National Treasure 2, The Precepts of God

Christ Church of Ballenger Creek

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National Treasure, part 2

The Precepts of God

Hebrews 9:1-4 and Deuteronomy 10:1-5

I. Introduction

A. Two weeks ago we began our series “National Treasure” by talking about the treasure that is God’s Provision.

1) We looked at the story of the manna from Exodus 16 and shared the importance of remembering that it is God who gives the provision.

2) Without God’s daily sustenance, we would quickly lose our way and die.

B. Today we continue the discussion of “National Treasure” by reading Hebrews 9 again.

1) {Read Hebrews 9:1-4}

2) Today lets turn our attention to the third item listed among the things in the ark: the tablets of stone upon which are written the Law of God.

C. We know the story (whether from Scripture or the Charleton Heston movie): Moses comes down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments.

1) God has carved them with his very finger upon the stone.

2) When Moses comes down, the people of Israel have grown tired of waiting and have created a golden calf for themselves to worship.

3) When Moses sees the golden calf, he becomes angry and throws the tablets of stone containing the law on the calf and destroying it.

D. Afterward, God carves the Law on two new tablets and it is these tablets that Moses is to place into the Ark of God.

1) {Read Deuteronomy 10:1-5}

2) Now, let’s slow down and examine this story in a bit more detail. Specifically, let’s consider what happened in the Israelite encampment while Moses was up on Mount Sinai.

II. The story probably went like this:

A. Moses had gone up the mountain and was gone a very long time, 40 days and 40 nights.

1) They got impatient with waiting for God’s plan to blossom so they hatched one of their own.

2) “Why do we need to wait for the Law of God to be written down? Can’t we distinguish right from wrong for ourselves? Surely its possible for each of us to discern what it is right and wrong in each of our own situations. We’re adults. We’re free. God said so himself when we got out of Egypt.”

B. So they do. They take the law into their own hands.

1) Someone with a bit of initiative says, “I feel that a good thing for us to do right now would be to make a golden calf.” Others said, “Yeah, it sounds like a good idea to us as well.”

2) They do that and then begin to order the life of the community at their own initiative and by their own wisdom.

3) And before you can say, uh-oh, the whole community has descended into an orgy of self-indulgence.

C. And from that story, this is what we learn.

III. God’s Law supercedes Human Law. That’s just the way it is. God’s law is top dog, whether we want to admit it or not. Even the framers of our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution understood that.

A. {Economics class}

1) They are endowed by their Creator.

2) They didn’t know!!

B. Human law is dependent upon God’s Law.

1) The specifics of our laws of property, public trust, government, and acceptable behavior have their origin in God’s law as revealed in the old and new testaments.

2) That’s why God wanted the tablets of the law placed right in the Ark of the covenant, right in the center of Israel’s national life.

3) They were a reminder that their national life flows from the spiritual life and guidance given to them by God.

C. Without God’s Law, human law is corrupted.

1) Quickly, the people replaced God’s law with their own wisdom.

2) Just as quickly, things fell apart.

3) That’s always the way it goes when human initiative and human wisdom take over.

4) When you replace God’s wisdom and law with our own; the theological word for that is trouble.

5) The reason is very simple.

a) God is holy and we are not.

b) God’s law is pure, holy, just, and true.

c) We are riddled with sin, selfishness, pride, and self-deception.

6) Of course our way doesn’t work! There shouldn’t be any surprise there.

a) No matter how hard we try we cannot hope to rise to God’s level.

b) Every time we have tried, we have blown it and the consequences have been disastrous! Anyone ever heard of Babel?

IV. The truth that we want to escape is that God’s Law puts a claim on our lives.

A. Our problem is we want to enjoy the provision of God without living according to the precepts of God.

1) We want our cake and eat it too.

2) “Lord, thank you for providing for me, now leave me alone to do my own thing.”

B. When we come to God we are called to walk and to live according to God’s commandments.

1) When Israel drew near to the Ark they were reminded that they were drawing near to the Law of God.

2) Likewise, we cannot draw near to God without drawing near to his blueprint for our lives.

3) Even Jesus says this quite plainly, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

V. What does God have to say to us?

A. Church, return to my Law. Live by my commandments.

1) Use the brain I gave you, think clearly and meditate on my law day and night.

2) But when your wisdom and my Law come into conflict, set your corruption aside and follow my eternally pure and righteous wisdom.

B. Each of you, begin to move into a life lived according to His law.

1) Let God remove the table of stone and write His ways on the tablet of your heart.

2) Allow yourself to be moved by His spirit to obey his precepts.

C. Jeremiah 31:33

end

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