Breaking the Ten Commandments
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
We have today a study on the Ten Commandments. These Commandments were written upon two tables of stone. The first four, written on one table, carried commands which were Godward; the second group of six, written on the second table of stone, carried commandments which were manward.
Jesus Christ summed up the Ten Commandments under two short expressions as found in Mark 12:30; Mark 12:31
It has been argued by some that the Christian is not under the Ten Commandments, inasmuch as he is under Grace. This is partly true. The Christian is not under Law for salvation; because salvation is by Grace, apart from the works of the Law. However, in his daily walk and life the Christian, when he walks in love, fulfils the Law. It is worthy of note that each of the Ten Commandments is restated in the New Testament, under the reign of Grace, with the exception of the fourth commandment which contained the ordinance of the Sabbath, and which was given to Israel as a memorial, and never given to the Church.
No Christian lives a life worthy of his Lord unless he walks in fulfilment of Law as laid down on the tables of stone.
The Ten Commandments are holy and just and good then why cast them from us? The Ten Commandments are spiritual, then why relegate them?
When the Law entered, sin was made exceeding sinful; the Law became a plumbline, which demonstrated the crookedness of the human heart.
The Law came, and was a schoolmaster to drive us to Christ, because no man could keep the Law. The Law was weak through the flesh, since the flesh could not obey its injunctions. The Law manifested the ideals of an holy God; and sinful man could not keep the Law.
I. THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (1 Kings 18:21).
We have before us an example of how the First Commandment was broken. Elijah stood before the prophets of Baal. These prophets were devotees of sun worship. Because Israel had followed after Baal, God sent judgment upon them, and in answer to the prayer of Elisha it had not rained for the space of three years.
When Elijah finally came before Ahab, the king; the king roughly said: "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" Elijah replied, "I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim."
With the ax laid at the root of the trouble, Elijah commanded the king to call together all Israel. When the people came, the Prophet said unto them, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him."
The result was that under Elijah's orders two altars of testing were raised, and the God who answered by fire was to be proclaimed God, As the priests of Baal cried to their gods to send the fire, Elijah mocked them. The finality of the testing was that Elijah's God prevailed, and the prophets of Baal and the prophets of Jezebel were slain.
Let us beware lest we break this First Commandment, for many today are denying both the Son and the Father, and they will surely heap to themselves judgment against the day of judgment.
II. THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image," etc. (Exodus 32:4).
We next consider how Commandment number two was broken. Moses had gone up into the mountain, and he delayed to come down. Then the people cried unto Aaron, saying, "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us." Aaron yielded to their voice and he made a molten calf. Then the people sacrificed to it, and sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
God was wroth, and sent Moses down from the mountain, saying unto him, "I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people." God was ready to destroy them, but Moses pled in their behalf.
Then, as Moses came to the people, bringing the Ten Commandments, written on the two tables of stone, his wrath waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands and break them beneath the mount. The people had broken the Commandment even before Moses broke the tables of stone.
Moses then took the golden calf, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, scattering it on the water and making the people to drink of it. That day also there were three thousand slain.
Again we have seen that the wages of sin is death. Let its fear lest we also worship gods of gold, or gods of the works of our hands, such as airships, automobiles, radio, and likewise fall under the curse.
III. THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain" (Acts 12:21-22).
In speaking of the breaking of the Third Commandment we usually think of cursing and swearing. We have chosen another aspect of taking His Name in vain. In Acts twelve we. have the story of Herod's great oration. The people cried, with a great shout, saying, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man."
There is a very definite statement from Heaven, which says, "My glory will I not give to another." When one ruthlessly takes the Name of God and places it upon a man, he drags down the Name of the Highest into the mud and mire of human frailties and weaknesses, into the realm of sin and shame.
Not a moment had passed after the people had thus spoken of Herod, and after Herod had, evidently, accepted the plaudits of the crowd, until God smote Herod, "because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost."
The climactic sin of the age will reach its consummation in the self-exaltation of the antichrist He will exalt himself above God, and above all that is called God, so that he, as God, will sit in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Let us not take God's Name in vain, lest we be slain as was Herod, and as antichrist will be slain when he takes his title as God.
IV. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
"Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy" (Numbers 15:32-35).
Here is a solemn Commandment. It was given to Israel and to the stranger within her gates: It was given to Israel, because God had given Israel rest from the Egyptians. The Sabbath was to remain throughout the generations of the Children of Israel as a sign between God and them. It was to be a day of rest, because God had given them rest from their enemies, and because He had promised them rest to come. They were to refrain from all work because God had saved them apart from the work of their own hands.
When, therefore, a man was found gathering sticks on the Sabbath Day, he was put to death. The Divine fiat seemed harsh, yet the act of the man, who, in open disobedience, not only defied the Most High, but dared to break the type of rest, was most wicked. Remember, "The wages of sin is death."
The Fourth Commandment was particularly Jewish. The Sabbath has never been changed, but it has never been given to the Church, and is not restated in the Epistles, as are all of the others of the Ten Commandments. However, we need to remember the words of Christ, the Sabbath was made for man. Man needs one day of rest in seven, and let the one who ruthlessly tramples that need under his feet, remember that he must pay the penalty thereof.
V. THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
"Honour thy father and thy mother" (2 Samuel 18:9).
We now come to the first of Six Commandments which were written on the second table of stone, and which carried statements of our duties toward our fellow men. This Commandment has to do with the obedience of the child to the parent, and of giving honor to both father and mother.
Our illustration of Absalom is most fitting, as an example of one who met death through dishonoring the name of his father, David.
