a few minutes, let's say it that way. And really I want us to think about a few things before we get into the major part of our lesson today, as we're looking really at the preface to the 10 Commandments, and that's where we're going to spend the corpus of our time. But I wanna, it is good to reflect upon the law of the Lord. It is good, it is beneficial. And we've talked about this, and you will probably hear this a lot, depending upon your relationship to the law, regardless. If you are, as a believer, obviously your relationship to the law is different than if you are an unbeliever, yet it is beneficial for both the unbeliever and believer to reflect upon God's law. Now before we get started, I do want to ask a question and walk through something really quickly, and it's in regards to what we would refer to as the threefold division of the law. The threefold division of the law. Okay, when we think of... Yes, sir, Jonathan. Very good. Can you take a quick second and tell me what is the ceremonial law? And how about the judicial law? All right. If I was to make this blanket statement and say that the law of God has been abrogated, Would that be a true or false statement? False. How about Dr. Renahan? What would you say if I was to make a blanket statement, Dr. Renahan, that the law of God... We would need to talk. I may not have job security. What if there were divisions of the law? that are abrogated. And is that a confessional teaching? Yes. I want to read three paragraphs starting in verse one. The same law that was written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments and written in two tables, the first four containing our duty towards God and the other six, our duty to man. So this is the moral law summarized in the Ten Commandments. Still effective for today? Thank you. Paragraph three, besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws. containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits, and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. all of which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of Reformation, are by Jesus Christ, the true Messiah and only Lawgiver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end." Listen to this, abrogated and taken away. That's in regards now to the ceremonial law. Paragraph four says, to them also he gave sundry judicial, which expired together with the same of the people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution, their general equity only being of moral use. There are some that contend that the threefold division of the law is merely a human construct, When we start dealing with the law folks, we have to be very discerning. To ignore the teaching of scripture is problematic. The doctrine is not a human development, it's a human statement of biblical teaching, okay? And so to deny the doctrine of the threefold division is to deny scripture. even our confession. It is important for us to be able to make those decisions because if we were to try to worship Christ in the same way that they worshipped in the Old Testament, we would actually be violating the law. Yet at this point, because it's fulfilled, it's very important as we're thinking through the law. Now once again, we're coming to The Ten Commandments in particular, we're now looking at the preface. And so if, Jim, would you go ahead and hit that slide for us? So we're clear, there we go. I'll read it, questions 48, 49. We'll get into our lesson this afternoon. Question 48, what is the preface of the Ten Commandments? Answer, the preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Question 49, what doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us? The answer is, the preface to the Ten Commandments teaches us that because God is the Lord and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound We are bound to keep all of His commandments. Once again, we have been in this catechism which expounds on the moral law, summarily found in the Ten Commandments, and obviously now we're going to start focusing in, zeroing in on the Ten Commandments themselves. We have looked at what God requires generally to see basically what is the will of the Lord. We see that His will is summarized. The moral law. The moral law then is summarized in the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are summarized in the dual duty to love God and love neighbor like we talked about last week. The first four commandments, as we even read in our confession, pertains to our duties toward God. The second six commandments pertaining to our duties to neighbor, to others, the obligation to love our neighbor. This afternoon, we're gonna look at this preface of the 10 commandments. Note that the Baptist catechism doesn't jump immediately into the first commandment. Rather, it begins with a preface. Rather, it begins with a beginning statement. Now, there are conditions for this. First, it sets up for us a redemptive historical context in which God gives the Ten Commandments to His people. It's also setting up for us a theological context for our understanding of the law. And we'll continue to come to that in a bit, especially when we get to question 49. But first, I want to consider this obligation, this obligation to the law. Scripture teaches that the law of God, and I want to be clear, and this is why we talked about the division, the moral law is not abrogated. Abrogated means it's not cancelled, it's not put away, it's not done away with. So the Ten Commandments are not something that belonged to just the nation of Israel. It was not limited to just the Old Testament era. Rather, the Ten Commandments are a standard. They're a standard of morality for all mankind for all time. That means that they are subjective. I don't get to have any feelings about it. You understand? It's not that I don't feel like I can obey it or not obey it. It stands of us. They are also transcultural, meaning that they don't just belong to a certain people, although they do have a relationship that is unique to God's people, and we'll get into