Let the King bring me into His chambers” (Song 1:4)
‘Draw me closer to You, my Lord…’ This is one of the greatest prayers for a Christian. You may ask: why do I have to pray such a prayer? I already know Jesus Christ. I am a child of God. Why then should I ask the Lord ‘to draw me’? This is because there are many levels of intimacy with the Lord. The Christian life is not stagnant. It is not a lake that slowly evaporates in the heat of a merciless sun. The eternal life is like a river, ever increasing, becoming a flood, until finally it disappears into the ocean of God’s grace. Another reason to pray such a prayer it is because the heart of man is deceitful. You may have your feet close to the throne in heaven and your heart is still looking down to earth, longing for things left behind.
‘Draw me…’ This is called the drawing of Love, the drawing of Grace. Love is like a magnet; its force breaks every chain of the world. It is a royal voice calling you into the chambers of holy things never felt before.
As for me, I am right now sited at His banqueting table and His Banner over me is Love! I have tasted and I now testify that my Lord Jesus is good and strong and sweet. His voice is powerful and gentle at the same time. His song is like a trumpet and like the strings at the same time. In His embrace I finally lose myself, I let go of my fears… of all these unanswered questions bothering my mind. My Lord knows all things concerning me and that is enough for me. He whispers Love to my heart. He breathes Peace to my soul.
This is my morning dose of the Holy Spirit. Just because of the way it started, I know for sure that today is a wonderful day! Let us worship the Lamb upon the Throne!
‘Draw me closer to You, my Lord, until all that is left is You and You alone! In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!’
This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; 1 Kings 18:1-46
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION
The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. These basic laws play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity. The Ten Commandments appear in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The Ten Commandments are also called God’s Law, or simply, ‘The Law’. They are like ‘instructions’ for electronic equipment. If you want to ‘function’ well in this life, study these Laws and obey them. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. But the reality is that because all men are born sinners, they are lawless too. They hate God and His Word. That is why there is individual and national sin, which brings much confusion and sorrow. The Ten Commandments have influenced the behavior of people and the law system of humanity more than any other document. History has proven that every man who obeys these commandments and every nation that made them part of their constitution, have become better and more civilized. Every man or nation that rejected them, became worse. This is enough reason for us to study them and obey them. Amen!
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (3)
*The Ten Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai. They were written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.
*God speaks to men. He reveals Himself through His written Word, which comes with divine authority. God stands behind His written word!
*We are not told exactly how the Ten Commandments were written on the two stones. Possibly, the first 4 commandments which are about man’s relationship with God, are written on one stone. The next 6, describing man’s relationship with other men, are on the second stone.
*It is men’s responsibility to hear, learn, be careful to keep it in their minds and obey the Ten Commandments. “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them” (Deut 5:1).
*The Law is given without love, grace, mercy, or power to obey. The Law has no pity for the lawbreaker. That grace is found in Christ alone!
*The Ten Commandments apply to all people everywhere, not only to Israel! Jehovah God is the God of all the earth. “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein” (Ps 24:1). God is saying to all men: “I am your only God! Worship Me alone!”
*The authority of the Ten Commandments is not because ‘these laws are good for you’. The authority is based on the fact that God said so! For example, when Moses told Pharoah to let God’s people go into the wilderness, to worship Him, Pharoah proudly said: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go” (Ex 5:2). Pharoah worshipped Ra and he thought that himself is a god. He will soon know who Jehovah God is, but it was too late! If God speaks, all creation must bow! Nobody can argue with God. He is sovereign! His Word is final. Nobody fights God and wins! The Potter has total right over the clay. God is the Potter, and we are the clay.
*Some say that we don’t need God’s Law; they argue saying that many unbelievers are behaving well and are moral in conduct. But without God, even if you behave well, something vital is missing: the authority and the motivation. Without God’s Word there is no absolute truth. Men decide what is right and what is wrong. But God will never allow man to usurp His authority. From everlasting-to-everlasting God is God!
*God’s Law is written not only on the Tablets of stone but in each man’s heart. God will judge the secrets based on man’s conscience that is connected with God’s Law in his heart (Rom 2:12-16).
THE DOCTRINE OF SIN
In the Bible, sin is defined in four basic ways: Rebellion, Lawlessness, Separation from God and Missing the mark of His glory.
1-Sin is rebellion against God. “Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord” (Deut 9:7). Rebellion is defined as organized opposition to authority. Lucifer became proud and rebelled against God. Rebellion and pride are the first sins manifested in the universe.
2-Sin is breaking God’s Law (Lawlessness). “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 Jn 3:4). Lawlessness is defined as breaking the law, illegality, iniquity, disobedience, or wickedness. Because we are born sinners, we are born rebellious against God and His law. Today, most people take pleasure in being rebellious and breaking any law. They disobey all human authority. The people become more wicked. Society is becoming more dangerous. It is a sign of ‘the last days’: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Tim 3:1-5). Learn to ‘turn away’!
3-Sin is separation from God. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Is 59:1, 2).
4-Sin is missing the mark and becoming short of God’s glory. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). To fall short means failing to reach a goal, or an expected standard that was hoped for, therefore, causing disappointment. Sin proves that man is not as good as he thinks he is. Because of sin, man fails to satisfy God. Sinful man is ‘a disappointment’ to God. Only in Christ we can be saved.
