God’s Top Ten

III "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.” Exodus 20:7

    This Commandment is about our talk, but it is curious to me that it does not say: “Thou shalt not “speak” the name of the Lord thy God in vain” … The word “take” can mean “Use” as in speech; or it can mean “carry” because it is also about our walk. Just as those who do not uphold their family’s reputation bring disgrace to the family name; those who do not uphold the reputation of the Lord by living a life of love, repentance and forgiveness, bring disgrace to the Lord’s name.

    The word “vain” means “meaningless or worthless.” So, to take someone’s name in vain is to empty their name of meaning or worth.

1. God’s name deserves respect because it is holy.

“Let them praise Your great and awesome name - it is holy.” (Psalm 99:3) God’s name is holy – the word holy means “separate.” God’s name is separate from

all common or ordinary names and words.

2. God’s name deserves respect because of his position.

“All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name.” (Psalm 86:9) He is the creator. When you speak the name of God, you are speaking about infinite power.

3. His name deserves respect because of what he has done.

“Praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you.” (Joel 2:26)

    We’re going to play a little association game. I’m going to say a name, and you think about the first thing that comes into your mind: Jeffery Dahmer -  Billy Graham - Dell - IRS - Bill Clinton - Ford - Uncola - Judas - Thomas - Sony – Wesleyan or Catholic, or any denomination?

    Names are more than just a way of finding someone in the phone book. Eventually, a person or an organization’s name comes to symbolize the kind of
character that that person or organization possesses.

    How many of you when you were picking names for your children thought about “Jezebel” or a boy named “Judas”. I have a suspicion that the reason for that is because the actions of those persons so marred the name that they carried that no one today wants to use those names.

    Some of us should be very glad about the family that we were born into and the family name that we inherited. One very unfortunate young man was born into the “Stinky” family. When he grew into an adult, Charlie Stinky was constantly being advised by his friends and co-workers that he should have his name changed. Finally, he agreed, and went to court to have the process completed. The judge looked at him and said, “What is your name?” “Charles Stinky.” The judge smiled, “Ah, I can see why you’d want your name changed. What would you like to change it to?” He replied, “George Stinky.”

    I am holding a can of Dr. Pepper. As I look at this can and the name that is on it, there is something interesting about it. There is a little “TM” after that name. Do you know what that stands for? It means “Trademark”. That means that the name of this soft drink is the sole property of the company. They own the name and all rights to its use. What would happen if I took a cup of water, added some caramel coloring to it and some sugar and then slapped a Dr. Pepper label on it and tried to sell it to the public? I would probably get sued. The reason that I would get sued is because I had put the same name on my product that was on their product. Well, what’s the problem with that? Why do companies care so much about their name?

    Did you know that companies have “quality control managers?” They want to do everything that they can to maintain a quality product with every customer that they deal with so that they can keep a good name – which equals a good reputation. How does this apply to the (denominational name)…or Christian? Think about how to apply this to your life.

Think about the following three questions:

1. Can I be a positive witness if I’m taking God’s name in vain?

2. Should I confront someone else who is misusing God’s name? (Would you say something to a man who was misusing the name of your wife, your husband, girlfriend, or daughter?)

3. Should I listen to music, watch movies or TV, or read books where God’s name is repeatedly taken in vain? How many times is too many? Do you think it will have any effect on our spiritual lives if we choose to read these books or view these shows?
    Taking God’s name in vain is more than just how we talk – it needs to be how we live as well.  Malachi 1:6-14 says this;

⁶ “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a Master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

⁷ “By offering defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.

⁸ When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.

⁹ “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

¹⁰ “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 

¹¹ My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

¹² “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ 

¹³ And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty. “When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord.

¹⁴ “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.”

    Obviously, when we read words like “shut the temple doors; useless fires; not pleased with you”– something is going on that is upsetting the Lord, so much so that the Lord wants the doors of the church to be shut up tight…“accept no offerings” (vs. 10) – He wasn’t even willing to accept the offerings that they gave! What was causing such turmoil?  “You have despised my name! When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor and see how pleased he is!" says the Lord Almighty.”

