Reminders of the Ten Commandments - Pt 2 (Deuteronomy 5: 18-33)

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Episode Notes: "Reminders of the Ten Commandments - Part Two" (Deuteronomy 5:19-5:43)

1. Commandment Against Stealing (Deuteronomy 5:19)

• Commandment: "You shall not steal."
• Definition: Stealing involves taking something that belongs to another person against their will.
• Significance:
  • Upholds the principle of personal property rights, which is foundational to society and the global economic system.
  • Contrast with Marxism: Communism, as outlined in the Communist Manifesto, opposes personal property rights, advocating government ownership of all property. This is viewed as incompatible with a biblical worldview where personal property is a God-given right.
• Restitution in the Old Testament:
  • The law required restitution with an additional 20% for stolen goods (e.g., Leviticus 6, Numbers 5).
  • Example: Zacchaeus' promise to restore fourfold (Luke 19) reflects the biblical principle of restitution, showing a deeper understanding of the law.

2. Commandment Against Bearing False Witness (Deuteronomy 5:20)

• Commandment: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
• Definition: Bearing false witness includes lying in legal testimony, character assassination, slander, and perjury.
• The Origin of Lies:
  • Satan is identified as the "father of lies," while God is the author of truth.
• Impact: This commandment protects not only legal justice but also the integrity of one's reputation, making it an extension of the command against killing or stealing.

3. Commandment Against Coveting (Deuteronomy 5:21)

• Commandment: "You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; you shall not desire your neighbor’s house..."
• Definition: Coveting involves desiring something that belongs to someone else, revealing selfishness and internal attitudes.
• Expansion: In Deuteronomy, "his field" is added to the commandment due to the Israelites' impending role as landowners.
• Internal vs. External:
  • This commandment addresses internal desires, contrasting with others that focus on external actions.
  • Jesus' Teaching: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expanded on this concept, equating internal desires (lust, hatred) with external sins (adultery, murder), emphasizing the importance of the heart's intentions.

4. The Divine Origin of the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:22-33)

• Verse 22: Moses emphasizes that the commandments were spoken directly by God amidst fire, cloud, and thick darkness, highlighting their divine origin.
• Purpose of the Law:
  • These commandments form the core moral law, with all other Mosaic laws serving as expansions of these principles.
  • The commandments imply not only prohibitions but also human rights: personal property, marriage, reputation, etc.
  • Western civiliz

Transcript

 New Episode script, new study notes please. "Reminders of the Ten Commandments - Part Two. (Deuteronomy 5:19- 5:43)

Continued....

