The Lord's Name (part three)

"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

We have considered two ways we in which we take the name of the Lord in vain. The first is by literally using His name in anger, when swearing, or merely flippantly. The second is by worshiping God thoughtlessly, flippantly, or unbiblically.

A third way we often take the Lord’s name in vain is by living lifestyles that are unbecoming of a follower of Jesus. First, do we not “take the Lord’s name” when we identify ourselves as Christians? And second, do we not “take the Lord’s name in vain” by living as though we are not His followers?

Paul wrote to Titus (1:16) of people “who profess to know God but in their works [lifestyle] they deny Him.” Clearly then, calling ourselves Christians while living in sin is taking the Lord’s name in vain and a breaking of the third commandment. What kind of sin? Any sin, whether immorality, or dishonesty, or drunkenness, or gluttony, or in any other sinful manner.

And even beyond living a lifestyle of sin, every time we sin in any way, in that moment, we have taken the Lord’s name in vain. Do I say this so that we would all despair, and give up? Not at all. I say this so that we would be reminded how much we need a Savior—and the constant forgiveness He alone supplies.

We must not think that taking the Lord’s name in vain is no big deal. It is a big deal. So let us rely on our great Savior by confessing our sins (great or small), and doing all we can in the power of the Holy Spirit to turn from our sins to live in holiness. May our lives increasingly honor His name!

The Lord's Name (part two)

"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

Having addressed the most obvious way many commonly break the third commandment, let’s consider how many break the commandment when they “worship” the Lord inappropriately. Appropriate worship of the living God must be thoughtful, not thoughtless. It must be reverent, not flippant. And it must be biblical—according to God’s Word, not our creative or artistic ideas.

Almighty God demands and deserves to be worshiped thoughtfully (in spirit and in truth). When we sing the songs not thinking of their meaning, or about God Himself, is that “worship” not thoughtless, and does God not deserve thoughtfulness?

Almighty God demands and deserves to be worshiped reverently (in spirit and in truth). When the “worship” service is about the music, the leader, the “band,” the special effects, or the carnival atmosphere that some strive for, is that “worship” not flippant (and even idolatrous), and does God not deserve reverence?

Almighty God demands and deserves to be worshiped biblically (in spirit and in truth).  God is the only One in a position to say how He is to be worshiped.  In His Word, He has given numerous principles regarding how He is to be worshiped.  He has also recorded examples of people deviating from His prescriptions regarding worship—and the devastating results. (He killed Nadab and Abihu for offering “strange fire” in worship in Leviticus 10.)  Whenever the “worship” service is about our creative and artistic innovations instead of being strictly biblical (1), does God not deserve to be worshiped according to His Word instead of according to our whims?

These are examples of how “worship” frequently becomes taking the Lord’s name in vain.

Notes:
(1) Biblical worship says: “Whatever is not commanded is forbidden.”  When worshipers adopt the “Whatever is not forbidden is allowed” mindset, it is only a matter of time until “worship” ceases to be biblical.  

 Next Time: How our lifestyles can break the third commandment.

The Lord's Name (part one)

"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

Remembering that the third commandment is in the first table of the Law, it is about our relationship with God, and about worship. Why is this in the Ten Commandments? Because God is so absolutely holy, even His name is to be considered holy. To use any name of God “in vain” counts the name of God as common (rather than holy), thus degrading not only God’s name, but God Himself. This is why breaking the third commandment is often referred to as a form of “blasphemy.”

The word “god” is not God’s name any more than the word “human” is my name. The Old Testament (OT) name of God is YHWH. It is found 6,158 times in the OT. Having no vowels, it is unpronounceable, so some translate this name “Yahweh” or “Jehovah,” and most translate it as “LORD” (all capital letters).

That said, it is wise for us to apply the third commandment to any reference to God that is less than reverent.

I remember as a child, I thought this commandment was about not using the words, “God,” “Jesus,” and/or “Christ” in anger or when swearing. That is, of course, true. Using the Lord’s names in anger or when swearing is an obvious and serious breaking of this commandment. But there is more.

