Series: The Big 10
(Based on a series by James Merritt)
“OBSOLETE OR ABSOLUTE?”
EXODUS 20:1-20
OPEN
Today we start a series of messages called The Big 10. When you hear that term, you probably think about the regional college athletic conference featuring teams like Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin. The funny thing is that the Big 10 has thirteen full-fledged member schools and one associate member – Johns Hopkins – for a total of 14. Go figure.
If you didn’t grow up exclusively with the metric system, you’re more likely accustomed to the number 12. There are 12 inches in a foot, 12 months in a year, and there were 12 disciples.
But don’t underestimate the importance of the number 10. We have 10 fingers and toes on our bodies. There are 10 numerals in your phone number. There are 10 dimes in a dollar, 10 yards in a first down, and 10 hot dogs in a package (even though the buns come in packages of 8). And don’t forget that the 10 lords a leaping
The number 10 is a significant biblical number. When you come across the number 10 in
Scripture, it signifies completeness. No other standard is as complete as God’s code of ethics. And so, we begin to look at this body of scriptural teaching we call the 10 Commandments. Today’s message is, “Obsolete or Absolute?”
We view the 10 Commandments as obstacles to try to find our way around or as roadblocks that detour our search for joy in this life but in reality they’re a gift from our Father. They reflect his very nature. The 10 Commandments are God’s code of ethics. We should look at the principles in God’s code as fatherly advice. It’s like we go to our dad to ask for guidance and God puts his hand on our shoulder and says, “Listen my child, life works better like this…”
He gave us these words for our own protection.
Sometimes as parents, we have to make decisions with our children’s best interests in mind but they’re not popular decisions with our children. God gave us these words because he was looking out for our own best interests but we his children find them to be unpopular. As time passes, our culture finds these words to be less and less popular and endearing
These words have been around as a guiding light for close to 3500 years. They transcend region, culture, and generation. Simply put they work for everybody. Given to us by the one who designed us, they are tailor made for quality living in this world.
Ex. 20:1-20 – And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 You shall have no other gods before me. 4 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. 5 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, 6 but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 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 animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
PREPARATION
To adequately understand the 10 Commandments, we have to have some background, some historical basis on which to place God’s code of ethics. We have to know the story that leads up to the moment when God gave these principles that keep us safe and free.
It’s a story of a world that was faltering, it was headed nowhere. People were hating and hurting each other. They were so caught up in Satan’s lies that they couldn’t hear God’s voice.
It was out of this scenario that God chose a man named Abraham. Through him, God was going to win the world back and teach us how to live. God had made Abraham a promise – that the world would be blessed through him and that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky. God gave him a land in which to live and an assurance that his descendants would continue to live in this land.
But later, his descendants left this land and went down to Egypt. They remained there for more than 400 years eventually becoming slaves to the Egyptians. They endured cruelty and hardship.
But God had mercy on them, so he sent a deliverer named Moses to redeem his people. Through a series of spectacular miracles, God delivered them from bondage and led them to a place called Sinai. Just 90 days earlier, the children of Israel were still in bondage as slaves in Egypt. Now they stand before God at Mt. Sinai.
Here, at Sinai, God gave his people his code of ethics – his guide to live valuable and empowered lives. We need to know that story to see how they came out of God’s desire to offer grace and mercy – to offer freedom and liberty to his people who were physically in bondage to the Egyptians but also spiritually in bondage to sin.
Why did God give the 10 Commandments? He gave them not to hurt us but to help us; not to hamper us but to release us; not to punish us but to protect us.
It’s human nature to resist rules. We don’t like people to tell us what to do and what not to do. But the values that God gave are values that tell us how to live our lives more abundantly by using the unchangeable perfection of God. The Ten Commandments tell us God’s general will for our lives.
It’s like a playground. If you go to a school playground, you’ll see rules like this: “No hitting. No profanity. Only age ten and under on the monkey bars. Only age eight and older on the basketball court. Ten-minute limit on the tetherball court.”
And walking through the playground is Mrs. Buckles. Mrs. Buckles supervises that playground and makes sure that order is maintained – not to take away the fun the children are having, but so that all the children can have as much fun as possible.
Imagine taking the rules down and removing Mrs. Buckles out of the picture. How long do you think it would take for the rules to be violated? “Hey, he hit me!” “She spit on me!” “Hey, get those big kids off the monkey bars! Little kids are getting hurt!” “Hey, he cut the tetherball off!”
God has lined up the universe according to some universal laws. There are certain laws that the universe operates by, whether you like it or not. Take the law of gravity. If you ignore it, you only hurt yourself.
If you jump out of a ten-story window, and decide you’re going to ignore the law of gravity, you won’t break that law. The law of gravity will break you. Likewise, there are spiritual laws. God says these are the guardrails within which you can drive your life. They’re values that will help you live more abundantly.
PURPOSE
Herman was 93 years old but he insisted that he could drive a car just as well as he could at 39. He was traveling down Interstate 74 when his cell phone rang. It was his wife with an urgent warning: “Herman, I just heard on the news that there’s a car going the wrong way on Interstate 74.” And Herman said, “Honey, it’s not just one car. It’s hundreds of them.”
A lot of people are going the wrong way. They need to know how they can turn around and go the right way. There are at least 3 purposes for the 10 Commandments.
The first purpose is that they reveal God’s expectations. If we are ever in doubt what God would want us to do, we have a concise summary of what he would expect out of us in most situations. The 10 Commandments make God’s desires plain and easy and they mark the path of righteous living for all generations.
The second purpose is that they provide societal and personal directives. The 10 Commandments are useful in guiding both collective and individual behavior. We live in a fallen world where morality is defined by what feels right or by what the majority deems to be practical. The 10 Commandments remove any vagueness and ambiguity as to what God expects.
These aren’t the ten suggestions. They’re the Ten Commandments. They’re not optional. God says, if you do these things, things will go better in your life. If you don’t do them, you’re really going to mess up. Psychiatrists are now saying that when we live life with no boundaries and everyone does whatever they think is right, that it’s emotionally and mentally harmful. We need to know what’s right and wrong. We need to know the parameters of life.
Purpose number three is that they offer a model for teaching and training our children. Before the Hebrews entered the Promised Land, Moses gave a reminder to them regarding the 10 Commandments. He gave them this admonition concerning them: Deut. 6:6-9 – These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
PERSPECTIVE
There are four reasons why we should study the 10 Commandments. The first reason is because we don’t know them as we should. A Kelton Research study showed that 80% of Americans know that two all-beef patties are part of the makeup of a Big Mac while just 60% could identify “Thou shalt not kill” as one of the 10 commandments. A while back Newsweek reported that only 49% of Protestants and 44% of Catholics could name just four of the ten.
If we don’t know them, how can we put them into practice? Samuel told Saul that it was better to obey God’s instructions rather than just offering a sacrifice. James reminds us that faith without works is a dead faith.
The second reason is that man-made laws are often inadequate. Many states have antiquated laws still on the books that seem both silly and non-essential. Most of the laws were probably enacted to deal with a current problem but years later, they seem irrelevant.
Man- made laws are generally short-sighted. They deal with problems at hand as opposed to being long-term solutions to problems. They are reactive as opposed to being pro-active.
The third reason is that they answer the two most important questions: How do I love God and how do I love my neighbor?
Mk. 12:18-21 – One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
When you look at the 10 Commandments, they match up with Jesus’ teaching about what is most important. Commandments 1-4 teach how to love God. Commandments 5-10 teach us how to love others. 1-4 show how to reverence God. 5-10 how to respect others. 1-4 are vertical. 5-10 are horizontal. 1-4 are doctrinal. 5-10 are practical.
The fourth reason is because they form the foundation of grace. Typically, Law and grace are seen as the opposite ends of the spectrum. Grace is a gift that makes glad. Law-keeping is something that is considered arduous.
There is a mistaken view of God. God is seen as angry in the Old Testament but patient in the New Testament. He’s seen as vengeful and mean in the Old but loving and kind in the New.
God did not go through some attitudinal adjustment between the OT and NT. He hasn’t mellowed with the passing of time. Mal. 3:6 – I the LORD do not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If he is a God of grace now, he has always been a God of grace.
And while the 10 Commandments are understood as law, they began in grace.
The children of Israel had done nothing to deserve being rescued from Egypt. God could have started all over again with any other people he wanted but he had made a promise to Abraham. The 10 Commandments are an expression of grace and faithfulness on God’s part.
