Deuteronomy 5
Learn – Keep – Doverses 1-6
And Moses called all Israel – and said to them – Hear – O Israel
the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day
that you may LEARN them – and KEEP – and DO them
The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb
the LORD made not this covenant with our fathers – but with us
even us – who are all of us here alive this day
The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire
(I stood between the LORD and you at that time
to show you the word of the LORD
FOR you were afraid by reason of the fire
and went not up into the mount)
saying
I am the LORD your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt
from the house of bondage
Ten Commandments reviewedverses 7-21
You shall have none other gods before ME
You shall not make you any graven image
or any likeness of any thing
that is in heaven above – or that is in the earth beneath
or that is in the waters beneath the earth
You shall not bow down yourself to them – nor serve them
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 them that
hate ME – and showing MERCY to
thousands of them that love ME
and keep MY commandments
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain
FOR the LORD will not hold him guiltless
that takes HIS name in vain
Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it – as the LORD your God has
commanded you -six days you shall labor
and do all your work
BUT the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God
in it you shall not do any work – you – nor your son
nor your daughter – nor your manservant
nor your maidservant – nor your ox – nor your ass
nor any of your cattle – nor your stranger that is
within your gates
that your manservant and your maidservant may
REST as well as you
and remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt
and that the LORD your God brought you out thence
through a MIGHTY HAND and by a
STRETCHED out arm
therefore the LORD your God commanded you to
keep the Sabbath day
Honor your father and thy mother
as the LORD your God hath commanded you
that your days may be prolonged
and that it may go well with you
in the land which the
LORD your God gives you
You shall not kill
Neither shall you commit adultery
Neither shall you steal
Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor
Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s wife
neither shall you covet your neighbor’s house
his field – manservant maidservant – ox
ass – or anything that is your neighbor’s
Children of Israel fear voice of Godverses 22-27
These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly in the
mount out of the midst of the fire – cloud – thick darkness
with a great voice – and HE added no more
AND HE wrote them in TWO TABLES of stone
and delivered them to me
And it came to pass
when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness
(for the mountain did burn with fire)
that you came near to ME
even all the heads of your tribes
and your elders
And you said
BEHOLD – the LORD our God has shown us HIS glory
and HIS greatness – and we have heard HIS voice
out of the midst of the fire
we have seen this day that God does talk
with man and he lives
NOW therefore why should we die?
FOR this great fire will consume us
IF we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more
THEN we shall die
FOR who is there of all flesh
that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out
of the midst of the fire as we have and lived?
GO you near – and hear all that the LORD our God shall say
and speak you to us all that the LORD our God shall
speak to you
And we will hear it – and do it
LORD knows heart of peopleverses 28-31
And the LORD heard the voice of your words – when you spoke to me
and the LORD said to me
I have heard the voice of the words of this people
which they have spoken to you
they have well said all that they have spoken
Oh that there was such a heart in them
that they would FEAR ME
and KEEP all MY commandments always
that it might be well with them
and with their children for ever
GO say to them – Get you into your tents again
but as for you – stand you here by ME
and I will speak to you all the commandments
and the statutes – and the judgments
which you shall TEACH them
that they may do them in the land
which I give them to possess it
Moses warns people to listen to LORDverses 32-33
You shall OBSERVE to do therefore as the LORD your God
has commanded you – you shall NOT TURN aside to the
right hand or to the left
You shall WALK in all the ways which the LORD your God has
commanded you – that you may live
and that it may be well with you
and that you may prolong your days in the
land which you shall possess
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 And Moses called all Israel, and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. (8104 “keep” [shamar] means observe, heed, preserve, mark, have charge of, protect, to conform one’s actions to, or limit access and movement of persons or objects in and out of an area)
DEVOTION: Many people knew what God expected of them. They knew the commandments. They were part of the history of the travels through the wilderness. They had listened to Moses on many occasions. They were without excuse.
There is a big difference between knowing something and putting it into practice. You can know not to touch a hot stove but then you might try it to be sure. Then you really know that you shouldn’t touch a hot stove.
The children of Israel knew what God expected of them but they still tried to find out if God would really do something about it when they disobeyed. HE did!! They received many judgments for not putting into practice what they had been taught.
The same is true today. There are many people who know what the Bible teaches regarding what is right and wrong to do. They know the Ten Commandments but they think that they were only for the Old Testament. The problem is that each of them is repeated in the New Testament except the Sabbath day commandment.
We are to honor our parents even today. If children rebel against their parents and claim to be Christians than there are consequences for their actions.
