Hearing Gods Grace: God's Good Law

In verse 1, Moses summoned all Israel and said,

Hear, O Israel, the decrees and the laws I declare in your hearing today.

Learn them and be sure to follow them.

The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.

It was not with our fathers that the Lord made this covenant,

but with us, with all of us who are alive here today.

The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.

And at that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord,

because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up to the mountain.

And he said, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

You shall have no gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above

or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

You shall not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.

Punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,

for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy as the Lord your God has commanded you.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

On it you shall not do any work, neither you nor your son or daughter,

nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals,

nor the alien within your gates,

so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do.

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there

with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath.

Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has commanded you,

so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land your God has given you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land,

his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey,

or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

These are the commands the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to you,

to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire,

the cloud and the deep darkness.

And he added nothing more than he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

Okay.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Thanks, Johnny.

Concern for those who've been asking how we are.

We're doing all right.

It's a case of 60-40 at this stage rather than 40-60,

if you can work that out, doing better and on the mend.

So thank you.

But keep praying for me as I preach.

I have water, but I need God's strength.

So keep your Bibles open, please, to Deuteronomy.

Well, we're going to look a little bit at chapter 4 as well, just briefly, and chapters 5 and 6.

This is from the body of Jesus.

This is yours.

Oh.

Sorry, there is another announcement.

Reality at 6, half 6 at Maria's.

So, all those involved, see you there.

Well, let's pray.

Father God, we thank you so much for your love, your kindness, your goodness expressed in so many different ways.

Thank you for your word.

Thank you for your commands, for your laws.

And as we look at them together, help us to see what they are to us today.

And help us to see what they point us to.

Encourage us through this morning.

And bless us richly.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, when I was a kid, I had this, what you might call a love-hate relationship with my parents.

Most of the time, we were getting on great.

Fun family times, going on holidays.

A mum and a dad who supported me, who cared for me deeply.

But then there were occasions when I would get really angry and annoyed and think they were the worst parents in the world.

And you're probably sitting there thinking, hey, you didn't have the worst, I had the worst.

No, you didn't.

I'd go up to my room, huffing and puffing.

What are they saying?

All that sort of thing.

And what would get me so worked up was, they would tell me that I couldn't do something that I really wanted to do.

Like, watch telly at half ten at night on school days or something.

Or that they would tell me I had to do something that I really didn't want to do.

Like, help out my brother or sister.

You see, I enjoyed their love, but I hated their laws.

And in some ways, that's the problem with Deuteronomy.

Because Deuteronomy is all about law.

That's what Deuteronomy means.

It means a second law, a retelling of God's law.

Look at chapter 4, verse 44.

Chapter 4, verse 44.

This is the law Moses set before the Israelites.

These are the stipulations, decrees, and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt.

Now, who wants to read something like that?

Why not talk about good stuff like God's love or God's compassion?

Why spoil it all by talking about God's laws?

Why not talk about good stuff like that?

Why not talk about good stuff like that?

You see, God's law is one of the major stumbling blocks for people to Christianity.

People just read something like this and they say,

See, it's all about rules and regulations.

Things you must do and things that you can't do.

It's restrictive and oppressive.

God is nothing more than a big bully, a ruthless dictator who just makes up rules to spoil our fun and to take away our freedom.

Well, in chapter 5 and 6, we are introduced to God's law.

What is well known as the Ten Commandments.

But surprisingly, God's love is not opposite to God's law.

Just as my parents, well, they actually did love me and care for me,

and they gave me laws because they did love me.

Well, so God gives us his law because he cares and loves us.

We're going to look at three big things here in regards to the law.

The first one is this.

The reason for God's law.

God gave his law in the context of a loving covenant.

Look at verse 1 of chapter 5.

Moses summoned all Israel and said,

Hear, O Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today.

Learn them and be sure to follow them.

The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.

That was Mount Sinai.

It was not with our fathers that the Lord made this covenant,

but with us, with all of us who are alive here today.

You see, like the promises we make in marriage to our spouse,

so God's covenant is his promise towards his people.

His passionate, eternal commitment towards his people.

A commitment to bless them.

A commitment to be with them.

A commitment to give them a land.

To save them.

To give them life in all its fullness.

And because of his promise,

God would do what it would take to keep his people.

In fact, God would lay down his life for us.

God, who made his commitment to his people,

would die for his people to ensure that that relationship would stay for all eternity.

Now, it's in that context that God gives his law.

God is not a dictator.

God is not a bully.

He is deeply committed to us, his people.