The next commandment is: “You shall not steal.” Stealing means taking something that belongs to another person against that person’s will. This commandment upholds the concept of personal property rights. The idea of personal property is also fundamental, not just to society, but also to our economic system. Why is this important? Our entire word economic system is built on the concept of personal property rights. While there are other factors involved, this is fundamental to private enterprise and entrepreneurship. To illustrate the significance of this, let’s consider the alternative communism or more accurately Marxism. According to the Communist Manifesto and the principles of communism, personal property rights are abolished, and the government owns all property. From a biblical perspective, this is problematic because it goes against the principle of personal property rights established in the Bible as early as the Levitical laws. That’s not to say capitalism can’t be abused; it certainly can. Capitalism needs to be responsible and ethical. However, philosophically speaking, communism’s denial of personal property rights, in my estimation makes it incompatible with a biblical worldview. By the way, the Old Testament teaches that if you stole something, you were required to restore it plus an additional 20%. It’s an interesting detail found in passages like Leviticus 6 and Numbers 5. So, if you stole £100.00 and you got caught, biblicaly you should have to pay back £120.00. Remember the story of Zacchaeus in Luke chapter 19? When Jesus met Zacchaeus, who had climbed up into a sycamore tree, and invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house, Zacchaeus responded by saying, “If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I will restore it fourfold.” He promised restitution, but above and beyond that which was required because, as a Jew, he understood the Mosaic Law. Moving on to verse 20, it says: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.” The word “witness” here implies testimony given in a legal case, but this commandment isn’t limited to the courtroom. Bearing false witness can also mean character assassination, which is another form of killing or stealing, the destroying of someone’s reputation. This commandment also covers all forms of slander, as well as perjury in court. Who is the origin of lies? Satan, of course. He is the opposite of God,who is the author of all truth in that he is the father of lies. Verse 21 then says: “You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife; you shall not desire your neighbour’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour’s.” Coveting is the desire to have something that belongs to someone else. What’s interesting about this repetition of the Tenth Commandment is that, in Exodus 20, the field isn’t mentioned. This is added by Moses now probably because the Israelites were about to become landowners, so it made sense to include “his field” in this new context they were about to enter into. But this commandment goes beyond actions and addresses motivations. It’s about the attitude of the heart rather than just deeds. Coveting reveals selfishness or self-centeredness. What’s important to note is that while the other commandments primarily deal with external actions, this one focuses on internal desires and attitudes. This is the very point Jesus expanded on in the Sermon on the Mount when He said that if you lust in your heart, you’ve already committed adultery, and if you harbour hatred, you’ve already committed murder. Jesus was getting at the heart of the matter, but the foundation of that teaching is already present in the Mosaic Law. Moses then concludes with a reminder of the divine origin of the Ten Commandments. Verse 22 says: “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.” Moses emphasizes the awe-inspiring setting in which these commandments were given—in the midst of fire, thick darkness, and a loud voice. It is designed to capture the people’s attention. The Lord Himself wrote these commandments on two tablets of stone by His own finger. All other laws in the Mosaic Law are interpretations and expansions of the basic principles embedded in these Ten Commandments. This is an unbelievably brilliant summary of moral law—like nothing else in all of literature, whether secular or religious. It profoundly describes right living from God’s perspective. By the way, embedded in these commandments are our human rights as well. As I mentioned earlier, you have the right to personal property, the right to have your home and marriage, which need to be protected (as seen in the commandment against adultery), You also have the right to your reputation (as protected by the commandment against bearing false witness). While people often like to focus on the ten commandments of God as prohibitions—“You shall not do this, or that” These commandments also imply certain rights that we all have. To a large degree, Western civilization, is based on these primary concepts. At this point in the passage, Moses reminds the people of their reaction. Verse 23 says: “So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. And you said: ‘Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.’” (Deuteronomy 5: 23-24) What they’re saying is that they were terrified, thinking that if they heard God’s voice, they would die. But they discovered that God can speak to man, and man can still live. That was an important realization for them. Verse 25 continues: “Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die.” The Israelites were afraid they might die because they had heard the voice of the Lord amidst the fire, which they feared might consume them. In verse 26, they ask. "For whom is there of all flesh, who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?" They were amazed—they had heard His voice and yet were still alive! So, they said in verse 27, "You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it." Verses 23 through 27, capture the people's reaction as they speak to Moses. Their response to the overwhelming experience of hearing God's voice and witnessing his presence should be a deep sense of awe and fear. Beginning in verse 28, we see the Lord's response: "Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!'" (Deuteronomy 5: 28-29) This response is fascinating. God acknowledges their fear and reverence and expresses a deep desire for them to have a heart that would always fear Him and keep His commandments. He wishes for their continued obedience, knowing that it would lead to their well-being and the well-being of their children. This gives us a glimpse into the heart of God—His compassion and His longing for what is best for His people. God desires our obedience not just for His sake but for our, so that they might thrive and prosper. God then instructs Moses in verse 30. "Go and say to them, ‘Return to your tents.’ But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am giving them to possess." (Deuteronomy 5: 30-31) God directs Moses to return to the people with His commandments, statutes, and judgments, emphasizing the importance of obedience. In verse 32, God adds. "Therefore, you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess." (Deuteronomy 5: 32-33) God gave these laws with a clear purpose: that His people might live well and prolong their days in the land He was giving them. We’ve covered a lot of verses today, but the core message is simple: God gave His law, His Ten Commandments, to His children so they would obey from the heart, leading to their well-being. This passage not only reviews the Ten Commandments but also emphasizes the necessity of keeping them for the sake of our own good. It teaches us that the proper response to God's Word is reverence for Him and obedience—not just because of who He is, though that is reason enough, but also because He desires what is best for us. So, let me close by asking a question: Is this still true today? Would you say that if you obeyed the moral law, as repeated under the law of Christ, you’d be better off? Consider one example: Are you better off if you don’t steal? Absolutely, because if you make a habit of stealing, you will likely end up in prison looking through bars instead of glass. That’s a straightforward way of saying that keeping God’s laws is what’s best for you. God didn’t give these laws to restrict you—He gave them because they are what’s best for you. We are better off when we obey His law from the heart. Throughout the Bible, two great virtues are emphasized repeatedly: righteousness and love. These two themes appear over and over, often together. Righteousness, justice, love, and grace—they all convey the same core ideas. This passage highlights the righteous aspect, the law side. The other great command is to love one another. These two concepts—righteousness and love—are the pillars of Scripture. If we follow them, we will be better off. Some don’t want to as they see it, be confined by God rules; they hate to feel confined by any fence! But maybe Gods precepts are not fences, they are guardrails, maybe the "fence" as some see it is actually a guardrail to protect us from the edge of a precipice. And God through his repetition of these precepts simply wants to remind us of the seriousness of what awaits us if we choose to jump the fence, for it is not a fence; it' is a hedge around us, a guardrail! God's commandments were not given as a fence to confine us; they are a guardrail to protect us. I believe we are better off within the boundaries He has set. We can be thankful that God here is revealed as hnot just giving us a a set of rules but from guidelines on how he wants us to live are lives because He wants what is best for us. He has given us a law, but he has also given us a moral law, and his Holy Spirit, who enables us by His grace to do what He have commanded us to do.