    The Israelites were supposed to bring their best animal as a sacrifice. Specifically, the sacrifice was to be a one-year old male lamb that had no blemish or spot, no broken legs, and no disease. Instead, they were bringing the leftovers –

    How do we treat the title “Christian”? Do we act like all it means is that we will go to heaven when we die, but it has nothing to do with how we live? Did you know that about 75% of U.S. citizens claim to be a Christian? Would you know by looking around you? Okay, let’s talk about what most people think this is about; “Profanity”.

    Profanity from the word profane, means that which is not sacred. A profane person treats life with contempt or a lack of reverence. He is insensitive to
the sacred and excludes himself from its benefits. He is impure, defiled, and unholy.  Profanity is a symptom of a rebel heart. “Swearwords” …are the angry shorthand for a long list of complaints they have against God.

    Let me repeat, this commandment is not just about how we speak, it’s also about how we “carry” the name of the Lord. It’s about taking the name of the Lord in vain in our everyday walk.

    Helen Mallicoat wrote this piece entitled, “I AM”:

“I was regretting the past, and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking:

“MY NAME IS I AM.” He paused…I Waited, He continued, “When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard, I am not there…MY NAME IS NOT I WAS. “When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard, I am not there… MY NAME IS NOT I WILL BE. “When you live in this moment, it is not hard, I AM HERE…MY NAME IS I AM.”

I am with you wherever you may go!

God's Top Ten 

II - Thou shalt not make any graven image.

Exodus 20:4-6

    There was a statistic that I read not long ago that 83% of Christians worldwide live above the poverty level of their particular country. I believe there is a reason for that. It also said that 70% of Hindu’s live below the poverty level. I also think there is a reason for that…and it has to do with the first two commandments.

    This second commandment really can be divided into three parts;

1. You shall not make any idol in the form of anything.

2. You shall not “bow down” or worship anything but God.

3. A warning or reward.

Let’s start with this; “How do you picture God?”

    We can know God’s qualities or character traits from scripture and from Jesus and his life and ministry… But, can we really picture God?) When asking this question before, I received answers like; “God is a big man, very tall, with white hair and beard, dressed in a long, flowing, white robe, sort of a Santa Clause in white!”

    I would suggest that getting a handle on these first two commands will greatly enhance our ability to obey the other commands as well. I want you to repeat this after me, “My obedience to God is determined by my image of God.” (Go ahead, repeat that.)  Here’s what I want you to do this morning. I want you to allow the Holy Spirit to challenge your view of God. I want you to ask yourself, “Is the God that I worship the God that is presented in the Bible, or have I reshaped God to be a god of my own making?”

    No image or picture in our minds could ever accurately represent the totality and majesty of a God who holds the entire universe in His hands.

  

    Imagine trying to capture the totality of all of who God is by using wood, metal and stone – things that He has created – and then trying to confine Him to an image of something that is a part of this universe. To confine eternity to time and space. Imagine trying to put God in a box. That is the essence of the 2nd Commandment.

    At first examination, it might look like this would be the easiest of the 10 to keep. I mean, after all, this isn’t India, or the jungles of Africa or South America. We don’t have little carved images of stone and wood in our homes that we bow down to every night. We can handle this one. It’s not too difficult to grasp. It’s in the other ones that we need lots of help – the ones that talk about not lying, and not committing adultery, and not wanting what my neighbor has. Those are the hard ones. Those are the ones that I need help with. This one I can handle.

    Well, it must not be as easy as all that because the first commandment that the Israelites broke was not those ones that I just listed. It was this one! Before Moses ever came down from the mountain with the stone tablets, the Israelites had already made themselves an idol. If it wasn’t so easy a command for them to keep, could it be that we are weak in this area too?

Let’s look at Isaiah 40:11and on;  

¹¹Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
    or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
¹²Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
    or weighed the mountains on the scales
    and the hills in a balance?
¹³ Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord,
    or instruct the Lord as his counselor?
¹⁴ Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
    and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,
    or showed him the path of understanding?

¹⁵ Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
    they are regarded as dust on the scales;
    he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
¹⁶ Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
    nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
¹⁷ Before him all the nations are as nothing;
    they are regarded by him as worthless
    and less than nothing.

