Message 51
Scripture Reading: Exo. 20:1-17; 16:34; 25:16, 25:21-22; 27:21; 31:18; 26:33-34; 38:21; 34:28; Num. 1:50, 53; Deut. 4:13; Psa. 19:7
In chapter nineteen the children of Israel were brought into God’s presence and began to have fellowship with Him at His mountain. In the foregoing message we pointed out that in this fellowship with God His people came to know God’s grace and holiness. During the course of this fellowship, the law was given (20:1-17).
Exodus 20 has not been properly and adequately understood by many readers. It is commonly thought that this chapter tells us how the law was given. This is correct, but it is not the basic, primary concept. The basic concept in this chapter is that God reveals Himself to His people and thus enables them to know what kind of God He is. He wanted the children of Israel to know what kind of God they were approaching, what kind of God with whom they were having fellowship. It was important for the children of Israel not only to know such divine attributes as grace and holiness, but also to know God Himself.
In 20:4 the words image and likeness are used. Genesis 1:26, a verse which speaks of the creation of man, also uses the words image and likeness. God created man in His image and according to His likeness. As used in Genesis 1:26, the words image and likeness refer to God’s Person, to God Himself and to what He is. Hence, man was made according to what God is. In 20:4, however, these words are used in a warning: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” In verse 3 the Lord says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” The word “before” here actually means besides, in addition to. Thus, the Lord seemed to be saying, “I am the unique One. Before Me, in addition to Me, you should not have any other god. You should not have any other image or likeness. The only image and likeness you should have should be Mine. I am unique and jealous. Do not make for yourselves an image or a likeness of anything.” These verses indicate that the Ten Commandments first speak of God’s image and likeness. In other words, these commandments refer us to God Himself. This indicates that the law does not merely consist of commandments for us to keep. Primarily, the law is a testimony which reveals what kind of God the Lord is.
Concerning the matter of law, there is an important principle: the kind of law a person makes expresses the kind of person that one is. For example, if criminals could make laws, they would legalize crime. Furthermore, a backward country would have rather barbaric laws, whereas a highly cultured society would have highly cultured laws. This principle applies also to God Himself. God is a Law-giver. In giving the law, He would never legalize crime or sin. He would not legalize theft or adultery, for He is not that kind of God. Only the god of witchcraft would legalize such things. A law is always a revelation of what kind of person has enacted that law.
The first function of the law is not to expose us; it is to reveal God to us. Years ago, I emphasized the fact that the law’s function was to expose us. In this message, however, I wish to emphasize the point that the primary function of the law is to reveal God to us. After God brought His people into His presence to have fellowship with Him, to serve Him, to contact Him, to worship Him, and even to feast with Him, He made Himself known to them. Prior to this time, God had not revealed to His people what kind of God He is. Yes, in Genesis 17 God did tell Abraham that He was perfect, almighty, and all-sufficient. However, that was not an adequate revelation of God Himself. Only when we come to Exodus 20 do we have a revelation of what kind of God our God is.
This revelation, however, is not given directly. Rather, it is given indirectly through the giving of the law. Apparently Exodus 20 is concerned with the giving of the law. Actually this chapter is concerned with the unveiling of God Himself. In decreeing the law, God made Himself known to His people. Through the law, they were able to understand what kind of God He is. The divine legislation is a revelation of God Himself. If we would understand this portion of the Word adequately, we must keep this concept firmly in mind.
Deuteronomy 4:13 speaks of “ten commandments,” whereas Exodus 34:28 speaks of “ten words” (Heb.). The expression “ten words” is significant. God regards the Ten Commandments, the ten laws, as ten words. This expression is a further indication that the law is God’s revelation of Himself, since the words a person speaks are a revelation of that person.
