Radical Life Support

Rick is a non-traditionalist, rock-n-roll, evangelist who likes to stir things up. And Robin is a traditional, choir member, encourager who does not like to rock the boat. They come together to challenge and discuss how to live a radical life for Jesus.

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Radical Life Support

A Moe-Ment about Commandment

December 08, 2020 • Rick and Robin Moe • Episode 67

A command is an order, a compelling task given to an inferior. When you add ‘-ment’ to the end you get another word = Commandment. Commandment means a divine rule that must be obeyed, especially one handed down by God like the Ten Commandments. The Hebrew and Greek literally are translated as “The Ten Words.” Ten Commandments, not the 10 suggestions.

Does God have the right to command us to do anything? The Jewish people made a covenant with God. It was a legal binding agreement. God kept up His end of the bargain but the Israelites did not. NIV commentary says, God’s covenant people are to render complete submission, allegiance and obedience to Him out of gratitude for His mercies, reverence for His sovereignty, and trust in His continuing care.

Jesus reduced to two commandments. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (covers commandments 1-4) and love your neighbor as yourself (overs commandments 5-10). Mark 12:28-31.

Many might think that because of grace, our need to follow the commands strictly is not necessary; but Jesus actually taught an even stricter adherence. In Matt 5, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He said to break God’s commandments inwardly is equivalent to breaking them outwardly.

1. You shall have no other gods before me. No deity, real or imagined is to rival the one true God in our heart and life. Anything that takes a higher priority in your life than God.

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol, you shall not bow down to them or worship them. God says He is a jealous God and this is a jealous love. He wants all our love to go to Him.

3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. By profaning His name or swearing falsely by it. Jesus said when we pray that we should honor God’s name, hallowed be His name.

5. Honor your father and your mother. Honor means to prize highly, care for, show respect, and obey. The first commandment with a promise.

6. You shall not murder. The Hebrew word refers to a premeditated and deliberate act. Jesus said, anyone who is even angry with his brother will be in danger of the fire of hell.

7. You shall not commit adultery. Jesus said, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

8. You shall not steal. There is no justification for stealing in any way, whether on your taxes, supplies from your workplace, fruit off your neighbor’s tree, and words like plagiarism.

10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. To desire something with evil motivation.

God’s commandments aren’t there to punish or restrict us. Deut 10:12-13 says, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

God’s commandments can be described as warning signs for life. Life is like a mine field. God doesn’t say don’t enjoy life but He does say that there are dangers that you are going to want to avoid. Follow His path through the mine field and you will live. If you take away the commandments then you will follow the wrong path through life and it will lead to death.

A command is an order, a compelling task given to an inferior. When you add ‘-ment’ to the end you get another word = Commandment. Commandment means a divine rule that must be obeyed, especially one handed down by God like the Ten Commandments. Similar words include instruction, law, precept, mandate, bidding, and charge.

History: [Note: It is beneficial it is to read God’s word regularly. You will always learn new things.] Three months after God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, they came to Mount Sinai. The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain and then gave Moses instructions to bring to the people. The Ten Commandments can be found in Ex 20 and other laws and stipulations found in Chapters 21-23 are put in a volume called the Book of the Covenant. And in Chapter 24, what is called the Mosiac covenant between God and His people was confirmed with blood. God told them what He would do and the Israelites said, “Everything the Lord has asked we will do.”

Interesting note, Moses went up after this again to the mountain to get the stone tablets, 40 days and 40 nights. So, in Chapters 25-31, God tells Moses about building of the ark of covenant, the tabernacle and its furnishings, priestly garments and duties, atonement money, and anointing oil, etc. Then he comes down with what God gave him, two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed front and back by the finger of God.

Of course, most people know that the Israelites complain that Moses is taking so long and build an idol, a golden café, and it says they sacrificed offerings and indulged in revelry, carousing, partying, etc. They couldn’t even keep the covenant 40 days. God told Moses to go down because He already knew what they were doing. God wanted to destroy them all. Moses appealed to God on their behalf and God relented. When Moses finally saw what they were doing, he throws the tablets and they break into pieces. He had to go up a third time to get another set of tablets which were stored in the ark of the covenant.

[Note: in Attributes of Jesus, the blood of Jesus was used to bring in the new covenant. Encourage to listen to podcast on Attributes of Jesus]

The Hebrew and Greek literally are translated as “The Ten Words.” Ten Commandments, not the 10 suggestions.

Jesus reduced to two commandments. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (covers commandments 1-4) and love your neighbor as yourself (overs commandments 5-10). Mark 12:28-31.

1. You shall have no other gods before me. No deity, real or imagined is to rival the one true God in our heart and life. Anything that takes a higher priority in your life than God. You can love your religious traditions over your love for God.

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol, you shall not bow down to them or worship them. Because God has no visible form, any idol intended to resemble Him would be a sinful misrepresentation of Him. God says He is a jealous God and this is a jealous love. He wants all our love to go to Him.

3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. By profaning His name or swearing falsely by it. Jesus said when we pray that we should honor God’s name, hallowed be His name. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Jesus said, in John 16:23, “the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Having completed His work of creation, God rested on the seventh day and we are to observe the same pattern in service of God in creation. Some people think that you need to obey all the other nine but this one doesn’t apply today but you cannot take out any because it doesn’t fit with the culture or your lifestyle. Test the Lord in obedience to this and you will see that if you rest, you will get all you need to get done in less time. Jesus said that the Sabbath day was created for us, not us for it.

5. Honor your father and your mother. Honor means to prize highly, care for, show respect, and obey. The first commandment with a promise. Jesus also admonished the Pharisees for giving money to the synagogue before helping their parents.

6. You shall not murder. The Hebrew word refers to a premeditated and deliberate act. Jesus said, anyone who is even angry with his brother will be subject to judgement and will be in danger of the fire of hell.

7. You shall not commit adultery. God said this was also a sin against God as well as against the marriage partner. Jesus said, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

8. You shall not steal. There is no justification for stealing in any way, whether on your taxes, supplies from your workplace, fruit off your neighbor’s tree, and words like plagiarism.

9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Basically, do not lie. Here, Jesus elaborates on oath-taking in Mt 5:33-37, saying let your yes be yes and your no be no, anything beyond this come from the evil one. Jesus was in favor or always speaking the truth. Honesty and transparency show a life of integrity.

10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. To desire something with evil motivation. James 1:14-15, “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Jesus said those who love me will obey my commandments. In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Again, this is Jesus setting the highest standard imaginable in regards to obey God’s perfect laws.

God’s commandments aren’t there to punish or restrict us. He knows that walking outside the parameters of God’s instructions, has consequences. Deut 10:12-13 says, And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.