THE LAWGIVER.
I am the Lord thy God.
These introductory words show who is the Lawgiver. [Jas. 4:12] As
earthly kings place their names at the beginning of their decrees to
give them authority, so God places His name at the beginning of the
commandments in order to make known who gives them, and whose
displeasure we shall incur if we disobey them. These introductory words
belong not only to the first but to all the commandments.
I AM. By these words God reminds us that He is a Person. He speaks to
us. He is not an impersonal God who pervades and is a part of nature. He
is above nature and has created it. [Gen 1:1]
THE LORD. The word here translated "Lord" means in the original Hebrew
"I AM THAT I AM." [Exod 8:14+] God thereby declares that He is the One
and Only Self-existent, [Isa 44:6+] Eternal, [Ps 90:1, 2+] and
Unchangeable Being. [Mal 3:6+] He is the true and living God in
contradistinction from all so-called gods. [Jer 10:10] The name Jehovah
or "LORD" is used in the Old Testament Scriptures to designate God as
the covenant God of Israel. It signified that He stood in a specially
near relation to them as His chosen people. The name has the same
comforting meaning for Christians; for they are the New Testament people
of God. [Tit 2:14+, I Pet 2-9]
THY GOD. These words express God's good-will toward us. He is _our God_
who loves [Jer 31:3+] us and cares for us. [I Pet 5:7] He said to
Israel, "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage." He has delivered _us_ from the
still greater bondage of sin, death, and the devil through His Son Jesus
Christ, [Col 1:13+] and has a right to expect our gratitude and love.
THE LORD THY GOD. He who gives us these commandments is a Spirit [John
4:24+] of infinite majesty and goodness. He is:
1. _Eternal_; He always was and always will be. [Ps 90:2]
2. _Unchangeable_; He always was and always will be the same. [Mal 3:6]
3. _Omnipresent_; He is present everywhere at the same time and all the
time. [Ps 139:7-11]
4. _Omniscient_; He knows all the past, present, and future, and is
acquainted with every thought, desire, and purpose of our hearts. [Ps
139:2]
5. _Omnipotent_, or Almighty; He is able to do all things which He wills
to do. [Luke 1:37]
6. _Holy_; He is perfectly pure, and separate from all that is evil.
[Isa. 6:3]
7. _Just_; He will bless those who keep His law, and punish those who
break it. [Rom. 2:6]
8. _All-wise_; He always knows what is the best thing to do, and the
best way to do it. [Col. 2:3]
9. _Good_; He is Love itself. [I John 4:8] He is kind even to the
unthankful, [Matt. 5:45] merciful to the penitent soul for Jesus' sake,
[John 3:16] and longsuffering toward the impenitent in order to lead
them to repentance by His goodness. [II Pet. 3:9, Rom. 2:4]
10. _Faithful and True_; He can be absolutely relied upon to do all that
He has promised or threatened. [Numb. 23:19]
Because of the Majesty and Goodness of the Lord our God, we should FEAR
and LOVE HIM, and KEEP His commandments.
QUESTIONS--1. What do the introductory words show? 2. Of what do the
words "I am" remind us? 3. What is the meaning of the Hebrew word
translated "Lord"? 4. What do the words "thy God" express? 5. From what
bondage has God delivered us? 6. Name and define God's attributes? 7.
Why should we fear and love God?
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Exod. 3:14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM.
Isa. 44:6. Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the
LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is
no God.
Ps. 90:1, 2. LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the
earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Mal. 3:6. For I am the LORD. I change not.
Tit. 2:14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good
works.
Jer. 31:3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with
lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Col. 1:13, 14. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
John 4:24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit and in truth.
READING.--Ps. 14: Ps. 121.
THE FIRST TABLE OF THE LAW.
OUR DUTY TO GOD.
"_Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
mind, and with all thy soul_." [Matt. 22:37]