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INTRODUCTION
ILLUS: Have you been in the Iowa State Capitol Law Library? It is an amazing attractive room.
It is filled with 200,000 books, one of the largest in US. It is for use by law makers, staff,
attorneys, even the public - when we remain in the room.
The basis of American law is the US Constitution - 7 articles in 1789. In 1791 the Bill of Rights were
added - 10 of those. Now we have 26 amendments. Plus throughout our entire nation we have libraries and
agencies overflowing with volumes upon volumes of books and documents of laws, statues, ordinances,
codes. Laws concerning International relations, Federal, State, County, City and township, organizations.
Laws concerning civil, criminal, business, traffic, trade, consumer, marriage, tax, labor, and church
regulations.
ILLUS: I have a book on Church and Clergy Taxes, nearly 500 pages.
There is no area of our life unaffected some way by laws. The purpose of law is to help mankind live
safely and freely in a just and moral society. For the Christian law is to help us live righteous
before God, as Godly citizens in our communities.
The Bible is a law book itself. It gives us the righteous standards of society. A fact many of our
nations great leaders have acknowledge:
- George Washington: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and
the Bible.”
- Benjamin Rush,1798 “The only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican
form of government...is the universal education of our youth in the principles of
Christianity by means of the Bible.”
- President Andrew Jackson: “That book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.”
- President Herbert Hoover: “The whole of the inspiration of our civilization springs
from the teachings of Christ and the lessons of the Prophets. To read the Bible for these
fundamentals is a necessity of American life.”
Since the Bible is a law book, what laws are found in the Bible?
1. The 613 Commandments
- Jewish scholars of old figured out that in the Torah, five books of Moses there were 613
commands. In Jesus’ day that was the common held belief. So the teachers of the
law - Rabbi’s, scribes knew and taught them.
- 613. Either positive - to do a certain act, or negative to abstain from.
- 365 negative corresponded to 365 days of the year, 248 positive corresponds to the number
of bones and major organ in the human body.
- If you Google www.jewfaq.org/613 - see the list. 34 Categories: God, Teachings,
Sacrifices, Family, Sexuality, Gentiles, Times and Seasons, what to eat, how to make
vows, etc. A total of 613 on scrolls, plus commentaries - not in nice bound books like
we have today.
ILLUS: Can you imagine Jewish Catechism class? What is #457?
- Since the destruction of the second temple in 70 AD, of the 613 original commands, only
271 can be observed today. Still many laws. (Wikipedia)
- But we not Jews living under Jewish orthodox laws/commandments.
2. The 10 Commandments
- Of all the commandments, God does have a top ten list.
- Exodus 20:1-17; Deut. 5:6-21 lists. God gave these specifically to Moses on
Mount Sinai.
- Exodus 34:28; Deut. 4:13; 10:4 calls them “The Ten commandments” Deut
4:13: “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that
is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.”
- Still today, they are recognized as the moral foundation for Judaism and Christianity
QUOTE: Noah Webster, who gave us the Dictionary: “The duties of men are
summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables, one
comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God, the other the duties we
owe our fellow men” (Wallbuilders)
ILLUS: The Ten are found in many Federal and State government buildings. National
Archieves over the entryway. US Supreme Court on doors into the Chamber and above
the justices engraved in marble. They are on a wall in a frame somewhere in Iowa
State Capitol. Used to be in public schools.
- They are still truly a moral foundation for our society. However, I can see why they are
controversial and hated - they boldly tells it like it is - God’s moral laws, many
don’t like them, too convicting of their sin.
- 10 is easier to remember than 613. Yet we can even take them down to:
3. The 2 Commandments Mark 12:28-34
- v. 28 A Jewish scribe, a lawyer who knew all 613, asked Jesus which command is
the most important, the greatest one. Jesus gives him 2.
- vs. 29-30 First, Jesus reaches back to Deut. 6:4-5. Love God with your
whole being. First commandment is God focused. God is One, LORD. In fact this
commandment summarizes the first 4 of the 10 Commandments.
- Before we can be or do anything else, we must first be wholly devoted to God: heart is
the center of our being; soul is the eternal part of our self; mind is our intellect and
will; and strength is our energy and activity.
QUOTE: Colson: This is the beginning of loving God...a passionate desire to obey and
please God - a willingly entered into discipleship (Loving God, 40)
- The first three of four of the 10 are negative “You shall not,” this
is positive “You shall”
- Do you love God? Is He the most important person in your life? One who loves God spends
time with, talks and listens to, sacrifices for, obey.
- v. 31 The second command Jesus adds is about our human relationships. Jesus
reaches back to Leviticus 19:18 - one small phrase. This has equal authority
with the first. This summarizes the second half of the 10 Commands - 5-10.
- To love others is spend time with, talk and listen to, sacrifice for.
- There are two parallel passages of this event. Matthew 22:24-40 where Jesus
then adds: “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and Prophets.”
Means = the entire 613 laws can be summarized into these two. Jesus knew the Law, He
knew the entire 5 books of Moses, plus the Prophets is all about these two commands,
summarizes them, foundation.
- In fact, all the NT commands and instructions given by Jesus and the Apostles also can
be summarized in these two. They hang on these two - these are the overarching or
foundational commands for Christian living.
- The other parallel passage is Luke 10:25-37 where the lawyer then asks:
“Who is my neighbor?” Jesus gives the story of the Good Samaritan.
Who is our neighbor? Anyone who we can show mercy to.
- Some people want to focus on loving God, others want to focus on loving others - Jesus
calls us to do both.
- He affirms that we do love ourselves. To love yourself is to accept yourself as a
creation and a blessing of God. We are made in the likeness of God, it is our duty to
make the most of our life for God. But we can’t do that alone, in isolation. We
must live for God and for others.
- Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:9-21 - very specific instruction.
- Again, the whole of the NT, teachings of Jesus and the Apostles hang on the hock of one
of these two. These are the overarching commands or foundational commands of Godly
Christian living.
ILLUS: In Church Baptism and Membership class, the booklet I use, A Baptist
Confession of Faith, asks the students to list the 10 and the 2. What are
the 10/2 commands? Easier than what are the 613 commands?
CONCLUSION/APPLICATION
613 to 10 to 2. How are you doing with these two?
Look back in Mark 12:32-24. Not finished yet.
The scribe knew Jesus was right. He had figured out the most important of the 613, and the summary
of the 10 himself. Jesus said “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” He
knew the commands - hallelujah. He knew what he had to obey - hallelujah. He was not far... But not
there... FOR to be in the kingdom one needs something more than law.
The law cannot save. The law shows us our sin, and how far from God’s holiness we are. We
can’t work up ourselves to loving God and others more. We need something else beyond the law.
Romans 3:20-22
Ephesians 2:8-9
Are you living by faith or law? Start with faith in Jesus not law.
Believe by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Live by faith seeking to be obedient to Jesus Christ as your Lord.
Obedience is a result of faith for sure, through Jesus we can love God and love others not out of
duty but out of devotion. There is always room for improvement in the top two, in the first command
“all” is found 4 times. Do you love God with your ALL?
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