that. Yet, they do pertain to everyone. That does mean that the moral law is universal. They are binding. They're binding to all mankind. Now think about this with me. Why is it that the moral law stands throughout all history for all the world and for all mankind? Well, the answer lies within who God is. And who God is informs and leads us to what God requires. So there's a connection here between the standards that God is requiring and the very character of God himself. The law, once again, the moral law is a transcript of God's own character. We have a holy God providing us with a holy law that reflects who he is. We can say it this way, who God is determines what he requires. That means that the 10 commandments is not something we can just dispose of or shelve any more than we can put God aside. To dispose or shelve God. Our Lord says in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, verses 17 through 19, He says this, but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same of heaven. This is important. This is important for us to think about and reflect upon. So as we meditate on the preface now, on the Ten Commandments, we want to underline the fact that these Ten Commandments are universal. They are binding on all mankind. They are objective. They're not just something we feel inside of us. They are permanent. That is to say, once again, by now we get it, the moral law will last forever. They belong to all for all time. Why? Because they reflect the very character of God. Now we know that God's moral law is reflected in the Ten Commandments, is binding on all mankind, but there is a specific relationship to God's law and God's people. Those that have been redeemed by God and bear His name have a very particular obligation to obey God. It's like we said last week, your relationship to the law depends upon your relationship to God. If you are unregenerate, and have not placed your faith in Christ, then the Law condemns you. If you are in Christ, in light of the Gospel, and have placed your faith in Him, the Law then, or now, is your guide. In fact, this is what the preface of the Ten Commandments teach us. If the Lord has made you His own, rescued you from the kingdom of darkness, and redeemed you, then you have a special duty to keep the moral law. Not for salvation. I want to say this for clarity's sake so you hear it. Not for salvation, not for justification, but out of obligation. out of loving duty, if you will, as He sanctifies you. Again, question 48 asks, what is the preface to the Ten Commandments? You may ask, well, Brent, what is a preface? A preface is a introductory remark or remarks that sets the stage for what is about to come. The answer from question 48 then comes straight from Scripture taken from Exodus 20 verse 2. Answer, the preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. This is how the Ten Commandments was introduced to Israel and to us as God's people. Now let's quickly discuss the form of the Ten Commandments as a whole to help better understand the significance of this preface. So if you were to look at other laws, other laws that were given to Moses, that were given in the Torah, in the first five books, in the Pentateuch, you would see that they start out most the time by saying, if a man does such and such, If a man does such and such, and then there will be a specific punishment lifted off. Something like, if a man does such and such, he shall be put to death. The Ten Commandments, however, they do not give any specific punishments, and their form are absolute prohibitions. You shall not. They are stated more like timeless principles and obligations. Hence, as we compare the laws written in the Torah with the Ten Commandments, we can see how all the other laws founded or founded upon the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are the principles, if you will, which all the other specific laws are pulled from. Furthermore, The Ten Commandments don't merely instruct us on our moral duty, but they teach us about God. In fact, in the Old Testament, in order to reveal a character or a person, the character of a person, the text or narrative doesn't describe him or her, rather it lets the person speak. And I want you to think about this with me. We learn about the character of person through their own words as you look at Old Testament narrative. This is characterization through conversation. Lord. It is the Lord. It is Yahweh. These are a bold divine discourse to set forth the righteousness of the speaker. Through God's words, we are learning the basic principles and the attributes of our Lord. The Ten Commandments teach us just as much about God as our duty to Him. And this fits with the major theme of Exodus, since even we could go back to chapter 3 when Moses was at burning bush and asked, he asked what? What is your name? In order to do what? To tell the people. Who shall I say sent me? Later, Pharaoh, if you think about the story, man, what a beautiful, beautiful book. Makes me want to go there, but listen, Pharaoh arrogantly did what? He spat. He said, who is Yahweh? I don't know who Yahweh is. Why should I obey him? Therefore, all the plagues, all the wonders done in Egypt was teaching Egypt, was teaching Israel, and was teaching us about the Lord. And it was showing ultimately, and we'll get into this in a second, when we start looking at the first and second of the law, in particular in regards to worship, in regards to how Yahweh was to be the only one in what? In distinction against the gods of Egypt? The Lord speaks the Ten Commandments to further our education about who He is. We are learning about God here, brothers and sisters. Thus the Lord opens with a self-presentation, which is our preface. He says, I am Yahweh, your Lord. The Lord is telling us about Himself. Thus this self-presentation fits then really what we would call the royal pattern. This is what kings do. I am Yahweh, your God, presents the Lord as King. He is the divine monarch and sovereign, and there is to be no other. Yahweh is the name of