¹⁸ With whom, then, will you compare God?
    To what image will you liken him?
¹⁹ As for an idol, a metalworker casts it,
    and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
    and fashions silver chains for it.
²⁰ A person too poor to present such an offering
    selects wood that will not rot;
    they look for a skilled worker
    to set up an idol that will not topple.

²¹ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
    Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
    and its people are like grasshoppers.
    He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
    and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
²³ He brings princes to naught
    and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
²⁴ No sooner are they planted,
    no sooner are they sown,
    no sooner do they take root in the ground,
    than he blows on them and they wither,
    and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

²⁵ “To whom will you compare me?
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
²⁶ Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
    He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
    Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.

²⁷ Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
    “My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
    The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
    He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.”

I just wanted to give you a little better picture of God.

    If you wanted to make an image of God, physical or mental, what image could you come up with that would do justice to God’s majesty, glory and holiness? What would be an accurate representation of God? In Exodus 20 vs. 4, even as He gives the commands, God lists 3 different possibilities where persons might find an image for God in the physical world; a. the heavens above, b. the world around us, and c. the waters below us. Let’s examine these…

The Water? It would be hard to fashion an image from the water. The Heavenlies? The same thing. There’s only one other realm of possibility in the physical world – things that dwell on the land – namely plants and animals. Plants won’t work because they, like the universe, have no intelligence. That just leaves the animal kingdom – the animals and us. That’s the route that the Israelites chose to go when they constructed their idol. What do we choose? I think we, more often than not, choose to make God in our image.

Do you remember why you come to church? Why you give in the offering? Or why you study the Bible? Is it because you really desire to know God and believe God and worship God, or is it some other reason?

    Sometimes, when we think of idolatry, we think of a remote tribe of heathens dancing around a campfire in front of a giant stone statue or something. Or we think of eastern religions paying homage to fat sculptures of Buddha, or Hindu people lighting candles around shrines of goddesses with lots of arms and swords. Or maybe we even think of those people who come from all over the country to lie down on the rocks up at Sedona Arizona in hopes of being rejuvenated by the “vortex” of some force or god in nature.

    My guess is that you probably feel like I do: You shake your head at that stuff in disbelief. Why would anyone bow down to a piece of rock, or light a candle to a statue, or make a pledge to a painting, or say a prayer to a medallion around their neck? The way I figure it, if a human being can create it, then it certainly didn’t create human beings, and it makes no sense to worship it!

    We have become so used to substitutes in our lives. If I want to cut out sugar, I can always have Nutrasweet, or saccharin, or Splenda. If I want to save a little money at the drugstore, I can get generics to fill my prescription. My wife might enjoy wearing a strand of real pearls, but most people will never know the difference if she wears a quality imitation. Substitutes are really no big deal. But when it comes to God, they are a huge deal. Why settle for the imitation when you can have the real thing — especially when we know that the imitation is powerless and even harmful?
    If I stand in front of a bright light, I cast a shadow on the wall. In many ways, that shadow looks like me. It’s the same shape, it follows my movements, you might even recognize my profile. But it’s not me. It’s not real. It’s just a shadow. And when we settle for “God as we understand him” instead of “God as he really is,” we’ve made an idol out of his shadow. There’s enough resemblance that we feel comfortable and secure, but there’s no power. And who really wants a powerless God? Let me say it one more time; “My obedience to God is determined by my image of God.” And, my faith in God is also determined the same way! 

Ten Commandments

Part 1

“Thou Shalt have no other gods before me”

One thing we need to understand about the 10 Commandments is that they are rooted in a relationship;

Look at Exodus 19:4 – 6 “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured posses-sion. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

What does that sound like to you? It sounds to me like a relationship.

Here are some selected scriptures from the Book of Deuteronomy;

·        “Acknowledge and take to heart this day, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep His commands and decrees which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, and that you may live long in the land your God gives you for all time.”