We're given two reasons for his law.

First, to remind us of his amazing grace.

Look what God says to the people before he even gives a single law.

In verse 6.

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt,

out of the land of slavery.

I am the God who has graciously rescued you.

I delivered you from your chains.

I freed you from slavery.

This whole theme of grace is picked up again in chapter 6.

Have a look at verse 10 of chapter 6.

Verse 10.

When the Lord your God brings you into the land,

he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

to give you a land with large flourishing cities

you did not build,

houses filled with all kinds of good things

you did not provide,

wells you did not dig,

and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.

Then when you eat and are satisfied

when you're sitting down in the chair rubbing your full belly,

be careful that you do not forget the Lord

who bought you out of Egypt,

out of the land of slavery.

You see, the laws were there to remind them,

hey guys, listen,

everything that you have,

where you live,

the land that you have,

is all been graciously and generously provided to you by God.

Or look down at chapter 6, verse 20.

In the future,

when your son asks you,

Dad, what is the meaning of the stipulations,

the decrees and the laws that the Lord our God has commanded us?

Well, tell him,

Son, it was like this.

We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt,

but the Lord bought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Before our eyes,

the Lord sent miraculous signs and wonders,

great and terrible,

upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household.

But he bought us out from there

to bring us in and give us the land

that he promised on oath to our forefathers.

You see, the law is there to teach them

that grace covers their whole life.

It stretches back into their past,

to their rescue from Egypt,

and it stretches forward into eternity,

to the future,

as they get ready to go into the promised land.

So every time we ask the question,

why do we have God's law?

Why must we obey O God?

Well, the answer is simple.

Because God has been incredibly gracious to us.

Because God, in our sense,

is the one who has rescued us.

He is the one who has freed us

from slavery to sin and death.

God is the one who has promised us a future,

an eternal home in heaven.

Not because of what you do,

but because of who he is.

So God gives us his law

so that we will never forget,

but always remember

his amazing grace towards us.

Which brings us to the second reason for the law.

To show us how to live

in relationship with this God

who has rescued us.

Look at the headlines

of chapter 5,

the Ten Commandments,

starting at verse 7.

Let's just go through them.

Just the headlines.

You shall have no other gods before me.

Verse 8.

You shall not make for yourself an idol.

Verse 11.

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

Verse 12.

Observe the Sabbath day.

Verse 11.

16.

16.

Honor your father and your mother.

17.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not give false testimony.

Verse 21.

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

And you shall not set your desire

on your neighbor's possessions.

These Ten Commandments

show us how we are to live

in relationship with God.

The first four,

if you look there,

all relate to God.

How we should view God.

How we should respect God.

How we honour God.

The last six

all relate to other people.

How we should live with each other.

How we should treat each other

within society.

Now while we could make this division

and this distinction,

we've got to be careful

that we don't separate them.

You see,

how we love each other

is a sign of how we love God.

So for example,

I can't say,

oh I worship God.

But then at the same time say,

I'm sick and fed up of Kirsty.

I think I'll have another wife.

You can't do that.

You can't separate them.

Similarly,

you can't say,

I won't have any other God.

God is my only God.

But then at the same time,

make work

or your family

more important than God.

Look at chapter 6,

verse 4.

Hear,

O Israel,

the Lord our God,

the Lord is one.

Love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your strength.

These commandments

that I give you today

are to be upon your hearts.

In other words,

to love God

God

is to take

all of his commands

to heart

and it's to live them

all out.

So to show that I do

love God

with all my heart,

strength and soul

means

loving

my neighbour,

means loving

all those

within my community

with the commandments

that God has given me.

So God gives us

the law

so that we will know

how to live

in relationship

with him

and with the people

that he has put

around us.

Now before we move on,

I want us to notice

the order

in which

the law came

and it's vital

that we see this.

The rescue

from Egypt

came first,

the relationship

in the promised land

came second.

Now we've got

to get that right.

Grace comes first,

then comes the law.

You see,

God

did not give them

the law first

and say,

if you obey

this law perfectly,

if you

keep it

the way

I've given it to you,

then

I will rescue you

and then

I will bring you

into a new land.

No,

God didn't say that.

God says,

because I have

rescued you,

because I have

delivered you,

I give you

my law

so that you can

live

in relationship

with me.

So the law

is given

to remind us

of God's

amazing grace

and how we are

to live

in relationship

with God.

God's

So that's the

reason for the law.

Thanks,

Ralph.

Second,

there's a problem

with God's law.

