Assembly Testimony Bible Class

by J. Riddle (Cheshunt)

DEUTERONOMY

6) "The Lord Our God Made a Covenant With Us"

Read Chapter 5

Following his historical review in ch.1-3, Moses highlights lessons from Israel's history in ch.4-11, and in ch.4-5, he deals with the implications of the covenant made with Israel at Sinai. Ch.4 stresses the great privileges of Israel, and warns against throwing them away by idolatrous practices. Ch.5 spells out the actual details of the covenant, which involves the ‘Ten Commandments.’ It also emphasises the role of Moses in the giving of the law. See v5, 22, 27, 31. The chapter can be analysed as follows:

(1) The terms of the covenant, v1-22;

(2) The terror of Israel, v23-27;

(3) The teaching of Moses, v28-33.

1) THE TERMS OF THE COVENANT, v1-22

"And the Lord called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them." The Lord Jesus emphasised the necessity to "hear" and "do" in Matt.7.24-27, and James urges us to be "doers of the Word, and not hearers only," 1.22. Do notice how James continues here. If we are "hearers only," we deceive ourselves. Familiarity with the Word of God, and exposure to sound Bible teaching in the assembly, is important, but we must put it into practice. Sadly, some assemblies have enjoyed the best possible ministry, and still crashed on the rocks of internal strife and dissension. Notice:

A) The parties to the covenant, v2-3

"The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers (the patriarchs), but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day." Compare 29.10-15. For "alive this day," see 4.1,4. The covenant made with the patriarchs was on the basis of grace. It provided unconditional promises. But the covenant made at Horeb was on the basis of law, and promised conditional blessings. See Ex.19.5-6. The connection between the two covenants is spelt out in Gal.3. However, the words, "not … with our fathers, but with us," stress their responsibility. Privilege determines responsibility. Just read 4.7-8 and 32-38 again. We have even greater privileges, and participate in the new covenant, Heb.10.15-18. Do remember that "unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required," Lk.12.48.

B) The mediator of the covenant, v4-5

"The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, (I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the Word of the Lord: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount), saying, I am the Lord thy God." Moses acted as mediator, and Paul refers to this in the New Testament. The law "was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator," Gal. 3.19. The Lord Jesus is ‘the Mediator of the new covenant,’ Heb.9.15 JND. See also Heb.8.6, 12.24, 1Tim.2.5. A mediator stands between two, and communicates with both. Moses is described as "the man Moses," Num.12.3, but the Lord is "the man Christ Jesus," indicating that He is both God and man. The words, "The Lord talked with you face to face," v4, are explained in v5. He spoke to them through Moses their representative. Moses himself enjoyed intimate fellowship with God. See Ex.33.11, Num.12.8.

C) The reason for the covenant, v6

"I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." As their Redeemer-God, to Whom they owed everything, He had the right to their obedience and unswerving loyalty. We too have been "bought with a price," 1Cor.6.19-20. Our obligations are clearly set out in 2Cor.5.15.

D) The requirements of the covenant, v7-22

The ‘Ten Commandments’ follow, When the Lord Jesus was asked, "Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?", He replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets," Matt.22.35-40. The Lord Jesus was citing Deut.6.4-5, and Lev.19.18 respectively. We can divide the ‘Ten Commandments’ with reference to the Lord's teaching here:

a) "The first and great commandment"

The first five commandments flow out of the overall command, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God."

i) "Thou shalt have none other gods before me." Believers take note. It still holds good. See 1Jn.5.21.

ii) "Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth (see 4.16-19): "Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God (see 4.24, 6.15)." The second commandment does not repeat the first. ‘People might worship mythical beings, or the sun or moon, without the use of idols.’ (Believer's Bible Commentary). Idolatrous children will suffer the same judgment as their fathers. Notice that idolatry is nothing short of hatred for God.

iii) "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." The solemnity of this commandment is emphasised in Lev.24.10-16. The man who ‘blasphemed the Name, and cursed,’ JND, was stoned to death.