One of the most common ways people (including many Christian) break this commandment is by using any name of God flippantly or carelessly. I do not want to establish a list of forbidden words, but I will give an example of a flippant use of God’s name. The one I hear the most is the exclamation, “Oh my God!” How often is this uttered as a reverent reference to God? This kind of use of God’s name reduces the sacred name of God to little more than “wow!”

One last thought on this most obvious aspect of the third commandment: What about substitute words for God used in anger, flippantly, or as exclamations? My dear mother was strict about this commandment. A common exclamation in the 1960s (not any more) was “guy!” My mother fined me 15 cents every time she heard me say “guy!” because she said it was a substitute for saying “God!” About $2.25 later, I stopped using the exclamation “guy!”

I tell that story not too outlaw the word “guy!” but to challenge us all to think about the use of “gosh” or “jeeze,” or the many other ways we might thoughtlessly be breaking, or nearly breaking, the third commandment. Remember, our goal is not to see how far we can go, but how pure can we be.

The love/obedience connection

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:4-6

Just when you thought we would be moving forward, I want to point out one last thing in this parenthetical statement that is part of the second commandment (v.5-6). And this time I really mean it!!

Did you notice the words, “to those who love Me and keep My commandments”? This phrase reminds us of the inseparable link between love and obedience. We know that Jesus’ answer to the question about which is the greatest commandment was “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”

Loving God is, therefore, a commandment—the greatest commandment! Loving God is, therefore, obedience to the greatest commandment. But there is another connection between love and obedience as well. Jesus commented on this love/obedience connection twice in John 14.

"If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (v.15)”
”Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.” (v.23-24)

Clearly, love and obedience is the appropriate response to the love of God in Christ Jesus, and the validation of our love for Him. Sadly, none of us obeys Christ all the time, which is proof that our love for Christ wavers. As R.C. Sproul used to say, “Every time we sin, in that moment, we love our sin more than we love God’s Son.”

The good news for the redeemed is that when we unlovingly disobey the Lord, we are convicted by the Holy Spirit. His conviction brings us back to love and obey God by confessing and repenting of our sin. That we do this is evidence that though we do not love or obey the Lord perfectly, we do love and obey the Lord pervasively—meaning that our failures, notwithstanding the general inclination of the children of God is to love and obey God.

1,000 generations

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:4-6

One last comment on this parenthetical portion of the second commandment (v.5-6). There is a curse pronounced on disobedience and a blessing on obedience. Please note that the curse for disobedience and the blessing for obedience involves the children of the disobedient and obedient. How are we to understand this?

First, there is a biblical principle that children are not to be punished for the sins of their parents.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Though children are not to be held responsible of their parents sins, parent’s sins do affect their children negatively. Likewise, the righteousness of parents does affect their children positively. Never underestimate the influence of parents on their children and grandchildren, for better or for worse!

Second, note also that the sinful influence of parents last 3 to 4 generations.(1) However, the positive influence of parents follows to a thousand generations. How are we to understand this? I believe this is a symbolic rather than a literal difference. In Hebrew thought and literature, and in a pre-calculator world, the number 1,000 was commonly a figure of speech to convey something that is virtually innumerable, and not to be taken literally.

The difference between 3 to 4, and 1,000 generations may be a symbolic indicator that God’s mercy is vast compared to His judgment. This doesn’t apply to the eternal bliss of Heaven compared to the eternal torment of Hell. Both of those are eternal! But in this life we are comforted that God’s blessings last longer than His judgments.

Note:
(1) I read a secular psychological study some years ago that concluded that the negative influence of parents takes 3 to 4 generations to cease altogether. Hmmm… were the psychologists just catching up to what God had said in His Word long ago?

Three columns

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:4-6

The parenthetical statement continues with a curse and a blessing…

Here is a basic concept that directs human behavior. Picture three columns. In the middle column is a list of responsibilities—behaviors that are commanded/expected. Responsibilities are to be realistic, and must be made clear so that individuals know and understand what is commanded/expected of them.

In the right column is a list of privileges—rewards for fulfilling the responsibilities listed in the center column. Please note: these are privileges, not rights. They must be earned by fulfilling the responsibilities listed in the center column.

In the left column is a list of consequences—repercussions for not fulfilling the responsibilities listed in the center column. Please note: consequences are not merely the loss of privileges, they are penalties for irresponsibility. Note that consequences must (a) fit the infraction—never more than an eye for an eye, for instance. Consequences must also be (b) consequential. If they are not, there will be little or no fear of consequences that provide incentive for acting responsibly.

