Question 47: Where is the obedience of faith given in summary form?

Answer: A summary form of the obedience of faith is given in the Ten Commandments.

Day 1: The Ten Commandments

Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 10:4

This week we turn from the natural moral law to God’s moral law written down in the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are initially given in Exodus 20:1-17, but this listing is not the total of God’s moral law. Beginning in Exodus 20:22 and ending in Exodus 31 God gives a more thorough explanation of His moral law that includes more practical guidelines in how the Ten Commandments are to be fulfilled. We see further in the Prophets, in the Gospels, and in the Epistles that the nature of God’s moral law continues to be given. The Ten Commandments simply serve as a summary of all that God requires of man. By summary it is meant that the Ten Commandments are not the end of the revealed will of God, rather the beginning of it. The pursuit of holiness takes us much further than words written on tablets of stone (2 Corinthians 3:3).

In Exodus 32, we have recorded what the assembly of the people was doing at the foot of Mount Sinai while Moses was receiving his final instruction from God. Of course, they were fashioning for themselves a golden calf to worship. This Chapter speaks volumes on the wrath of God on His chosen people and the righteous indignation of Moses on the people that he loved dearly. God’s wrath burned hot and rightfully they deserved to be consumed (verse 10). But His promise to the people from Abraham to Moses would stand, so He relented (verse 14). This is the assurance spoken of by Paul in Romans 8:31-39. Whom God has chosen to keep He will keep, in spite of their “turning aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them” (Exodus 32:8) and their being “a stiff-necked people” (32:9). In the exchange that follows (verses 11-13), we see the love of Moses for the people pleading to God on their behalf. Moses felt some of that same wrath toward the people (verse 19) which resulted in the deaths of three thousand (verse 28). But Moses’ desire was still to atone for the sins of the people (verse 30) even if it meant giving up eternal life himself (verse 32). By the way, we see the qualities of a true leader on display in these verses.

In Exodus 33, we see the instruction to leave Mount Sinai and go to the Promise Land. But God would not go in their midst to guide them (verses 1-3). The people repented and His presence was promised (verses 4-17), a great display of His grace toward the people. In verses 18 – 23, we have the interesting account of God revealing His glory to Moses.

In Exodus 34, we see a renewing of the covenant of God to these decedents of Abraham. In verse 28, we see that Moses was on Mount Sinai with the LORD for forty days and forty nights. This was a time that Moses spent with the LORD in need of nothing else, but His presence. God sustained Moses during this time. There was no need of food and water (reference Matthew 4:1-4, Exodus 24:18). We see that God again wrote on the tablets. Remember that Moses in his righteous anger threw down the first set and broke them (Exodus 32:19). God personally wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets. In Exodus 31:18, we see that the first set was given to Moses with writing that came from the “finger of God.” And in Exodus 32:16, we see that the tablets were the “work of God” and that the writing was that of “God engraved on the tablets.” This is a literal picture of how God inspires (expiration) His word to His people (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This same scenario is repeated with the second set of tablets. In Exodus 34:1, God tells Moses that “I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets.”

The writing on these tablets is characterized in two ways here. First as the “words of the covenant.” The covenant that God made with Abraham (Genesis 15:18) and Isaac and Jacob is renewed here with Moses. We see the best description of the covenant in Exodus 19:4-6 where God speaks beyond just the physical nation of Abraham to a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the special people that God bore “on eagles’ wings” and brought them to Himself (reference also Deut. 7). God’s revelation and presence would such be with these people that the holy demands of God would become clearer. The writing is also characterized as the Ten Commandments or literally the Ten Words that refers to the summary of the law given in Exodus 20:1-17. This direct revelation of the law of God would serve to produce again a clearer picture of the holiness of God for the nation of Israel.

