9/14/17 - Eph 6:2-3, The Commandment, Pt. 3,
The Commandments, Pt. 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9Sa7doe2GI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9Sa7doe2GI
The Doctrine of the Ten Commandments Related to the Church Age,
Part III.
Some of the specific ways which the Law applied to the individual
saint:
1. The Law was seen as a source of personal edification, through
which God spoke personally to the individual saint: Restoring his soul, Psa 19:7; Making the simple wise, 19:7; Rejoicing his heart, 19:8; Enlightening his eyes, 19:8; Providing guidance, Psa 119:105; Reviving him, 119:154; and Convicting him of sin, 119:80, 126, 133; Psa 19:11-14.
2. The Law was a revelation of God’s character, Psa 119:138, 156.
3. The Law was a promise of future salvation, Psa 119:166, 174. The psalmists never view the Law as the standard
they must keep in order to be saved. In fact, they viewed salvation as
something which the Law anticipated, but did not produce itself. Thus, the
Psalms look forward to a future salvation, one which the Law itself will not
bring about.
4. The Law was a consolation to the sufferer, but it was not
viewed as a means by which one could earn blessings or avoid adversity, cf. Psa 119:67, 71, 75. Rather than seeing
the Law as the means to keep him from suffering, the psalmist saw suffering as
God’s means of bringing him to the Law.
5. From the Law, the psalmist learned that he could neither understand
nor apply this revelation apart from God’s grace, Psa 119:68, 73, 124-125, 144, 169. The psalmist understood that the
Law required God’s grace to understand and to apply.
6. The Law was simple, yet profound. It would not be grasped
quickly and easily, but only through study, prayer, and meditation, Psa 119:114, 123, 147.
The New Testament Perspective of the Mosaic Law.
1. There is great continuity between the NT and the Old in terms
of their perspectives of the Law. Paul defended the Law as that which was “Holy,” “righteous,” “good,” and
“spiritual,” Rom 7:12, 14.
2. Paul also speaks in demeaning terms regarding the Law, yet only
in contrast to the New Covenant, which was implemented by the death of our
Lord. In 2 Cor 3, Paul contrasts the
glory shown forth at the giving of the Law with the greater glory associated
with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is not a contrast between what is
evil and what is good, but rather between what was good and that which is far
better. For example:
a. In the first covenant,
God’s majesty and might were manifested to all, but a select few could draw
near. In the New Covenant, all who wished could draw near, but only a few
beheld His majesty, (transfiguration).
b. The first manifestation
of God on Mount Sinai portrayed the marvelous truth of the holiness of God, and
the separation which that demands. The second manifestation of our Lord on
Mount Calvary revealed the marvelous grace of God, by which He drew near to men
and by which we may draw near to Him.
Therefore, we must be careful to keep both the holiness and the
grace of God in perspective.
a. There are some that
stress the grace of God to the point of diminishing the truth of His holiness,
and of our need for purity.
b. There are others who so
emphasize the holiness of God so that men despair of ever having intimate
fellowship with Him.
The barriers which were of necessity constructed to keep men from
God at the giving of the old covenant have all been taken away by the
institution of the New Covenant. The veil which kept men from the presence of
God has been torn in two. The barrier of our sins has been broken down. This is
because the holiness which the Law requires has been fulfilled by the Lord
Jesus Christ, just as the penalty of death which the Law pronounces on every
sinner has been born by the same Savior, on the cross of Calvary. As a result, God
gives greater glory to the New Covenant than the Old.
3. In this regard, the Law was also viewed by the apostles as that
which was prophetic; it foreshadowed the better things to come, Col 2:16-17; Heb 10:1, and that which
was provisional and preparatory, Gal 3 -
4.
a. We are now the kingdom
of priests, having been given that holy task which Israel was given and failed
to fulfill.
b. Therefore, we should
understand that the standards for God’s kingdom of priests would be the same.
The means of reaching this standard is not that of human effort at Law-keeping.
It never was, and it never will be. We can never fully meet this standard, but
in Christ it has been met and given to us. We can never achieve it on our own
in this life, but since Christ lives in us, we can expect evidences of
righteousness, because He is at work in us to will and to do His good pleasure.
4. Finally, when Paul speaks absolutely disparagingly of “the Law,”
it is not of the Law as given by God and properly interpreted and applied, but
the Law as interpreted and applied by the Judaizers, who sought to pervert the
Law into a system of works-oriented righteousness.
Therefore, the Law is spoken of in the NT:
1) As being holy,
righteous, good, and spiritual;
2) In demeaning terms in contrast to the better
New Covenant;
3) Prophetically of Christ’s work and accomplishments;
4)
Disparagingly, in the way it was applied by the Judaizers.