Moses reminds

the people

of what happened

when they

received

God's law.

Look at chapter 5,

verse 23.

Here he is

on the mountain

reminding them

of what had

happened.

He says,

verse 23,

when you heard

the voice

out of the

darkness,

while the

mountain was

ablaze with

fire,

all the leading

men of your

tribes and your

elders came to

me.

And you said,

the Lord our

God has shown

us his glory

and his majesty

and we have

heard his voice

from the fire.

Today we have

seen that a man

can live

even if God

speaks with him.

But now,

why should we

die?

this great

fire will

consume us

and we will

die if we

hear the

voice of the

Lord our

God any

longer.

Now, do you

see the

tension in

those verses?

They want to

hear God's

voice.

They want to

hear God's

law because

it's good.

But they're

also afraid if

they hear God's

voice, if they

do get God's

law, that

they will die.

look at

verse 26.

For what

mortal man

has ever

heard the

voice of the

living God

speaking out

of the fire

as we have

and survived?

You see,

they want to

hear, they

want God's

law, but

they can't

handle God's

law.

On the one

side they know

that God's

law is good

and it's

beautiful, but

they also know

on the other

side that it is

dangerous and

condemning.

So they've

got this

tension, we

want it, but

we can't

handle it.

You see, God's

law brings

life and

death.

Keep your

finger there in

chapter 5 and

6 and jump

forward to

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30 · chapter mention

chapter 30.

These verses

sum up, if

you like, the

great tension

that exists in

the law.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:15

chapter 30,

verse 15.

See, I set

before you

today life

life and

prosperity,

death and

destruction.

There's the

two things,

life and

death.

Verse 16,

for I command

you today to

love the

Lord your

God, to

walk in

his ways,

and to

keep his

commands,

decrees,

and laws.

Then you

will live

and increase

and the

Lord your

God will

bless you

in the

land you

are entering

to

possess.

But,

verse 17,

if your

hearts turn

away and

you are

not obedient,

and if

you are

drawn away

to bow

down to

other gods

and worship

them, I

declare to

you this

day that

you will

certainly be

destroyed.

You will

not live

long in

the land

you are

crossing

the

Jordan

to

enter

and

possess.

Go back

to chapter

5.

So do

you see

the tension

there?

By keeping

the law

and following

the law,

it's going

to go

well for

you.

But the

opposite is

also true.

If you

fail to

keep this

law,

it's going

to be

disastrous

for you.

God will

punish you.

God will

condemn

you.

And that's

the tension.

So the

people,

they want

God's law,

they love

God's law

because it's

going to be

good for

them.

Think of

it like

this.

If you

could

imagine

if we

could all

keep these

Ten Commandments,

we would

have the

most perfect

of communities.

Imagine a

community where

instead of

everybody being

self-centered

and always

looking after

what they

want,

they are

God-centered.

And God

is their

priority.

community.

Imagine a

place where

looking at

the fourth

commandment,

we understand

what work

is and

what rest

is and

we have

that balance

completely

right and

there's no

exploitation of

employees and

there's no

abuse.

Imagine a

community where

children honour

their parents

and that

all goes

right and

where parents

equally look

after their

children correctly.

Imagine a

community where

there's no

murder and

we can expand

that out to

language of

hate and

retaliation and

anger.

Imagine a

community where

there's no

adultery,

either of the

physical kind or

the internet

kind,

where there's

no stealing

and that

doesn't just

mean taking

sweeties from

the shop,

it means

knocking off

early from

work or

not paying

taxes or

people charging

for things that

are more

expensive than

what they

really are,

where proper

business practices

happen.

Imagine a

community where

there's no

lies or

unhealthy

desires.

This all

flows out of

the Ten

Commandments,

you see,

it's not

bad,

it's actually

good.

And this is

the kind of

community that

we all long

for and no

wonder the

people are

saying,

yes, we

want God's

law.

We do want

it because it

is perfectly

good for us.

But the

more we

commit ourselves

to God,

the more we

realise how

incapable we

are of

keeping this

law.

law.

It's too

big.

It's too

great.

We break

it every

single day.

We don't

love God

with all our

heart and

all our

soul and

all our

strength.

We love

me.

And that's

the tension

that we

face.

We want to

do what's

right.

we want

God's

law because

it creates

a beautiful

life.

It brings

about a

great

community.

But the

deeper that

we get

into it,

the more

that we

try to

live it

and enjoy

it,

the more

it actually

overcomes

us and

we actually

drown in

God's

law because

we fail

and we

fall all

the time.

look at

chapter 6

verse 25.

