Bible Basics Explained | Ten CommandmentsPrimjer

Day 6 | Exodus 20:18-26 | Fear of God & Love of God

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Kris: Welcome back to Through the Word. Kris Langham and Jonathan Ferguson with you for our final day walking through the Ten Commandments. We completed our review of all ten: no other gods, no idols, no using God's name in vain, keep the Sabbath, honor parents, no murder, no stealing, no adultery, no false testimony, and no coveting what isn't yours!

Jonathan: That's all ten, let's see how the people respond. Verse 18:

"When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:18-19).

K: They're scared. And can you blame them? The voice of God—the mountain on fire—the Ten Commandments. And I guarantee you they've all broken several. Remember, the law reveals God's goodness and our sinfulness; it exposes our deeds and our hearts. 

J: Now we might feel like we're pretty good, but God's Law doesn't work on feelings. And there is no indication whatsoever that our good deeds can outweigh our bad ones. If you steal, you're a thief. If you hate, you committed murder in your heart. Greed, lust, and envy are all forms of idolatry. So what do we do?

K: Well, the Israelites ask for a mediator. "Moses, you speak to us. If God speaks to us again, we'll die!" They need someone between them and God who will connect them safely.

J: And Moses does just that. In verse 20:

"Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning” (Exodus 20:20).

K: So Moses steps in to encourage the people. Well done mediator. And in that, Moses is a picture of Jesus. 1st Timothy says, “There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind,” and that's Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Christ steps in for us.

J: And Moses explains something essential about the Law. It was given to put the fear of God in the Israelites, to keep them from sinning. Fear as in deep respect. The knowledge that God is great and awesome—that He is all-powerful and all-seeing, that He is just and He will judge—that knowledge holds us back from sinning. And that fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. 

K: But is the law enough? It can restrain our hands, but it can't change our hearts. It can't make us good. 

J: Yet the end of the chapter points us in the right direction, as God instructs Moses to tell the people:

“You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside me... gods of silver or gods of gold" (Exodus 20:22-23).

K: God's first reminder: no idols. Idolatry is the root of so much sin. Do not replace God.

J: And in verse 24, God points Moses to the solution for sin:

“ Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings..." (Exodus 20:24).

K: The altar. The place of sacrifice to honor and acknowledge God. The place of atonement, the only place where a sinner can approach the sinless God. And that altar points us to the true altar—the cross of Jesus.

J: And here at last, we see hope. Back in Romans:

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25).

K: See the Law is like a mirror; it shows your face, but it can't change your appearance. Romans also says that: 

"No one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin" (Romans 3:20).

J: We cannot work our way to righteousness. That truth is essential, and it is illustrated brilliantly right here in Exodus 20. Look at verse 25:

"If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it” (Exodus 20:25).

K: So the stones for the altar could not be fashioned. Don't carve them; just leave them as God provides them. And He says:

"Do not go up to my altar on steps..." (Exodus 20:26).

Steps would indicate works you have to do. No. Keep it ground level. And I love God's explanation. If you climb steps: 

"...your private parts may be exposed" (Exodus 20:26).

They wore robes! It happens! And that is exactly what working your way into God's favor does to you. Try it. Start climbing to Heaven, and you'll expose your sin real fast. And we all watch as self-righteous hypocrites come tumbling down.

J: We come to the cross at street level. God meets us where we are—no steps to climb. As you read the Ten Commandments, remember three things: God is good, you are not, and Jesus saves.

K: And Jesus did not abolish the law or toss it aside. He fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17). He lived it perfectly, and paid the full price for our sins so that we could be justified. That means declared righteous. The Law can't make us right, but Jesus can. He traded our sin for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is incredible. So in Christ, we do obey God, but are not constrained by the commands nor powered by our own strength or works. But His law is on our hearts, and His Spirit empowers us to live it.

The Law came to put the fear of God in us, but grace comes to put the love of God in us. The Law came through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The Law came to shackle us—to keep us from sin. Jesus came to free us—set free from sin and law and death. Set free to live (see Acts 13:39).

J: For a full perspective on the Law for Christians, read Galatians and Romans with us. For now, read Exodus 20, and beware of any altars that require steps to reach them. 

K: And that does it for our walk through the Ten Commandments. Hope you enjoyed this Bible Basics Explained series. And I hope you’ll join us again. We have more Explained reading plans through essential topics like faith, peace, anxiety, forgiveness, marriage, and lots more on the way. Just search the reading plans for the word explained. And with that same search, you can also find our reading plans through books of the Bible, like Genesis Explained, Revelation Explained, or get the full context on this one with Exodus Explained. Or try one of our Bible Journeys through several Bible books. Every one of them comes with Audio Guides just like these, and they’re all free. You can find those right here on this app, or head over to the Through the Word app at throughtheword.org   to find all of our plans. Thanks again for joining us. 

I’m Kris Langham, on behalf of Jonathan Ferguson and everyone here at Through the Word, we are honored to be part of your journey. And can’t wait to start the next one!

Next: Read Exodus 20:18-26 & Romans 3:20-26

For Thought & Discussion:

1. Pastor Kris explained that the Law came to put the fear of God in us, but grace came to put the love of God in us. Do you agree? How do you think that works?

2. Now that you’ve completed your journey through the Ten Commandments, take some time to reflect on it. What lessons stood out to you? What insights and truths do you want to hold on to? Take time to record or share your thoughts.

All verses are quoted from the NIV.

For more Bible Basics Explained, search for “Explained” in the reading plans, or find all of our plans on the Through the Word app at www.throughtheword.org    See you on the next journey!