Application #1. This is what God says regarding our responsibility to obey His law. Those who disobey will suffer the consequences of His wrath. Those who obey will enjoy the privileges of His blessing. And be sure to note: Obedience does not earn salvation. Salvation is by God’s grace alone, received by faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone!

Application #2. This is the basis of child rearing and discipline. Failure by parents to lovingly uphold the concepts of this three-column system will harm, rather than help their children. (See Proverbs 13:24.)

Application #3. This is also the basis of biblical civil jurisprudence. Any society that does not follow this model set forth by God will suffer moral chaos and eventual destruction, and ultimately God’s judgment. (See Romans 13:1-5). Sadly, our nation is in the midst of rejecting this model and is beginning to experience the consequences.

The jealousy of God

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:4-6

And now for a parenthetical statement…

Did you notice that after the sentence about idolatry, in the midst of verse 5, a new sentence begins? Why does God assert that He is a jealous God, and add a multi-generational curse and blessing? Let’s consider this sentence a phrase at a time.

First, “For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…” Note that this is associated with the second commandment regarding idolatry. God prohibits idolatry because idolatry is the establishment of a pseudo-rival to Him. I say “pseudo-rival” because nothing that can actually rival almighty God. So why does God identify Himself as “jealous”? It is certainly not, as jealousy usually is in us, born out of insecurity. God is not, nor can He be, insecure. Why? Because He is God! Because He has created everything (other than Himself) that exists. (1)

So how are we to understand God’s jealousy? A definition I like is: “The jealousy of God is His holy commitment to His honor, glory, and love.” Though not perfect synonyms, we can understand God being jealous as God being zealous. And why is God zealous for His honor, His glory, and His love? Because like everything else about God, His honor, glory, and love are infinitely superlative. Therefore He deserves all honor, glory, and love from everything and everyone—including from Himself.

It is a sin for us not to give God the honor, glory, and love He alone deserves. It is likewise a sin to claim any of the honor, glory, and love He deserves for ourselves. Now get this: It would be a sin for God not to be jealous/zealous for all honor, glory, and love, simply because He is absolutely deserving of it.

Let us understand God’s jealousy, and let us never usurp what belongs to Him for ourselves or for anything else—including worthless idols.

Notes:
(1) God did not create Himself since He would have had to create Himself before He existed. God is, therefore, uncreated and self-existent. Everything else that exists is created by Him and for His honor, glory, and love.

No Idols (part seven)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

For this seventh installment on idolatry, let’s consider the danger of imagining God.

All physical images begin in one’s imagination. That is where idolatry begins. So let us never “picture God,” or even the Lord Jesus, in our minds. These mental “images” can, and often do, become idols.

Imaginary (and therefore idolatrous) gods, even if we do not imagine physical appearance, are virtually always contrary to who God truly is as revealed in the Bible. God warns us against thinking about Him according to our imaginations. Psalm 50:21, God says, “You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.”

The problem with imagining God is that we end up creating God in our image. When people imagine God, they can’t imagine Him doing things they wouldn’t do—like judging sin. Our thoughts of God must be according to the Bible, or our thoughts are idols of ourselves. I am sure you can see the danger in this.

Idolatry is a huge issue, mentioned 115 times in the Old Testament, and 30 times in the New Testament, for a whopping 145 times in the entire Bible. (And that does not include the numerous times the word “image” is used!) How many times is idolatry mentioned in a positive light? You guessed it: not once.

Though so much more could be said, I will close this seven-part discussion of idolatry with the New Testament equivalent of the second commandment (Exodus 20:4-6):

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 1 John 5:21

No Idols (part six)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

Continuing our considerations of the second commandment regarding idols, honestly, how many anticipated there being this many blog posts on the subject? Could it be that the issue of idolatry is bigger than you may have previously imagined?

This time let us ask and answer the question: What about images of God and/or of Jesus if they are not associated with worship? Once again, I admit to holding a minority opinion that we should not have any images depicting God or any member of the Trinity, whether they are intended for worship or not. Why? Because, whether we realize it or not, images of Jesus, will tempt (cause?) us to react in either or both of two detrimental ways.

