Chapter 8, The Law and the Gospel, The Reformed Reader

CHAPTER EIGHT

Principles for Understanding
the Ten Commandments

“Give me understanding and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall
observe it with my whole heart.” (Ps. 119:34)

WE HAVE C0NSIDERED in an earlier chapter that the moral law was clearly written on Adam’s heart at creation. After the Fall, this dear law was defaced, although not totally obliterated. According to Romans 2:14—15 some faint impressions of it still remain on the hearts of reasonable men. As with a wheat field or corn field after harvest, you can still recognize what crop was there.

At Mount Sinai, our Creator graciously gave a new, objective copy of this perfect moral law, the Ten Commandments They are said to be written by the finger of God (Ex. 32:15—16), which was not true of the ceremonial and civil laws. Some commentators make much of this point I believe it is important to note that the commandments have no relationship to time or place as did the ceremonial and civil laws. The Ten Commandments are given to all creatures for all times and in all places. They are the summary of the eternal standard of right moral conduct—a fixed, objective standard of righteousness.

Every creature under heaven should be concerned about his or her duty to the almighty Creator and judge of all the earth. Therefore, the question What duty does the Creator require of creatures? is always relevant. The biblical answer is that requires personal, perfect, perpetual obedience to His revealed will. The next logical question is Where do we find God’s revealed will regarding moral conduct? The biblical answer is that it is summarized in the Ten Commandments.

Yet the Decalogue must be understood according to the rest of Scripture, not according to merely human judgment or philosophy. We must bring together the explanations found in different portions of Scripture and not confine ourselves to the simple letter of the commandments expressed in such a brief form. The Bible is like a great statute book of God’s kingdom, having in it the whole body of heavenly law—the perfect rules for a holy life and a sure promise of grace. Sometimes the Ten Commandments are referred to as the “ten words.” They are a short summary of the moral duty for all God’s creatures. Though they are brief, the substance contained in them is infinite. The whole of Scripture is a commentary on the Ten Commandments as to moral duty.

Part of that commentary is in the book of Exodus. Before we examine principles for interpretation, a few words about the prologue to the commandments are in order. Exodus 20 begins, “And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. out of the house of bondage”’ (vv. 1—2).

The significance of this prologue cannot be overstated. The Ten Commandments were of God’s making, of God’s speaking—a law stemming from God’s nature. God asserts His own authority to enact this law in general. “I am the LORD” who commands all that follows in Exodus 20:1—17. He proposes Himself as the sole object of the religious worship He requires in the first four commandments.

Two reasons for obedience are implied in this prologue. The first is that He is the Lord—Jehovah God. That means that He is:

• Self-existent.
• Eternal.
• Founder of all beings and all powers—the Creator.

As Creator, He has a right to command His subjects.

The second reason for obedience is that He is not only Creator, He is their God in a special way—”Your God.” He is their Redeemer—He brought them out of Egypt. Since this was a redemptive act, we see at the outset of the commandments God’s redeeming love, grace, and mercy. Thus, we must never separate God’s love, grace, and mercy from His commandments.

With that in mind, we are ready to consider seven principles or rules for a right understanding and use of the Ten Commandments.

Principles for Understanding the Commandments

The First Principle
The Decalogue must be understood as all Scripture must be understood: according to the explanation and application that the Prophets, Christ, and the apostles have given it. How did the Prophets, Christ, and the apostles use the commandments? They treated the commandments as authoritative in their teaching and preaching (see, for example, 2 Sam. 12:9; Matt. 5; Rom. 13:8—10; 1 Cor. 6:9—li; I Tim. 1:9—10).

The Second Principle
The commandments demand both external and internal obedience. Addressing the will and the heart, as well as actions, they require more than merely outward conformity. They also require inward affection. The commandments forbid not only evil acts but evil desires and inclinations. They go to the mind—including the will and the affections....thereby calling for obedience from the whole man.

How do we know that the commandments demand both external and internal obedience? “We know that the law is spiritual,” Paul wrote in Romans 7:14. And our Lord explained in Matthew 5:21—44 that the commandments pertain to attitudes and desires, as well as actions. For example:

• Not only murder, but hate.
• Not only adultery, but lusting.
• Not only stealing, but coveting.

We know too that the tenth commandment teaches us how the others are to be observed It forbids a covetous heart. This is the commandment the Pharisees missed. The tenth commandment is also the commandment used in Paul’s conversion. He wrote,

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. (Rom. 7:7-9)

The tenth commandment deals with the internal. A proper understanding of this rule will keep us from becoming legalists and Pharisees.

The Third Principle
There is a negative and a positive side to the commandments. Where sin is forbidden, a duty is commanded. For example, in the sixth commandment, murder is forbidden; therefore protection of life is commanded. It is the sixth commandment that supports a just war: Soldiers are responsible for protecting the lives of citizens.

The eighth commandment, “You shall not steal,” implies the positive mandate to protect the property of others. The seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” has the positive goal of protecting chastity, which can be done in many ways.

So with all the commandments, where a sin is forbidden, a duty is commanded. Each commandment has a positive side and a negative side.