Exodus 20 does not clearly say which commandment is the first, which is the second, and so on. Although the fourth through the tenth commandments are clearly identified, it is difficult to determine which are the first, second, and third. The Jews understand this in one way, the Catholics in another way, and the Protestants in still another way. In order to have the proper understanding of the Ten Commandments, we should see that they actually begin with verse 2. Verse 1 is the introduction, and then verses 2 and 3 continue, “I am Jehovah thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Heb.). Verses 2 and 3 comprise the first commandment. Notice that in the first commandment the title “Jehovah thy God” is used. The same is true in each of the next four commandments. However, although the expression “Jehovah thy God” is used in each of the first five commandments, it is not used in any of the last five. The use of the title Jehovah in verses 2 through 11 gives us reason to join verse 3 with verse 2 and thus consider verse 2 as part of the first commandment. The second commandment is found in verses 4 through 6. Here we are commanded not to make a graven image or likeness of any thing in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, nor to bow down to them, for the Lord is a jealous God. The third commandment, concerning not taking the Lord’s name in vain, is found in verse 7; and the fourth, regarding the Sabbath day, is recorded in verses 8 through 11. The fifth commandment (v. 12) is about honoring our father and mother. The remaining five commandments are found in verses 13 through 17.
If we read carefully the record of the Ten Commandments, we shall see that they are divided into two groups of five. As we have indicated, in the first group the sacred title “Jehovah thy God” is used with respect to each commandment. But with the second group of five, the name of Jehovah is not mentioned even once. Hence, the use of the Lord’s name is a determining factor in reckoning the arrangement of the Ten Commandments.
The arrangement of the Ten Commandments may be understood according to the Jewish way, the Catholic way, the Protestant way, or the biblical way. According to the Jewish way, verse 2 is regarded as the first commandment, and verses 3 through 6 as the second. According to the Catholic way, verse 2 is not regarded as part of the first commandment, only verses 3 through 6. Furthermore, verse 17 is reckoned as two distinct commandments. According to the way followed by most Protestants, which is close to the biblical way, verse 3 is considered the first commandment, and verses 4 through 6, the second. Then verse 17 is regarded as the tenth commandment. However, as we have pointed out, verse 2 must be included with verse 3 as part of the first commandment. This is necessary to have the sacred title, Jehovah, included in each of the first five commandments. According to the biblical way, the first commandment includes verses 2 and 3; the second, verses 4 through 6; the third, verse 7; the fourth, verses 8 through 11; the fifth, verse 12; and the sixth through tenth, verses 13 through 17 respectively.
The Bible tells us clearly that the Ten Commandments were written on two stone tablets by God Himself. The first four commandments are related to God, whereas the last six are related to man. Some readers of Exodus may think that the first four commandments, the commandments concerning God, would have been inscribed on one tablet of stone, whereas the last six, the commandments concerning man, would have been written on the second tablet. However, the Ten Commandments had to be divided into two groups of five. This indicates that the fifth commandment, concerning the honoring of parents, is ranked with the first four commandments, related to God Himself.
For years I was unsuccessful in my efforts to find a reason for this. Eventually I came to see that the reason is related to our source as human beings. In Luke 3 the human generations are traced all the way back to Adam, and then to God. This indicates that when we honor our parents, we honor our source, which, ultimately, is God Himself.
Proof that God intended to rank the fifth commandment with the first four commandments rests in the fact that the sacred title “Jehovah thy God” is used in this commandment, but not in any of the following five commandments. There must be a reason the divine name is mentioned in each of the four commandments concerning God and the first commandment concerning man, but not in any of the other five commandments concerning man. The reason is that by honoring our parents we remember our source. A number of times I have asked unbelievers who their father is. Then I have asked them to trace back further and further until they had to trace their source to God Himself. Our human fathers remind us of God, refer us to God, and bring us back to God as our source. Therefore, it is a very serious thing for a person to despise his parents. To despise our parents is to despise our source, our origin, especially when we realize that our origin is not actually our human father, but is God Himself.
Our source as human beings is God. Those who do not believe in God should ask themselves where they came from. They should trace their origin until they find their source. Those who do this honestly will realize that ultimately their source is God. To honor our parents is to remember our source. I believe this is the reason the fifth commandment was inscribed on the same tablet as the first four commandments concerning God Himself. I believe that it is also the reason that it includes the name “Jehovah thy God.”
I can testify to the blessing we receive from honoring our parents. In Ephesians 6:2 and 3 Paul pointed out that the commandment about honoring our father and mother is the first commandment with a promise. According to Exodus 20:12, if we honor our parents, our days will be long upon the earth. This refers to the blessing of long life. The blessing of longevity is related to God as our source, for only He, the source of life, can grant us a long life. This is another reason the fifth commandment is related to the first four commandments regarding God. This commandment refers us to God and indicates that He is the source of life. If we keep this commandment, God will surely give us a long life. If we want our family and our country to be blessed by God, we must honor our parents and thereby remember God Himself as our source.
