1. WHAT IS THE SUMMARY OF THE FIRST THREE COMMANDMENTS, OR
OF THE FIRST TABLE OF THE LAW?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
* Matt. 22:37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
The first three commandments demand perfect love to God of
everyone of us.
The First Commandment
* THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.
2. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS COMMANDMENT ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) Is. 42:8. I am the Lord; that is My name; and My glory
will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.
(b) John 5:23. All men should honor the Son, even as they
honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the
Father
which hath sent Him.
(c) Eph. 5:5. (No) covetous man, who is an idolater, hath
any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
(d) Ps. 33:8. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the
inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
(d) Gen. 39:9. How, then, can I do this great wickedness,
and sin against God ?
*(e) Prov. 23:26. My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes
observe My ways.
(f) Prov. 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
We should NOT
(A) Regard or worship any creature as God;
(B) Believe in a god who is not the Triune God;
(C) Give the first place in our hearts and lives to any person
or thing ( money, pleasure, reason, etc.) by fearing, loving, or
trusting
in it as we should fear, love, and trust in God alone.
(The sin forbidden in this commandment
is called idolatry.)
We SHOULD
(D) Fear God above all things; that is, we should with our
whole heart revere Him as the highest Being, honor Him with our lives,
and avoid what displeases Him.
(E) Love God above all things; that is, we should with our
whole heart cling to Him as to our God and gladly devote our lives to
His
service.
(F) Trust in God above all things; that is, we should with
our whole heart commit our lives to His keeping and rely upon Him for
help
in every need. (The fulfillment of all commandments must flow from fear
and love to God.)
The Second Commandment.
* THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD, THY GOD, IN VAIN.
3. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS COMMANDMENT ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) Ex. 20:7. The Lord will not hold him guiltless that
taketh
His name in vain. (God's name is not only every name by which he has
made
Himself known - God, Lord, Jesus Christ, etc.- but also every statement
in which He tells us about Himself.)
(b) Rom. 12:14. Bless, and curse not.
(c) Lev. 19:12. Ye shall not swear by My name falsely.
(d) Lev. 19:31. Regard not them that have familiar spirits,
neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your
God.
(e) Jer. 23:31. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the
Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
(f) Matt. 15:8. This people draweth nigh unto Me with their
mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.
*(g) Matt. 10:32. Whosoever ... shall confess Me before men, him
will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.
(h) 1 Thess. 5:17. Pray without ceasing.
(i) Ps. 103:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is
within me, bless His holy name.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
We should NOT
(A) Employ any name of God uselessly or carelessly, or use
any statement of the Bible in jest.
(B) Curse by God's name; (Cursing; Speaking evil of God or
mocking Him; calling down God's anger and punishment upon any person or
thing.)
(C) Swear sinful oaths by God's name; (Swearing; Calling upon
God to witness the truth of what we say or promise and to punish us if
we lie or break our promise. Swearing is permitted, and even
required,
when it is necessary for the glory of God or the welfare of our fellow
man. Example: In court. But all swearing which is done falsely,
thoughtlessly,
or in sinful, uncertain, and unimportant matters, is forbidden.)
(D) Use witchcraft by God's name; (Using witchcraft:
Performing
supernatural things with the help of the devil, or seeking the aid of
people
who practice such satanic arts. Examples: Fortune-telling,
spiritualism,
using God's name or Word without His command or promise to heal
sickness.)
(E) Lie by God's name: (Lying by God's name: Teaching false
doctrine and saying that it is God's Word. -False prophets.)
(F) Deceive by God's name. (Deceiving by God's name: Covering
up an unbelieving heart or a sinful life by a show of piety. -
Hypocrites.)
We SHOULD use the name of God by
(G) Boldly confessing it;
(H) Praying to God;
(I) Praising Him.
The Third Commandment.
*THOU SHALT SANCTIFY THE HOLY DAY.
Old Testament: REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY TO KEEP IT HOLY.
4. WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES TEACH OF THE SABBATH, SUNDAY, AND
OTHER HOLY DAYS ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) Matt. 12:8. The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath
day.
(a) Col. 2:16, 17. Let no man therefore judge you in
meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon,
or
of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come; but the body
is of Christ.
(b) Gal. 4:10, 11. Ye observe days, and months, and times,
and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you
labor
in vain.
(c) Acts 2:42. They continued steadfastly in the
apostles'
doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
(A) The Sabbath and other holy days commanded to Israel are
not binding upon Christians. (Our worship is an expression of our love
for Jesus.)
(B) God did not command us Christians to keep any certain
day.
(C) We observe Sunday and other church festivals in order
to have time and opportunity for public worship. (The early Christians
observed the first day of the week because Christ arose from the dead
on
a Sunday.)
5. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE THIRD COMMANDMENT ?
THE BIBLE SAYS -
(a) John 8:47. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye
therefore
hear them not because ye are not of God.
*(a) Luke 10:16. He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that
despiseth
you despiseth Me; and
he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me.
(b) Is. 66:2. To this man will I look, even to him that is
poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My Word.
(c) Ps. 26:8. Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house,
and the place where Thine honor dwelleth.
(c) Col. 3:16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.
(d) Heb. 13:17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and
submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must
have
account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is
unprofitable for you.
(d) Gal. 6:6. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate
unto him that teacheth in all good things.
(e) Mark 16:15. Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel
to every creature.
FROM THIS WE LEARN -
We should NOT
(A) Neglect the use of the preached and written Word of God
and the Ordinances.
We SHOULD
(B) Hold preaching and the Word of God sacred;
(C) Gladly hear, learn, and meditate upon it;
(D) Honor and support the ministers of the Word;
(E) spread the Word of God by doing and supporting mission
work.
Before the Next Lesson
FILL OUT Work Sheet No. 7.
MEMORIZE the Bible passages marked with an asterisk (*).
READ Genesis, chapters 43-49.
(B) Name some churches which are condemned by this passage
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(B) How does the hypocrite deceive by God's name ? ______________________________
I need _____________________________________________________________