God's self-existence, His transcendence, His eternality, and His covenant-making with His people. So also, Yahweh is our God. He is our God, which means we belong to him. He owns and he possesses us as a people. Even though the whole world belongs to the Lord, he is the God of his people and in a very special and in a very unique way. God's relationship with us then is not general, brothers and sisters. It is personal. It is truly intimate. It is distinct. So after presenting himself, I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt. Now this is foundational to our relationship with the Lord. This passage in Exodus reveals that the Lord is what? He is our Redeemer. He's our Savior. And you hear it often from me, but you should hear it again and again. He is our divine warrior. Now think about question 49. What does the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us? The preface to the Ten Commandments teaches us that because God is the Lord and our God and Redeemer, therefore... Because the Lord has redeemed the Christian. There is an additional layer of obligation that we have toward Him. He has bought us with a price, the greatest price of all, the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. This then should instill in us a sense of gratitude, a sense of sincere love, His mercy, His grace, all the things that He has given us to fuel our ambition, our longing, our priorities to please and to glorify Him. Let me ask, will we do this perfectly on this side of heaven? Please answer. Of course not. Of course not. Our inability as Christians to obey the law, does that mean we should minimize that perfect standard? No. So I said, there is this historical, or we could say redemptive context, and that's what comes out here, especially in the preface. And that's one of the reasons our catechism includes this exposition. The Lord tells His people, I brought you out of Egypt. This is a big deal. I brought you out of Egypt, and that includes the house of bondage, or we could say it this way, the house of slavery. Israel was under the slavery of Egypt, of Pharaoh, and his tyrannical reign. And the Lord is saying, I've brought you out of that. So if you've come to that condition, it's a condition of being delivered. When you think of the exodus then, you should get a picture of our redemption. The word redemption, which is one of the words we use for salvation. When you think of salvation, you could think of pardon. of reconciliation, you could think of a whole host of things. But of the concepts attached to our salvation, one of the biggest ones that's just all throughout this redemptive historical story is this word, redemption. And redemption is the idea of going and buying something back. And so it's the Lord saying, I bought you back. You were slaves. I bought you. I delivered you. I restored you from slavery. You are now sons." So the Exodus has this idea of redemption. This is important in the entire reading of the Old Testament. In fact, if you were to read the Hebrews, there's a great deal of emphasis placed on the concept of the history of God's people, teaching the theology of redemption. The law came to redeem people. I wanna take a moment, one of the greatest challenges that I feel like a dear brother gave recently to some students was this, take the book of Hebrews, read it once a week, all the way through. I would suggest the same thing. It is very helpful. Let me tell you why. because you do see this historical redemptive context and how it's fulfilled. In particular, those that were so discouraged that wanted to go back to the Old Testament ways. They wanted to go back to pre-sacrificial Christ. Why? Because they were struggling and they were being persecuted. And this pastor, and you can see this pastoral feel that he's talking to this really small congregation and essentially saying this, is superior. He's the better Word. He's the better Moses. He's the better temple with a better sacrifice, with a better covenant, with better promises. Brothers and sisters, when you look at that, you can see this redemptive story through Scripture, and you see this beautifully fulfilled in the book of Hebrews. Once again, the law came to a redeemed people. The law came to those. God gave His law to those that He had brought out with a strong arm. So as you think through the Old Testament, here is God in His historical dealings with His people, teaching them in a graphic way something about the salvation He's going to provide. This is crucial for them. and for us, something that He's going to provide through the coming Messiah that's going to come directly from their line. Additionally, He's teaching them and us something about Himself, and that is this, how compassionate and long-suffering He is. So let's put all the pieces together. They are in Egypt. They're brought out of the Red Sea, they're brought to Sinai, they go through the wilderness, and eventually they are brought into the Promised Land. And once again, the book of Hebrews connects those dots. The writer is saying, look at this picture, if you will, of being brought outside of the slavery of sin, out of the dark tyranny of being outside of Christ. and then delivered from that ultimately in route to the heavenly promised land. The promised land was a picture of eternal inheritance and that we have with Christ. There's an issue that we have to address as we look at, as we're pointing back to the old and new. They missed it. And we've seen that. in regards to there were those that truly had faith, but as a whole, here's the issue. The Jews thought they could actually obtain righteousness through the obedience of the law. And yet the law, this whole time, was revealing Christ. He, talking about Christ, went as our forerunner. So this historical redemptive context is captured in the preface and it provides the backdrop on how we understand properly God's moral law. You see, salvation led the Lord's people to love and gratitude. We're no longer slaves to unrighteousness, but in particular, the righteousness of