I hope that all the young people in the Lord’s recovery will honor their parents and not offend them. This does not mean, however, that they should follow their parents if their parents require them to deny the Lord or to worship idols. The Word of God must be our standard. As long as their parents do not require anything that is contrary to the standard of the Bible, the young people should obey them. According to Paul’s word in Ephesians 6, this is the way to enjoy the blessing of long life.
We have seen that in 34:28 the Ten Commandments are called the ten words of God. According to the Bible, words denotes expression. The words spoken by a particular person are the expression of that person. If a person is silent, he will be mysterious. There is no way to know what is within him. The more we speak, the more we are expressed, and what is within us is exposed. This applies to the Ten Commandments as the ten words of God. The commandments are not merely laws; they are also God’s expression. Through these ten words, God has revealed Himself to us.
When I was very young, I thought that God was broad-minded. When I read in the Bible that He is a jealous God, I was bothered. To me, jealousy was not a positive thing. I certainly would not want to be thought of as a jealous person. I would much rather be regarded as kind, broad-minded, and all-embracing. Many who have such a concept of God think that all religions are the same. They do not like to hear in our gospel preaching that Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam are in error. Such people prefer to think that God is broad-minded and not in the least jealous. But, as the Ten Commandments reveal, God is jealous, and He will not tolerate idols. Apart from the Ten Commandments, there would be no way for us to realize that God is narrow, or jealous, in this way. God wants us to love Him and Him alone. If we love someone or something in place of Him, He will be jealous. Thus, the Ten Commandments first reveal God’s jealousy, even His hatred (Rom. 9:13). Jealousy results in hatred. The Bible says not only that God is love, but also that He is jealous. In 2 Corinthians 11:2 Paul refers to the jealousy of God. The ten words, the expression of God, reveal that God is unique. He is a jealous God, and He will not give place to any other god. Do not allow anything else to be your god. Do not take education or wealth as your god. God alone must be your God.
The Ten Commandments also reveal that God is holy. The fourth commandment, which concerns keeping the Sabbath, is related to God’s holiness, to His being separate from all things. According to Genesis 2, God sanctified the seventh day, or made it holy. Thus, the Sabbath as the seventh day is a sign of God’s holiness, of His separation. Although many Jews and Seventh-Day Adventists keep the Sabbath, not many know the true significance of keeping a day unto the Lord. Not many realize that the Sabbath is a sign of God’s holiness. Although the Gentiles are common, God’s people have been separated unto Him. As a mark of separation, one day is set apart unto Him. The keeping of this day identifies them as God’s holy and separated people. Furthermore, this reveals that the very God whom we worship is holy, separate. As His people, we must have a mark, a sign, of our separation from everything other than God Himself. This reveals that our God is holy.
Verses 12 through 14 reveal that God is a God of love. If we do not honor our parents, it means that we do not love them. Likewise, if we love others, we shall not steal from them. In Matthew 22:37-40 the Lord Jesus answered His opposers by implying that the whole law is fulfilled in loving God and man. We must not only love the Lord with our whole being, but we must also love others as we love ourselves. In Galatians 5:14 Paul says, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If we consider the Ten Commandments in depth, we shall see that God’s love is revealed in them.
Exodus 20:5 and 6 say that God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him, but He shows mercy unto thousands of generations who love Him and keep His commandments. God’s love is revealed in these verses also. God will charge iniquity as far as the third or fourth generation, but to those who love Him, He will show mercy for a thousand generations. In this we see God’s lovingkindness. If you hate God, He will visit your family for three or four generations. This means that He will charge you with hatred toward Him for this number of generations. But if we love God, His mercy will be upon us for a thousand generations. In the Bible, a thousand denotes fullness. For example, the psalmist said that a day in the Lord’s courts is better than a thousand (Psa. 84:10). To enjoy God’s mercy to the fullest is to enjoy it for eternity. His mercy is endless. Although God’s anger can be counted, His mercy is beyond counting.