In Deuteronomy 10:4, Moses is in the midst of recounting to the people their history with God in covenant with them. The time is just before the invasion of the Promised Land and after the death of Aaron (10:6). Moses is speaking to a new generation of Israelites, the earlier generation having passed away due to unbelief (Numbers 14:11-25). It was important that they could look upon the Arc of the Covenant and know that the tablets inside were the very work of God, and not some fable derived by their ancestors (Deut. 10:5). The fire in verse 4 simply shows that the glory of God was present and shinning on the mountain that something of a supernatural work of God was taking place on the mountain in the presence of the people who were assembled at the foot of the mountain (Exodus 20:18).

Again, the covenant that God made with the children of Israel is reinforced here in a very personal way: “He wrote on the tablets,” “the LORD had spoken to you,” and “the LORD gave them to me.” Sadly, the nation of Israel would loose this personal nature of the law and begin to legalistically follow laws written on cold hard stones, rather than pursuing the very heart of God. As Jesus said, they became no more than whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27).

1. Considering our catechism last week concerning the unwritten moral law, what is the advantage to having the written law? What is the responsibility?

2. Review the Ten Commandments with your children. How do we stack up to God’s written moral law? You may want to begin memorizing these. After we have done all of the catechisms, we should be able to quote all ten.

Day 2: Seeking the Commandments by Faith

Romans 9:32

Today we will consider the question, “where did Israel go wrong?” They wrongly pursued the Law as a means of righteousness rather than seeing that faith in God is the means of righteousness (Romans 4:5). Once saved by faith (and only then) can we pursue the works righteousness that God has prepared for us before hand (Ephesians 2:10).

Chapter 9 of Romans is preceded by the great chapter of eternal security (Romans 8). Chapter 8 has the front bookend of “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (verse 1). The following verses speak to the resulting freedom from the curse of the Law and the liberation of the indwelling Spirit. Chapter 8 has the bookend on the backside of “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (verses 37-39). God has all of the power necessary (and abundantly more) to keep all of His children.

Paul turns in chapter 9 to the subject of Israel’s rejection of Christ as the Messiah. We must realize two basic facts concerning the nation of Israel. First, we note their historic rebellion against God. The proverbial ink was not even dry on the first copy of the Ten Commands when they were found to be worshipping a golden calf. From that point it only got worse: delayed entry into the Promised Land, occupation by Pagan invaders, and exile. The second fact we see espoused here in these verses of Romans 9. Any blessing they received unto righteousness was the result of God’s sovereign will. God chooses those vessels of honor and dishonor even to extend favor to the Gentiles (verse 24). Verses 30 –31 place a strong emphasis upon this fact. The Jews with the Law and the promises of God were still depraved and in need of a personal act of God’s grace. On the other hand, God showed mercy even to the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness. The message is quite clear: even those with all of the advantages of the Law still cannot by their own choice find righteousness apart from God first choosing them.

In verse 32, we see that the final revelation of the depravity of the Jews is seen in their rejection of the Messiah. So much of Israel’s history, prophets, and even the Law itself point to a Great Deliverer. Yet He came and was “despised and rejected by men”, even His own people (Isaiah 53:3, Luke 4:28-30). Why did they not attain to righteousness as Paul asks? They did not seek it (ek = out of) by faith (pistis). They failed to see that even Abraham’s righteousness came by faith and not of any law (especially since none was yet given). Rather they sought their righteousness through works (ergon = work, deeds, acts) of the law. All that the law can do is show guilt, not save (Romans 3:19-20).

Paul goes on to say that they stumbled (proskopto) at that stumbling (proskomma) stone. Verse 33 makes it clear that this stumbling stone was Christ Himself. The One who came as Savior they could not believe in, rather He would ultimately be in their way of their self-righteousness, but ultimately will be the stumbling block that judges them. Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 makes all this clear. The crucified Christ as the sole source of righteousness makes since to Jews or Gentiles only when God effectually calls them. Peter further explains in 1 Peter 2:8 that this “stone of stumbling” and “rock of offense” will be the judge of those appointed to wrath (appointed to wrath due to their disobedience). The picture is of a man walking down the road and suddenly trips upon a rock in his path and falls. He will either curse the rock, get up with his own power and continue on his way or in falling he sees that stone is a great treasure and sells everything to possess it (Matthew 13:45-46).