There are three types of sin: Inherited, imputed, and personal sins.
1-Inerited sin. As children inherit traits from their parents, when Adam sinned, we inherited this disposition to sin.
Lucifer was probably the most beautiful and powerful of all angels in heaven. He became proud. He wanted to be like God, to be worshipped as God (Is 14:12-15). God drove him away from heaven to earth. Some of the angels followed him. They are now called demons. Lucifer is now renamed Satan, or the Devil. He tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against God. He injected into them the poison of rebellion. They too wanted to become ‘like God’. They disobeyed God. This is how sin entered mankind. Adam’s sin is called the Original sin. All men inherit the sin of Adam and are born sinners. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps 51:5). Sin has affected all mankind. Thru sin, death entered humanity (Rom 5:12-15). Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity became Man to die on behalf of sinners. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). This is the true Gospel of salvation. Eternal life is possible only by God’s grace, thru faith in Christ Crucified and Resurrected!
2-Imputed sin. Used in both financial and legal settings, the Greek word translated “impute” means “to take something that belongs to someone and credit it to another’s account.” Before the Law of Moses was given, sin was not imputed to man, although men were still sinners because of inherited sin. After the Law was given, sins committed in violation of the Law were imputed (accounted) to them. The ultimate penalty of sin is death. Sin is king in all natural men. All men, from Adam to Moses, were subject to death, not because of their sinful acts against the Mosaic Law (which was not given yet), but because of their own inherited sinful nature. After Moses, men were subject to death both because of inherited sin from Adam and imputed sin from violating the laws of God.
God used the principle of imputation to benefit mankind when He imputed the sin of believers to the account of Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for that sin—death—on the cross. Imputing our sin to Jesus, God treated Him as if He were a sinner, though He was not, and had Him die for the sins of the entire world. “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2). Christ died on the Cross for our sins. He did not inherit the sin of Adam. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was sinless. Jesus never became a sinner. His human nature was sinless. On the Cross, our sin was imputed upon Him so that His righteousness can be imputed on us. This is the greatest exchange by which sinners are saved. “He (God the Father) made Him (God the Son) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). Praise the Lord!
3-Personal sins. These are the sins we commit every day, by our choice. These are sins we commit because of our free will. These can be small sins like boasting of self to big sins like murder. Personal sins are the fruits of the inherited sin dwelling in our flesh. All unbelievers shall be judged by God. They must pay the penalty for all their inherited, imputed, and personal sins. The penalty of sin is death. “For the wages of sin is death“(Rom 6:23). Not just physical death but spiritual eternal death in hell (Rev 20:11-15). Because Jesus died for them, the believers in Christ are free from God’s judgment. They have eternal life. They go to heaven and will be with Christ forever. When a believer commits personal sins, the Holy Spirit convicts him of it. He repents and the fellowship with God is restored. As a believer, you can resist the devil and his temptations. You have the power to say ‘no’ to sin. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you die to sin and live to righteousness. This is the royal way of the Cross. This power is available only to the believers in Christ. Once we confess our personal sins to God and ask forgiveness for them, we are restored to perfect fellowship and communion with Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9). Thank God that all inherited sin, imputed sin, and personal sin have been crucified on the cross and now by faith in Jesus Christ our Savior “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph 1:7).
The following scripture is one of the easiest ways to understand what is. “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (Rom 14:23). All our decisions must be the result of prayer and hearing from God. This is the walk of faith. Any decision made without prayer is sin. Faith in God is king over sin!
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Ex 20:4-6)
This Commandment forbids idolatry, the making, and the worshipping of images. Idolatry is worshipping a physical object as a god, an excessive attachment or blind devotion to something. “An idol is anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone. Anything that is central in my life, anything that seems to me essential. An idol is anything by which I live and on which I depend, anything that holds such a controlling position in my life that it moves, rouses, and attracts too much of my time, attention, energy, and money.” (M. L. Jones).
“Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’ (Deut 27:15)
COVETOUSNESS (GREED) IS IDOLATRY
“Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5). Covetousness (Greed) is idolatry. Greed is defined as a strong never satisfied desire to have more money or material possessions that belong to another, to be used selfishly, while ignoring God and eternal life. Greed is also called the Love of money. “ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:10). The rich and the poor can be guilty of worshipping mammon. Jesus said: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt 6:24). Greed puts too much importance on the temporal things, on what the body needs, and too little value on spiritual eternal things! Selah!
TRYING TO MANIPULATE GOD IS IDOLATRY
Idols are deeply offensive to God. God’s name is “I am who I am”, not ‘I am who you want me to be’. Trying to manipulate God to do what you want Him to do is idolatry. Idolatry is worshipping what should be used and using what should be worshipped. Trying to ‘use’ God is idolatry. I want to worship God but there is something in me that wants God to answer my request. Loving God in the midst of pain and disappointment is true worship. God cannot be manipulated. God is to be worshipped. When God does not answer us, we get angry. That is idolatry. You want to ‘use’ God like He is your servant. That is idolatry. Idolatry is replacing the Creator with created things. For example, marriage is a created thing. Marriage is God’s idea so that together, the husband and his wife, can serve God better. Family is a created thing so that the children can grow into an environment to better know God and learn to serve Him. Marriage and family can never be God. Loving the family too much and ignoring God and His Word is idolatry. God punishes idolatry because all idols are deceptive and destructive.
