Reminders of the Ten Commandments - Pt 1 (Deuteronomy 4:43 - 5:17)

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Study Notes: "Reminders of the Ten Commandments" (Pt 1) (Deuteronomy 4:44–5:18)

Introduction: The Importance of Repetition in Scripture

• Repetition as a Learning Tool: The Ten Commandments: First given in Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments are repeated in Deuteronomy 5 as part of a covenant renewal.

The Covenant and the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:1–3)

• Moses' Exhortation: In Deuteronomy 5:1, Moses calls the Israelites to listen and obey the statutes and judgments.
• Covenant Continuity: The covenant made at Mount Sinai (Horeb) applies not only to those who were there but also to all future generations, including the current one (Deuteronomy 5:3).

The Ten Commandments Reviewed

1. Introduction to the Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:4–6):

1.First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Deuteronomy 5:7).

• Exclusive Worship: Israel is commanded to worship only the Lord, the one true God, a commandment that applies universally.

1. Second Commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…” (Deuteronomy 5:8–10).
   • Misrepresentation of God: This commandment is not just about avoiding idolatry but specifically prohibits creating an image to represent God, as seen in the incident with the golden calf in Exodus 32.
   • Broader Application: The commandment also applies to any form of misrepresentation of God, including through teachings.
2. Third Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…” (Deuteronomy 5:11).
   • Reverence for God's Name: Misusing God's name includes swearing falsely or using it disrespectfully. The Jews took this so seriously that they avoided saying God's name (Yahweh) altogether.
3. Fourth Commandment: “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…” (Deuteronomy 5:12–15).
   • Rest and Redemption: The Sabbath is a day of rest, grounded in creation and Israel’s redemption from Egypt. Christians are not bound by the Mosaic Law, but the principle of rest and worship is reflected in observing Sunday as the Lord’s Day, commemorating Christ’s resurrection.
4. Fifth Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother…” (Deuteronomy 5:16).
   • Respect and Obedience: This commandment comes with a promise of long life and prosperity. In the New Testament, Paul extends this principle, linking it to a generally blessed life (Ephesians 6:1-3).
5. Sixth Commandment: “You shall not murder” (Deuteronomy 5:17).
   • Specificity of the Command: The Hebrew word used specifically means "murder," distinguishing it from other forms of killing. Various degrees of murder are recognized, from premeditated to accidental.

Transcript

Reminders of the Ten Commandments - Part 1. (Deuteronomy 4:44-5:18)

Transcript. 

Repetition is one of the fundamental laws of learning, and apparently, God subscribes to that law too. 

When you look at Scripture, you’ll notice that He repeats certain things multiple times. Perhaps the most notable example is the ministry of Christ, which is recorded in detail in  four different books of the Bible. (MMLJ)

There are other things that God repeats as well—one of them being the Ten Commandments. He first gives them in Exodus chapter 20, but then and he will review them again here in Deuteronomy chapter 5.

As we've been studying the book of Deuteronomy, I've suggested that it's a series of sermons that Moses preached on the east side of the Jordan. 

We've now covered the first sermon, and the second sermon begins now in chapter 4, verse 44, and extends through chapter 5. So, turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 4, and let's look at verse 44. Where it says:

Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt,

(Deuteronomy 4: 44-45)

These verses serve as the introduction to this second sermon, indicating that it will focus on the law. The term "law" here is the Hebrew word "Torah," which just means "instructions." 

This is not a new covenant but a renewal of the previous one, and as a result, it repeats certain things. In chapter 4, verses 46 to 49, it says:

On this side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated after they came out of Egypt. And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan, toward the [o]rising of the sun, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, even to Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), and all the plain on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah.

(Deuteronomy 4: 46-49)

So, the first part—chapter 4, verses 44 and 45—tells us what is going to be said, and verses 46 to 49 tell us where it was said. Moses gave these instructions on the east side of the Jordan River, and that’s the introduction to the second sermon.