The Bible warns that there are consequences to disobedience which is sin in the eyes of the LORD. It is not enough to know the standard God has set. We are supposed to practice what we know. It is not easy but the Holy Spirit gives us strength to win the battle against sin each day.
CHALLENGE: As you learn more truth put it into practice in your life. Mature believers are blessed by the LORD. Immature believers are chastened of the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes HIS name in vain. (7723 “vain” [shav’] means vanity, lying, falsely, emptiness, nothingness, worthless, a lie, fraud, or worthlessness of conduct)
DEVOTION: The culture around the name of the LORD was one of reverence. The people of Israel were to worship the LORD only. They were to honor the LORD at all times. If they took the name of the LORD falsely like many do in our day the LORD will judge them for their speech.
We have many who claim to be believers who can use the name of the LORD as a swear word rather than in an honoring way. They use HIS name worthlessly. It is as if they were using the name to curse rather than to bless people.
God doesn’t hold anyone who uses HIS name lightly unaccountable but HE holds them in judgment.
Too many people are not afraid of the judgment of God because HE is longsuffering with them. Some people are not believers who will spend eternity in hell because of their lack of truth or belief in HIM.
Others who claim to be believers use HIS name lightly thinking that there are no consequences because they are not struck dead immediately. This is not the case. HE will not hold those who use HIS name in vain guiltless. There are consequences. They might not seem to happen right away but there are consequences in their testimony if they claim to be a believer and think nothing of using HIS name in vain. Their witness will be weakened by their actions.
The blessing that the LORD has planned for them will not come to pass because they have not honored HIM and therefore HE cannot honor them.
The family is affected by the use of the LORD’S name in vain because the children see the actions of their parents and therefore think that they can do it because parents are teaching more by their actions than their words of belief in the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Our words spoken effect our relationships with others and our testimony for the LORD! We need to watch our speech at all times.
: 24 And you said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shown us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God does talk with man, and he lives. (2425 “lives” [chayay] to revive, or save life)
DEVOTION: OK, we have the reason for the children of Israel hearing the LORD speak to them. They are responsible to LEARN HIS commandments. Not only are they to LEARN the commandments but they are to KEEP them. Not only are they to KEEP them but they are to practice them on a regular basis.
The LORD gave the TEN COMMANDMENTS to the children of Israel. The children of Israel thought that if someone saw God they would die. They had seen God in the form of a fire and heard HIM speak. They were afraid.
They told Moses that they didn’t want to hear the voice of the LORD again. They said they would listen to Moses. They wanted Moses to be the only one who went into the presence of the LORD. The Israelites found out by observation that God was alive and that HE spoke to man. Not only that but they saw that they didn’t die.
However, they didn’t want it to happen again. They told Moses they would listen to him and he should be the only one to go into the presence of the LORD.
Sometimes New Testament believers practice the same belief. They think that the pastor should be the only one who should study the Bible and then tell them what they are supposed to belief. That way they can blame the pastor if they are not living right.
The LORD doesn’t allow for this excuse. Everyone is responsible for his own actions. Moses was going to instruct them but they were accountable for their actions.
God wants the hearts of the people to fear HIM. The fear will give them enough courage to keep HIS commandments. If they obey, it will be well with them. If they train their children to keep the commandments, then it will be well with them also.
God communicates the truth of the Word to our hearts. We are said to have the “mind of Christ” in us from the point of salvation. Let us use our mind to realize we serve a LIVING GOD. Obedience brings blessing to all those who serve properly.
CHALLENGE: Is there a great desire to learn more about your responsibility to the LORD? Can you see the blessing of the LORD as you practice obedience to HIS commandments? Are you encouraging the next generation to learn their responsibility to the LORD? Start NOW!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear ME, and keep all MY commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever! (2895 “well” [towb] means good, please, better, to be pleasant, be delightful or be joyful)
DEVOTION: The LORD is instructing the people through Moses. HE had met the people on the mountain and spoken to them and they were afraid to hear HIS voice again. They promised to listen to Moses if HE would not speak to them again.
However, HE knew their heart. Their voice was with HIM but their hearts were far from HIM even then. They were not willing to listen to HIS voice or the voice of Moses. They said they would but they were lying.
If they were willing to really obey, they would have done what HE had commanded them to do and also taught by example their children to do what HE had commanded them.
They didn’t do either and it caused their children to rebel as well as they did while they were in the wilderness. God wants HIS followers to not just hear what HE has to say but to do what HE says.
It all seems to start with a healthy “fear of the LORD” which many Christians don’t have. They look at God as a gift-giver rather than a HOLY God. HE wants us to reverence HIM enough to obey His standards for our life.