The Ten Commandments also reveal that our God is righteous. Because He is righteous, He will visit those who hate Him for three or four generations. If He failed to do this, He would not be a righteous God. He must act in this way in order to indicate that He is righteous. If you hate Him, He will deal with you according to His righteousness. At the same time, however, He is merciful and loving.
Exodus 20:16 says, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” This commandment reveals that God is truthful. To refrain from bearing false witness means that we must speak the truth and not lie. This commandment is concerned with lies that damage others. It indicates that we must be honest and truthful.
Those who tell lies are in darkness, but those who speak the truth are in light. As the truthful God, God is the God of light. We are even told that He Himself is light and that with Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). This means that with God there is no falsehood. Satan, on the contrary, is the father of lies (John 8:44). As such, he is the god of darkness and the power of darkness. With Satan there is no truthfulness. Therefore, Satan is of darkness. But with our God there is both faithfulness and truthfulness. Because He is light, He cannot lie. Light is the source of truth.
If we dig into the depths of these verses, we shall see that light is implied with the Ten Commandments. Actually, these ten words are words of light. This divine law is full of light. The same is true even of man-made laws. If in a city or country there were no laws, that city or country would be in darkness. But where there is law, there is light. Law always enlightens. It makes a person’s situation clear. God’s ten words, the Ten Commandments, are words of light, and they imply that our God is a God of light. With Him there is no falsehood and there are no shadows. In every respect He is truthful, for He is light. If sinners would come to the ten words of God recorded in Exodus 20, they would see light and be enlightened. Suppose a certain person has stolen a number of items. When such a one reads the commandment about stealing, he will be enlightened. The divine law will shine upon him. The ten words enlighten us with the light which comes from God. Oh, the Ten Commandments are certainly a revelation of our God! When we get into the depths of these ten words, we see that God is jealous, holy, loving, righteous, and truthful.
These words also reveal that God is pure. His purity touches our inner being. Whereas the first nine commandments are related to outward conduct, the tenth is related to the sin hidden within us, mainly in our thoughts. Actually, the first commandment is also related to our inward condition. To have another God besides the true God is primarily an inward matter. However, to make an image or likeness of something is an outward deed. Hence, the first commandment touches our inward condition, and the commandment about coveting likewise touches our inward condition. The first and the last commandment together expose the idolatry and covetousness within us. Inwardly we are filled with idols and coveting. Colossians 3:5 says that covetousness is idolatry. Paul refers to covetousness in Romans 7. The more he tried to stop coveting, the more covetousness was awakened within him. Thus, in Romans 7 Paul was not concerned with outward deeds, but with the inward problem of covetousness.
The fact that we are covetous indicates that we are not pure. Only God is pure, for those who are pure do not covet. We covet because we are impure and unclean. If our heart, desire, and intention were pure in every way, we would not be covetous.
The commandment about coveting reveals God’s purity. Under the light of this commandment, we all need to see that inwardly we are not pure. We all have a certain amount of covetousness. But because God is pure, with Him there is no covetousness.
Because the law is a revelation of God, it is God’s testimony. According to 31:18, the two tables of stone on which the Ten Commandments were written are called the “two tables of testimony.” This indicates that the law was God’s testimony. When the tables of the law were put into the ark, the testimony was put in the ark. Furthermore, the manna in the golden pot was placed in front of the tables of the law. However, we are told in 16:34 that it was “laid up before the Testimony to be kept.” This proves that the law was the testimony. Psalms 19:7 is a further indication of this. Here, in the parallelism often found in Hebrew poetry, we are told, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” The law of the Lord is thus the testimony of the Lord. As the Lord’s testimony, the law testifies of what kind of God our Lord is. Because the law, God’s testimony, was placed in the ark, the ark was called the ark of testimony (25:21-22; 26:33-34); and because the ark was in the tabernacle, the tabernacle was called the tabernacle of the testimony (38:21; Num. 1:50, 53). The law was the testimony, the ark was the ark of testimony, and the tabernacle was the tabernacle of testimony.
The law is a type, a figure, of Christ who speaks God, describes God, and expresses God. The law is, therefore, a type of Christ as God’s testimony. It is crucial for us to see that the law is a testimony which reveals God to us. As a type of Christ, it typifies Christ as God’s testimony, the One who describes God and expresses Him in a full and adequate way. As the law is the ten words of God which reveal God to His people, so Christ is the Word of God revealing God to us.
