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Deuteronomy Chapter 5 "Statutes Recited, the Law." This
Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location The law is our school teacher or master that instructs us in those things that we ought to do, and it lets us know what pleases God, and what does not please God. When we follow the laws and commandments of God, we then can expect to receive God's blessings, and that is very important. To an intelligent person there should be no doubt that God is real, and when we take a close look at the geographic locations that are spoken of in God's Word, we find the proof that God's Word is a reality. That the things that are spoken of are true. This should strengthen our faith in the Word of God so that when God makes a statement we can rely on it being true. God is the same throughout all time and ages, and when He stated something four thousand years ago, it is just as true today as it was when He spoke the Words. So in this chapter we are going to study the "ten Commandments" given by God to Moses and the People at Mount Sinai. This then is Moses second lecture to the people just prior to their entering into the promise land. Deuteronomy 5:1 "And Moses 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." It is a major happening in the camp of the children of Israel. What Moses is about to say is addressed to every last person in the camp. It is addressed to all the People from the oldest, to the children. There are three things here that God expects His people to do. We are to learn them; and to keep them in the forefront of our minds continually and to follow them in our lives. "Statutes" are also called "ordinances" and many of them are practiced even today in America. However those statutes and ordinances that deal with blood sacrifices were done away with when Jesus Christ went to the cross to pay the price once and for all times. It is obvious that all of the statutes and laws that we live under in our flesh bodies simply cannot be met all of the time. That, however, is why we are to confess those things and in name of Jesus. God expects us, at least to try to learn His commandment given to us, to keep them present in our minds, and to try to do them, and let them be the standard for our lives. The Christian must train himself or herself to allow these commandments to let the limits for our lives as to what we shall or shall not do. Thou we do not state it publicly, within our minds we must be committed to take a stand when ever God's commandments are involved. We must learn, keep and do these ten commandments. Deuteronomy 5:2 "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb." Notice that Moses is tying the Covenant, as well as the statutes [commandments] into the same unit. The "Covenant" are those promises of the blessings of riches that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to be past on to future generations right down to these end times. The heirs of the promises of God are those that love Him, and follow the instructions that He has given to us. "Horeb" is mount Sinai, the place where God gave the ten commandments to Moses. God delivered our forefathers from Egypt, and this mass of people were wandering as an assortment of tribes through the wilderness for forty years. As a nation, they had to have order and purpose, or they would have turned into nothing more than a mob. So in God's tender mercy, He gave the people a set of rules that when followed would please Him, and would allow the people to live in harmony with one another. Deuteromony 5:3 "The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day." The Ten Commandments and all the other laws are given to those that are alive in their flesh body, no matter what the day. It is given for man in the flesh, in the age of the flesh, for the law is not given to those that have passed from these flesh bodies to our lives in the next age. This is not directed to just the fathers, but it is directed to anyone living in their flesh body. God made this covenant with you today, and the blessings that come from your obedience to His commandments are just as much a reality to you as they were to our forefather living thousands of years ago. It is given to the living, and not to the dead. Deuteronomy 5:4 "the Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire," Moses was our representative there, and our witness has given us this report from the top of mount Sinai. Moses witnessed the fact that God spoke directly to each of us. Deuteronomy 5:5 "(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," Deuteronomy 5:6 " 'I am the Lord thy God, Which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." This is the Words of the Lord speaking to the people through Moses from the top of Mount Sinai. So now the "TEN COMMANDMENTS". Deuteronomy 5:7 "Thou shalt have none other gods before Me." This is the first and most important of all the commandments. We shall never put any other god or form of worship before our Heavenly Father. This goes also to putting your house, your car, or even your church system and it's building over our Lord. It applies also to you family and your business, as to what takes priority in your mind. Keep your priorities straight, God comes first. God is your creator and your nearest of kin. God blesses those that put Him first in their lives. Deuteronomy 5:8 "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:" God is demanding that we not make any graven image. In the Hebrew text "graven" is "pesel", and it is a sculptured thing made with hands. In Baal worship it was the trees and stones that represented their sexual acts in their worship. In other times it was many other items and forms, such as the great statue "Diana" in Paul's day. For us today it could be your house, the church building that you worship in, of things that are made by man and put within the church. It could even be your church system and their traditions that go against God's Word. It applies to any thing that you put between you and God. The next commandment continues with this second commandment. Deuteronomy 5:9 "Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and forth generation of them that hate Me," God has just told you why you are not to bow down or serve those things that interfere with your obedience to God and His Word. Our Lord God is a jealous God, and you as one that claims to be His bride, are to be faithful to Him until His return. God loves you and He cares for you and your needs. Do you know what jealousy is when you love someone and you see them whoring around with someone else? God is jealous. Many mis-teach this last part of this verse for God does not pass His iniquity that is directed to ones father on to his son and grandson. Each person answers for their own sins, and disobedience to God. God is always fair and just