Exodus 19:16 – 20:21

We Honor God by Obeying Him
Date: Sunday, September 27, 2009
Study #4:  Exodus 19:16 – 20:21

Bible Study: God Gives the Ten Commandments (Part 1)
The Ten Commandments: the first few focus on our relationship with God (which we’ll look at today) …
and the rest focus on how we deal with others.

Chapter 17b
The Conflict with Amalek; The Defeat of Amalek.. (b. c. 1491.)
·    God had prepared the Israelites’ Faith for this test through His provision for them out of Egypt and through the wilderness
·    Amalek was the first of the nations that Israel fought with
·    the Amalekites were the descendents of Esau (Amalek is grandson), who hated Jacob
·    Amalek represents the flesh .. you cannot overcome the flesh by your own efforts
·    Aaron and Hur held Moses’ arm in the air with his staff … it (the Spirit) gave them victory
·    Joshua is nominated commander-in-chief in this expedition, that he might be trained up to the services he was designed for after the death of Moses
·    God qualifies his people for, and calls them to, various services for the good of his church: Joshua fights, Moses prays, and both minister to Israel
·    Though Joshua fought with great disadvantages—his soldiers undisciplined, ill-armed, long used to servitude, and prone to murmur; yet by them God brought a great Victory
·    Weapons formed against God's Israel cannot prosper long, and shall be broken at last. The cause of God and his Israel will be victorious.
·    Though God gave the victory, it was through Joshua because Joshua was a type of Christ
·    Moses took care that God should have the glory of it instead of Joshua
·    God will ultimately get rid of Amalek . . our flesh .. our old nature

Chapter 18
Jethro's Visit to Moses. (b. c. 1491.)
·    Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, came to visit after the battle
·    What God did through Moses (the Exodus, etc.) made Jethro believe in God
·    Jethro saw Moses burdened with caring for 2-million people and all of their disagreements . . he recommended that Moses appoint judges to serve the people so  that Moses can concentrate on being the people’s representative before God
·    Idea: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens …
·    rulers (judges) shall take care of small problems and bring big problems to Moses
·    Moses listens to a man (Jethro) without talking to God first
o    how easy it is to follow man
o    Moses follows advice like Adam/Eve did:  “this will help you”
o    If God had wanted this, He would have told Moses about it
o    worldly wisdom in contrast to revelation
o    Have a direct/personal relationship with God


Chapter 19
The Covenant of Sinai. (b. c. 1491.)
·     after exactly 3-months of traveling since leaving Egypt, they arrive at Mount Sinai
·    God spoke to Moses and promised him that Israel would be His Holy people if they would obey Him
·    After Moses told this to the people, they responded gratefully: “We will do everything the Lord has said.”
·    God responded by telling Moses that He Himself would come down and speak with the Israelites from a cloud.
o    Comes in a cloud form to keep people from seeing Him and His Throne and to inspire awe from the people
o    He comes down on the third day after telling Moses He would come to visit them

The Divine Presence on Mount Sinai. (b. c. 1491.)
What an awesome Sermon !!! (vv. 16-20)
·    the preacher was God Himself
·    the pulpit was mount Sinai
·    the congregation was called together by the sound of a trumpet
·    Moses brought the people to the place of meeting .. he that had led them out of the bondage of Egypt and now led them to receive the law from God's mouth
·    the introductions to the service were thunders and lightnings . . these were designed to strike an awe upon the people, and to raise and engage their attention. Were they asleep?
·    Moses is God's minister, who is spoken to, to command silence, and keep the congregation in order

The Rules  (vv. 21-25)
What it was that God forbade them to do ??
breaking through to gaze; enough was provided to awaken their consciences, but they were not allowed to gratify their vain curiosity.
Some of them probably desired to see something that they might know how to make an image of God, which He took care to prevent
we must not covet to know more than God would have us know; and he has allowed us as much as is good for us.
What was the penalty for breaking the Rules ??
Death

Chapter 20
The Ten Commandments. (b. c. 1491.)
Preface and Honoring God (vv 1-7)

Preface  (v. 1)
law of God's making
law of His own speaking ... God has many ways of speaking to us
by his Spirit,
by conscience,
by providences,
by his voice …
but he never spoke, at any time ever, as he spoke the Ten Commandments
This law God had given to man before (it was written in his heart by nature); but sin had so corrupted man that it was necessary, in this manner, to revive the knowledge of it.

The first thing He says as the preface to the Law: I am the Lord thy God   (v. 2)
God asserts his own authority to enact this law
He proposes himself as the sole object of the religious worship of the first four Commandments
Bound to obedience and honor by three things
Because God is the Lord — self-existent, independent, eternal, and the fountain of all being and power; therefore he has an undeniable right to command us.
He was their God, a God in covenant with them, their God by their own consent; and, if they would not keep his commandments, who would?
He had brought them out of the land of Egypt; therefore they were bound in gratitude to obey him … they themselves had been eye-witnesses of the great things God had done.

HONOR GOD  (vv 3-7)
It was fit that those should be put first, because man had a Maker to love before he had a neighbour to love
It cannot be expected that we love and respect our neighbor if we are false to God.
Our duty to God is to worship him
to give to him the glory
the inward worship of our affections
the outward worship of respect of Him


1 - Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  (v. 3)
The Egyptians, and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, the creatures of their own fancy.
strange gods and new gods
This was the sin they were most in danger of now that the world was so overspread with polytheism
The sin against this commandment which we are most in danger of is giving the glory and honour to any creature which are due to God only.
Pride makes a god of self,
covetousness makes a god of money,
sensuality makes a god of lust
whatever is loved, feared, served, delighted in, or depended on  more than God

2 - Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.  (vv. 4-5)
concerns worship
we are forbidden to worship even the true God by images
for to whom can we liken him?  (Isaiah 40:18)
the image of any creature for a religious use is forbidden … it is called the changing of the truth of God into a lie because an image is a teacher of lies; it insinuates to us that God has a body for one.

Romans 1
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; 19because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: 21because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: 25for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

They must not bow down to them … even occasionally . . . Only one True God
This practice was forbidden in Rome by Numa, a pagan prince; (750 B.C.) … yet commanded in Rome by the pope (from 30 A.D - today)
The use of images and bowing to the pope in the catholic church is so plainly contrary to the letter of this command, and so impossible to be reconciled to it, that in all their catechisms and books of devotion, which they put into the hands of the people, they leave out this portion of the commandment
they commit two great evils:  they take away from God's word and they add to his worship.
3 - Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.  (vv. 4-5)

the Command:
By hypocrisy, making a profession of God's name, but not living up to that profession.
by breaking promises to God
by swearing: mentioning the name of God in the form of an oath . . . but as a by-word with  no purpose at all
By using the name of God lightly and carelessly, and without any regard to it .. Like profanity
A severe penalty: The Lord will not hold him guiltless;
The Commandment breaker may carelessly forget his act, but God will not.

4 - Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.   (vv. 6-11)

When
They are told what is the day they must religiously 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 . . . BUT,  the precise day was told  to them (Exodus 16:23), and from this they were to observe every seventh say.
How
a day of rest
a Holy day
Additionally . . Remember it
The Reasons for it
We have time enough for ourselves in those six days, on the seventh day let us serve God; and time enough to tire ourselves, on the seventh it will be a kindness to us to be obliged to rest
It is designed for a memorial of the creation of the world
God has given us an example of rest, after six days' work
He has himself blessed the sabbath day and sanctified it. He has put an honour upon it by setting it apart for himself