Dt. 5:5b-21, Love God with all - (Ten Commandments Exposition 2)

Dt. 5:5b-21, Love God with all - (Ten Commandments Exposition 2)

 5b-21, 5b-6.And he said: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  7."You shall have no other gods before me.  8."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.  9.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,  10.but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.  11."You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.  12."Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.  13.Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  14.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 ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.  15.Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.  16."Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.  17."You shall not murder.  18."You shall not commit adultery.  19."You shall not steal.  20.“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.  21."You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.“

<Sermon>

 Among the three guidelines for a life of faith, the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer, today we listen to the voice of God through its 1-4 in Dt.5. It is eternal and absolute commandments. 1) God Himself wrote twice on two stone tablets(Ex.24:12,34:28). 2) He gave it at Mount Horeb, and again on the plains of Moab before crossing the Jordan River (Dt.5:1-3). 3) When King Solomon dedicated the temple, he placed it in the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place. 4) The Ark of the Covenant and it is also located in the temple of God’s kingdom that John saw (Rev.11:19). Therefore, it is always valid and eternal, transcending time and space.

1. The 1st Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.”(6,7, Ex.20:3) The object of worship is only God.

 At that time, Egypt, where the Israelites lived, served multiple gods. People served as gods such as the sun god, moon god, star god, frog god, snake god, and calf god etc. The land of Canaan they entered also served many gods. People served Baal, the god of abundance(rain), and his wife, Asherah. All of these are just creations of God the Creator. So God commands us not to have other gods, but to believe in, know, serve, and worship only God. People today advocate religious pluralism, recognizing many gods. This means that there is not just one path to salvation, but many. However, Jesus clearly says that only God, and only Jesus, is the only way to salvation and life. Jn14:6(Jesus is the only way, truth, and life). Acts4:12(No one can give us salvation except the name of Jesus). Only God created us, saved us, and will continue to take responsibility for us in the future. Therefore, we must serve only God. He also called Adam, Abraham, Peter, and John, cared for them, and loved them all their lives. We must all worship only God according to Joshua's will and decision(Josh24:15), Elijah's decision(1K.18:21), and Jesus' Words(Mt.6:24). This is because only God is our Creator, Lord, Savior, and Provider(Job1:21, Dt.6:4). Let us all worship only God.

2. The 2nd Commandment (Worship method): Do not make an idol, bow down to it, or serve it (8-10, Ex. 20:4-6)

 People try to make visible images for themselves and bow down to them or serve them(Ex.32:4). Christianity is a truth of the ears that hear the word of God, not a religion of the eyes that see and believe. God, who is Spirit, has no form and rules over all time and all space. The electric light in this room only provides light here. The sun shines limitedly on the Earth. There is no light in the dark basement or at night. However, because God is Spirit, He always and everywhere transcends and shines on us and the world. Also, many people live with the idol that God is most pleased with themselves and what they do, and that God works only through them. We must abandon these idols, get to know God every day, and when our flesh ends, we will see God who is Spirit. God is a jealous God. When we serve idols God are hating, and He punishes their sins from his fathers to his sons to the third and fourth generations (the entire extended family,10). On the other hand, God gives grace to thousands of generations to those who love God and keep His commandments. There is a huge difference between three or four punishments and a thousand blessings. Therefore, let us love God and keep His commandments in order to receive and enjoy God’s blessings. Let us enjoy and be thankful for the grace of God, who gives us tremendous blessings.


3. The 3rd Commandment(God’s name): Do not call in vain(11, Ex.20:7)
 God's name is a holy name. To call this name in vain(falsely, misusing, or abusing it) is to blaspheme God. Do not call Him in vain, swear by His name in vain, or pray in vain. We must use it in holy work, praising and praying for God's name. Through the Lord’s Prayer, when we pray, ‘Hallowed your name,’ we must live so that the holy name of God is revealed through our lives. God is something we should love, not something we should control or use. We must believe in God's holy name, be saved by believing in Jesus, and live a life worthy of God's name as saints.

4. The 4th Commandments(worship day), remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (12-15, Ex.20:8-11)

 The Jews kept the Sabbath at the risk of their lives. Neither work nor war took place on the Sabbath, so in the 2nd century B.C., over 100,000 people died on the Sabbath for three years under the cruel king Antiochus IV. Why did they risk their lives to keep the Sabbath? 1) Having faith in God’s creation(rest). Ex.20:11. “... I, the Lord,... made all things and rested on the seventh day...” 2) Having faith in God’s salvation(freedom & liberation). Dt.5:15. “...the LORD your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm...” Therefore, the Sabbath is a day to enjoy God's creation and salvation for people and all believers. After the New Testament era, Sunday, which commemorates the day Jesus died and was resurrected for us, is kept holy and worshiped. Today, we must make Sunday holy, rest, worship the Lord, our Savior, with gratitude, and play with Him. On this day, we worship God in Jesus. Practice dying to yourself as a person of worship before God. Leviticus is called a book of worship. Many animals are slaughtered, cut into pieces (split), and burned (burnt offerings). Worship is the practice of dying before God and His Word. When I die, the word of God, who created heaven and earth, changes me. If I live a life of worship, God and His Word protect me. If I become a person of Sunday and worship, worship and Sunday will protect me. This is because God works on me through that time. And especially on this day, we eat the bread of life.

 Man cannot live by physical bread alone. We live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, and I bless you to live by eating the bread of life through Jesus on Sunday. On Sundays, we stop what we are doing and rest for 6 days. And we must also take care of the weak. Not only do I need to rest on Sundays, but I also need to make sure that all my colleagues and workers rest. Verse 14 says: “The seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; you may not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your ox, or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the stranger who stays within your gates. I will give you rest together.”

 Dear believers, I believe that the Ten Commandments are guidelines for living and the core principles of a life of faith given to us out of love by God the Creator, the God of the Covenant, the God of redemption and salvation, and the God of love/jealousy. Since these are words given to those who have been saved, they must be kept with a loving heart. I bless you to live as a blessed worker of faith who loves God with all your heart, soul, and strength, one of the two pillars of the Ten Commandments. Amen.