·        “Walk in the way that the Lord your God has Commanded you, so that you may live and prosper, and prolong your days in the land” *“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commands that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 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; Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on your doorframes and on your gates”

·        “The Lord has commanded us to obey all His decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And, if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, that will be our righteousness. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers”

    These are not arbitrary laws that require blind obedience to an invisible author-itarian; It is a covenant.  A covenant is a sacred promise between two parties. You can have a contract without having a relationship…but you can’t have a covenant without one.

    The Ten Commandments are like a wedding vow in many ways; God pledges his power and love; promises; presence; and provision to Israel. And, in turn, God expects Israel’s loyalty to himself and compassion toward others.  If Israel were to ask the question, "Why should we do this?" God would not answer "Because I told you so." Often, God does tell his people to obey because, "I am the Lord." But even then his commands are based on this relationship. The Ten Commandments are built on responsibility, much like the wedding vow…and God is as bound by them as we are.
    That’s why, in part, the Ten Commandments don’t work with people who don’t have a relationship with God. Why should a person avoid stealing if he or she doesn’t acknowledge the God who said, "Thou shalt not steal.”? Why should a person honor their marriage commitments if they haven’t already made a commitment to the God who said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery.”?

    The power of the Ten Commandments lies not in the fact that they are laws, but in that they are descriptions of how people who know Him live in relationship with God, and with one another.

    If you were to do a nationwide survey and ask people, "Do you believe in God?" I’ll bet the numbers would surprise you. A huge percentage would say, "Yes, absolutely, I believe in God." But then if you examined their lives you’d find that what they profess to believe and how they live do not correspond. I can say to Judy, my wife, "I love you." But, if I never act out or show that love in specific, concrete behavior, my words are empty.

    Faith, like love, is too easily kept in the realm of theory. The Ten Commandments don’t allow us to claim belief in God without demonstrating that belief in concrete actions and behaviors. They require us to affirm our faith in the daily grind of living.

 
So instead of, "Do you believe in God?" the Ten Commandments ask us ten questions;
1. Is God the first and only god in your life?

2. Do you honor anything or anyone above the one true God? Does anything physical or material come before Him in your life?

3. Have you dishonored God’s name by using it in a frivolous manner?

4. Is anything more important than your relationship with God and keeping the  

    Sabbath holy?

5. Do you honor your father and mother? (whether good or bad, dead or alive?)

6. Do you value human life? (Speaks of intentional murder.)

7. Have you kept your marriage vows?

8. Do you respect other’s rights of ownership?

9. Do you always tell the truth? And not gossip?

10. Are you content with what you have or do you covet the possessions, relation-

    ships and successes of others?

    To God, our answers to those specific questions about behavior and morality demonstrate our true belief in the very first Commandment. It must start with the question; “Do you believe God is?” Scripture says that “Those who come to God must first believe that He is!” The first sentence in the Bible says, “In the beginning, GOD!” If we don’t believe that, then everything else in life is irrelevant! One can’t “think” there is a God…You can’t “Hope” there is a God…You must believe God is! I have said it many times before, “If you don’t get the first button in the first button hole, nothing else in life will line up!”

    The word "you" in all these commands is singular. This may be one of the top reasons our country is in such a moral mess. It can be summed up in these words; "It’s not my problem." Or, “It’s none of my business.” Really?  It doesn’t make an impact on my life if someone - even the president of the United States  - commits adultery? Those sins don’t affect me; it’s not my problem. The problem is, it seems to me, that most everybody feels that way. The sin of one person can affect the entire nation…it did in the Old Testament, and it does today!

    When God came down to the mountain, hundreds of thousands of people were gathered around its base. He did not address the crowd, though. He addressed each and every individual. "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall have no other gods before me. You, standing there by that rock, and you over by that cedar tree, and you too, the one in the red turban who is thinking in his heart how glad he is that God is talking to all these other people! There is a connection between personal responsibility and the welfare of the community. The Ten Commandments shout at the top of God’s voice, "It is your problem!"… Why? Because what affects one affects all.

    This first command is so foundational to all the rest. If there was no ultimate standard of authority outside our own feelings, there would be no reason to recognize the laws as anything but an arbitrary list that could be dismissed any time we feel like it…with a “Take it or leave it” attitude.

