The Close of the Commandments.
What does God say of all these Commandments?
_He says thus: I, the Lord, thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate Me, and showing mercy unto thousands of
them, that love Me and keep My commandments._
What does this mean?
_God threatens to punish all that transgress these commandments.
Therefore we should fear His wrath, and not act contrary to them. But He
promises grace and every blessing to all that keep these commandments.
Therefore we should also love and trust in Him, and willingly do
according to His commandments._
1. Thus says the Lord of all His commandments: _"I, the Lord, thy God,
am a jealous God."_ God reminds us that He who has given us His
commandments is the _Lord._ He is our Lord, we are His servants. He, as
our Lord, has the right to give us His commandments, and we are in duty
bound to obey them.--He furthermore reminds us that He is _our God._
Through Christ, our Savior, God has become our God, our Father. A father
will give only good gifts to His children. Our heavenly Father means
well in giving His commandments. They are to be a blessing to us and
will be a blessing, if we rightly use them. We should thank Him for His
commandments.--God tells us that He is a _jealous God._ God is not
like a weak father who gives his children commands, but does not see to
it that his children obey. God is a strict, a very strict father. He
watches over His children whether they fulfil His commandments or break
them.--And do not forget: Our God is the _almighty_ God. He has the
power to do what He says, to carry out His threats and to fulfil His
promises. _"There is one Lawgiver_ [this lawgiver is God, who has given
us His commandments], _who is able to save and to destroy."_ Jas. 4,12.
2. God is a _jealous_ God. This He shows by _"visiting the iniquity_
[the wickedness] _of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate Him."_ That means: _"God threatens
to punish all that transgress these commandments."_ Those who break the
commandments of God surely deserve punishment. By breaking the Law of
God they sin against Him, they show that they _hate_ God, who has
created and preserved them, who gives them life and all they need, who
wants to be their Father in Christ, that they may become His children.
Instead of loving God, they hate Him, who is the Giver of all they have
and enjoy.--What punishment does God threaten those who hate Him? This
is what He threatens: _"Cursed be he that confirmeth_ [keeps] _not all
the words of this Law to do them."_ God's displeasure, His curse, His
anger and wrath, will be upon him that sins. How fearful is it to be
cursed by the almighty God!--When God gave Adam the first command, He
said: _"In the day that thou eatest thereof_ [of the tree] _thou shalt
surely die."_ Gen. 2,17. God threatens _death_ to every sinner. _"The
soul that sinneth, it shall die."_ Ezek. 18,20. _"The wages of sin is
death,"_ God tells us in His Word. Rom. 6,23. And after death eternal
damnation awaits the sinner. _Verily, we should fear God's wrath and
terrible punishment and not act contrary to His commandments._ We should
daily pray our heavenly Father for grace to help us shun and flee all
sins, even every evil thought that would bring God's wrath and
punishment upon us. Daily we will go to Christ, our only Savior, who has
redeemed us from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil.
3. Our God is a _merciful_ God. This He proves _"by showing mercy unto
thousands that love Him and keep His commandments."_ God threatens to
punish all that transgress these commandments, but He also _"promises
grace and every blessing to all that keep these commandments."_ Our God
is a gracious and loving God. He promises to reward those who keep His
commandments. It is true, we do not deserve any reward, even if we
fulfil His Law and live according to His will. It is our duty to do so.
But so kind and loving is He to His children that He will reward them if
they do what they owe Him.--What does our God promise us? He promises
_grace and every blessing._ The grace of God will be upon us when in
love of God we try to keep His commandments. He will be well pleased
with us, His children. What a great thing it is to be assured of God's
grace and good will! Who can harm us when the Lord is with us? He
furthermore promises _every blessing_ to those who keep His
commandments. God will bless His obedient children here on earth, in
this life, but far more will He bless them in the life to come with
eternal salvation. In heaven we shall see Him, our Father and Savior.
_Therefore we should also love and trust in Him and willingly do
according to His commandments._
4. The Ten Commandments teach us the _holy will of our God,_ or, as we
also call it, _His Law._ Here we learn what as God's children we should
do and not do, in order to please Him. Gladly we should learn it. We
desire to love Him who has loved us.--We learn also _that we have not
kept the Law,_ that we cannot keep it, that we daily transgress the
commandments of our Lord. We learn that we are sinners who have
deserved death and damnation. This also we should learn willingly, for
it teaches us _how much we need a savior._ And then we go to our only
Savior, to our Lord, who has fulfilled the Law in our stead.