The Commandments
The
1st Commandment:
Ex 20:3, “You
shall have no other gods before Me.”
Deut 5:7, “You
shall have no other gods before Me.”
“Gods,” is the
Hebrew Noun ELOHIM, אֱלֹהִים that is also used for the One true God in vs. 2 and elsewhere in the OT. The “IM”
ending makes it a plural noun speaking of the many other “gods” that existed in
ancient societies, Ex 20:23, such as
Egypt, Philistia, Canaan, Amor, Sidon, Moab, Milcon, Ammon, Syria, Babylon,
etc., and ones that would come with the Greek and Roman empires. Whether these
societies believed in one or many gods, which is
also referred to as a Pantheon, they all were false gods put before the One
true God of Israel.
When ELOHIM is used of the One true God of Israel, it is
singular in meaning, (as it sometimes is used for singular pagan gods of other
nations), yet, subtly pointing out the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, as in the great SHEMA of Israel in Deut 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the
LORD is one! 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your might.”
“Before Me,” is the
Preposition AL, עַל with the Noun PANIM, פָּנִים that literally means
“face.” This word can also function as a Preposition and literally means,
“facing,” and is often translated “before” or “in front of.” Likewise, it can
mean in the presence of. Therefore, it means, “in opposition to Me,” as well
as, “in My presence.”
This is not an admission that other gods exist. The simple fact is
there are no other gods beside God, Isa
45:21; 45:6; cf. 42:8. So, if any are worshipped, they are nothing more
than man-made fallacies.
This commandment not only means other gods being worshipped to the
exclusion of God, but also prohibits other gods from being considered to be in
the presence of God. As noted above, most religions of that day had a pantheon,
a divine assembly that ruled the realm of the gods, the supernatural, and ultimately,
the human world. In their systems, there would typically be a deity who was
designated head of the pantheon, and he, like the other gods, would have at
least one consort; female partner. Therefore, this commandment forbids Israel
to think in these terms. God is not the head of a pantheon, and he does not
have a consort. Therefore, there are no gods in His presence, meaning above Him
or worshipped alongside of Him.
Therefore, this first mandate, upon which all of the subsequent
commandments are based, means that God was to be their only object of worship,
and they were to live in blessed fellowship with Him as their glory and their
guide. Unfortunately, Israel often disobeyed this very first command by
worshiping the idols of other nations. This eventually resulted in her being
exiled to Assyria and Babylonia.
Therefore, this was a mandate for pure monotheism that presented a
theology completely at variance with the pagan nations all around them. Though
the Israelites had grown up in a grossly polytheistic culture in the land of
Egypt, where idols were erected to a large array of imaginary deities, (some of
which were bulls, hawks, vultures, crocodiles, snakes, and beetles), nothing
could have been more opposing to the cultures of the then Gentile world than
the statement that there is only one God, the living and sovereign Lord of all
creation who also sustained all things in their order.
The delusion of polytheism began in the antediluvian culture and
was continued post flood as demonstrated at the Tower of Babel which was a
monument to the greatness of the human race, irrespective of God. The various
representations of deity, embodied in anthropoid statues or birds or beasts or
crawling creatures, flourished especially in Egypt, from where the Israelites
had emerged as the only ethnic unit that retained a knowledge of the One true
God. As such, the One true God was in polar opposition to the beliefs,
practices, and customs connected with the polytheistic superstitions of the ancient
Gentile world. The Jews lived in a world of blind and superstitious nations
that worshiped many gods. As such, Israel was to bear witness of the true and
living God, Psa 115, and invite
their neighbors to trust Him.
Conclusion: This commandment prohibits every species
of mental idolatry, and all inordinate attachment(s) to earthly and sensible
things.
If
you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I am here to tell
you that Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you.
God the Father also loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His only Son
for you by sending Him to the Cross. At the Cross Jesus died in your place.
Taking upon Himself all of your sins and all of my sins. He was judged for our
sins and paid the price for our sins. Therefore, our sins will never be held
against us.
Right
where you are, you now have the opportunity to make the greatest decision in
your life. To accept the free gift of salvation and eternal life by truly
believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised on the third day
as the proof of the promise of eternal life. So right now, you can pause and
reflect on what Christ has done for you and say to the Father:
"Yes Father, I believe that Your Son, Jesus
Christ, died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins."
If you have done that, I welcome you to the eternal
Family of God!
Grace
Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher: James H. Rickard
23 Messenger Street, Unit 3
Plainville, MA 02762
Pastor/Teacher: James H. Rickard
23 Messenger Street, Unit 3
Plainville, MA 02762
Copyright
© 2001 - 2017.
Property of: James H Rickard Bible Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
Property of: James H Rickard Bible Ministries
All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment