Week 3: Working Preacher’s Narrative Commentary for Sunday, 29
June 2014
Preaching text: Exodus 20: 3 “You shall have no other gods
before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of
anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that
is in the water under the earth: 5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor
serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those
who hate me, 6 and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me
and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for
Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 You shall labor
six days, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh
your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your
daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor
your stranger who is within your gates; 11 for in six days Yahweh made heaven
and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day;
therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
Accompanying text: Matthew 22: 34 But the Pharisees, when they
heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. 35 One
of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. 36 “Teacher, which is the
greatest commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[Matthew 22:37
Deuteronomy 6:5 Matthew 22:37 Deuteronomy 6:5] 38 This is the first and great
commandment. 39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.’[Matthew 22:39 Leviticus 19:18] 40 The whole law and the prophets
depend on these two commandments.”
The Second Table -- Turned Toward the Neighbor
As mentioned above, the Ten Commandments show us how a liberated
people who have been freed by Jesus Christ from the powers of sin, the world,
and self-live a new life. Many modern people conceive of freedom as an end in
and of itself. And many modern people also regard freedom as unimpeded access
to any choice, as unlimited choice, as always keeping one’s options open. If
you ask the stereotypically modern person, “What is freedom for?” you will
likely get a blank stare. And if you ask a modern person, “What is that free
people may not ever do?” you will likely earn a shake of the head, roll of the
eyes, and a scoff.
But the commandments are what divinely bestowed freedom looks
like. Freedom is not when the powerful take whatever they want, but when we
respect the property of others and we do our best to help them maintain it and
retain it. Freedom is not when the strong dominate the weak, but when the
bodies and lives of all -- from the unborn, to the impoverished, to the
handicapped, to the vulnerable, to the elderly -- are protected and their
rights are respected. Freedom is not the endless satisfaction of every sexual
impulse, but the commitment of two people to each other. Christian freedom
knows that within the bounds of a loving and committed marriage, there is more
freedom to be experienced than there is in the lifestyle that does not commit
to family.
As it was also mentioned above, the point of these laws are not
to make the sinner’s soul into a self-help project, but rather to turn one
neighbor towards there other. The point of the law is not self-improvement, but
neighbor-improvement. Note that Jesus says, “You shall love your neighbor as
yourself” is the second greatest commandment. Jesus was quoting Leviticus
19:18b.
The purpose of the law is not “your best life now,” but rather
“your neighbor’s best life now.” Because we are stuck in this fallen condition
called sin, and because we are going to remain stuck in this condition until
God unweaves all the fibers of creation and then reknits them in the new
creation, God says to us, “For as long as you’re here in this condition, love
your neighbor."
We respond, “OK, God, we’re down with love. But, how do I love
my neighbor?”
God says, “OK, let me be a little more explicit here. Make sure
everyone gets one day off each week, take care of the elderly, don’t kill,
don’t steal, don’t have sex with someone else’s spouse, don’t hurt your
neighbor with your words, don’t desire your neighbor’s stuff. That’s how you
love your neighbor.”
Because the law isn’t about you! It’s about your neighbor. And
God loves your neighbor so much that God gives you the law. And God loves you
so much, that God gives your neighbor the exact same law.
In other words, in the second table of the Decalogue we find good
news. Good news for free people. Good news for those we need help from a
neighbor.
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John Wesley’s Notes-Commentary:
Exodus 20:3-11
Verse 3
[3] Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
The first commandment is concerning the object of our worship,
Jehovah, and him only, Thou shalt have no other gods before me - The Egyptians,
and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, creatures of their own fancy.
This law was pre-fixed because of that transgression; and Jehovah being the God
of Israel, they must entirely cleave to him, and no other, either of their own
invention, or borrowed from their neighbours. The sin against this commandment,
which we are most in danger of, is giving that glory to any creature which is
due to God only. Pride makes a God of ourselves, covetousness makes a God of
money, sensuality makes a God of the belly. Whatever is loved, feared,
delighted in, or depended on, more than God, that we make a god of. This
prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that
we take the Lord for our God, accept him for ours, adore him with humble
reverence, and set our affections entirely upon him. There is a reason
intimated in the last words before me. It intimates, 1. That we cannot have any
other god but he will know it. 2. That it is a sin that dares him to his face,
which he cannot, will not, overlook. The second commandment is concerning the
ordinances of worship, or the way in which God will be worshipped, which it is
fit himself should appoint. Here is, 1. The prohibition; we are forbidden to
worship even the true God by images, Exodus 20:4,5. First, The Jews (at least
after the captivity) thought themselves forbidden by this to make any image or
picture whatsoever. It is certain it forbids making any image of God, for to
whom can we liken him? Isaiah 40:18,25. It also forbids us to make images of
God in our fancies, as if he were a man as we are. Our religious worship must
be governed by the power of faith, not by the power of imagination. Secondly,
They must not bow down to them - Shew any sign of honour to them, much less
serve them by sacrifice, or any other act of religious worship. When they paid
their devotion to the true God, they must not have any image before them for
the directing, exciting, or assisting their devotion. Though the worship was
designed to terminate in God, it would not please him if it came to him through
an image. The best and most ancient lawgivers among the Heathen forbad the
setting up of images in their temples. It was forbidden in Rome by Numa a Pagan
prince, yet commanded in Rome by the Pope, a Christian bishop. The use of
images in the church of Rome, at this day, is so plainly contrary to the letter
of this command, that in all their catechisms, which they put into the hand of
the people, they leave out this commandment, joining the reason of it to the
first, and so the third commandment they call the second, the fourth the third,
etc. only to make up the number ten, they divide the tenth into two. For I the
Lord Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God, especially in things of this nature.
It intimates the care he has of his own institutions, his displeasure against
idolaters, and that he resents every thing in his worship that looks like, or
leads to, idolatry: visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation - Severely punishing. Nor is it an unrighteous
thing with God if the parents died in their iniquity, and the children tread in
their steps, when God comes, by his judgments, to reckon with them, to bring
into the account the idolatries their fathers were guilty of. Keeping mercy for
thousands of persons, thousands of generations, of them that love me and keep
my commandments - This intimates, that the second commandment, though in the
letter of it is only a prohibition of false worship, yet includes a precept of
worshipping God in all those ordinances which he hath instituted. As the first
commandment requires the inward worship of love, desire, joy, hope, so this the
outward worship of prayer and praise, and solemn attendance on his word. This
mercy shall extend to thousands, much further than the wrath threatened to
those that hate him, for that reaches but to the third or fourth generation.
Verse 7
[7] Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain;
for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
The third commandment is concerning the manner of our worship;
Where we have, 1. A strict prohibition.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain — Supposing
that, having taken Jehovah for their God, they would make mention of his name,
this command gives a caution not to mention it in vain, and it is still as
needful as ever. We take God's name in vain, First, By hypocrisy, making
profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession. Secondly, By
covenant breaking. If we make promises to God, and perform not to the Lord our
vows, we take his name in vain. Thirdly, By rash swearing, mentioning the name
of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath, without any just
occasion for it, but to no purpose, or to no good purpose. Fourthly, By
false-swearing, which some think is chiefly intended in the letter of the
commandment. Fifthly, By using the name of God lightly and carelessly. The profanation
of the form of devotion is forbidden, as well as the profanation of the forms
of swearing; as also, the profanation of any of those things whereby God makes
himself known.
For the Lord will not hold him guiltless — Magistrates that
punish other offences, may not think themselves concerned to take notice of
this; but God, who is jealous for his honour, will not connive at it. The
sinner may perhaps hold himself guiltless, and think there is no harm in it; to
obviate which suggestion, the threatening is thus expressed, God will not hold
him guiltless - But more is implied, that God will himself be the avenger of
those that take his name in vain; and they will find it a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God.
Verse 8
[8] Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
The fourth commandment concerns the time of worship; God is to
be served and honoured daily; but one day in seven is to be particularly
dedicated to his honour, and spent in his service.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy; in it thou shalt do
no manner of work — It is taken for granted that the Sabbath was instituted
before. We read of God's blessing and sanctifying a seventh day from the
beginning, Genesis 2:3, so that this was not the enacting of a new law, but the
reviving of an old law. 1st. They are told what is the day, they must observe,
a seventh after six days labour, whether this was the seventh by computation
from the first seventh, or from the day of their coming out of Egypt, or both,
is not certain. A late pious Writer seems to prove, That the Sabbath was
changed, when Israel came out of Egypt; which change continued till our Lord
rose again: But that then the Original Sabbath was restored. And he makes it
highly probable, at least, That the Sabbath we observe, is the seventh day from
the creation. 2dly, How it must be observed; 1. As a day of rest; they were to
do no manner of work on this day, in their worldly business. 2. As a holy day,
set apart to the honour of the holy God, and to be spent in holy exercises.
God, by his blessing it, had made it holy; they, by solemn blessing him, must
keep it holy, and not alienate it to any other purpose than that for which the
difference between it and other days was instituted. 3dly, Who must observe it?
Thou and thy son and thy daughter - The wife is not mentioned, because she is
supposed to be one with the husband, and present with him, and if he sanctify
the Sabbath, it is taken for granted she will join with him; but the rest of
the family is instanced in it, children and servants must keep it according to
their age and capacity. In this, as in other instances of religion, it is
expected that masters of families should take care, not only to serve the Lord
themselves, but that their houses also should serve him. Even the proselyted
strangers must observe a difference between this day and other days, which, if
it laid some restraint upon them then, yet proved a happy indication of God's
gracious design, to bring the Gentiles into the church. By the sanctification
of the Sabbath, the Jews declared that they worshipped the God that made the
world, and so distinguished themselves from all other nations, who worshipped
gods which they themselves made. God has given us an example of rest after six
days work; he rested the seventh day - Took a complacency in himself, and
rejoiced in the work of his hand, to teach us on that day, to take a
complacency in him, and to give him the glory of his works. The Sabbath begun
in the finishing of the work of creation; so will the everlasting Sabbath in
the finishing of the work of providence and redemption; and we observe the
weekly Sabbath in expectation of that, as well as in remembrance of the former,
in both conforming ourselves to him we worship. He hath himself blessed the
Sabbath day and sanctified it. He hath put an honour upon it; it is holy to the
Lord, and honourable; and he hath put blessings into it which he hath
encouraged us to expect from him in the religious observation of that day. Let
us not profane, dishonour, and level that with common time, which God's
blessing hath thus dignified and distinguished.
Matthew 22:34-40
Verse 34
[34] But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the
Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
Mark 12:28; Luke 10:25.
Verse 35
[35] Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question,
tempting him, and saying,
A scribe asking him a question, trying him — Not, as it seems,
with any ill design: but barely to make a farther trial of that wisdom, which
he had shown in silencing the Sadducees.
Verse 37
[37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Deuteronomy 6:5.
Verse 39
[39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.
Leviticus 19:18.
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