Jim’s comments, especially his marriage analogy, prompted my memory of a sermon series on the decalogue I preached some time in 2000 (I think). The actual reference that I remembered was in the second of two introductory sermons to that series, so I’m reproducing the first one here and will point out the parallel in a separate post with the separate sermon. This first one was simply called “Introducing the Decalogue” (yes, I usually can be more creative than that). This sermon, by the way, involved a huge long reading which I learned then never to try again. Still I hope it might be helpful to readers. Here is how it went:
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations…
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen (Romans 1.1-5; 16.25-27).
I have just read Scripture, now I am going to read something that is not Scripture. But it is a piece of literature of which the Apostle Paul was most certainly aware, and one which it would be profitable for us to consider.
This is from Second Maccabes chapter 7 and it is about the invasion of a Gentile King and the Hebrew resistance to his reign.
It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine’s flesh. One of them, acting as their spokesman, said, “What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers.”
The king fell into a rage, and gave orders that pans and caldrons be heated. These were heated immediately, and he commanded that the tongue of their spokesman be cut out and that they scalp him and cut off his hands and feet, while the rest of the brothers and the mother looked on. When he was utterly helpless, the king ordered them to take him to the fire, still breathing, and to fry him in a pan. The smoke from the pan spread widely, but the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die nobly, saying, “The Lord God is watching over us and in truth has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his song which bore witness against the people to their faces, when he said, ‘And he will have compassion on his servants.’”
And so this passage continues to describe these seven sons being tortured, cut apart, and fried, but willingly dying rather than eat pork. Six of the seven sons all die confessing faith in the resurrection that they will get their dismember limbs back but that the king will be dismembered forever. And now we come to the behavior of the mother as this went on.
The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honorable memory. Though she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord. She encouraged each of them in the language of their fathers. Filled with a noble spirit, she . . . said to them, “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.”
Antiochus felt that he was being treated with contempt, and he was suspicious of her reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive, Antiochus not only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths that he would make him rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of his fathers, and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with public affairs. Since the young man would not listen to him at all, the king called the mother to him and urged her to advise the youth to save himself. 26 After much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son. But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant:
My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you. I beseech you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being. Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God’s mercy I may get you back again with your brothers.”
While she was still speaking, the young man said, “What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king’s command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses. But you, who have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will certainly not escape the hands of God. For we are suffering because of our own sins. And if our living Lord is angry for a little while, to rebuke and discipline us, he will again be reconciled with his own servants. But you, unholy wretch, you most defiled of all men, do not be elated in vain and puffed up by uncertain hopes, when you raise your hand against the children of heaven. You have not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty, all-seeing God. For our brothers after enduring a brief suffering have drunk of everflowing life under God’s covenant; but you, by the judgment of God, will receive just punishment for your arrogance. I, like my brothers, give up body and life for the laws of our fathers, appealing to God to show mercy soon to our nation and by afflictions and plagues to make you confess that he alone is God . . .”
The king fell into a rage, and handled him worse than the others, being exasperated at his scorn. So he died in his integrity, putting his whole trust in the Lord.
What is faith? What is obedience? What is the law? What is the gospel?
In the history of the church, the answers to these questions got mixed up with a concept which warped them almost beyond recognition: The concept of merit. Of earning salvation. Of obligating God to pay you for your good works. This is an absurd heresy. No creature can put God in their debt. And, all the more, no sinner can earn or merit anything from God except everlasting punishment.
But if we get rid of the concept of merit, then things become more clear. I just read you a lengthy piece of literature (indeed, one might easily call it a piece of Heberw nationalistic and religious propaganda) which is all about obedience. And yet, at the same time, it is all about faith. The mother and her seven sons were quite intent on obeying God, on keeping his commandments (specifically the command that they abstain from swine’s flesh). Yet this whole episode is characterized as a demonstration not of works, but of faith.
So he died in his integrity, putting his whole trust in the Lord.
A later document, even more untrustworthy than the first, also tells of a woman who had to watch her seven sons die. 4 Maccabes 15.24-28:
Although she witnessed the destruction of seven children and the ingenious and various rackings, this noble mother disregarded all these because of faith in God. For as in the council chamber of her own soul she saw mighty advocates–nature, family, parental love, and the rackings of her children–this mother held two ballots, one bearing death and the other deliverance for her children. She did not approve the deliverance which would preserve the seven sons for a short time, but as the daughter of God-fearing Abraham she remembered his fortitude.
And again, 4 Maccabes 17.2-6
O mother, who with your seven sons nullified the violence of the tyrant, frustrated his evil designs, and showed the courage of your faith! . . . For your children were true descendants of father Abraham.
Now I repeat what I said before, this is not inspired literature. This is not the Word of God. I even doubt that either of these incidents actually took place, though probably there were many like them. I have read it to you this morning because it demonstrates something in a unique way that is also set forth with authority in the word of God itself.
For one thing, just think of all the times in the New Testament where the issue is addressed as to who is the true sons or daughters of Abraham? That was mentioned in the passages I just read and mentioned several more times in parts which I skipped over. John the Baptist told people not to rely on the fact that they were sons of Abraham merely because they were physically descended from him. Jesus said that a repentant tax gatherer was a son of Abraham. He told the Pharisees that they were children of Satan rather than descendants of Abraham. Paul speaks of it in several places, saying that Abraham’s faith is an example to us and that those who believe are therefore the true children of Abraham even if they happen to be Gentiles.