These days, men want to remove God from His throne and put man there. Jesus Christ is the only true image of God! “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Col 1:15). “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Jn 14:9). “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me” (Jn 12:45). To see Jesus, you need to have your spiritual eyes open, to be born again.
THE DESCENDANTS OF IDOLATERS SUFFER
In the second Commandment God says that he ‘visits’ the sin of the fathers upon the descendants. The word ‘visit’ here means to extract the punishment, to avenge the sin of the fathers upon his descendants. Many people misunderstand these words. God is never unrighteous. He does not randomly punish the children for the sins of their fathers. God says: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezek 18:20). The meaning of this ‘visiting’ of sins is that the children and grandchildren of parents who are involved in idolatry are born with a great disadvantage in life. They learn from their parents to do terrible things. For example, the son of an armed robber or the daughter of a prostitute will grow in an environment where moral evil is practiced daily without the fear of God. For good or for bad, children imitate their parents. It is proved that the children repeat the sins of their parents. Every sin has a domino effect on others. It is hard for these children to rise above the sins of their parents. God punishes idolatry. The children share in this punishment. They suffer poverty and neglect with their parents. Only the Grace of God, faith in the Gospel that can separate the children from the effect of evil in the family. Once born again, the children of sinful parents receive the strength to live differently to the glory of God!
WHY DOES GOD FORBID IDOLATRY?
1-God is Spirit, He is invisible. God forbids the making of any image to represent Him because no image made by man can truly represent God. The making of idols gives a false representation of God. It leads to false worship. That is why God forbids it. God said: “You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God” (Lev 26:1). Many churches are so beautiful inside. They have paintings and sculptures of Jesus or other saints. But no image can represent God. They are all far below the beauty and glory of God. Images of God do not draw men closer to God. Art, painting, sculpture, are beautiful to express God’s creation. But art cannot represent God well. Idols are limited. God is unlimited.
2- God is the Creator. God does not share His glory with anyone. “I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols” (Is 42:8). “For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place” (1 Chr 16:25-27).
WHY DO PEOPLE LOVE TO WORSHIP IDOLS?
In the history of humanity, idolatry has been the greatest temptation for God’s people. Why is the attraction of idolatry? When men want to be religious but do not want to repent of sin, they end serving idols. Idolatry is easier to practice than worshipping Jehovah God. You make a statue of stone or wood, and you imagine that it is your god. You can bow to it or bring offerings to it. You just believe that the idol loves you and will help you. This worship is in your mind and imagination. For these people God seems far from them. Idolatry is more ‘practical’. Inventing your god is very attractive because you can tell him what to do. There is a relationship between these religious people and their idols. It is a selfish relationship. The idols need you and you need them. The idol does not insist that you should repent of your sins. You can continue in sin and still be religious. In some areas, almost all people serve idols. Idolatry is normal. Nobody will persecute you or discriminate against you. Idolatry is seen as beautiful because you can see the idols. Men may use gold and precious stones to make their idols. They decorate their shrines with flowers and fruits. The lust of their eyes is satisfied. But God is spirit, and He is invisible. You cannot ‘decorate’ God. You cannot control God. You must bow and worship Him alone. Idolatry is connected with sexual sins. Almost all people who worship idols are involved in adultery too. That pleases the flesh. Jezebel is an evil seducing spirit that tempts believers to worship idols and to commit sexual sins. “That woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (Rev 2:20).
These days, not all men worship carved images. Most men pursue mental idols of entertainment, money, fame, or success.
EFFECTS OF IDOLATRY
God commands that we should not fear idols. It is true that idols are nothing, but they connect with demons. Making idols makes God angry. God is jealous. He will punish the idolaters. This is a warning many ignore. God’s Law punishes all idolaters with untimely death. Read Deuteronomy chapter 13 and 28. It is only thru Christ that we are free from such a terrible judgment.
No idolater can prosper. Sin always has consequences. “Thus says the Lord: Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; They must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good” (Jer 10:2-5).
Jehovah God demands exclusive covenant loyalty. As the one true God of heaven and earth, Jehovah cannot and will not tolerate the worship of any ‘other gods’, real or imaginary. In Egypt, God defeated and disgraced all Egyptian gods. God said: “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD” (Ex 12:12). That is how His people came out from the bondage of Egypt to worship God in the wilderness. To go back to these impotent gods, is the greatest insult to Jehovah. God reminds the people what happened to Pharoah when he opposed God trusting his own gods. In other words, any man, even a believer, who worships an idol ends like Pharaoh.
Be careful! The devil can deceive us! Good things can become idols! For example: the people disobeyed God and Moses. God sent fiery serpents to bite them. Many died. Moses prays. God shows mercy and tells Moses to make a copper snake and to lift it on a pole. Looking at that metal snake, with faith, the victim is healed. That is how the plague ended. Many years later, God’s people started to worship the metal snake Moses had manufactured. King Hezekiah breaks that snake to pieces telling them that it is now an idol (Num 21:6-9; 2 Kg18:4). What God used in the past for healing, the people want to worship now. True worship became idolatry! Selah!