CHALLENGE: Our goal in life should be to have everything to go good between the LORD and us.
: 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. (748 “prolong” [’arak] means lengthen, draw out, defer, show oneself slow to anger, extend, or be long, pertaining to the length of a feather)
DEVOTION: Two of the commands that the LORD gave promised prolonged life. Sometime we might think that it would be better to go to heaven at a young age but then we also want to see our family grow up and even our grandchildren get married. On that second note I have a long wait before any of my grandchildren get marries as by sons and son-in-law don’t want their daughters to get married until they are at least thirty-five years old.
Well the one command of the Ten Commandments that promises long life is for children that honor their parents. Children are to respect their parents. This doesn’t mean that children should disobey the LORD in their honoring of their parents. Some parents are not honoring the LORD by their actions and their children should not follow their example if they want to be good followers of the LORD.
The second group to prolong their life is the general public. Those who are willing to live the way God desire them to live which includes those who honor their parents.
Our walk or lifestyle should obey the commands of the LORD. God promised longer life to those who obeyed HIM in the Old Testament. That same promise is ours as well.
Obedience brings blessings. One of those blessings is a longer life to glory HIM. If HIS people would be more obedient, we would see revival in our local churches that could spread across the country.
CHALLENGE: How has our walk with the LORD been this week?
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Wrote on two tables of stoneverse 22
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sabbathverses 12, 15
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Statutesverses 1, 31
Judgmentverses 1, 31
Word of the LORDverse 5
Ten Commandmentsverses 7-22
Commandmentsverses 29, 31
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 2-6, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 32
God (Elohim)verses 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14-16, 24-27, 32
LORD our God verses 2, 24, 25
LORD thy Godverses 6, 9, 11, 12, 14-16
Jealous Godverse 9
Mighty handverse 15
Stretched out armverse 15
Great voiceverses 22, 25, 26
Glory of the LORDverse 24
Greatness of the LORDverse 24
Living Godverses 24, 26
Voice of the LORD our Godverse 25
Voice of the living Godverse 26
LORD your Godverses 32, 33
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Land of Egypt (House of Bondage)verses 6, 15
Strangerverse 14
Neighborverses 20, 21
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Afraidverse 5
Other godsverse 7
Graven imagesverse 8
Serve false godsverse 9
Iniquityverse 9
Hate Godverse 9
LORD’S name in vainverse 11
Not keeping Sabbath dayverse 12
Working on Sabbath dayverse 14
Killverse 17
Commit adulteryverse 18
Stealverse 19
False witnessverse 20
Covetverse 21
Not having a listening heartverse 29
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Hearverses 1, 27
Learn the Word of Godverse 1
Keep the Word of Godverses 1, 10, 29
Practice the Word of Godverses 1, 27, 32
Covenantverses 2, 3
Listen to the LORD speakverses 4, 24, 27
Provision of the LORD: deliveranceverse 6
Mercyverse 10
Loveverse 10
Guiltlessverse 11
Keep Sabbath verses 12-15
Sanctifyverse 12
Work six daysverse 13
Restverse 14
Honor parentsverse 16
Prolong lifeverses 16, 33
Fear the LORDverse 29
Teach the Word of Godverse 31
Walk in the ways of the LORDverse 33
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverse 1
Israelverse 1
Two tables of stoneverse 22
Heads of your tribesverse 23
Eldersverse 23
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Dieverse 25
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QUOTES regarding passage
8–10 The proscription of making or using idols is total (vv.8–9a). Nothing in Israel’s environmental experience may be the basis for an idolatrous form to be honored and worshiped as God.
The reason given for the prohibition is definitely personal, both on the part of the Lord and on the part of the people (vv.9b–10). The people either hate the Lord or love and obey him, and they receive from him punishment or love commensurate with their hate or love and obedience. Those who adhere to the covenant-treaty stipulations get its promised benefits; those who do not adhere to them get its punishments. The effect of one generation on succeeding generations is noted often in the OT. Here, however, the children are not punished for the sins that their father committed; the children who sin as their fathers sinned are punished for their own sins (cf. 24:16). The punishment goes on “to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,” just as his love continues toward “a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.” The distinction between punishment unto the third and fourth generation of those who hate the Lord and love extended to thousands who love him and keep his commandments suggests that God’s love far surpasses his retribution. (Kalland, E. S. (1992). Deuteronomy. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 54). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
5:8–10. The second commandment did not prohibit art in Israel (as the making of the tabernacle demonstrates), but rather the making of an idol to represent the Lord. The danger in this practice was twofold. First, since other nations used idolatry to express their devotion to their gods there was always the danger that the worship of the Lord could be contaminated by idolatrous forms of worship. Second, any attempt to represent God in any form from the natural world would have called into question the sovereignty of the One who cannot be limited by anything. As a jealous God (cf. 4:24; 32:16, 21; see comments on 6:15), He does not share His sovereign position with any other.