So in many ways it is plain that, even though Maccabes is not Scripture, and contains errors of history and doctrine, it gives us insight as to the background of Jesus and Paul.
And the language about faith and obedience is also very similar to that of the New Testament writers. Remember what the woman said to her son to encourage him to suffer torture and to be killed rather than to disobey God?
I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. 23 Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.
Compare that to what the Author of Hebrews says:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Notice what is going on here. The author of Hebrews ties together hoping in the future which God has promised with acknowledging that God has created all things out of nothing. The mother knew that God had made fashioned her sons and given life to her sons, so she knew that God would raise them from the dead. She trusted what God had done so she trusted what he would do. Likewise the author of Hebrews says that we know that God has made all things by his word, so we therefore know that we will get what we hope for because of his promises. Faith is the evidence of things hoped for.
And then the author of Hebrews goes on to list what the “men of old” gained approval through their faith. I don’t want to read the whole chapter, but let me hit some highlights from Noah, Abraham, and Moses.
7 By faith Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
Now, there’s a lot more in this chapter, but I think this is enough to make the point. The author of Hebrews repeatedly emphasizes the pre-eminence of faith, yet he speaks again and again about acts of obedience. Because Abraham believed in God it made sense to him that he should obey God. God both commanded him to leave his native land and look for another land, and he also promised him that he would inherit more than he ever had before in this new land. Since he was looking for a new city, it only made since for him to abandon the old city.
Because Noah believed what God said about the coming flood, it only made sense to him to obey God and build an ark. Faith and obedience are inseparable.
Because Moses believed that God’s wrath was going to be revealed against Egypt’s enslaving empire, he was disloyal to it and expressed solidarity with God’s oppressed people. He disregarded Pharaoh’s promises and instead had regard for God’s promises. He obeyed God because he trusted God.
THIS IS THE OBEDIENCE of faith, which the Gospel is to bring about in all nations, just as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans. And this is why we are going to study the ten commandments. Not to learn to be better than other people. Not to reach some point where we can boast (God forbid we ever do such a thing). Not even to learn how to express our grattitude to God, as important as that may be. We are going to study the ten commandments in order to learn to live by faith. The Apostle Paul did not have any problem preaching both faith and obedience, so we should have no problem hearing about them both. Consider one example of how the Apostle Paul wrote:
Gal 6.15: For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Gal 5.6: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
1 Cor 7.16: Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
Now here we have Paul taking one of the central covenant markers of the Old Testament law and saying that it no longer matters. Why not? Because all that now matters is “a new creation,” or, interchangeably, “faith working through love,” or, interchangeably again, “the keeping of the commandments of God.” Faith and faithfulness, trusting and obeying, go hand in hand. In learning the Ten Commandments we are learning how to live by faith.
What is always at issue in deciding whether or not to pursue obedience to God is whether or not you trust in God. As we will see as we go through each of these commandments is that at the heart of the issue is whether or not you will believe what God has to say about your needs and trust God to meet your needs in the best way and at the best time. If you pray to another God you are obviously engaged in idolatry. But idolatry is also involved in the decision to murder, or to steal, or to engage in sex outside of marriage on in any other act of disobedience. The avenger who murders demonstrates that he does not trust God to avenge him. The thief demonstrates he does not trust God to provide for his needs. The person having sex with someone to whom he or she is not married demonstrates he does not trust God to provide for his sexual fulfillment within the bounds of the marriage covenant. Disobedience is distrust and distrust is disobedience.
Abraham, as we have seen, is used time and again as an example of faith. But Abrahams also gives us an example of obedience. Consider what God said to Isaac in Genesis 26.4-5:
I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.
We commonly think of Abraham getting nothing but promises and Moses being given a great many laws. But this description of the law given to Abraham is as full as any description of what was given through Moses to Israel. Abraham believed and manifested that belief by obeying God. Moses was given a law code and the children of evil manifested their faith by whether or not they obeyed what God said. Jesus said the same thing to his disciples: John 14.15:
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
The ten commandments are not passe because of faith; they are binding because of faith.
We will be studying the ten commandments for the next ten weeks or more. I want you to understand that we are not leaving the gospel behind when we do so. We are not placing faith to the side for a moment, to talk about obedience. On the contrary, we are talking about faith and the gospel because we are studying the ten commandments.
There is a lot more to be said, to deal with all the issues that I have raised, but I’ll close with just one more detail. The ten commandments were given to sinners like you and me. The Israelites knew that no one was without sin. They knew they could not perfectly obey God. But the law made provision for being forgiven for our sins. Just as we are told to confess our sins, to repent of them, and to trust God to forgive us our sins, so were they. The Ten Commandments are not given to us as some sort of hypothetical way of works righteousness—a list which, if we kept it perfectly, we could be raised in glory apart from the person and work of Christ Jesus. Rather it was given for us as an integral part of the life of faith. We will try to keep the commandments because we trust God. And when we disobey we will confess our disobedience, turn from our disobedience, as God to forgive our disobedience and trust him to do so as he promised. That is how the ten commandments are supposed to be used by us.
Let’s pray that we would all continue to obey God in that manner—that we would practice the obedience of faith.