Marriage is good but if you love your spouse more than you love Jesus, that person becomes your idol. Jesus said: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:26). Jesus cannot teach a man who says is a believer but as a secret idol in his heart. If a man says he is a Christian, and says that he loves the Bible, but he is not reading it, then the Bible has become his idol. Many Christians worship their denomination, or their pastors, alongside God. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen” (1 Jn 5:21).
If you worship your wealth in place of God, that is idolatry! If your money makes you proud, that is idolatry! “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God” (Deut 8:18-20).
“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (1 Cor 10:1-7)
What are the devastating consequences of idolatry? Idolatry makes God angry. He will punish those who are unrepentant and continue in idolatry. God’s judgment on idolatry brings ‘a scattering’ of all good things. It brings pain, poverty, and untimely death. Idolatry blocks the grace and mercy of God. Jonah said: “Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy. But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:8, 9). The word ‘regard’ means to pay attention, protect, admire, respect, or serve. The word ‘worthless’ means having no value or usefulness, lacking worth, producing no effect. People who worship idols grieve the Holy Spirit. They abandon God’s mercy and grace towards them. They turn from God who is kind and faithful to emptiness and sure disappointment. All human pursuit apart from seeking God is vanity.
“But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them” (Ps 115:3-8). Those who make and worship idols become like those idols. They become spiritually deaf, dumb, and weak. Their hands become weak; therefore, the work of their hands will not prosper. They cannot walk by faith. They cannot make fast progress in life. Their soul (mind, emotions and will) becomes weak. The worship of idols is like spiritual suicide! Selah!
TRADITIONAL DEITIES IN NIGERIA
*The Yoruba people in Nigeria are extremely religious. It is believed that the Yoruba have about 6000 deities. Descendants of Yoruba people live in Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Tobago and in many countries in Africa. The Supreme God has three manifestations: Olodumare – The God of Creation; Olorun – The God of Heaven; Olofi – The God of the Palace, connecting heaven and earth. Other deities are: Orunmila- the god of wisdom, divination, and destiny; Shango, the god of thunder and lightning; Osanyin, the god of the forest, herbs, and medicine; Aje, the god of wealth; Olokun, the god of the sea; Yemoja, the mother goddess of women.
*The Igbo people call God Chukwu, ‘the Great Spirit’. Chukwu is often referred to as Chineke, the God who creates the Nature. Chukwu is often connected with the sun and called the ‘the Face of God’. Parallel to the idea of Chukwu as a masculine deity associated with the Sun is the idea that the Moon is feminine and closely associated with the goddess Ala, the goddess of Earth. Ala is also the ‘womb’ that holds and nurtures. The Igbo, an agrarian people, regard her as the ‘mother’ of all crops. Before planting and harvesting they hold days of ritual ceremonies to appease Ala so that she will facilitate abundant harvests. The third most important divinity in the Igbo traditional religion is Chi, the spirit believed to inhabit each individual or the soul. Amadioha is a god similar to the god Shango in the Yoruba religion. It is the god of thunder and lightning. He is therefore considered ‘The Owner of the Sky.’ Agwu is a god people fear and respect. They say it is able to cause confusion in the mind of the wise, or to clear confusion in the mind of the simple.
*For the Urhobo and Isoko people Oghene, is the supreme God. They believe he created the world. Oghene is beyond human comprehension and is only known through his actions. Because the Oghene God is so distant and unknown, he has no temples, no priests and no prayers or sacrifices are offered directly to him. Traditional Urhobo people believe they are surrounded by spiritual forces called edjo that can exist in any natural object, be it a tree, a forest, or a body of water. The edjo are unapproachable entities. They are contacted through large wood and clay sculptures that are maintained in remote, often almost inaccessible shrines. A more direct spiritual force is the orhan, a shrine for healing and health. The orhan takes the form of an elaborate clay vessel, usually sunk into the earth, containing herbs and other sacred objects.
*Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the Itsekiri people believe in Oritse, the Creator and Supreme Being God. The deity most worshipped is called Umalokun, believed to be the god that provides food from the sea.
*For the Ijaw people, the most common name for God is Tamara. It means the Creator. Another name for God is female, Woyengi, meaning ‘our Mother’. An important deity is Egbesu, whose symbols are the leopard and lion. Egbesu is a god of justice or a god of war. One of Egbesu’s laws is patience. An Ijaw person should not be the one to start a fight and should respond only when he must. Ijaw people believe that God is only one, but besides him there are many lower beings: spirits, deceased ancestors, demons, etc. The water spirits are the most worshiped ones.
ELIJAH’S CHALLENGE (1 Kg 18:1-46).
This is the Jewish History: The Jews tended to worship other gods. That is why God sent them into exile. The people from the Northern Kingdom got assimilated with the pagans. The Southern Kingdom was later conquered by Babylon. In Babylon, they repented of idolatry. From the time the Jews came back from Babylon, they never worshipped a visible image of another god. Although the Jews have separated themselves from the worship of images, statues or persons claiming divinity, the tendency toward and practice of magic arts (chants, spells, charms, healing devices, special foods, magical numbers, and many secret rituals) has continued to be found among Jews until today.