The first detrimental reaction to images of Jesus is to associate the image (whether a sculpture, a picture, or an actor portraying Jesus) with Jesus. And no matter what else we might think of the image, it is infinitely beneath, and unworthy of the actual Jesus. I know the argument against the prohibition of pictures of Jesus. “Jesus was a man as well as God, so pictures of the humanity of Jesus are OK so long as the pictures are not of His deity or for worship.” I used to make the argument myself.

But then, by the grace of God, the Lord reminded me that though the humanity and deity of Christ are distinct, they must not be separated. Though the human body of Jesus is fully human, it is no less divine. In that human body “dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Remember also that Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). What had those with Him seen? His body.

This leads me to believe that any image of Jesus, whether in a children’s book, a motion picture, a nativity scene, or a grand tapestry in the Vatican, is an image not merely of a human, but of the one and only God-Man. And every image of Him is infinitely beneath the only Man who was (is, and always will be) Almighty God. Sooner or later, some (even if not all) will associate that image with Jesus—which we must not do.

That leads us to the second detrimental reaction to images of Jesus. Some (even if not all) will worship the image or at least incorporate that image in worship.

Next time: The idolatry of imagining God.

No Idols (part five)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

So, as long as one worships God, may we do so using images and pictures, or are these then idols? The short answer is we must not use images or pictures even when we are worshipping God.

The first example of how wrong and therefore prohibited this practice is by the second commandment is the golden calf in Exodus 32:1-6. Aaron and the Israelites built a calf out of gold and worshipped it, claiming that they were worshiping the LORD God. Anyone familiar with the biblical account knows that God was sorely displeased with this idolatry. Yes, it was idolatry even though the people claimed they were worshiping the LORD. This narrative is instructive, but Deuteronomy 12 is even more so.

In Deuteronomy 12, God was most specific about how He is to be (and not to be) worshiped. The Israelites were to destroy every vestige of the pagan gods of the Canaanites. They were to worship God only in the place He assigned the tabernacle to stand. They were not to worship the pagan gods, nor were they to worship the LORD God in the manner in which the pagans worshipped their false gods—which included idolatry.

I fully understand that New Covenant believers are not under the Jewish ceremonial law because Jesus fulfilled that law, and the Old Covenant worship was ended (even by the Jews) in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed. So while the particulars have changed, the principle remains. We are only to worship God according to His Word—which includes God’s prohibition against the use of idols.

This paragraph is not universally believed by all Christians, and I did not always believe it myself. But I believe it with my whole heart. We are not to use pictures or images in our worship of the LORD God.

Here are two reasons: (1) The second commandment prohibits it. (2) All people, believers as well as non-believers, are easily swayed to worship the idols even when we think we are worshipping God.

Next time: What about images of God and/or of Jesus if they are not associated with worship?

No Idols (part four)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

Our consideration of the prohibition of idols must include the rampant idolatry among many Protestants.

What? Protestant idolatry? Yes indeed! There are two common categories of idolatry that hang like a black cloud over many who do not engage in the overt idolatry of using statues and pictures in worship or personal devotion.

The first is category of idolatry is universal to all people. It is so rampant that it is not usually even thought of as worship, much less idolatry. Whatever anyone esteems and serves more than God is idolatry. Did you catch the words “whatever” and “anyone”? This definition reveals the fact that this kind of idolatry is universal. Think of anything that anyone may esteem and serve more than God. It can be, and often is, anything. Stated differently, everything can be an idol.

Idols may be sinful things (anything God forbids). Idols may likewise include good things (things God approves of but are loved more than God). While idolizing sinful things is obviously bad, loving good things more than God is equally bad. Examples may include work, family, and even Christian activities. ANYTHING can be an idol.

That said, I hope we all can see that to one degree or another, we are all guilty of idolatry. That is the bad news. The good news is that God has supplied a remedy for sin—even the sin of idolatry. The sole remedy is faith in Christ. Faith in Christ does not make idolatry any less sinful. Faith in Christ does, however, remove the penalty for our sins, including idolatry. Faith in Christ also results in a change of heart so that the redeemed want to turn from sin, all sin, including the sin of idolatry.

