to destroy His enemies out of the land and destroy meant to give them to the Lord for the atrocities that they had committed.

A soldier should never kill out of anger but as any good soldier killing should only come as commands and as necessary. If a soldier kills out of anger and premeditation, he too has committed murder.

God did not tell Israel to try to reform her enemies, they were to be destroyed because the Lord had commanded them to do so.

Notice also that the Bible does not condemn self-defence in any form.

But the Bible does authorize capitol punishment to governments and not individuals.

**Deu 5:18  Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

There is little doubt that we live in a sex-mad age. It is ridiculous the amount of products advertised by sex. This shows the depravity of man is real. This one of the greatest sins that is destroying our nation today. As the family has no real commitment, we have no commitment to God nor to our nation. Sadly no one seems to care about the family. They all just want to have fun they say.

In the day of Moses this was a capitol crime requiring death. Today in America and most of the world it is not even a sin but a way of life. And we wonder how our children got like they are!

**Deu 5:19  Neither shalt thou steal.

No doubt it is very true that not many of us have robbed banks or broke into some one  else’s home to take from them, but we should not even have the desire to have what other have. Our thoughts are still sinful.

**Deu 5:20  Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. Deu 5:21  Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

It is our heart that makes us guilty of murder, of adultery, and it is covetousness that makes us desire what belongs to some one else. The command against covetousness shows that it is a sin just to feel an excessive desire for what belongs to another.

Truth should be the cement that holds a society together. Things fall apart when people do not keep their promises. Our salvation depends on the promises of God. How would it be if we read where God did not keep all His promises.

Notice this commandment also forbids slander, which is lying about other people.

A Christian should be known for always speaking the truth. This includes rightly dividing the Bible!

Because we have been born again into the family of God and have received God’s divine nature we can with the help of the Holy Spirit be obedient to the Laws of God and live godly lives.

**Deu 5:22  These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

When we know God on a personal level, it will bring joy knowing we are obedient to His Word. Moses reminded this new generation that God had reveal Hid Glory and His Greatness at Mount Sinai. They should not think they could mock Him with disobedience and rebellion as their parents had.

God would never again in our time reveal Himself in the fire and the cloud and the thunder and the lightnings and with His awesome voice as He had at Mount Sinai. This was a time of God’s happiness and not wrath.

But  we know God will reveal Himself in even a much more awesome way during the tribulation period. If you God as your Savior, in the name of Jesus Christ we will also miss this time of His wrath.

**Deu 5:29  O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

This verse list three things that had to happen for things to be well in Canaan Land.

1.) There heart had to change.

2.) They needed a godly fear of the Lord.

3.) They had to obey God’s commandments.

We know that they did not keep these commandments and we always ask why when the reality is that, no one can keep all these commandments.

If we consider these laws as our mirror, then when we look into our mirror we will see the faults and blemishes that just will not wash off.

They only way to wash off the filth of our selves is to be washed in the blood of Jesus. Jesus is the fountain of life, we must drink of Him and We Must Bath in Him!

It is not so much important whether we approve of the Ten Commandments. It is important to know that you have not kept them.

We have measured up to God’s Standard!

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. Rom 3:12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

God knew this and God sent His Son so that we could be saved!

God says to take a reasonable look at your self in His mirror:

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

It is the blood of Jesus that makes us spotless when we stand before the Lord.

**Deu 5:32  Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Deu 5:33  Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

God says we must use these commandments as our guide, we are to “observe” them.

These moral laws still stand as our guide and God still judges sin by these laws.

The children of Israel made a promise that they could not keep. God knew this and God does not expect perfection. God does expect the desire to keep these commandments and for us to try our best to do so.

Israel wanted to be like the other nations around them.

God wants us to be like Him and these two things will never come together.

We cannot call ourselves Christians and walk as the world walks.

These Laws prove we are sinners but they cannot cleanse us of the sin:

The Son of God became the Son of Man that the sons of men through Him might become the sons of God. The best thing we can do with this knowledge is to tell some one else so that they can know also.

Let’s Pray!