God uses prophet Elijah to confront the worship of Baal in Israel. During the time of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, Elijah declared drought in the whole country as God’s punishment for idolatry. After three years of drought, famine and suffering, Elijah confronts the worshippers of Baal on top of Mount Carmel. The God that ‘answers by fire’ was to be declared God. Baal was totally impotent to help his worshippers. Jehovah proved to be the only God! When Elijah prayed, the fire fell. It was not an ordinary fire! It was the fire of the Lord!!! Lesson: The greatest need in the church today is not money, or gifted men, it is revival, the power from on high or the fire of the Lord. It is the symbol of the presence and power of God. What is the difference between a Spirit filled Christian and a backslider? It is the fire of God! The Christian on fire is passionate, holy, and pure for Jesus! Elijah did some things before the fire fell. To experience revival, we must do the same.
1-The fire fell when the man of God became courageous and confronted sin!
People hate changes. They were blindly following Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah came to them and confronted them: “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word” (1Kg 18:21). The people were brought to a decision because they have suffered for three and a half years. God humbled them. They are now willing to change. Elijah also has learned that he is nothing and God is Everything. God is now ready to use Elijah! Three times we read the words; ‘Elijah is here!’ Revival starts with courageous faith!
2-The fire fell when the altar was rebuilt
Elijah did not use the new altars Jezebel made. The people ignored the old altars. He repaired the old unused altar. Elijah waited until ‘the evening sacrifice’. He wanted to pray and offer the sacrifice at the same time as the worship done in the temple at Jerusalem. He wanted to keep the unity of the Spirit. The altar was made of natural stones, not polished stone (Ex 20:22-26). Lesson: God rejects the work of men for salvation. God wants the worshippers to be humble as they bring sacrifices to Him. The Altar stands for Christ.
3-The fire fell when the sacrifice was presented.
The priests of Baal killed the bull and threw it carelessly on their altar. Confusion followed. But Elijah did everything in order, obeying God’s Word. “And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood” (v 33). Lesson: every piece of our lives is to be surrendered to God. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:1, 2).
4-The fire fell when the water was poured
Because of the drought, more than silver or gold, water was the most expensive thing that day. Elijah commanded: pour water! “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water” (v 34, 35). True worship is expensive. Praise is a sacrifice! We must worship God from an overflow of love!
5-The fire fell when prayer was made
Finally, after everything was properly set, Elijah ‘came near and prayed 63 words in English. The words in Hebrew are even less than that. The prayer lasted 20 seconds. He prayed to the point. He did not pray for those who forsook God. He prayed that God would glorify Himself. That is a prayer from a pure heart with 100% faith. Elijah did not want to use God’s fire to become famous. It was all for the glory of God. “And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again” (1 Kings 18:36, 37). This is one of the greatest prayers in the Bible! Elijah prayed! Elijah prayed to the unchangeable God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. He prayed that God would vindicate His name, that He is God. He prayed that God would confirm that he, Elijah is God’s faithful servant who has obeyed God’s Word. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jam 5:16). The prophets of Ball prayed for hours but none answered them. Elijah prayed for 20 seconds, and the fire came down.
‘Then’ (and only then), the fire of the Lord came. This is not an ordinary fire. It was the fire that came from God in heaven. Natural fire goes upwards. But this fire came down. It destroyed everything in its path. The fire first consumed the sacrifice, not the wood. Secondly, it consumed the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water. The fire did not fall on the people, but on the sacrifice. Jesus died on the Cross that we may not die. Nothing resists God’s fire. It is the fire of judgment on sin. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). All the people fell down worshipping and acknowledging that Jehovah is the only God! After this mighty manifestation of God’s presence, the long-awaited rain came on the land! Both in judgment and blessings, God alone is God! Lesson: if we fulfill the conditions, revival will come to this nation! Amen!
Elijah was a man of faith, “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness… escaped the edge of the sword” (Heb 11:33, 34). Elijah was like us, with natural weaknesses but he was also a man of prayer. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (Jam 5:17, 18). Too many Christians worship a God that is too small to be the God of the Bible!
The altar and the sacrificed bull on the altar, are symbols of Christ. The Fire of God that consumed all is a proof the God has accepted the altar and the sacrifice on it. Christ crucified is the sacrifice and the Cross is the Altar. The resurrection of Christ proved that God has accepted the sacrifice of His Son. At Pentecost, the Fire came from heaven as proof that God has accepted the sacrifice of Christ and so, the Church was born.
There were seven thousand men who did not bow their knees to Baal. But these men were afraid and hid in the mountains. They did not encourage Elijah. They did not stand with him in public. Elijah did not even know that they existed. It is said that the most painful word in English is ‘alone’. Elijah stood alone! He stood before Satan and his servants. He stood alone against King Ahab and four hundred and fifty priests of Baal. Elijah was a great man. Elijah was not a clown in the church! He was a solo voice without a choir, singing God’s praise in the wilderness. Elijah was a voice in the desert. He was not an echo or a parrot. He was a man who knew his God! Lesson: ‘One with God is majority’ (Martin Luther). If we fulfill the conditions, we’ll experience revival! Amen! Worship the Lord!
