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The Preamble

Text: Exodus 20:1-17
25 August 2015

THE PREAMBLE

(Exodus 20:1-2)

1. God spoke all these words, saying:

a) Preamble   (Exodus 20:1-2)
b) The Decalogue   (Exodus 20:3-17)
c) Also known as The Ten Commandments

2. The Preamble

a) I am the LORD your God
b) Who brought you out of the land of Egypt
c) Out of the land of bondage

3. The significance of The Preamble

a) The context of the giving of the Ten Commandments
b) The basis of the giving of the Ten Commandments
i) As the LORD God
ii) As the Saviour who redeemed Israel from bondage
iii) Revelation of God as to His Person
iv) Revelation of the fundamental laws of God
vi) Expectation of compliance to the laws of God
vii) These laws are non-negotiable

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

The First Four Laws relate to God

1. First Law: No Other gods   (Exodus 20:3)

“You shall have no other gods before Me”   Exodus 20:3
a) There are no other valid claims to being God
b) Idols are not to be acknowledged as God

2. Second Law: No graven image   (Exodus 20:4)

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image”   Exodus 20:4
a) No cared representation of God
i) Any likeness of anything that is in heaven above
ii) Or that is in the earth beneath
iii) Or that is in the water under the earth
b) You shall not bow down to them nor serve them
i) Since they are not gods
ii) No compromises
c) Reason for this Law: The Being of God   (Exodus 20:5)
i) I the LORD your God, am a jealous God
ii) Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me
iii) But showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments   (Exodus 20:6)

3. Third Law: The Name of God is not to be taken in vain   (Exodus 20:7)

a) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain   (Exodus 20:7)
b) The LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain   (Exodus 20:7)

4. Fourth Law: The Sabbath day to be kept holy   (Exodus 20:8)

a) Six days you shall labour and do all your work   (Exodus 20:8)
b) But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God
c) In it you shall do no work:
i) Not your son
ii) Nor your daughter
iii) Nor your male servant
iv) Nor your female servant
v) Nor your cattle
vi) Nor your stranger who is within your gates
d) For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them and rested the seventh day   (Exodus 20:11)
e) Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it   (Exodus 20:12)