The Fourth Principle
Where a sin is forbidden, the inducement or the occasion of it is also forbidden. Whatever leads to or induces sin becomes sin itself. For example, not only is adultery forbidden but also all that leads to adultery is forbidden. If certain reading material incites sinful lusts, then the reading of that material is a sin against the seventh commandment. Pictures, magazines, television programs, movies—anything that leads to breaking any of the commandments should be avoided.

If you want to be free from a contagious disease, you must avoid contact with places through which or persons through whom the infection is spread. Just as quarantine signs used to mark houses for certain diseases, whatever draws us into sin should be considered off limits.

Proverbs 5:8 says of the adulterous woman, “Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.” Jesus had this same principle in mind when He said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out... . And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off” (Matt. 5:29-30).

The Fifth Principle
The commandments of the second table of the law (the fifth through the tenth, which have to do with our neighbor) must yield to the commandments of the first table of the law (which have to do directly with God) when there is any conflict between our duties to the first and the second tables of the law. For example, if parents command their children to do something against God, the children should seek to obey God rather than men.

Another aspect of this principle is that the commands of the first table are not to be kept for the sake of the commands of the second table, but rather the commands of the second table are to be kept for the sake of the first table. Worship of God and service to Him are not performed out of respect for man, but our duty toward man is performed out of respect for God. All sin is first and foremost against Him. “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and be blameless when You judge” (Ps. 51:4; cf. Luke 15:18).

In other words, we do not love and serve God for man’s sake, but we do love man for God’s sake. It is also true that God is not truly loved unless our neighbor is loved, and neither is our neighbor truly loved when God is not loved. “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (1 John 4:20; cf. Matt.
22:38, 40).
The duties we perform to our neighbor (duties of the second table) should flow from a threefold respect for God.

• Obedience to His authority. He commanded the duties of the second table.
• Conformity to His example. .... . that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45).
• A proper hope and expectation of His eternal reward. “Love your enemies, do good. . . and your reward will be great” (Luke 6:35). (If God promises this as added incentive, don’t despise it. Don’t be more pious than the Bible.)

The Sixth Principle
It is essential that we consider the purpose for which each commandment was given, its true meaning and what God intends. When we see this, we will know the commands are in our best interest. “The commandment is holy and just and for our good” (Rom. 7:12 MOFFAT). You need only imagine how much better the world would be if everyone kept the commandments. The Law of God is not detrimental to us. It is masterfully designed for our good.

The Seventh Principle
Whatever is forbidden or commanded of us, we are bound, according to our position1 to discourage or encourage in others according to the duty of their positions. For example, an employer should not coerce or allow employees to break a commandment when it is within his authority to keep them from doing so. The same principle applies to other authority relationships, such as that between parents and children.

God’s law not only forbids our sinning but also forbids our being accessory to the sins of others when it is within our power to do something about it. An accessory is one who, not being present, contributes to or assists in the commission of an offense. An accessory “after the fact” assists or shelters the evil doer.

There are at least five ways in which we can be accessory to or partakers of the sins of others.

1. By issuing unrighteous decrees, thereby ordering other people to do unrighteous deeds: For example, David merely wrote a letter to Joab ordering him to send Uriah to the forefront of battle. But hear the Lord’s charge against David through the prophet Nathan: “Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword” (2 Sam. 12:9).

We are guilty of breaking a commandment if we are accessory to the breaking of that commandment. Ordering the cause of sin is sin.

2. By not hindering ot hers from sin when it is within our power, ability, or sphere of authority: Eli was guilty for not hindering his sons’ vile behavior. “He did not restrain them” (1 Sam. 3:13). Allowing one’s children to break the commandments under the guise of love is sin. The mark of a loving father is that he chastens his sons (Heb. 12:6-7). His love has as its aim the glory of God. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

3. By counseling or provoking others to sin: Paul wrote, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath” (Eph. 6:4). To provoke someone to anger is to promote a murderous spirit (Matt. 5:21-22).

4. By consenting to another’s sin: Although Saul of Tarsus did not cast one stone at Stephen, “Saul was consenting to his death” (Acts 8:1).

5. By setting a bad example.

A Summary of Principles for Understanding
and Using the Commandments

1. The commandments must be understood according to the explanation that the Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles gave them.
2. The commandments are spiritual, and therefore they go to the heart, requiring internal obedience and inward affection, not merely outward conformity. They forbid not only the acts of sin but also the desire and inclination to sin.
3. There are both positive and negative sides to the commandments. Where sin is forbidden, a duty is commanded.
4. Where sin is forbidden, the inducements or the occasion that leads to the sin is forbidden. We are to stay away from temptation as one stays away from a contagious disease.
5. The commandments that deal with our relationships with other people must yield to the commandments that deal with our relationship to God. If there is a conflict between the duties of the first and second tables, the first comes first.
6. It is essential to consider the end (that is the purpose and design) of the commandments.
7. Whatever is forbidden or commanded of us, we are bound, according to our position, to discourage or encourage in others according to the duty of their positions.

To these seven principles we may briefly add two more:

8. What is forbidden is at no time to be done, but what is required is to be done only when the Lord affords opportunity.
9. The beginning and the end, as well as the sum, of all the commandments is love. “Love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10).

These principles give us a proper understanding for the right use of the commandments and will spare us from legalism, pharisaism, and antinomianism.

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