The ninth commandment prohibits judicial deceit and corruption, and we now come to the portion of Deuteronomy that treats this commandment. While lying is a way to break the ninth commandment “downstream,” the commandment is actually prohibiting “false witness” or what we would call “false testimony in a judicial setting” against one’s neighbor. We see …
When Remarriage is Theft
The conclusion of Moses’ exposition of the prohibition of theft may strike modern ears somewhat oddly. But understanding the laws in this context brings additional light to the question. “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath …
Pentecost and American Empire
INTRODUCTION: The giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is thought by many Christians to be the birthday of the Church. But because the Church existed throughout the Old Testament, perhaps it would be better to think of it as the Church’s wedding day, or better yet, as the day of her betrothal. Her wedding …
Some Ancient Property Law
And now, the eighth commandment. How we respect God’s house is directly related to godly stewardship of what we have in our possession, and is the basis for biblical respect for our neighbor’s goods. Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee . . . (Deuteronomy …
The Glory of Modesty (1 Timothy 2:8-15)
INTRODUCTION: We come now to a passage that has suffered much at the hands of expositors. I have no desire to take my turn at this, but the reason the passage has suffered is not because it is one of those parts of the apostle Paul’s writing that is hard to understand. The passage has …
A Woman’s Only Real Friend in this World
We now finish the Mosaic exposition of the seventh commandment. But as we do, there are several things which we must keep in mind about the nature of sovereign grace. The first is that it is sovereign. The second is that it is grace. He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy …
All Men to be Saved (1 Tim. 2:1-7)
Introduction: We now come to the practical instructions for the Church that Paul is delivering to Timothy. The point of the letter is to provide direction for public worship, and so here we are. The Text: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; …
The Holiness Code
We must remind ourselves, yet again, that every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is our life. We know that all Scripture is profitable for training in righteousness. The law of the nests considered in our previous installment week was called the least of the commandments by the rabbis, and yet Jesus still …
A Biblical Building Code
In this passage, we conclude the commentary of Moses on applications of the sixth commandment. In some fashion or other, all these commands concern a respect for life. And in all these commandments, we see the glory of biblical wisdom. Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray . . . …
Guilt and Responsibility
Questions concerning life and death remain before us. In the passage we are considering now, more aspects of the sixth commandment are unfolded. If one be found slain in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it . . . (Deuteronomy 21:1-23) In old Israel, when a man was found slain, …