The Lord promised through his prophet Jeremiah a "new covenant" with his people. Unlike the old covenant that they had broken, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…" (31.31-34). God's "laws" will become inner principles and not just external standards.
When the people of Israel were at Mount Sinai, the Lord gave them ten basic rules (Exodus 20.1-17). They formed the framework of their whole system of values. Jesus made it quite clear that these rules are of continuing importance for our lives and that their application extends to thought and motive as well as action (Matthew 5.17-48). When he summed them up in the law of love (Matthew 22.38-40; drawn from Deuteronomy 6.5 and Leviticus 19.18), he wasn't detracting from them but insisting on the restored relationships which they are meant to protect and express.
"You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20.3). They had just come out of Egypt where many gods were worshipped. They were heading for the land of Canaan where locals would be pressing them to sacrifice to local deities said to control weather, seasons, fertility...
To worship other gods was to misunderstand both nature and revelation (Romans 1.20-25). It was to forget the immense compassion and redeeming love of the Lord (Exodus 20.2). It was to separate themselves from God's promises within the covenant (Jeremiah 7.1-15).
Jesus calls us to undivided loyalty - "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matthew 6.24). We live in a material world, but are called to view possessions always in the light of our relationship with God (Matthew 6.33). That's why giving is such an important spiritual activity (Matthew 19.16-24; Luke 19.1-10).
"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. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, Lord your God, am a jealous God..." (Exodus 20.4-6).
This doesn't prohibit sculpture or other forms of art. Such had their approved place within the tabernacle and Temple. Rather, it denounces worship of objects representing some false god (see Romans 1.22-23) and also any attempt to represent the Lord by such images. We note the force of Jesus' words, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4.24). We need to reflect on the forms of idol worship that afflict our highly scientific world.
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God…" (Exodus 20.7).
In Bible times, names were closely identified with the person and character they represented. The name of God referred to his presence, power and character. It's obvious we aren't to refer to God profanely (in swearing) - to use God's name and mean nothing by it is a serious offence.
Modern-day Jews say haShem ("the Name") instead of Yahweh ("the LORD") when reading the Scriptures. But God has revealed himself - revelation and redemption - and we must "call on the name of the Lord (in repentance and faith) to be saved" (Acts 2.21). "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (4.12).
When we have "called on the name", we "bear the name", we are "born again" into God's family (John 3.1-16) and become part of Christ's Body. We approach God as "Abba (like our Daddy)! Father" (Romans 8.15, and in the model prayer, Matthew 6.9-13). We pray "in Jesus' name" (John 14.13-14).
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (Exodus 20.8).
The Hebrew word "sabbath" simply means "rest." The Bible doesn't subscribe to the modern idea that work is evil. It does, however, teach that work is more arduous and tedious because of the choice to disobey God. This rule provided rest from work and the opportunity for worship.
The Pharisees of Jesus' time interpreted the rule in a very rigid way. But Jesus insisted that "The Sabbath was made for man, not man was for the Sabbath" (Mark 2.27).
In the midst of all the self- and society-imposed pressures, God says, "Take a break! Keep this as a special day for me! You will be renewed and refreshed as well!"
"Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you" (Exodus 20.12).
The first four rules have to do with our relationship with God. The remaining six are about our human relationships. Respect for parents is placed first among these. The family is the basic unit of human society. Parents don't only pass on and mature the physical lives of their children - in a real sense, they are meant to be the representatives of God and of society to their children. The home is the basic school for all of life (note Deuteronomy 6.6-9). Honouring our parents is basic to our respect for human life itself.
"You shall not murder" (Exodus 20.13).
Murder is an outrageous sin against the sanctity of human life - for "in the image of God has God made man" (Genesis 9.6). Not only was the deliberate act of murder condemned, but every act that endangers human life, whether arising from carelessness (Deuteronomy 22.8) or malice (Leviticus 19.14), or from hatred, anger or revenge (19.17,18).
Jesus extended this rule to include anger and insult (Matthew 5.21-24). These are also an offence to God, even though they are beyond the jurisdiction of human courts. We are called to take the initiative in positive reconciliation (vv.25-26, 38-42).
"You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20.14).
In the creation narrative we read, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2.24). The marriage relationship is part of God's good purpose within creation. It is the strongest and most indissoluble of human relationships - stronger even than that of parent and child.
Jesus extended the meaning of this rule to include adulterous thoughts (Matthew 5.27-30). The New Testament (as well as the Old) sees homosexual acts as unnatural and sinful and under the judgment of God (Romans 1.26,27).
"You shall not steal" (Exodus 20.15).
This rule presupposes the right to own property. It expressly forbids any act which would defraud another person and obtain his possessions dishonestly.
The concept of stewardship was clearly taught by Jesus (Luke 16.19-31; Matthew 25.31-46). Too easily we become possessed by our possessions and obsessed with an acquisitive spirit. The failure of generosity has put great pressure on the disadvantaged within our society. Sometimes those who are "better off" have more means of dishonesty at their disposal.
Part of our stewardship is our responsibility to society through our taxes and to God through our tithes and offerings (note Matthew 22.15-22; Malachi 3.8-10; Romans 13.1-7).
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour" (Exodus 20.16).
Integrity and truth are the nature of God and he expects the same of his people. This rule prohibits lying in general, but deals with a particularly serious form of lying - false witness against one's neighbour. The law provided that the offender was to receive the punishment that his false testimony would have brought on the accused (Deuteronomy 19.18-20).
"You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour" (Exodus 20.17).
Selfish desire motivates wrong thought and action in relation to our neighbour. Much of what Jesus said about the law in Matthew 5 is related to this rule as he exposed our underlying attitudes and feelings. As we live in this world and use its benefits, we are to place the highest value on the spiritual, regarding possessions, not as our goal, but as a means of living and fulfilling God's will (note Matthew 6.33).
In today's reading, Jesus states clearly, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them" (Matthew 5.17). Our righteousness is to "surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law" (v. 20). That can only happen by the power of grace.
The Ten Commandments are prefaced by the words, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery" (Exodus 10.2). They are God's people by grace. That's our position in Christ. In Christ we are forgiven - saved by grace. Because of grace, God sees us perfect in Christ. And his Holy Spirit works to transform us into what he has always meant us to be.
As we hear Jesus applying the Ten Commandments to our thoughts and motives, it becomes rather daunting - until we recognise the context of grace.
Back to Sermons