In the final analysis, even when presented with the long awaited Deliverer face to face, the Israelites were too depraved to choose righteousness by faith in Him. Or as it was put in Jesus’ account of the rich man and Lazarus, “neither will they be persuaded though one rise form the dead” (Luke 23:31).

Discuss the following with your family:

1. Discuss how God’s shows His mercy on whom He has mercy, but that He shows mercy beyond ethnic and religious borders.

2. Quiz your children on how they value Christ as a stumbling stone or the Chief Cornerstone.

Day 3: The Gospel and the Law

Hebrews 3:18-19, 4:2

Today’s lesson is very similar to that of yesterday in that we will see with all the privileges afforded to the nation Israel, they still chose their own righteousness over Christ’s due to unbelief.

The writer’s thoughts in Hebrews go back to 3:7-15 where he pleads with the Jews to believe “Today” in fear that their hearts might be hardened. The writer is making a reference here using the time just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14). The spies had reported that the land was all that God had promised except that there was one obstacle, giants. Caleb and Joshua trusted God and reported that the God that delivered them from Egypt certainly could overcome the inhabitants of Canaan. The other ten spies reported in fear that there was no way to defeat these people. The Israelites were deceived in their own hearts and listened to the ten, rebelled against God and did not enter the Promised Land. The writer parallels this historical account to the gospel message.

In verses 16-17, the writer emphasizes that the one’s who died in the wilderness were those who had heard the promises of God and witnessed His deliverance first hand, but still rebelled against Him in unbelief. Verses 18-19 continue on the same theme that it was their unbelief that kept them out of “His rest.” His rest is a parallel to the Promised Land. Rest is katapausis in the Greek meaning a resting place or metaphorically spiritual reconciliation with God, an abundant contented life now on Earth, and a dwelling place for eternity in the presence of God. Of course the parallel here is to how the descendents of these very same Israelites are now missing out on God’s promise yet again even though they have been highly privileged. They missed out because they would not obey. The expression “not obey” in the Greek is apeitheo meaning not to allow one's self to be persuaded, to refuse or withhold belief, to refuse obedience, and not to comply with. God’s promises were laid before them yet they had to act upon them in faith. They chose to rebel. In verse 19 this statement of unbelief is emphasized with the Greek apistos meaning unfaithful, faithless, without trust, and unbelieving.

In Hebrews 4:2, the writer makes this parallel of unbelief to the gospel. He first makes a statement to the general call of the gospel. The rebellious Jews as well as the redeemed Jews had heard the gospel message. Both believing and unbelieving Jews had been evangelized (gospel was preached = euaggelizo meaning to bring good news, to announce glad tidings, and to instruct concerning the things that pertain to salvation). But to the rebellious although they heard (akoe) the word (logos) it did not profit (opheleo meaning to assist, to be useful or advantageous, and to profit) them. They did not see that they were in need of a savior “For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Matthew 9:13)

In order to be received as we have studied in the past the gospel must be received in faith (pistis). The word for mixed that the writer uses here in the Greek is sugkerannumi meaning to mix together, commingle, to unite, literally to mix chemicals to react to produce one single compound. The gospel must be received in faith, which can only come from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Here we see the relationship again between faith and works. Like God’s promise of the land of Canaan, the gospel had to be acted upon. Those who had faith entered, while those who did not believe perished. And so it is with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who have faith will act; those who do not act lack the faith to act. In the final analysis, man (even the Jew) is so depraved that it takes a violent act of God in man’s heart to receive His promises in faith whether it is land for a nation or redemption for a sinner.

Discuss the following with your family:

1. Review Numbers 13-14 with your family.

2. Discuss how an Israelite who witnessed God’s power and provision first hand can still rebel. Compare this to those who have the gospel continually and clearly preached to them and lived out before them, yet they still refuse to believe.

Scripture: Hebrews 3:18-19; 4:2; Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 10:4;

Romans 9:32.