Written in Stone
Today’s Verse:
These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. ~Deuteronomy 5:22
A covenant is an oath between two parties. It is an unbroken promise of commitment. There is action required on the part of both parties in the keeping of this covenant. It is to be observed and kept with the highest regard out of respect to the party the covenant is made with. The covenant Moses referred to in our reading this morning is none other than the Ten Commandments. Though they are not the only commandments given by God, they are commandments given to govern us individually and corporately with God. Let us see this morning some things about the Ten Commandments.
We see the giving of the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments required preparation by the people. Moses instructed the people to sanctify themselves for three days before receiving the commandments. Sanctifying was of the body, soul, and even of the clothing they wore. The people would assemble near the base of Mt. Sinai. Let us be careful of being too casual about meeting with God and remember the sanctifying in the preparation. Then, there were the words of the Ten Commandments. They were sacred words. This was God speaking to man. These words were to be held in the highest esteem and not to be forsaken. They were settled words. These words are forever settled in heaven. God has never had any intention of changing or rewriting these words. These words are timeless and to be passed down to every generation, and available in every language. Moses described the giving of the commandments as “the Lord talked with you face to face, in the mount out of the midst of the fire.”
We see the guidelines of the Ten Commandments.
These commandments are to guide us in everyday living. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. We are to have no other gods before us. We must guard our hearts against the tendency towards idolatry. We must be careful to hold the Lord’s name in highest and purest repute. We must set aside a day where our focus is in all that God has done and is doing for us. Then, the last six commandments are to govern our relationship with our family and other people. We are to respect other people and not take advantage of them. We are to guard ourselves from being deceitful and dishonesty. We are to be careful of desiring what others have for our own benefit. We are to also guard our hearts against wrath, malice and revenge. These guidelines were given for a peaceful society, happy families, and honest business dealings. Most important, they were a reminder to God’s people that they were to conduct themselves as the people of God in a pagan society.
We see the glory in the Ten Commandments.
“These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.” The nature of these commandments pointed back to God. God is the author of these words. God spoke to the people in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice. This was the effulgence of God’s glory that he revealed to the people. We see the necessity of these commandments. God added no more and wrote them in stone. These commandments are permanent. These commandments are preserved.
Let us take time this morning to think on the Ten Commandments and thank the Lord for giving them to us. They have the same holy relevance for us as in the day they were first given. Love them; lift them; live them!
Have a holy God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Matthew 24-25