Ex. 20:1-17, Love God, Love neighbors (Ten Commandments Exposition 1)
Ex. 20:1-17, Love God, Love neighbors (Ten Commandments Exposition 1)
1-17, 1.And God spoke all these words: 2."I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3."You shall have no other gods before me. 4."You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5.You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6.but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7."You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8."Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9.Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10.but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11.For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12."Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13."You shall not murder. 14."You shall not commit adultery. 15."You shall not steal. 16."You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17."You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.“
<Sermon>
Among the three guidelines for Christian faith life, the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer, starting today, we will listen to the voice of God through the words of the Ten Commandments.
1. Who is God who gave the Ten Commandments?
1) God the Creator (20:11) “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.‘ The God who gave the Ten Commandments is God the Almighty Father who created us. He is the Almighty Father who created us and can do all things. We can receive and keep the Ten Commandments with gratitude given to us by our Father, the Lord of life.
2) God of the covenant (19:5-6) ”5.Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6.you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." The God of the covenant promised by the blood of life. It is he who has made it his own, a special treasure among all nations. We who believe in Jesus are God's special treasure and possession in Jesus. How precious are we? Through the blood of Jesus, all our sins are forgiven and we become children of God. Let us give thanks to God who gave us the blood of life and made a covenant, and let us receive and keep the Ten Commandments.
3) God of redemption/salvation (2) "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.“ The Israelites were in a miserable situation as slaves in Egypt before receiving the Ten Commandments. However, God saved them by redeeming them with the blood of the Lamb and gave them freedom and liberation. He made them God's people and enabled them to go to the promised land. We too were slaves of sin and the devil before we believed in Jesus. However, through the blood of Jesus, He redeemed and saved us, forgave us of all our sins, and allowed us to live as God's people. Let us receive the commandments gratefully.
4) God of jealousy (5) “...for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me...” God, who gives commandments, is jealous. Worldly jealousy is evil and harmful. However, God is our bridegroom and everything to us, so he becomes jealous if we love anything other than God. Because He loves us so much, loving something else would be spiritual adultery. It is unacceptable for a loving couple to love one another. Therefore, God's jealousy is the image and grace of God who loves us the most.
2. When did God give them it, and how do we keep it?
It was given to the Israelites who came out of Egypt. In other words, it is a word given to those who have been saved (saints), and must be kept with a loving heart for God. Deut. 7:8, “But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” After God freed the people from slavery in Egypt and gave them freedom, He gave the people commandments. In other words, it was given to him after he was saved. Keeping the Ten Commandments is not a condition for salvation, but something to be thankful for and put into practice as a saved person. Deut. 6:5, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” A saved person who has received the Ten Commandments must love God “with all”. He must love the God of salvation and love with all his heart, with all his mind, and with all his strength.
3. The Ten Commandments are summarized in two loves.
‘Love God’ and ‘Love your neighbor’. The Lord summarized the Ten Commandments into two words. Mt. 22:35-40; “35.One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36."Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37.Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38.This is the first and greatest commandment. 39.And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40.All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
1) Love God ‘with all-’ (Commandments 1-4, vertical axis of the cross). Those who have been saved and have received the Ten Commandments must love the God of love with all our heart, all our mind, and all our strength. ① We must not have any other gods, and ② We must not make idols, bow down to them, or serve them. ③ We must not take God’s name in vain. ④) We must remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Like the axis of the cross, we must love upward towards God and fear Him.
2) Love your neighbor as yourself (5-10 commandments, horizontal axis of the cross). Commandments 5-10: ➄ Honor your parents, ➅ Do not commit murder, ⑦ Do not commit adultery, ⑧ Do not steal, ⑨ Do not bear false witness, and ⑩ Do not covet what belongs to your neighbor. These are summarized in the words to love your neighbor as yourself. These 5-10 commandments can be summarized as the horizontal axis of the cross: Love your neighbor as yourself..
Dear believers, these are the guidelines for life given to us by the Creator God, the God of the Covenant, the God of redemption/salvation, and the God of self-sacrifice, and are the core principles of faith life. Since these are words given to those who have been saved, they(we) must keep it with a loving heart. I bless you to live as a blessed worker of faith by loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself, which are the two axes of Jesus’ cross. Amen.