to every soul. The sins of the fathers do not fall upon the children, but the problem comes when the children see their fathers doing their sins and they continue doing the exact same thing that their father do. The continue sinning the same sins, and thus their punishment that God sends to their father, are also given to their sons even to the forth or fifth generation, and as long as those sins are committed by future generations, those iniquities will be visiting on those generation. This could carry on even to the twentieth, thirtieth, or what ever generation, for this is simply a figure of speech. The point that God is making through Moses is that to all those that hate God and refuse to learn and keep and follow God's ways, this iniquity will fall upon them. If through your traditions you hate God and worship idols, no matter what those idols are, when you put them over God, then you are breaking God's commandments to you. The first member of that generation or people that converts and stops worshipping in the same manner as his or her ancestors did, will not fall under the iniquity and judgment of God's wrath. When you put God number one, than you will receive God blessings because God promised that you would. So what this is saying, is that every time you break this commandment and place anything before Me, you can expect to have My iniquity to fall upon you. You can expect to have God's blessings withheld from you. Jeremiah 31:29 "In those days they shall say no more, 'The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' " They will no longer say that a child will pay for his father's sins. Jeremiah 31:30 "But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge." So don't let someone mistranslate this and the very commandment itself for you. God will not punish any generation for something that their forefathers did, but you will suffer only for the things that you do. Deuteronomy 5:10 "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments." This is God's promise to you and to everyone that love God and keep His commandments. God is telling you that you can count on His blessings when you keep His commandments. Buildings and church systems can not save you, for only Christ can save you. Buildings are where the Word is taught, and church systems are organizations created by men's minds. If those systems do not bring the Word of God forth and teach all of God's Word and commandments with understanding, then they are something created by man for man. Be careful in these end time for it you are not receiving the entire Word of God than you had better stop and think and have some self examination of the direction you are heading in. Mercy is what a lot of people call luck. It is a gross understatement to call God's blessings and mercy luck. God bestows his mercy and blessings on all those that He loves. Deuteronomy 5:11 "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." God doesn't like it when people used His name in vain, and they will answer for those words spoken that are not confessed to Him. How do you feel when people say vain things about you and your name? Well, neither does our heavenly Father. It doesn't say that you are going to hell for it, but it says that you are going to pay a price for those idle words that you utter against our Father. Deuteronomy 5:12 "Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, (as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee)." This is the forth commandment. Deuteronomy 5:13 "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work:" Deuteronomy 5:14 "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within they gates; that thy manservant and they maidservant may rest as well as thou." The sabbath day, the seventh day or Saturday is the day of rest. The word "sabbath" in the Hebrew tongue means "rest". The "sabbath" day was not made for the Lord, but it was made for flesh man. Hebrews 4 tells us that Jesus Christ became our rest, and in Colossians 2 goes deeper into the rest and peace that we find in Christ. Deuteronomy 5:15 "(And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a might hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.)" God brought them out far richer than when they when down into Egypt. God made Pharaoh pay the Israelites in full for the labor that they had put in under his orders. God caused their captivity, and He also saw that they were well paid for their services when they left. Deuteronomy 5:16 "Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded the; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." There is a blessing in this commandment of giving honor to your father and mother. Many times Christians have parents that are sinners and practice all sorts of sinful acts. There may even be deep feelings against your parents for some acts and deeds that they have done to you. However, as a Christian, we are suppose to have more patience with them, and be understanding of them, because the parent in this case become the child in the relationship. When a child is disobedient, it is not a time for hate, but for correction and love. You love and respect them as your earthly parent that brought you into this world, and exhort them as a loved one and not as the enemy. In respecting your parent, you are respecting your seed line. They are not perfect, but they are yours. Deuteronomy 5:17 "Thou shalt not kill." This is not what it says in the manuscripts. Lets go to Strong's Hebrew dictionary and look up the word as used here for "kill", # 7523. "ratsach, raw-tsakh'; a prime root; properly to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being, especially to murder: [this is not to kill a murderer but to murder]:put to death, manslay, murder (er)." This is why that Jesus said also in one of the Gospels translated it even more in detail. Matthew 5:21 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:' " "kill as uses in the Greek text here is # 5407 in Strong's Greek dictionary; "Phoneuo, from 5406, to be a murderer (of), kill, do murder, slay." Then in # 5406 we read; "Phoneus, fon-yoooce'; a murderer (always of criminal [or at least intentional] homicide; which # 443 does not imply, while #4607 is a specific term for a public bandit):- murderer." It is necessary that a soldier and those in combat take the life of another person, and this does not cover that type of taking of a life. It also does not apply to the taking of the life of an animal for the sake of sport or for food, but it directed only to the criminal act of homicide, the preplanned and calculated taking of a life of another human being. An accidental death is not an homicide, and that is why God instructed Moses to set up those cities of refuge, as we read in the last chapter. Thou shalt not commit the vicious act of premeditative murder. Deuteronomy 5:18 "Neither shalt thou commit