Moses now gives us a repetition or a review of the Ten Commandments previously given, but he will explain each a little this time as he goes along.

Chapter 5, verse 1:

"And Moses called all Israel and said to them: 'Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb,' which is another name for Mount Sinai."

(Deuteronomy 5: 1-2)

These verses are simply instructing the people to listen carefully and be diligent in observing what they hear. Moses then continues.

The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.

(Deuteronomy 5: 3)

What Moses is saying here is that the covenant wasn’t just made with their forefathers at Sinai, but it also applies to future generations, including those who were alive at that moment.

In verse 4, Moses continues:

"The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire."

As you will recall, this describes God giving the law when the Israelites were camped at Mount Sinai. When Moses says, "the Lord spoke face to face," it’s a way of indicating direct communication. 

God did not speak the Ten Commandments through a mediator; He spoke directly to the Moses and the people, reflecting the personal relationship He had with them.

Moses continues.

I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said: ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

(Deuteronomy 5: 5-6)

Keep in mind that what Moses is about to do is review the Ten Commandments. Notice how God introduces this by saying, "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt." This is significant for one important reason: The law of Moses was given to a redeemed people, not to redeem people. This is crucial. The law was never intended to give people the ability to achieve their justification, God had already redeemed them. 

In fact, if you look at the Old Testament carefully, you'll remember that in Genesis 15:6, it says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." We are justified by faith, even in the Old Testament, just as we are justified by faith in Christ in the New Testament. 

God did not give the law to wicked people so that they could obtain justification; He gave it to an already redeemed people.

Then in verse 7, we read:

"You shall have no other gods before Me."

You’ll immediately recognize that Moses is now quoting the Ten Commandments, beginning with the first one which tells the, Only the Lord shall be their God; they shall worship Him exclusively." 

This commandment applies not only to Israel but to all people on earth, for the simple reason that it reveals there is only one God, and He is the God of all creation.

So, the first commandment establishes that the Lord alone is to be your God. 

The second commandment follows.

‘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.

(Deuteronomy 5: 8-10)

This second commandment is often thought of as a prohibition against idolatry, and it certainly is. However, I’d like to suggest that it is actually a specifically commandment against making a carved image to represent the true God. 

This is a slightly different understanding from that I had for most of  my life until I studied the book of Exodus, which led me to this conclusion.

Do you remember when Moses came down from the mountain and found the people worshiping a golden calf? They said, and I quote from Exodus 32:8, “This is your God, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.” 

The important point here is that when they made that golden calf, they were not creating a new god; rather, they claimed the idol represented the God who had redeemed them. 

Therefore, it was a misrepresentation of the true God.

I'm not alone in this interpretation. Scholars have pointed out that the second commandment is first and foremost a commandment against the false representation of God. 

God forbids idolatry itself—the worship or service of any other god or idol, and that is found in the first commandment. 

Did you catch that? The first commandment forbids idolatry because it prohibits the worship of any other god.

The second commandment, however, forbids the misrepresentation of the Lord in any kind of graven image. While later interpretations of idolatry expanded to include idols representing other gods, the Ten Commandments also specifically address the misrepresentation of the true God.

When I first realized this, I thought about how many people today misrepresent God in many ways but perhaps the most common ay is in their teachings. 

In other words, this commandment applies not only to physical graven images but also to any form of misrepresentation of the Lord.

The third commandment follows in verse 11:

“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.”

The second commandment warns against visually misrepresenting the Lord, while this third commandment now addresses misusing His name. In the Bible, the term "name" represents the whole person, so this commandment is essentially saying, "Do not misuse the Lord's name; do not take it in vain."

Jesus touches on this in the Sermon on the Mount when He says, “Hallowed be Your name,” which reflects the proper reverence for God’s name. 

So, how might someone misuse God’s name? One way is of course by swearing or using His name in vain, a practice that is unfortunately very common today. 

Another way is through perjury—taking an oath in God’s name in the knowledge that you are not going to the truth.