Let us do as David did in Psalm 139. Let us bow before the Lord asking Him to reveal our sins—including idolatry—including everything that rivals our love for God. And may we be motivated remove every idol from our hearts!

Next Time: But what if we are only using idols to assist us in our worship of God?

No Idols (part three)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

We’ve been considering the second commandment: No Idols. In the last two posts we have considered the fact that the Roman Catholic (RC) church renumbered the Ten Commandments to do away with the second commandment, and why. We considered the classic reason given by the RC church and pointed out that it does not so much answer why they have done this as much as it is a rationalization for idolatry.

Though speculating about another’s motives can be quite unfair, since we heard their explanation and deemed it to be insufficient, I will now offer the most common reason Protestants believe the RC church has done this to the commandment regarding idolatry.

The RC religion is not only filled with idolatrous practices, it is in many ways, filled with and dependent upon idolatry. This is a problem for the RC church since the second commandment (and the rest of scripture) categorically forbids and condemns idolatry.

The RC solution: Do away with (or at least try to hide) the second commandment and ignore the rest of the Bible on the subject. In other words, if the Bible does not support the religious practice, change (or at least attempt to change) the Bible.

I take no delight in writing these things, chiefly because I have so many deeply loved ones who are practitioners of the RC religion. I do not condemn them. My heart breaks for them. But the facts are the facts. Let us pray earnestly for our RC family and friends. May God be pleased to reveal the truth of the gospel to them.

And why is God’s prohibition of idolatry so important? Because, as Calvin wrote: The human heart is a continual idol factory. Here is why: To know and worship God, who is Spirit and cannot be seen, requires faith. It is far easier to worship what can be seen. So sinful human beings seem too default to idolatry, or as Paul wrote in Romans 1:22-25, worshiping the creation instead of the Creator.

Next Time: The most universal form of idolatry.

No Idols (part two)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

Last time we began considering the second commandment: No Idols. We mentioned that the Roman Catholic version of the Ten Commandments rolls the first two commandments into one, and how they still have ten when they roll the second into the first. (See the previous post of you missed it.) We then began considering why they do this. First, how does a Roman Catholic priest answer the question?(1)

On a Roman Catholic (RC) online publication(2), a RC priest sets out to answer the question. He does not actually answer the question why the RC church combines the first two commandments as much as he explains why idolatry is not bad. In my experience, this is the way the RC church virtually always explains doing away with the second commandment regarding idolatry.

Idolatry is explained away as not sinful because God commanded the Israelites to build the tabernacle, which had images of angels, and because God commanded Moses make a bronze image of a serpent on a pole for the people to look at in order to recover from poisonous snake bites. How should we understand this explanation?

According to their argument, idolatry is not wrong because God directed the Israelites to make images. According to this logic, idolatry is not wrong because God commands it. This neglects answering why elsewhere throughout scripture God overwhelmingly forbids and condemns idolatry.

The plain and simple fact is that in the miniscule number of times that God directed the Israelites to make images: (a) HE directed them to do so; (b) HE told them exactly what these images were to look like and how they were to be used; and (c) HE is GOD!

That is clearly different from people creating images (especially to be used in worship) on our own, out of our own imaginations!

Next Time: A speculative reason why the RC church re-numbers the Ten commandments and why the prohibition of idols is so important.

Notes:
(1) I understand that one Catholic priest does not speak for the entire RC church, but this priest only says what virtually all RC apologists say on this matter.
(2) Click Here to read the article in this RC online publication.

No Idols (part one)

"You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:3-6

As we wade into the waters of the second commandment, there are several points to ponder. We’ll consider them one at a time.

First, the theme of the second commandment, stated briefly, is a prohibition of idolatry. God hates idolatry because it elevates what is not God to a position of being a god. Since there is no other [true] God besides the God of the Bible, all idols are false gods.

Second, this makes the first and second commandments very similar. This explains (but does not justify) the fact that the Roman Catholic version of the Ten Commandments rolls the first two commandments in to one.

Most Protestants number only one God, and no idolatry as two separate commandments. Rome says the two are one, only one God, and that no idolatry is merely a sub-point of only one God. The second commandment, according to Rome, prohibits taking the Lord’s name in vain.