When you follow the story all the way through, you continually find God’s grace. Even while wandering in the desert because of their disobedience and rebellion, God gave them grace. Every day for 40 years, God provided for his people. He gave them manna to eat and water to drink. They’re clothes and shoes never wore out.
Here’s the point: were it not for the 10 commandments, I wouldn’t know that I had offended God with my sin and that I was lost to him. I wouldn’t know I needed someone to rescue me. I wouldn’t know how desperately I needed Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.
Unless I know what the law is, I can’t know that I’ve broken it and need someone to rescue me from my brokenness. If I don’t know I’m sick, I don’t know I need a doctor. The 10 commandments and the law of God show me how far short that I’ve fallen from God’s standards. Without the 10 Commandments, I can’t fully understand grace.
Grace doesn’t mean we’re exempt from the principles of the 10 Commandments. We are saved by grace and not by law-keeping. But, we don’t keep the 10 Commandments to appease an angry God. We do it to show our love for a gracious God who has forgiven us.
Jesus said in Jn. 14:15 – “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” Our adherence to the commandments shows how much we love God.
The question is: How are we doing? Let’s make a mental checklist:
1. Have you always put God first and made him your top priority in everything?
2. Do you have any idols?
Remember an idol is not necessarily made of wood, stone, or precious metals. An idol is anything that dims our view of God or tries to take top priority. Have you ever idolized anything or anyone?
3. Have you ever misused God’s name or failed to give God the credit that is due his name?
4. Have you ever dishonored the spirit of the Sabbath day?
5. Have you ever done or said anything that is disrespectful of your parents?
6. How about murder? Remember that Jesus said that murderous thoughts, attitudes, and words that are slanderous or just gossip make us just as guilty as committing the physical act.
7. How about adultery? Remember Jesus said that having lustful thoughts is committing
adultery in your heart.
8. Ever stolen anything? Ever taken a pencil or pen from work and didn’t take it back? Ever eaten a piece of candy at a friend’s home when they weren’t looking at the dish? Ever nibble on a grape in the produce aisle of the grocery store that you didn’t pay for?
9. Have you ever intentionally told a story that was false or intentionally not tell the whole truth because there was intent to deceive? Maybe just a teeny, tiny little white lie?
10. Have you ever been resentful of something that a friend had but you didn’t and wished that you could find a way to get it from them?
So, how’d you do? Here’s the deal. You don’t need to tell me your score and I won’t tell you my score. Suffice it to say that I’ve got a lot of work to do and I suspect so do you. I’ve got a long way to go to say I love you. When I look at my scorecard, I realize just how grateful I am for his grace.
CLOSE
There are three simple images that help us get a clearer understanding of God’s Law. The first image is a dentist’s mirror. It’s not very big but when he puts it into our mouths, it becomes an extremely effective diagnostic tool. He is able to view things which he cannot see without the reflection of the mirror. It shows him decayed areas and abnormalities within the mouth. The mirror can’t treat tooth decay. It just helps in diagnosing it.
The second image is a flashlight. If there is a sudden loss of electricity in our homes at night, the first thing we reach for is a flashlight. It helps guide us around in the darkness. It can help us find the electrical box to see if there are any blown circuits. Whether it’s a simple breaker or the power to our house is down from an outside source, the flashlight is immensely helpful in keeping us from stumbling and potentially dangerous situations during the darkness. The flashlight doesn’t correct the problem but it does help in finding a solution to the problem.
The third image is that of a plumb line. When a builder wants to check his work, he uses a weighted string called a plumb line to see if his work is true to vertical. If there needs to be a correction, he doesn’t use the plumb line; he uses his tools, like a hammer and a saw, to correct it.
The law points out the problem of sin. It doesn’t provide a solution. The solution is found in Christ Jesus. He came to give the law its fullest meaning.
Mt. 5:17-18 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
When Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law, in the original language he uses a term that means completion or perfection. He brought the Law full-circle. He brought it to fruition.
Seth Wilson, who taught at Ozark Christian College for many years, explained it this way: “The apple blossom is fulfilled when it matures into the fruit. When that takes place the
blossom falls off. It is not abolished, it is fulfilled.” Rom. 10:4 – Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
(Message adapted from materials by Tom Ellsworth, Rick Atchley, Chuck Swindoll, and Darryl Dash)