iv) "Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee … and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence … therefore the Lord thy God commandeth thee to keep the Sabbath day." The Sabbath was therefore to be a day of rest and remembrance. It is connected here with redemption. To pollute the Sabbath, Isa.56.6, was therefore to treat their deliverance and redemption lightly. In Ex.20.9-11, the Sabbath is connected with creation. In Ex.31.13-17 it is connected with sanctification. It was the day on which God's people were to remember their unique relationship with Him. To ignore the Sabbath was insulting to God, and so is our forgetfulness and disregard. We must not allow anything to invade our appreciation of His claims upon us as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. The Sabbath was to be "a delight," Isa.58.13-14, and devotion to the Lord should be "a delight" for us as well.

v) "Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee (see 4.40), and the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." In marriage, a man leaves "his father and his mother," Gen.2.24, but he does not cease to honour them. Sadly, the Jews had an ‘opt-out’ clause when it came to supporting parents. See Mk.7.9-13. The Lord Jesus honoured His mother by making provision for her, Jn.19.26-27.

b) "The second is like unto it"

The five remaining commandments flow out of the overall command, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." This is confirmed in Rom.13.9-10.

vi) "Thou shalt not kill." The Lord Jesus did not come to "destroy the law, or the prophets … but to fulfil," Matt.5.17. The word "fulfil" here does not mean ‘to obey,’ but ‘to give the fullness’ of the law. See JND margin. He disclosed the inner meaning of the law. Hence, "Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment.’ Similarly with the next commandment:

vii) "Neither shalt thou commit adultery." "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." This was the first stage in David's adultery. See 2Sam.11.2-4. We must beware of the ‘second look,’ and of the ‘second thought.’

viii) "Neither shalt thou steal." Notice that grace goes further than law: "let him that stole, steal no more: but rather let him labour … that he may have to give to him that needeth,’ Eph. 4.28.

ix) "Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour." We can "bear false witness" in a variety of ways. A ‘half-truth’ is as bad as a downright lie. Abraham was guilty in this way. Compare Gen.12.11-13 and 20.2, with 20.11-13. Creating a wrong impression is as bad as a downright lie. Remember Ananias and Sapphira.

x) "Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, of his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's." There are certain things that we are to covet! See 1Cor.12.31, 14.39. The New Testament applies this commandment in a variety of ways. See, for example, Acts 20.33, Col.3.5, 1Thess.2.5, 1Tim.6.10, Heb.13.5.

The comment, "and he added no more," probably means that ‘these commandments were such a complete summary of the requirements of the covenant, that no other law needed to be added. All other law was a mere interpretation and expansion of these basic principles.’ (Quoted in the Believer's Bible Commentary). The material on which the commandments were written, stone, is deeply significant. See also 2Cor.3.7. Wood and metal are pliable, but not stone! Just like the law! We are not "under law," whether for justification or for sanctification, but we are to display the "righteousness of the law." This is produced by the indwelling Spirit of God. See Rom.8.4.

2) THE TERROR OF ISRAEL, v23-27

"And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness (for the mountain did burn with fire), that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; and ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth." When the dispensation of law began, the glory of God was accompanied by fire. But when the dispensation of grace was inaugurated, divine glory was displayed in an entirely different way. See Jn.1.14.

When the law was given, the voice of God was terrifying. "Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die." See Ex.20.8-19 and Heb.18-19. But when the Lord Jesus came, "all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth," Lk.4.22. "The common people heard him gladly," Mk.12.37.

3) THE TEACHING OF MOSES, v28-33

God was well aware that His people were unreliable. They had said "speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it." But He knew their hearts: O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!" His instructions to Moses remain unchanged for us: "Stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it." Moses was God's appointed leader, which reminds us that all who lead God's people must spend time in the Lord's presence, listen to His voice, receive instructions, and communicate them to others. The Lord Jesus "ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach," Mk.3.13-14. But we mustn't limit this to preachers! We all need to be "with Him," and we must all obey His word. "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you … Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God commanded you, and that it may be well with you."

—to be continued (D.V.)