How does Rome do this and still have ten commandments? They divide the tenth commandment You shall not covet, into two commandments as follows: #9 You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse, and #10 You shall not covet your neighbors goods. We’ll discuss that in greater detail when we get to the tenth commandment.

Why does Rome combine the first two commandments into one? A good rule when explaining [judging?] another’s motives is to admit that we cannot know another person’s motives unless the other person reveals them. If the other person does not reveal their motives, or if their explanation seems suspicious, we can speculate, but we cannot definitively assign motives to another.

In the next post, I’ll share a Catholic priest’s reason for combining the first two commandments, and I’ll speculate what is the real reason.

There is only one God!

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:1-3

This first commandment (and the first of the first table of the law regarding worship of God) is not hard to understand. Only those bent on breaking it will misunderstand it, purposely, in order to rationalize it. For instance, some have incorrectly seized on the words “before Me,” allowing for the recognition of other gods, as long as God is first, and other gods are not ahead of Him. This is foolishly incorrect, which I trust you can easily see.

This first commandment is obviously a prohibition of recognizing anyone or anything as a god. A shorthand version of this commandment could be stated: “There is only one God.”

That the Bible refers to a Person who is called the Father and is God; a Person who is called the Son and is God; and a Person who is called the Holy Spirit and is called God, does not mean that Christians believe in three Gods. No, we believe in one eternal God, who is eternally three distinct (but never separate) Persons.

Errors about God are fundamental errors. Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs), for example, believe that Jesus is “a” god, but not Jehovah God. This is clearly a belief in more than one God. Challenged with this they will routinely refer to 1 Corinthians 8:5, insisting that “the Bible says there are many gods”. True to their confused ways, they conveniently ignore the context which points out that there are many false gods! The JWs’ false religion is fundamentally wrong in that it they believe in more than one God—and that Jesus is not God.

Then there are the Mormons (LDS). Their fundamental error about God is that God was once a human and that human beings can become gods. The LDS’ false religion is fundamentally wrong in that it they believe in more than one God—and that we can become gods.

One last example: the modern religion of “me-ism.” The devotees of this popular religion imagine what they think God should be, and that god of their imagination becomes their god. When adherents of the religion of me-ism hear truths about God from the Bible that are contrary to the god of their imagination, they like to sanctimoniously say, “MY god would never do that.” Well of course their god wouldn’t do what the only true and living God would do because their god must do what they would do. After all, they created their god in their own image!

Though you may be secure that you are neither a Mormon nor a JW, is there any me-ism in your life and beliefs?

The first "table" of the law is ultimately about worship

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:1-3

Before considering the first of the Ten Commandments, let us be reminded that the Ten Commandments are understood as being in two “tables” of the law. The two tables are divided into the first four commandments and the last six of the commandments. Why this division?

The two tables of the law legislate two kinds of laws. The first four commandments address vertical requirements—requirements about our relationship with God. The last six commandments address horizontal requirements—requirements about our relationships with each other.

We’ll consider each commandment on its own, but first understand what ties the first four together. They are not only about our relationship with God, but understood more specifically, the first four commandments are about worship.

The first, no other Gods, means we are to worship God and only God.

The second, no idols, means we are not to worship idols, nor are we to worship God using idols.

The third, do not take the God’s name in vain, means not only that we must not swear using God’s name, but that we must not use God’s name, or speak of God flippantly. Neither dare we take God’s name (identifying ourselves as Christians), and then live contrary to His ways. When applied to worship, we must not take God’s name (by worshiping Him) in any manner that misrepresents Him or trivializes Him.

The fourth, keeping the Sabbath day holy means that—while we are to do all we do every day as an act of worship, since we do not—we are to set one day in seven apart, not only to rest from our labors, but to give ourselves more wholly to worship.

Let us understand these first four commandments as a unit about worship. Next, let us consider each of the first four by itself.

Praise God for His Moral Law that condemns us!

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:1-3

The preamble to the Ten Commandments was to remind Israel, and us, that God is always the Initiator and we are to be responders. God acts on behalf of His people to save, and His people are to respond by obeying Him—starting with the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are a part of the law, but they are specifically the summary of God’s Moral Law. Some have said that the rest of the law is God’s commentary and instruction on how to obey the moral law found in the Ten Commandments.