Look what

the people

say.

If we

are careful

to obey

all this

law before

the Lord

our God

as he

has commanded

us,

that will

be our

righteousness.

If we

can do

everything

that God

asks of

us,

we will

live in

this beautiful

relationship

with God

and with

each other.

Everything

is going

to be

perfectly

good

if we

can do

it.

But that's

the problem

of the

law.

And that's

our problem

too.

We want

it.

We long

to obey

it.

Because it

creates the

most beautiful

and perfect

of life

and community,

we know

it will be

good for

us.

But we

just can't

keep it.

it.

We fail

and we

fall

miserably

all of

the time.

So what

are we

to do

with God's

law?

Well that

brings us

to the

third

aspect,

the

solution

to God's

law.

Thankfully

God has

done something

about our

inability to

keep God's

law.

Look at

chapter 5

verse 4.

chapter 5

verse 4.

The Lord

spoke to you

face to face

out of the

fire on

that mountain.

Moses says,

at that

time I

stood

between the

Lord and

you to

declare to

you the

word of

the Lord

because you

were afraid

of the

fire and

did not

go up

the mountain.

Moses,

do you see,

stands in

for the

people.

He stands

between God

and the

people.

He acts

as a

mediator.

Now I

think we're

used to

mediators.

We have

them whenever

there's a

breakdown in

a relationship

between two

parties.

We've seen

it on this

island.

We have

political

mediators,

as was the

case for the

Good Friday

Agreement.

Someone's

speaking on

behalf of the

other parties.

We have

marriage

mediators who

are there to

help bring the

separated couple

back to each

other.

Well in his

role as a

mediator,

Moses was

there to

speak to

God for

the people

and Moses

was there to

speak to

the people

for God.

Look at

chapter 5

verse 26.

The people

said,

for what

mortal man

has ever

heard the

voice of

the living

God speaking

out of the

fires we

have and

survived?

So they

said to

Moses,

verse 27,

go near

and listen

to all that

the Lord

our God

says.

Then you

tell us

whatever the

Lord our

God tells

you and

we will

listen and

obey.

It sounds

easy enough,

doesn't it?

But here's

the difficulty.

Moses could

only tell the

people what

God would

do.

Look,

everyone,

if you keep

the law,

God is going

to bless you.

This is what

he's going

to do for

you.

If you

break the

law,

God is

going to

punish you.

And all

Moses could

do on the

other side

was he

could only

report to

God what

the people

would do.

Well,

God,

you know,

the people

have promised

that they're

going to

listen to

you and

obey you.

That's his

only function

as a

mediator.

Well,

the fact

is,

they did

not listen

and they

did not

obey.

And although

Moses was a

mediator,

he could do

nothing to

make the

people obey.

Moses had

no power

in himself

to change

their life

or behaviour.

So it

seems at

this stage

it's more

of a

problem

than a

solution.

But God

knows the

people and

God does

not give

up on

his people.

God

longs that

we would

love him

and obey

him.

Look at

verse 29.

Oh,

he says,

oh,

that their

hearts

would be

inclined to

fear me

and keep

all my

commands

always

so that

it might

go well

with them

and their

children

forever.

This is

the cry

of a

deeply

passionate,

loving,

and committed

God.

Oh,

that their

hearts

would be

inclined to

me.

This is

the cry

of a

heartache.

God's

deepest

longing,

God's

greatest

desire

is that

we would

love

him,

that we

would

obey

him,

that we

would

want

to

do

it.

And

God's

heart

breaks

when we

turn away

from him.

And he

won't give

up on us.

And he

won't give

up on his

people.

So God

in his

grace

provides

another

mediator.

He sends

a better

and greater

mediator,

mediator,

the perfect

mediator,

Jesus

Christ.

Because in

his role

as mediator,

Jesus comes

to stand

in for

us.

Jesus is

the one

who came

into the

world to

represent

us.

My life

becomes

his life

and his

life becomes

my life.

Well,

how does

that work

out?

we'll

get these

two ideas.

First,

Jesus loved

and obeyed

God perfectly

for us.

Jesus

kept the

law that

we could

never keep

on our

behalf.

Jesus,

when he

walked this

earth,

was the

only one

who could

truly say,

I loved

God with

all my

heart,

with all

my soul,

and with

all my

strength.

Jesus

kept the

Ten

Commandments

perfectly.

He never

got any

of them

wrong.