Long ago, I discovered that I was an eagle. But I was afraid of the heights. I knew that God was calling me to go and meet with Him, nest with Him on the mountains of grace and glory. But I played safe. I decided to only admire His beauty from afar. I read books of ‘how to fly for dummies’. I imagined the best but I held tight to what was available to me in my little world. I convinced myself that refusing to fly is called ‘humility’. I was waiting for God to reward me for this…
Until one day… my heart became too small for the cage I put myself in. The tightness over my chest suffocated me. I tried to still be ‘humble’ but I could not. I was limiting God and myself. The moment came when I knew that I have to make a choice: Break my heart or break my cage. I chose to break the cage. My lungs needed to breath the air above. My ears needed to tune in the silence of the blue sky. My eyes blinked with wonder.
I saw my dream come true. The angels were rehearsing and editing the song I composed on earth, while breaking the cage. I was free! I knew that I was free! Glory to the One who has no equal! Glory to my Savior, Jesus Christ!
My people, rejoice with me! And I say again, rejoice!
Marriage “is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph 5:32, 33)
OUR TESTIMONY AS A MARRIED COUPLE
Marriage is more than a marriage certificate. It is more spiritual than physical. The Bible calls marriage ‘a great mystery’. No one can describe it in human words. But one thing is clear: without God, marriage will fail. My husband and I are happily married for 45 years. God alone takes the glory for our strong and happy marriage. We have made many mistakes along the way, and we have learned many lessons from them. The Bible is our ‘marriage manual’. As a wife, it is my duty to know the general principles of life by which my husband ‘operates’. These principles are not legalistic, cold or rigid. As my husband matures spiritually, these ideas change for the better. I have to change too so that there is no ‘gap’ between us. It is like tango dancing… It is my duty to study my husband and analyze his way of life, his strategy of life. I prayerfully listen when he talks. I want to know ‘from where he comes from and where he is going’. I want to know why he says this or that. If I hear something that I consider ‘wrong’, I pray for wisdom, to understand ‘his point of view’. I do not rigidly or blindly insist on my ‘better’ opinion, even if ‘I am right’. What I may see as wrong may be something he considers as good. Many things are relatives. Like my husband says when he preached from Romans 14, these are ‘matters of indifference’. The truth is that family and social background influence our choices.
For example, if my husband tells me how he expects me to behave in a particular situation, if I agree with him, then it is easy, for the two of us. But if I see things differently, it is hard for me to submit to what I consider ‘wrong’. What do I do? As a young wife I used to correct him immediately saying: ‘Sorry, I do not agree with you. What about my way?’ Then we argue to and fro for some time, provoking and becoming angry with one another. It will take a long time to forgive and forget the hurt caused by such arguments. But as time went by, I learned to be more patient with him and with myself. I learned to humble myself and to see things from his perspective too. I now know that I do not have to be right all the time. These days, if he says something I disagree with, I keep calm and quiet. I meditate on his proposal trying to find the good in it and ‘a common ground’. Then I go and pray. I ask God to show me why does my husband sees this matter so differently than me. God helps me to understand him. This is great gain! God helps me to submit and to love him even when it is hard. Marriage is work. Lazy people should not marry. Prayer is more important than food or sex. The reason why I take all this trouble to understand my husband is not because I want to submit and please him only for today. I want to understand him as a person so that things will be easier between us in the future. For me, each pain must go to God in prayer and become a seed of love, for a deeper knowing and appreciation of my husband. Submission is my harvest of wisdom and love. To God be all the glory!
(I wrote this article in 2019. We took the picture same year. In 2020, my beloved husband suddenly went to heaven. I now continue the ministry as a pastor alone. But the marriage principles I described are still useful to any married couple. Thank God for everything. God bless you all!)
This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached the first sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; John 1:17; 8:1-12.
The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. These basic laws play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity. The Ten Commandments appear in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The Ten Commandments are also called God’s Law, or simply, ‘The Law’. They are like ‘instructions’ for electronic equipment. If you want to ‘function’ well in this life, study these Laws and obey them. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. But the reality is that because all men are born sinners, they are lawless too. They hate God and His Word. That is why there is individual and national sin, which brings much confusion and sorrow.
The Ten Commandments have influenced the behavior of people and the law system of humanity more than any other document. History has proven that every man who obeyed these commandments and every nation that made them part of their constitution, have become better and more civilized. Every man or nation that rejected them, became worse. This is enough reason for us to study them and obey them. There are some arguments about these Laws. America insists on separation of religion and state. They rejected the display of the Ten Commandments in public places like schools or court rooms. It is said that since they rejected the Ten Commandments the behavior of the people is getting worse.
WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
*The Ten Commandments are part of the Bible!
First, we study them because they are part of the unfailing Word of God. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom 15:4). God’s Word is the best Teacher. It has the power to give us faith and hope like no other word. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2Tim 3:16, 17). The Word of God is profitable for growth in grace and knowledge. This is the way we learn how to serve God and do ministry. Most people are spiritually ignorant. They think that they are religious, or that they are Christians, but they cannot quote any of the Ten Commandments.
It is a great mistake to think that because we are Christians, and we read the New Testament, therefore, we don’t need the Old Testament anymore. The truth is that you can only understand the New Testament in the light of the Old. The early church started and grew from the study of the Old Testament. Selah!
*Obeying God’s Law produces spiritual fruit. It is the only way to prove that you are truly born again, and that you worship God!