Some of the of the particulars in the rest of the Law are specifically and exclusively for the biblical Jewish religion of Israel. These regulate religious ceremonial matters and are therefore called the “Ceremonial Law.” (These last are about the tabernacle, the priests, and the sacrifices.)

Others of the particulars in the rest of the Law are specifically and exclusively for the ancient nation of Israel. These regulate civil matters and are therefore called the “Civil Law.”

Those who are neither citizens of ancient Israel nor members of the biblical Jewish religion are not bound by the ceremonial or the civil law. But the moral law is timeless for every tribe, tongue, and nation. The moral law is found in the Ten Commandments, throughout the rest of the law, and in moral principles within the ceremonial and civil laws.

The moral law cannot save, nor was it ever intended as a means by which to save anyone, anywhere, at any time. Rather, the moral law was and is intended to point out our sin and condemn everyone, everywhere, at all times. Remember, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Remember also that any and every sin has dire consequences for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).

But rejoice in God’s grace, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Let us praise God for His moral law that condemns sinners, for as Paul wrote:

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. Romans 7:7-8

The law in the lives of those liberated by grace

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Exodus 20:1-2

One more thought about the law for those who have been delivered, whether from Egyptian slavery or slavery to sin.

First, let us be reminded by the Lord Jesus, that prior to being saved, all lost people are slaves to sin.

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Then, the Apostle Paul reaffirms what Jesus said, adding that once freed from slavery to sin, believers are to consider themselves slaves to righteousness

Romans 6:16-18 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (emphasis added)

The point is that once we are freed from bondage to sin through faith in the finished work of Christ, the law is no longer a means of condemnation, but it is instruction regarding how to live in liberty. Woe to the Christian who rejects the law because of grace, instead of understanding its liberating quality in the lives of believers!

The purpose of the Law, for the lost, and for the saved

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Exodus 20:1-2

God spoke and what did He say? He not only spoke, He thundered the Ten Commandments. But before talking about the Ten Commandments specifically, don’t miss God’s preamble.

Before issuing the Commandments, the preamble reminded the people of God’s grace in delivering them out of bondage in Egypt. This is important—really important because it is a reminder—clear back then, that obedience to God’s commands are not a means to gain God’s approval. Instead, obedience to God’s commands are a grateful response to having already received God’s gracious deliverance.

In Israel’s case, the deliverance was from bondage to slavery in Egypt (which was a terrible, but temporal problem). In our case, it is deliverance from bondage and condemnation of sin (which is an eternal problem).

For non-believers, God’s commandments condemn all because we all sin. The condemnation of the law is intended to drive all who are hopelessly lost to Christ for saving grace.

For believers, God’s commandments are how to live in light of God’s saving grace, through faith in Christ!

Let we who trust in Christ never dismiss God’s commandments because “we’re saved by grace, not by keeping the law!” No one has ever been saved by keeping the law, but those who are saved by grace are instructed by the law what living in grateful obedience looks like.

God spoke...

And God spoke all these words, saying: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Exodus 20:1-2

With the preparation to hear from God finished, note first in chapter 20 that God spoke. The commandments are God’s commandments. The Ten Commandments are not merely Old Testament commandments, that we in the New Covenant are free to dismiss.*

Neither are the Ten Commandments Moses’ commandments. I know the “Law of Moses” is an accepted designation for the Old Testament law, but the commandments are God’s commandments, not Moses’ commandments.

Nor are the Ten Commandments exclusively for Israel or for the Jewish people. Yes, they were first addressed to Israel upon being delivered by God from Egypt. But God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt is a prophetic foreshadow, or a “type” of God’s deliverance of all His people (Jew and Gentile alike) from the spiritual bondage of sin, not by Moses but by one greater than Moses: Jesus.

My point is simple: Not only must God’s people (then and now) prepare to enter the presence of God, but once in His presence, what we hear is God’s voice. God’s law. And God’s grace. Let us receive it as such.

*Footnote: When people say we can dismiss Old Testament commandments that Jesus did not specifically address or were reiterated in the New Testament, I ask then, are incest and beastiality also lawful under the New Covenant?