    Today there are those who want to keep the Ten Commandments out of court-rooms and other government funded facilities as well as our schools. It may surprise you, but I understand why they oppose posting of the Ten Commandments. They don’t mind the parts about stealing and killing and lying. Everybody pretty much agrees with those. They don’t really mind the part about being kind to your parents. Most everybody finds those comfortable. The part the opponents of the Ten Commandments can’t live with is the first command; “You shall have no other gods before me!”

    They understand how powerful that command is. They understand that if you recognize the sovereign, exclusive authority of God then you can’t merely dismiss the rest just because you don’t feel like obeying. If there really is only one God, if he really is the only savior of the world, then he must be obeyed.

    If we will honor God as the only God in our lives, it won’t matter whether the Ten Commandments are posted in courtrooms and school hallways or not. They will be posted everywhere a Christian goes. And the testimony of our lives will be im-possible to silence.

Psalm 115:1-8 “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.”

 … It’s like hugging a mannequin!

For the next few weeks we will be looking at the Ten Commandments.

I received an e-mail a while back, that contained the cowboy’s version of the Ten Command-ments as they appear at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, Texas:
(1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma &Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin’.
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting.
(5) Put nothin’ before God.
(6) No foolin’ around with another fellow’s gal.
(7) No killin’.
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don’t take what ain’t yers.
(10) Don’t be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff.

      Of course, children have some unique perspectives on the Ten Commandments as well. For example, a Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her 5 and 6 year-olds. After explaining the commandment "Honor thy Father and thy Mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."
    What are the Ten Commandments? Are they law like we think of law? They don’t give any specific punishments…other than we are blessed if we follow them and cursed if we do not. They seem to be more like rules of conduct that we are supposed to abide by, or better yet, I believe they are statements of basic ethical principles that we are to live by. They were given specifically to the nation Israel, but were they only for Israel?  What about the scripture that reads “we are no longer under the law”? We will talk about that in a bit.

The Christian and the Law

In the Bible there are three types of law:
          A. First is Ceremonial Law – Involved sacrifices, offerings and methods of purification and cleansing typical or symbolic of the Messiah and fulfilled in the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ.  Ceremonial Law had to do with those things which related directly to the Jewish religion, which was based on the sacrificial system…That is, in order to atone, or pay for their sins, the people would have to sacrifice; and their sacrifice often came with great ceremony. 

    A great deal of the worship of Israel was based on these sacrifices.
All the rules about the Ark of the Covenant – (The Ark of the Covenant was an embodiment of God's presence with the Israelites. The atonement cover (or "mercy seat") that covered the ark was God's throne (2Sam 6:2) and God's presence was above it (Lev 16:2) it was also the place where God met

Moses and gave him commands (Ex 25:22). If someone approached the ark, they would effectively be in God's presence - a sinner standing before a holy God who does not tolerate evil (Ps 5:4-6) - and would die as a result of their sins. For this reason, God had given the Israelites many rules concerning the Ark of the Covenant. It was to be kept in the Most Holy Place in the temple, hidden from view by a curtain (Ex 26:33). Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and then only after he had undergone ceremonial cleansing, made sacrifices to atone for his sins and the nation's sins, and burned incense to conceal the atonement cover (Lev 16). When the ark was moved, it was covered with at least 3 layers of cloth by the priests to protect others from seeing it (Num 4:5-6, 15, 18-20); the priests/Levites carried it and everyone else had to stay about a thousand yards away (Josh 3:4). These laws enforced the concept of God's holiness: sinful people couldn't be in his presence, not even the high priest.) and later the rules concerning the Temple (The tabernacle was more than just a dwelling place. All the components of the tabernacle were part of an intricate visual aid to illustrate God's relationship with His people. One aspect of this relationship was God’s requirement for complete obedience. God told Moses to create the tabernacle exactly the way He commanded. It was not to stray from God’s blueprint.

“Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” (Exodus 25:9)

    To this end, God gave very specific instructions about the size of each component and the materials the Israelites were to use, as we will see in the following sections of this discussion. These seemingly cumbersome rules were not intended to burden the people, but to show God’s unquestionable authority and holiness, and emphasize that people could only come to God on God’s terms, not on their own. They had to obey reverently not only in the construction of the tabernacle, but also in the way they worshipped. Any irreverence or ritual uncleanness could result from an individual being cut off from his people or in death.) – All the Laws about the priests (Leviticus 21:5-23 “Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God, they are to be holy. “They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy—I who make you holy. “If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire. “The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord. “The woman he marries must be a virgin.  He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.” The Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God.  No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles.  No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.”) –  all these were based on special, specific offerings and sacrifices to God.

    So what happened when Christ came and died on the cross? He was the perfect sacrifice. He paid the price not just for our sins, he paid for the sins of ALL people of ALL nations throughout ALL ages.
    So what purpose would there be for ceremonial law any more? If we did something bad and decided we were going to sacrifice a goat so God would forgive us, what would we be saying about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?  We’d be saying that Jesus’ blood on Calvary wasn’t enough to atone for my sins. "I need Jesus AND A GOAT"… “I need Jesus, and I need to “do” this or that…which is ridiculous. There is no sin that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross cannot cover. So what reason then do we have to continue with the Ceremonial Laws? There is no reason. These laws were just a shadow, just a picture of what was to come. So that, when Jesus DID come to earth and shed His blood for sin, people would UNDERSTAND what it meant.  That’s the first kind of Law – the Ceremonial Law – and we no longer obey those Laws because Jesus fulfilled those Laws in Himself.
          B.- Judicial or Civil Law – Regulations given to the Jews for civil government. Civil Laws provide for the day-to-day government of a nation. The civil laws were those that told you what to in cases of personal injury or property damage. Often the civil laws in the OT set down a certain punishment for a civil offense. Do we obey the Old Testament Civil Laws anymore? Well, we probably obey more of them than you think!  If not the actual letter of the law, at least our laws are based on the principles behind God’s Civil and Judicial laws.We don’t stone people, our punishments are different, but we still know what is wrong and what is right based on God’s civil and judicial laws,
          C. Moral Law – The Ten Commandments, are precepts that carry a universal demand. In other words, the Moral law is intended for all people at all times. Every person, every nation, every generation, for all time. The Ten Commandments don’t state certain punishments for not following them, however there are a couple that suggest a reward for following, but somehow we just know that there are “consequences”.
Now, there were three positions concerning the Law:
          a. Legalism – Salvation can be earned by keeping the law…or by doing or not doing certain things…This is what the Pharisees were known for - adding rule upon rule for the people to follow.
          b. Anti-nomianism – Which is a rejection of law. The denial that the law is binding on Christians today. “It does not matter if we sin, we have the blood of Christ as our atonement”…
          c. Our position – Let’s call it the Christian position - Although the law is not a means to salvation; it is nevertheless, a rule of Christian conduct (Rom. 3:28-31). “Though the believer is not under the law’s condemning power, he is under its commanding power. The law does not give life; but it guides life.”
I. The Origin of the Ten Commandments -
A. In their original setting, they were designed to keep Israel pure and distinct from the surrounding nations. (God wants the same for the church today.)
B. They are a revelation of the will of God (Romans 2:18)
C. They are a revealer of sin. Romans 3:20 says that “no man will be made righteous in His sight by observing the law. Rather through the law we become conscious of sin” The law makes us aware of our sin and because of that we know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
D. They are a restraint on evil and set a clear standard for life. They are condensed statements of how to live and relate to God and others successfully. In one sense, the rest of the Bible comments, amplifies, interprets, warns and gives historical examples of those who kept or broke them and of the consequences of blessing or curse in each case.
II. Pertinent Observations
A. The ten commandments may be summed up under two. In general, the first division is more important than the second (Matt.22:37-40).

1. The first four deal with our relationship toward God.

2. The last six deal with our relationship toward our fellow man.

B. Love is the common thread that links the commandments together and provides the motive to obey… This is why Jesus said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul; and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Next week we will look at Commandment #1

Close by reading;

Deut. 4:39-40…. 5:6-22…. 5:29-33…. 6::1-9…. 6:24-25….7:9