Some Christians insist that because we are under grace, we do not need to obey the Law now. This is a mistake because Law and Grace are both from God, and each has a different function to perform. “Though a Christian is not under the condemning power of the Law, yet he is under its commanding power” (Thomas Watson, puritan preacher, 1620-1626). Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn 14:15). The only way you can prove that you love Jesus is by obeying His Commandments. No religious unbeliever can obey God’s Commands. It is only in Christ, by Grace and thru Faith you can obey God’s Law. Once you become saved, for the first time in your life you receive the power to obey God’s Law. Jesus said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17). To fulfill it means to obey, to execute, to finish, or to satisfy something. The Law and the Prophets together mean the whole Old Testament. Christ said that He came to perfectly obey God’s Law in the Old Testament. Christ is the only Man who obeyed the Law. Selah!
*Obeying God’s Law proves that His people are holy, wise, understanding, and different than the world
Moses said: “Surely, I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore, be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?” (Deut 4:5-8). Lawless people are rebellious and foolish. Believers should obey God’s Law. This is how they become loving, patient, and wiser than the world. Glory to God!
THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND WHEN THE LAW WAS GIVEN
God’s people stayed in Egypt for about 400 years. Initially they were free, and they prospered in Goshen. Later, the Egyptians enslaved and oppressed them. God allowed them to become slaves as a punishment because they served the Egyptian gods alongside Jehovah. At the fullness of time, God sends Moses to deliver them. God judged the gods of Egypt with ten plagues. During the Passover night, the people of God are protected by faith in the blood of the lambs sacrificed for them. At last, defeated, Pharoah allows them to go to worship God in the wilderness. About 4 million people leave Egypt. This is called The Exodus. The Egyptians pursue them, to bring them back to slavery. God uses the rod in Moses’ hand to divide the Red Sea. By faith in God, the people pass through the sea as on dry ground. The Egyptians pursue them but the Sea closes on them and they are all drowned. God’s people celebrate the mighty victory of their freedom from slavery and praise God. From this moment on, God shall be known as the God who saved them out from Egypt. Three months later they arrive at Mount Sinai. Here, God gives them The Ten Commandments and other laws. He tells them that if they obey His Commands, they will be His special people. The people promised to obey God’s Laws. “Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. So, Moses came and called for the elders of the people and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do” (Ex 19:3-8).
Moses tells the people that God will come to meet with them on the third day. They must do two things: sanctify themselves (they must wash their clothes and abstain from sexual relations) and they should fear God (not touch the mountain). Thru these laws, God tells them that He is Holy and Sovereign. Lesson: You must be spiritually prepared to meet with God. On the third day God comes down on Mount Sinai, through thundering, lightnings, fire, smoke, thick cloud, and loud sound of trumpets. Moses goes up and down the mountain, a mediator between God and man. In this role, Moses is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. God who gives him the Ten Commandments and other laws. From now on, God’s people have God’s Law. They are people of Covenant. They have the responsibility to study God’s Law and obey it. Ignorance of the Law is not an excuse for disobedience. Obedience brings God’s blessings. Disobedience brings curses and punishments. The Law came without mercy!
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (THE LAW)?
Before we look at the purpose of the Law, let us look at what the Law is not supposed to do.
*The Law is not given to bring man into a relationship with God. Just before giving the Ten Commandments, God has already told them that they are His special people. During the Ten Commandments, God introduces Himself as ‘I am the Lord, your God’. The people of Israel have been in a relationship with God since the time of Abraham. That covenant relationship was by grace and through faith in God.
*The Law of God was not given to save men. Obeying the Law does not take you to heaven. Apostle Paul said: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Gal 2:16, 17). Man has always been justified by the grace of God and thru faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation has always been a gift from God. Obeying the law is called ‘works’. No man can ‘work’ his way to heaven. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8, 9). Obeying the law cannot save you because that obedience will make you proud and you will boast before God.
The Law of God, the Ten Commandments, in particular, are given to us for the following reasons:
1-To know who God is! His character, what He likes and what He hates. God hates sin! The Ten Commandments are God’s will to make us holy, wise, clean, disciplined, and righteous. God gave the Law, but He did not give men the power to obey it. Only the believers can obey God’s Law.
2-The Law was given to bring the fear of God in man! When God gave the Law, it was with thundering and lighting. Then the people ran away. Moses told them that God wants them to fear Him. “Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin” (Ex 20:20).
3-To know what sin is! The Law reveals the sinfulness of sin. The Law convicts a sinner of sin and of his need for a Savior. The Law must do its work of convicting before a sinner can appreciate the Grace of our Savior Jesus Christ. “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:19, 20). “They must be slain by the Law before they can be made alive by the Gospel” (Charles Spurgeon).
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Rom 7:7-17).
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:3, 4).
4-The Law leads us to Christ, to the Gospel! Christ leads us back to the Law and helps us to obey it by the power of the Holy Spirit!
“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal 3:19-25)
‘The Law leads to the Gospel and the Gospel leads to the Law’ (Charles Wesley). The Law of God is like a mirror. It shows your stains, but it cannot wash them away. The Gospel of Christ Crucified is the basin filled with water so that we can wash the stains of sin. This basin is filled with the Blood of Christ. As you can see, knowing God’s Law is not enough. We need to obey it! But no sinner can obey God’s Law! The Law is good and holy but the sin inside the heart weakens the will. Knowing the Law does not come with the power to obey the Law. That is why we see doctors who drink alcohol, lawyers who are taken to court, financial gurus who are in debt and pastors who are divorced. They know and teach the Law, but they have no strength to obey it. Power to obey comes only thru the Holy Spirit to the believers in Christ! Selah
5- To restrain sin and evil in the world. The Ten Commandments have influenced human behavior for thousands of years. Thru them, men learn to fear God. Evil is restrained through the authorities that govern the nations. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake” (Rom 13:1-5).