Christ. In Him, we are now free. We were those in bondage, but now we are inheritors by faith in Christ. This produces within the Christian who has received, who has been brought up in this union with Christ, the saving benefits that he has procured for his people. This produces within us, at least it should, a sincere love a love for our Savior, a love for our Redeemer, a love for our neighbor. There is a disposition that willingly and freely desires to seek the glory and the honor of God. As you recall, it's the law that exposes our sin. It shows us our need for a Savior. It drives us to the gospel, to place our faith in the person and work of Christ, who fulfilled all the law, the civil, the judicial, and the moral law, and He did it perfectly. Once redeemed, once regenerated, the Gospel drives us now, listen to me, back to the Law. Not for salvation or in any way, but it's never going to condemn. It guides us. It shows us how we are to love. How we are to devote our lives in a tangible form. So love isn't just the warm fuzzies, it's not the liver shivers, but rather it breaks down into our very actions on the day-to-day. And this is why David in the Old Testament, as a Christian, as a believer, can say this, how I love your law. He can say this as a Christian. Brothers and sisters, an unbeliever is not going to love the law. The law of God comes with all of its terror. It comes to expose, it comes to condemn, and it does so rightly. It's showing us a holy God, and that all mankind is accountable to Him, and there is a day of judgment. This day of judgment is coming. There's punishment, there's wrath, there's hell itself, all for breaking God's law. And so for the unbeliever, it is absolutely terrifying, showing as an unbeliever, I'm in serious trouble. I need someone else to deliver me. I need someone else to earn righteousness for me. But for the believer, once again, To approach the law is very different. The law of God is not grievous to us. Brothers and sisters, it's not burdensome. It's the rule God has given us to walk in. There are some that would say that the Ten Commandments are for the Old Testament and not for us of the New, but I would submit to you that that is foolish. because the very context historically and theologically for the Ten Commandments is one that should point us to redemption, the redemption we have in Christ. This should inform us as Christians how we are to view and approach the law. I'm going to read question 48 and 49, and we'll have a quick moment for some questions. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us? The preface to the Ten Commandments teaches us that because God is the Lord and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep. all His commandments. Are there any questions for today that we can discuss or talk about? Take just a few minutes in that regard? All right. Well, I'll pray and then we'll be dismissed. I went a little long last week. I told you I was going to cut it short today. I was going to go long and I cut it short. Oh, Britt had one. Is this new revelation Jesus has given them, or is this something they should have gotten? They absolutely should have gotten. In fact, the Luke passage, which is the corresponding passage that we read last week in regards to the two love commands, one of the lawyers actually answered it correctly. And so it was always something that they should have understood that was already revealed in the old. In fact, you bring up a good point, and can I just kind of launch in on that? No, okay. I love you so much. Thank you. I'm unchaining myself. Brothers and sisters, when Jesus was speaking, they were not communicating, they were not speaking and they were not understanding, or in this case, the misunderstanding of the law causing bondage. They were making bondage. From the very beginning that God... Good question. Anybody else? Are you in any way walking away feeling like we're saying that your relationship with God is improved by your obedience? or this is how you are saved. Is anybody hearing that? I hope I've made it really clear. In regards to our duty is in light of what Christ has done. And for those that haven't made a profession of faith, the law stands above you and you do stand condemned and you are to repent and to believe in Christ. These are important for us to understand our relationship to the law. And we'll do that over and over as we are spending time together. Britt? No, sorry, you're done. Yes, sir. He expounded on that, right? Well, yeah, so that's a good question. So for Israel, in particular, when it came to the promised land, they were to do what in regards to those living in the promised land? That's right. Let me ask you a question. Outside of the promised land, were they to destroy those outside of the promised land? Talk about Israel. Right? So the reason we look at that in that regard, they were the land. Let's talk about the land first, okay? This was a picture of heaven. So we talk about holy war. The expression of the pagans during that time was pointing to something greater, and that is this, the holy land of his place. And so God promised this land, and it was the dispossession of the pagans, which at the same time is God judging the unbelieving pagans, okay? So we're talking about that. Now in regards to the loving of neighbor, Jesus does present us very clearly. I like to say, if you wanna say an expansion, I wanna be very careful. I believe, let's say an exposition or a fuller understanding That who is your neighbor? And he uses a parable for us. Does everybody remember? We talked about it a little bit last week. The parable of the Samaritan. And kind. Found on this. You want to tell me how you love your neighbor. How can you say that you love God who you do not see if you say that you do see? And so once again, now we're talking about the perspective to the law, to love neighbor in light of loving God, okay? Good question, and once again, just in regards to the understanding of the law in regards to the Old Testament, in this case of Israel, so.