adultery." Adultery as used here means more than what many are teaching today. Part of adultery goes even to playing the role of the other sex in a relationship. The Word in the Hebrew is # 5003, "Naaph, a prime root, to commit adultery, to apostatize: man or woman to break wedlock." Deuteronomy 5:19 "Neither shalt thou steal." Deuteronomy 5:20 "Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour." It is a very serious thing with our heavenly Father to bear false witness against your neighbor. The good neighbor is one of the most valuable things that you can have. They can be your alley if you our your community is attacked, and neighbors watch out for one another, when the other one is gone. You look out for each other homes and well being. So we see that God's commandments make good common sense when followed. Deuteronomy 5:21 "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, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's" When you neighbor can get ahead and get a new car of something, be proud and glad for him. Many things in this earth age are hard to get, and we are not to be jealous when our neighbor is blessed and receives good things. Deuteronomy 5:22 "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." "These words" in the Hebrew tongue is "Deuteronomy", and those words are in reference to the ten commandments given above. These commandments were not given just to Moses, but to the entire assemble of the children of Israel; all of the tribes. These ten commandments were cut in stone by God Himself, and cut from the rock and delivered into the hand of Moses. The first five of the commandments deal with our relationship to our heavenly Father and they were spiritual, while the second five dealt with our getting along with one another, called "civil". All of the laws that we have even to this day are built around one of these ten commandments. When you follow these laws or commandments you will live a peaceable life, however when you break one of them, problems will come into your life. The first five are serious, because they deal with our relationship to the Father and they affect the blessing that flow from the Father. Deuteronomy 5:23 "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;" When our Heavenly Father gave the ten commandments, it was a sight to behold, the mountain shook with the fire that burned right into the rock, and the people stood below the mountain listened and watched as the fire came upon the mountain. Moses is telling these Israelites that when that happen, I sure got your attention. Deuteronomy 5:24 "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." The children of Israel that watch and heard these things happening as God brought down the fire, and great smoke that darkened the sky knew without a doubt the greatness of our Father. Then knew that man could talk with God, and still live. The awesomeness of the presence of God was a frightening thing to them. God needed to make an impression on them, and He did. Their eyes were opened, and they could see who provided their needs and protection. Deuteronomy 5:25 "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 shall die." When God spoke that first time, it scared them and the didn't want to hear God speaking any more. Deuteronomy 5:26 "For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?" Naturally nobody ever had, for this was the first time that it had happened. Deuteronomy 5:27 "Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall sat: and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it." This pack of cowards were afraid of going up on the mountain, but they said to Moses, you go up on the mountain and hear what the Lord our God has to say, and then when you return, we will listen to you and do what you say. They told Moses to tell God not to speak to them anymore. They heard God once and that was enough for them. They knew that God is real and they told Moses that they just didn't need it. Isn't it sad how harsh and cold our people can be with God. Deuteronomy 5:28 "And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the Lord said unto me, 'I have heard they voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken." When Moses got up on the mountain, and before Moses could open his mouth and tell the Lord what the people said; God told him that He has already heard the voice and words of the Israelites below. God told Moses that the people had better have come to that conclusion, for they knew the power and might of God. Deuteronomy 5:29 "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!" However the problem with them was that their mind was not really that way. If they believed in their minds what they have said, they would revere Me, but they don't, they just give lip service. God is telling Moses that if they believed me and did as I have instructed them, then I would not have to go around and correct them generation after generation. God wanted to do nothing but pour His blessings out on those that love Him. Deuteronomy 5:30 "Go say to them, 'Get you into your tents again.' " God was a little short with the people and their short attention span. He said to Moses, tell them to go and get into your tents. Deuteronomy 5:31 "But as for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will speak unto thee all the commands, 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.' " The people are about to pass over the river Jordan, and it is time to review the statutes and judgments that God has given to them. Moses is going to review these laws and teach their meaning to them, that they will know and follow his instructions when they are in the promise land. Deuteronomy 5:32 "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left." Moses is telling these people that they are not to vary one bit, to the left or to the right from the instruction that God gave to Moses to teach them. God is telling Moses, tell them these instructions exactly as I am giving it to you. Deuteronomy 5:33 "Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess." This was the purpose for walking in the ways which the Lord gave to Moses and the people. God is saying, "Do it My way and you will be blessed, and live to a prosperous life." We know from history that they didn't possess the land very long because they fell away from God's ways over and over. The would fall deeply into idolatry only to cry out to God for his mercy, and God would hear their plea and forgive them. The time did come to where He scattered them, to where their offspring are living to this day. This still doesn't change the fact that if you and I hear Him through His Word, with understanding today, and turn to His ways, then we will keep His word and He will bless us and our ways. When you fall short of His ways, then repent in Jesus name.
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