5 observations about the five Commandments S29e15 Dt5:1

What if there were only 5 commandments?  Would that improve your standing before God?  Would you achieve and accomplish the five successfully? 

Join me as we assess our achievements in light of the commands that came directly from God Himself.  Perhaps you will do better than I did. ;-) 

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Transcript

5 observations about the five Commandments S29e15 Dt5:1

What if there were only five commandments. Would you be right with God

Doing a little editorializing in the interest of the brevity of a 7 min podcast

5 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenantwith us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. 4 The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said: 

1. 6 “ ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 

7 “ ‘You shall have no other gods before me.

2. 8 “ ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or servethem; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

3. 11 “ ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 

4. 12 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God 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, 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 sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lordyour God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. 

5.16 “ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 

1.   This is from God. This comes right from the fire, the face to face contact with God. What else do you want? I’ve heard it said: if I only knew…If you’d only tell me what you want me to do… There are many other commandments in the Bible. Love one another as I have loved you, Jesus’ command to the disciples, and to the church at the last supper for example. But these are a very good start.

2.   God is serious about Himself. His character, His uniqueness. (no other Gods’ before me) His representation(no image can do it so don’t even try)His name( don’t use it in vain, without power, without effect to the point of not holding guiltless His timing (for 6 days of labor sabbath to remember) His family (design of father and mother and honoring the office and occupants…that it may go well with you) 

3.   See how these reveal something about the character of God; His qualities. Give voice to HIS characterSee how they also reveal something about US. These help give voice to my character: my rebellion, my unbelief, and my general low level revolt against these principles. Also, just maybe, they also reveal a longing to do these right, and a sense of freedom by walking in the path that obedience brings.  

4.   These are for everybody. This is a covenant with us, with Israel first, and now the new israel: the church.

5.   These are ALL for everybody.  I know I’m joking and only holding you to account for 5 today, but I’m sure we’ll get to the other 5 tomorrow if the Lord gives us another day. Imagine the laughter if we just declared God wrong, misguided or oppressive.  We might then say: well the design, organization and the responsibilities of let’s say #5 father, mother, children are onerous, so I am declaring that I will endeavor to do 9/10 commandments.  Imagine the downstream consequences. Or stealing, or adultery or whatever my edit.  NO! These are 10 for all. All of us stand before ALL 10 of the commandments. We stand before them to our benefit by doing them…that it may go well with you in the land.  If you do the 10 commandments, you will do better in life than if you don’t do them. Ignore these at your peril.

What if there were only five commandments. Would you be right with God

Probably not. If you look carefully, you’ve likely stepped over each of these boundaries that the Lord provides for your benefit. 

Let’s remember the 5 commandment, renew our commitment to the 5 commandment and let’s walk in these 5 commandments. Hurry! There are 5 more tomorrow. He says to Learn and be careful to do them. Let’s do that today