It’s important to note that the Mosaic Law does allow taking oaths, as recorded in Leviticus 6:13, so simply taking an oath in court isn’t the thing that is forbidden. 

What is forbidden is taking that oath and then lying, that’s called perjury. 

The Jews took this commandment so seriously that they avoided even speaking the name of God, Yahweh, to prevent any abuse. Instead, they substituted the phrase “the Name” in place of Yahweh during conversations and would often refer to “Heaven” rather than directly mentioning God. 

This also explains why Matthew, writing primarily to a Jewish audience, often refers to the “Kingdom of Heaven,” while other Gospel writers, addressing Gentiles, speak more often of the “Kingdom of God.”

The Jews took this commandment very seriously, to the point that they wouldn’t even pronounce the name of God.

The fourth commandment is given in verses 12 to 14:

12 ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

(Deuteronomy 5: 12-14)

This commandment is straightforward: Work for six days, and on the seventh day, rest. Moses continues:

“And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord your God commands you to keep the Sabbath day.”

(Deuteronomy 5: 15)

This is interesting because, in Exodus, Moses records a different reason for keeping the Sabbath. 

In Exodus 20, the reason given is that the Lord created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. 

In Deuteronomy 5, the reason is that the Israelites were slaves, and God redeemed them. These reasons aren’t contradictory—they are complementary. Together, they emphasize the dual significance of the Sabbath: it is a day of rest, rooted in the creation narrative but also in the redemption of Israel from slavery.

Now, it’s important to note that we, as Christians, are not under the Mosaic Law but under the law of Christ. Many of the Ten Commandments are repeated under the law of Christ. But one commandment is missing, that of observing the Sabbath, which has been replaced by most with an observance of Sunday instead of Saturday. 

We observe Sunday because that is the day the Lord rose from the dead.

The Sabbath symbolizes the old covenant of the law, where one labours for six days and then rests. 

In contrast, the choice of Sunday as the Lord’s Day, commemorates the new covenant of grace. It opens the week with finding our peace and rest in Christ, and then the work follows. The reason Sunday was chosen in church history was that it was meant to represent that under grace, we start with rest, and from that rest, we then go on to work.

However, be aware the other nine commandments are all repeated under the law of Christ, so they apply to us, just as they did to Israel.

The next commandment says in verse 16:

“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

This commandment is about honouring your parents, includes respecting them. In the New Testament, we are told to obey our parents in passages like Colossians 3:20. The responsibility to obey lasts as long as children are at home. Once they are grown, the command to obey is no longer applicable, but the command to honour continues throughout our life.

Notice that this commandment comes with a promise. God says to the Jews that if they keep this commandment, their days would be long in the land, and it will go well for them. 

Later, in the book of Deuteronomy, we see this principle more explicitly stated: Obey God’s laws, and you will stay in the land; disobey them, and you will be sent into exile.

In the New Testament, Paul reiterates this commandment for children to obey their parents in the same way, saying that it is “so that your life may be long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:1-3). 

While Moses emphasized the promise of long life in the land, Paul applies it more broadly, suggesting that honouring your parents is tied to a longer, more blessed life in general. It’s an interesting concept to think that obeying and honouring your parents is linked to longevity in life.

The next commandment is a straightforward one. Verse 17 says:

“You shall not murder.”

The King James Version translates this as "You shall not kill,". However, the Hebrew word used here specifically means “murder,” not just “kill.” This distinction is important because it allows us to break down the concept into different types/degrees of murder.

First-degree murder is premeditated; it’s intentional and planned. 

Second-degree murder might not be premeditated, but it is still intentional, such as in cases of sudden rage or when someone uses a weapon in a fight and kills an unarmed person. 

Then there is a third degree, where the killing is accidental or in self-defence, in which case the person is protected rather than punished.

Interestingly, Moses, David, and Paul were all involved in the death of some by these different caried degrees, yet they were used by God. This highlights the amazing grace of God, who can forgive and use even those who have committed such serious sins.