In all Israel there was none so beautiful, and none so greatly admired, as Absalom. There was also none so much to be praised as he. Absalom early developed a spirit of pride and of self-ambition, that ultimately led to his ruin. Under the guise of going to Hebron to worship, he raised an insurrection against his father, seeking to wrest the kingdom from him. His perfidy knew no bounds. He not only trampled upon a father's tender love, but he set himself against one of God's chosen servants.
The results was, that in battle against his father, Absalom was found hanging to a tree by the hair of his head. His hair had been the source of his pride, now it was the means of his death.
As Absalom hangs there, dead, let us remember that "the wages of sin is death." Let us remember, likewise, that he who honors his father and his mother, is keeping a commandment which invokes length of days, and promise of blessing "That it may be well with thee."
VI. THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt not kill" (Genesis 4:8).
Our illustration is based, this time, upon Cain and Abel. God accepted the offering of Abel, because Abel brought the firstling of his flock, and brought it in faith. God rejected the offering of Cain, because Cain brought the fruit of the ground, an offering which acknowledged no sin, and pled no heed of a sacrifice of blood. Cain merely came, in his own way, to pass, as it were, compliments with God.
When Cain saw that his offering was refused, and that Abel's was accepted, he arose and slew his brother. Once more, "the wages of sin is death."
God said unto Cain, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground." Then God pronounced the curse, "And now art thou cursed from the earth, * * it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth."
There are many murderers who have not shed blood as Cain shed blood. Some are killing their loved ones by their rebellious ways, and killing them step by step, inch "by inch. Read the words of Christ as found in Matthew 5:21-22
VII. THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt not commit adultery" (2 Samuel 12:18).
Sin is always heinous, but it is doubly so when it leads into the lust of the flesh. David sinned in the case of Bathsheba. The result was that David's own bones waxed old with their roaring all the day long, and also the child which was born unto David and Bathsheba died.
One can almost hear the groanings of David's soul as he prayed, saying, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; * * blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity."
How many hearts have lost their joy because some lust of the, flesh has crept into their lives. The child of God must put off all iniquity and every evil way. He must be clean in word, in thought, in deed, or else he too will feel the wrath of God.
VIII. THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT;
"Thou shalt not steal" (Joshua 7:21).
The Children of Israel had been routed in battle at Ai. When Joshua cried unto God, the Lord said, "Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned." There is a time to clean up the camp, and not to pray for help. There is a time to search out the "accursed thing," and not to start a revival.
It was this way: In the victory against Jericho, Achan had seen among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, too hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight. Achan had seen and coveted and had taken these things, and then he had hid them in his tent. The result of Achan's theft was that when Israel next went forth to battle, God was not with them, and they met defeat. The punishment alloted to Achan was death. He and all his, who, no doubt, were party to his calumny, were stoned and then burned with fire. Afterward the people raised over him a great heap of stones as a monumental warning to all who sin.
IX. THE NINTH COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt not bear false witness" (Acts 5:1; Acts 5:5).
Ananias and Sapphira came, supposedly, with the whole price of a piece of land that they had sold, and laid the amount at the Apostles' feet. Ananias and Sapphira, in fact, kept back part of the price of the land. Their sin was that they lied to the Holy Ghost. They gave a false witness of themselves. The result was, that, under the words of Peter, each, in turn, fell down dead. Again, "the wages of sin is death." We may marvel at the severity of the judgment, why not marvel at the depth of the sin.
Suppose God never visited sinners for their sins, then sinners would place a premium on sinning. One Scripture says, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."
Bearing false witness is a great sin. Alas, there are many, we fear, who are held in highest esteem in the Church, who are given over to this sin.
X. THE TENTH COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt not covet" (1 Kings 21:2; 1 Kings 21:6-7).
The story of Naboth and his vineyard is known to us all. Ahab coveted the vineyard, and when Naboth would not sell it to his lord and king, Ahab was full of jealousy and grief. Jezebel marked his mood, saying, "Why is thy spirit so sad?"
We all know how, under Jezebel's whip, Ahab slew Naboth; and then confiscated the vineyard that the lust of his eyes desired.
Then it was that Elijah said unto Ahab, "Where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." To Jezebel, the Lord also said, "The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel."
Is Ahab the only one who has coveted, and then gone the limit to obtain that for which he coveted? Even now we can hear the groanings of many a widow and orphan, because some man of the world has coveted their gold and silver, and, in order to obtain it, they have gone to all lengths of deceit and fraud; perhaps in a perfectly legal and business-like way, they have satisfied their lust.
Forget not the words of the Spirit, through John, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." And what is the chief idolatry of today? It is covetousness for "covetousness is idolatry."
AN ILLUSTRATION
A wealthy man came to a poor saddler, and, leaving a bridle, gave orders that it should be finished by Monday. "That is not possible!" "What nonsense! There is all day tomorrow." "We do not work on Sunday, sir." "Then I shall go to those who do." "We can get it done by Tuesday." "That will not do; put it in the carriage."
Quietly the saddler did as he was told. Hours afterward a neighbor said: "I thought that I would come and thank you, and tell you that I should be glad of as many more customers as you would like to send."
"I shall not send you those I can keep," said the saddler, "but I will never go against my conscience for any man nor for his money."
Weeks went by, weeks of trouble to this faithful saddler. One day a military man came into his shop. "So you are the fellow who will not work on Sunday. My friend said that you refused to do his work!" "I had no choice, sir." "Yes, you had; you were free to choose between serving God and pleasing man, and you made your choice, and because of that I am here today. I am General Downing. I have been looking for a man on whom I could rely to execute a large government order. The moment I heard of you I made up my mind that you should have it." Westminster Quarterly.