Posted: 4/25/05
BaptistWay Bible Series for May 8
The Ten Commandments haven’t been revoked
• Deuteronomy 5:1-21
By Wayne Smith
First Baptist Church, Lamesa
This week’s lesson passage, taken from the second collection of Moses’ speeches in Deuteronomy, examines the Ten Commandments as a basic statement of obligations for the nation of Israel if it is to maintain the covenant relationship with God.
This passage was part of Moses’ instructions to the Israelites as they prepared to enter Canaan without him. It is an amplification of the original law received at Mount Horeb (Sinai) and a reminder of Israel’s acceptance of the covenant.
Deuteronomy 5:1-5
Moses reminded the Israelites that those hearing him, not their fathers, had made the covenant. God had spoken to them at Mount Horeb with Moses acting as mediator. They were obligated to learn the decrees and laws and to follow them.
The commandments are stated in Exodus 20 and are restated in Deuteronomy 5:6-21 with slightly different wording.
Deuteronomy 5:6-7
God was to be first and foremost in their lives. The covenant relationship with Israel would function only if they acknowledged Yahweh as the one and only God. God was to be singular in their worship. No other form of worship other than total dedication and sacrifices to Yahweh would be tolerated.
Deuteronomy 5:8-10
The second commandment forbids making and worshipping graven images. The Hebrews were surrounded by idol worshippers. Moses gave an explanation of this commandment to show that Israel was unique because God had chosen them as his covenant nation. They were a holy nation who worshipped an invisible God. They maintained their relationship through faith.
Deuteronomy 5:11
The third commandment concerns the wrongful use of God’s name. El, Elohim (translated “God”) and Adonai (translated “Lord”) were generic terms for a deity. God’s revelation to Moses of his true name, Yahweh, was to verify Moses as his appointed spokesman. God’s name demanded reverent respect. The Hebrews considered the name of God so holy they refused to pronounce it.
Deuteronomy 5:12-15
The fourth commandment is to keep the Sabbath day holy—separate and distinct from other days and dedicated to cessation of physical labor. The Sabbath had become a time for sacred assembly and worship. The focus of the Exodus 20 statement is commemoration of God’s rest following creation. In Deuteronomy, the emphasis is on remembering the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
Deuteronomy 5:16
The fifth commandment emphasizes respect for parents as well as the respect for God implicit in the first four commandments. Healthy family life creates a healthy society. The Hebrews would assure a long and happy existence in Canaan if they obeyed this commandment.
Deuteronomy 5:17
The sixth commandment forbids murder. The Hebrews understood this law to mean that murder, both premeditated and unpremeditated were forbidden, but capital punishment or killing in warfare were allowed. They were not to maintain a mindset that led to manslaughter. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), extended the meaning of this commandment when he stated that anger was the motive for murder and character assassination (Matthew 5:21-22).
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Deuteronomy 5:18
The seventh commandment, forbidding adultery, addresses the necessity of keeping the family structure intact to support the healthy society spoken of in the fifth commandment (v. 16). Jesus pointed out that the physical act of adultery was preceded by thoughts of intention or lust (Matthew 5:27-30).
Deuteronomy 5:19
The eighth commandment addresses integrity in dealing with material possessions. God allows the accumulation of possessions as a part of our stewardship of his blessings. Stealing from another distorts his plan for each of us in the utilization of those blessings.
Deuteronomy 5:20
The ninth commandment forbids lying about another person. This prohibition involves spreading false information about another person’s actions. Repeating false information is as wrong as creating false information.
Deuteronomy 5:21
The tenth commandment forbids harboring thoughts leading to committing an act. This commandment states a principle basic to human behavior. Stealing begins with coveting just as adultery begins with lust. Greed consumes the mind of the coveter.
The Ten Commandments form the foundation for all the decrees and laws necessary to govern the nation of Israel when they have occupied Canaan. The commandments are not suggestions. God spoke them as absolutes necessary to sustain his “holy nation.” In the New Testament, when Jesus expanded the meaning of the laws to include intentional thoughts as well as physical actions, he spoke with the authority of God. He explained that he had not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). By birth as the Messiah and thus the fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus was able to speak as God (John 1:1, 1:14). His extension of the meaning of the commandments was authoritative. Moses’ instructions to the Israelites were also authoritative since, as God’s chosen mediator of the Law, he was also God’s spokesman to the Israelites.
Application
Although we cannot hear Moses or Jesus speak, we can study the inspired word of God. When God speaks to us through Scripture, he is instructing us just as Moses and Jesus taught their audiences. The commandments have not been revoked. They apply to us today just forcefully as they applied to those who first heard them.
Discussion question
• How can I apply the Ten Commandments to my life and thoughts daily as a test of my devotion to God’s word?
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