The Whole Story
Deuteronomy 5
When many people think about the Bible, they
think about a book full of rules, a bunch of thou shall, and thou shall nots.
Most don’t realize that the Bible is much more than that. The Bible is the
story of how God is always working for the salvation and redemption of His
people. However, God, in His grace, doesn't leave us without any clue how to
live.
In the Ten Commandments, we have God’s rules
for how to live in a relationship with Him. Many people see these rules as
restrictive. God intends them to be anything but restrictive. God intends the
Ten Commandments to be freeing. When we walk in accordance with the Ten
Commandments, we experience the freedom of life in God's way. The Ten
Commandments function as boundaries that provide a safe space for us to run.
The Ten Commandments function as guard rails that keep us from catastrophe.
The problem with the Ten Commandments is that
we don’t have any power, in and of ourselves, to keep those rules. We know the
commandments, but so often, our hearts long for things outside of the
commandments, things the commandments forbid. The Christian does not just need
a list of rules, we need a Savior who can forgive us when we break the rules.
We need a Savior who can give us a new heart, a heart that wants to follow the
rules. Jesus does both things. Jesus forgives our sins when we break His law.
Then, Jesus gives us a heart that obeys the law because it loves the law. Jesus
is here, even in the Ten Commandments.
Bottom Line:
Our relationship with God leads to our obedience
to His commands.
Deuteronomy 5:1-21
The Ten Commandments Revisited
5 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to
them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing
today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. 2 The Lord our God
made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the Lord make this
covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. 4 The Lord spoke
with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 while 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 into the
mountain. He said: 6 “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 7 “‘You shall have no other gods before
me. 8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them;
for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but
showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my
commandments. 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. 12 “‘Observe
the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six
days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath
to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter
or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any
of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male
servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember
that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you
out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord
your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. 16 “‘Honor your father and your
mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and
that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 17
“‘You shall not murder. 18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery. 19 “‘And you
shall not steal. 20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor. 21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not
desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female
servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’
The
Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Dt
5:1–21.
Sermon Recap:
- God gives rules to follow only after he has delivered His people. This makes clear that the 10 Commandments do not function as our path to earn God’s approval. Rather, these are how we maintain our relationship with the God who rescued us.
- The 10 Commandments express how to best relate to God and to others. Commandments 1-4 show how to best love God. Commandments 5-10 show how to best love others.
- The 10 Commandments allow humans to walk in freedom. When we do life as God intended, life goes better.
- The 10 Commandments leave us in despair. Though we know we should obey these commands, we fail in obedience repeatedly. The 10 Commandments reveal one great truth: we need a savior to forgive our sin and empower our obedience.
Discussion Questions:
God’s Identity and Our Response (vv. 1-6):
"Verse 6 reminds us that God introduces
Himself as the One who brought Israel out of Egypt before giving the
commandments. How does knowing God as our rescuer — not just our rule-giver — change
the way we approach His commands in our lives today?"
Exclusive Devotion (vv. 7-11):
"The first three commandments call us to
worship God alone, avoid idols, and honor His name. In our modern world, what
are some ‘other gods’ or ‘idols’ that compete for our attention, and how can we
refocus on God instead?"
Sabbath as Gift (vv. 12-15):
"The Sabbath command ties rest to God’s
deliverance, setting it apart from just a day off.
How do you currently practice rest, and what
might it look like to make it a time to celebrate God’s freedom in your
life?"
Relationships and God’s Heart (vv. 16-21):
"The last six commandments protect our
relationships with others — family, neighbors, even enemies. Which of these
feels most challenging to you right now (e.g., honoring parents, avoiding
envy), and what’s one step you could take to align with God’s heart in that
area?"
Law and Grace Together (Whole Passage):
"Jesus said He came to fulfill the law,
not abolish it (Matthew 5:17). How do you see these commandments pointing us to
Jesus, and how does His grace help us live them out in a way the Israelites
couldn’t on their own?"
END
Mom - remember how it started, I was 5 years old,
and I stole my brother’s sweets? You didn’t correct me, and I remember when I
was 7 - the day I stole my neighbor’s toy and hid it at home, you said nothing.
And remember when I was 12 and I hid my cousin’s ball in the garage, when he came
to play with us at home and you said you didn’t see it, but you did.
Do you remember the day I was expelled from
school at 15? Dad wanted to punish me, but you said no and that very day you
had a big argument with dad because you were defending me. You said I was still
young, you said the teachers were wrong to say that I was not attending class. You
defended me, you said I was right, yet you knew I was wrong. Mom, do you remember
when you saw me steal our neighbor’s bicycle when I was 17, you didn’t tell
anyone I stole it, no – mom you were silent? You loved me so much, yes, you
loved me, but you didn’t correct me, instead you spoiled me. That is how it started,
and it graduated slowly until today when I will be executed for bank robbery
and murder.
Mom, I was just a kid and I needed guidance.
By the time you read this I will be gone. Yours truly, your loving son.