At first glance 5:9b may seem to contradict Ezekiel 18:20. However, the phrase those who hate Me must certainly refer to the children, not to the fathers. Children who hate the Lord will be punished. Rebellious God-hating parents often produce children to the third and fourth generation who also hate God (cf. Ex. 20:5; 34:6–7). (Deere, J. S. (1985). Deuteronomy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 272). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
We have already noted that the Lord doesn’t punish the children and grandchildren because of their ancestors’ sins (Ezek. 18), but He can permit the sad consequences of those sins to affect future generations, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Children are prone to imitate their parents, and Eastern peoples lived in extended families, with three and four generations often in the same home. It’s easy to see that the older members of the family had opportunities to influence the younger ones either for good or for evil. But the Lord also blesses successive generations of people who honor and obey Him. My great-grandfather prayed that there would be a preacher of the Gospel in every generation of our family, and there has been. I minister today because of godly ancestors who trusted the Lord. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be equipped (p. 36). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
The result is the unsurprising crisis of Western identity and the unaccountable permissiveness, the unfettered market forces, the unbounded moral and cultural relativism, the unashamed political pragmatism, the unchallenged philosophical skepticism, and the unchecked scientism that characterize the West today and that work together to undermine the ideals that have made the West the civilization it once was. (p. 54, The Global Public Square by Os Guinness.)
2 Timothy 2
Paul uses the metaphors of a soldier, athlete, farmer, and worker to encourage Timothy.
INSIGHT
In our hard-driving society, gentleness is almost a lost commodity. Not only is it rarely honored, but it is also often thought of as being undesirable. Yet Paul instructs Timothy that the “servant of the Lord must . . . be gentle” (v. 24) and that our gentleness may help others repent from sin. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek (the gentle)” (Matthew 5:5). Gentleness is not a word which suggests weakness or impotence. It is used of powerful war horses who have been skillfully trained to instantly obey their masters. It is a word which suggests power under complete control. It offers much. (Quiet Walk)
MORALITY AND CONFORMITY
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13
We are reminded here of the nature of the Christian life. I am increasingly convinced that most of our troubles arise from the fact that our whole conception of the Christian life tends to be inadequate. I am not referring to people outside the church at the moment, but to Christian people. I speak for myself when I say that there is nothing of which I have to remind myself more constantly than the very nature of the Christian life. We are all the same; the first Christians were the same as well, and that is why the epistles were written. It was because of this constant tendency to think and conceive of the Christian life in an inadequate manner that the apostles were led and moved by God to write their letters with their wonderful instruction.
What is the Christian life? Living as a Christian does not just mean moral living, nor just being good and decent. Of course, it includes those things, but that is not the whole of the Christian life. Is it not obvious that there are large numbers of people who think seriously that constitutes the Christian life? There are many people attending morning services in church who say that just because they are not guilty of certain things, they are true Christians. To which I reply, “Hereby we know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit”; then our little morality shrivels into nothing. Morality is essential, but God forbid that we should reduce this glorious life to just a little decency and morality!
Then there are those who think of Christianity just as a matter of religious conformity. But to regard that as the whole of Christianity is to miss the splendor of this great thing that is expounded in the New Testament.
A Thought to Ponder
Living as a Christian does not just mean moral living, nor just being good and decent.
(From The Love of God, pp. 92-93, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Business Structure: Servants
“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” (Colossians 3:22)
Most of the world accepted slavery as ordinary social strata for much of recorded history. Slavery was certainly normal during the time of Roman domination and therefore public routine when the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian church.
The most common term (and the term most often used by the apostles) is doulos, a bondslave, purchased by an owner and viewed as property under the legal system of Rome. Many of the biblical instructions are given to the doulos of a household or business enterprise.
The English word “employee” of today is essentially the same as the servant of biblical times. The “master” of today purchases service with wages rather than buying the life of the “servant” from a slave broker. The biblical instructions to employees are just as valid today as they were to the doulos of Bible times.
- “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers” (Ephesians 6:5-6).
- “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour” (1 Timothy 6:1).
- “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward” (1 Peter 2:18).
All similar commands insist that a godly doulos should give the same effort and same quality to his employer as he would to the Lord Jesus. “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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