*God gave Moses moral laws (the Ten Commandments and others) and ceremonial laws (for the priests in the tabernacle, how to serve God).
*These are commands and not some vague suggestions. They do not start with the word ‘if’. God demands total and instant obedience.
*These are God’s standards and cannot be adjusted to please men. The Law is the holy will of God. It shows how God wants man to be.
*The Ten Commandments show the great distance between God’s standard for man and man’s standard for himself.
*The Ten Commandments never made a man to be a sinner. The Law only reveals sin in man. The Law does not produce sin.
*These commands are personal. They are directed at the individual and not at a group of people or a nation.
*In the Ten Commandments God introduces Himself as their Savior. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Ex 20:2).
THE SINFUL WOMAN RECEIVES GRACE (John 8:1-12) GO AND SIN NO MORE!
This is a story of judgment, of confrontation between Law and Grace. Grace wins! The Pharisees caught a woman in the act of adultery. They let the man who committed adultery with her go away and they bring only the woman to Jesus. They want Jesus to judge her. One of the Ten Commandments says: ‘You shall not commit adultery’ (Ex 20:14). God’s Law also says that a person caught in adultery should be stoned to death. “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death” (Lev 20:10). The Pharisees don’t care about the woman. They want to disgrace Jesus. This is a clever trap. If Jesus says: ‘let her go’ they will accuse Him of breaking the Law of Moses. If Jesus says: ‘stone, her!’ He will break the Law of the Romans who were masters in the land. The Romans did not allow the Jews to condemn a person to death without their approval. This situation brought Jesus under great pressure. But Jesus knew what was in their hearts. They have been judging Him all along. These are some of their accusations: They said that Jesus have not studied theology (Jn 7:15) and that He has a demon (Jn 7:20). They said that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because He comes from the wrong place (Jn 7:27), that His witness is not true (Jn 8:13), and that He is a Samaritan (Jn 8:48).
These Pharisees brought this woman to Jesus to test Him and accuse Him. In this story the Pharisees, filled with anger, self-righteousness, envy, and pride, stand as the judges, not only to the woman but to Jesus. Who is the judge and who is the accused? Jesus stoops down and writes on the ground with His finger ‘as though He did not hear’ them. The same finger of God who wrote the Ten Commandments now writes on the ground. We do not know what Jesus writes. But we see the royal calmness of Jesus. By stopping and writing on the ground, he changes the atmosphere of the scene. His silence has authority. None speaks. None moves. The very presence of Jesus stops evil men. Holding stones in their hands, the accusers wait for Jesus to speak. Jesus needed a Word of wisdom from the Father. He got it. Standing, the Judge of all men now speaks. This is His verdict: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” The courtroom is now silent as a graveyard. The judges have been dismissed. The true Judge as spoken. Jesus is the light of the world. “The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]” (Jn 1:5; AMP). The accusers now stand accused. Light has exposed the sin in their darkened hearts. They drop the stones and one by one, the older ones first, they leave the woman and go away. All this time, Jesus goes back to write on the ground. He ignores them as they leave. They go away leaving behind a heap of stones. They go away leaving behind their only source of Grace, Truth and Light for salvation. They go away into the darkness from where they came. It is a sad scene. To abandon Jesus and go away is a mortal sin.
Only two people are left in the empty court room: Jesus and the woman. All this time Jesus did not look at the woman. He allowed the Law to finish its work. Now, He stands and looks in her eyes. This is the time for Grace. Jesus is the tender merciful Judge. He pities the lonely, ashamed, frighten and trembling sinner. He wants her to say that no more accusers are left. He says He does not accuse her of this sin. But Jesus also tells her: “go and sin no more”. Grace speaks. Jesus does not condone or cover her sin. His Grace is available to humble men who repent of their sins. He gives them the power to ‘sin no more’. Here you see that Grace does not ignore sin. Grace speaks and acts with total authority because Blood was shed. Jesus died that this woman might be saved. That is why Grace has total authority. This is the eternal Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. Jesus is the Judge and He is the Savior. “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom” (2Tim 4:1). Jesus did not condemn but He also did not compromise! Jesus is a Friend of Sinners (Matt 11:19). But Jesus is also ‘separate from sinners’ (Heb 7:26). What a Savior!
The Pharisees thought that Jesus has only two options. To break Moses’ Law or Caesar’s Law. They did not believe that Jesus is God and God is limitless in options. Nobody can trap God! Jesus not only escape their trap, but He changes the tables in this drama. It is Jesus that ‘traps’ them!
By dropping the stones and walking away, the Pharisees have lost the respect of the crowd because they seem to have compromised with the Law of Moses. Jesus gives the woman an opportunity for repentance. His goodness leads to repentance (Rom 2:4). Jesus also reminds her of the Justice of God. He tells her never to do this again. We do not only see the Mercy of God, but we must respond to the mercy of God!
Green Pastures 