He obeyed

God's

law for

us,

so that

we might

freely receive

the blessings

of God,

that we

might enjoy

God and

a relationship

with him.

So that's

what he does

on one

side.

But it's

so much

more,

because on

the other

side,

he doesn't

just keep

the law,

Jesus

takes the

blame for

our

disobedience.

He takes

the failure

to keep

the law

on himself,

and he

suffers the

punishment

that we

deserve.

That's what

his death

on the

cross is

all about.

The

judgment

that Jesus

received

was a

judgment

for you

and for

me.

And he

stands in

for us.

He takes

the hit

for us.

Jesus

suffered

hell,

which is

like an

eternity

without

commands.

where

everybody

does

as they

like,

destroying

one another,

wrecking

one another.

And Jesus

suffered

hell for

us so

that we

might enjoy

heaven and

eternity with

him where

everybody does

obey and

everybody does

everything perfectly

right.

We can

summarize it

like this

on the

screen.

it's

there.

Jesus

was

treated

as a

lawbreaker

for us

so that

we might

be treated

as a

lawkeeper

like

him.

That's

what he

did for

us.

So,

what does

that mean

in terms

of the

law today?

What's our

relationship

with the

law?

Does it

mean we

just throw

the law

out?

We don't

need the

Ten

Commandments?

Sure,

Jesus died

for us

and forgave

us.

That's

all right

now.

I don't

need the

law.

Well,

no,

remember

what we

said at

the

beginning.

Rescue

came first,

then came

the

relationship.

Grace

comes first,

then comes

the law.

God

doesn't give

us the

law and

say,

listen

guys,

if you

obey this

law perfectly,

I will

love you and

I will

care for

you and

I will

give my

life for

you.

If you

keep this

law perfectly,

I will

accept you

and welcome

you.

No,

God never

says that.

God

says,

because I

have kept

the law

for you,

I love

you.

Because I

was punished

as a

lawbreaker

for you,

I welcome

you and

I accept

you.

Because I

died for

you,

I give

you my

good

law.

A

law not

there so

you can

try and

earn my

favour,

but a

law that

is there

to say,

follow this

law as

a way of

saying,

thank you

that you

are my

saviour.

It's not

there to

earn favour,

but to

say thank

you for

being my

saviour.

God's

law is

a good

law,

because it

points us

to Jesus

and helps

us to

see our

need of

Jesus.

But Jesus

then in

turn brings

us back

to the

law and

says,

follow the

law as

a way of

saying thank

you to

me for

all that

I have

done for

you.

Let's

pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Our

Father God,

we thank

you for

your good

law.

We thank

you that

you have

given us

your words

so that

we know

how to

live.

And we

pray that

as we

read your

law,

as we

seek to

follow it,

it would

remind us

daily of

your amazing

grace,

of how

you have

rescued us

and blessed

us and

given us

so much.

And help

us in the

days,

the hours,

the moments,

where we're

so conscious

of us

failing,

that we

would run

to Christ

and remember

that he is

the one who

has not only

kept the

law for

us,

but taken

the punishment

for breaking

the law.

and he

has given

us new

life in

its place.

So help

us to

live in

the light

of that

today.

Help us

to live

in the

light of

that in

our

relationships

within

our

family,

within

our

community,

in our

places of

work,

and help

us to

show the

grace of

God to

those around

us as

we seek

to follow

your ways.

We pray

this in

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Amen.

So in

response to

what we've

heard this

morning,

particularly

Jesus'

role as

our

mediator,

we're going

to sing

before the

throne of

God

above.

We're

coming

seated.

This

serves as a

good introduction

to our

time around

the Lord's

table.

So we

just want

to continue

that

thought

or that

idea of

Jesus as

our

mediator,

the person

that stands

in the

gap for

us,

between us

and a

righteous

and Holy

God.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Before the throne of God above

I have a stronger, perfect plea

A great high priest whose name is love

Whoever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on his hands

My name is written on his heart

I know that while in heaven he stands

No tongue can bid me hence depart

No tongue can bid me hence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within

Upward I look and see him there

Who made an end to all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died

My sinful soul is counted free

But God the just is satisfied

To look on him and pardon me

To look on him and pardon me

To look on him and pardon me

Behold him there, the risen Lamb

My perfect, spotless righteousness

The great, unchangeable I am

The King of glory and of grace

One with himself I cannot find

My sinful soul is healed by his blood

For life is his with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God

With Christ my Savior and my God

The King of the Lord

And cond complètement

We are dead

And then we areHHH

First, we areVS

And then we are eventually