Exodus 20 & Matthew 22 - Loving God and Neighbor
- Joshua Carpenter
- Jul 14
- 4 min read
What a precious blessing you have getting to love God and your neighbor!
Exodus 20:1-17
20 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Matthew 22:35-40
...an expert in the law tested Jesus with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Canons of Dordt
Article 5: The Inadequacy of the Law
What is true of the light of nature is true also of the Ten Commandments
given by God through Moses
specifically to the Jews.
For humans cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue, because,
although it does expose the magnitude of their sin
and increasingly convict them of their guilt,
yet it does not offer a remedy or enable them to escape from human misery,
and, indeed, weakened as it is by the flesh, leaves the offender under the curse.
Summary
In the Reformed tradition, oftentimes as a part of Sunday’s worship service, the Ten Commandments are read in some way, shape, or form. Whether it be a summary of the Law, a responsive reading, or reading through the Ten Commandments together as a congregation, we are reminded of God’s Law, and we need that reminder as it is God’s will for our lives, His will for how we are to live in relation to Him and our fellow man.
When we take a look at the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) we find that the first four commandments deal with our relationship with God, while the remaining six deal with our relationships with our neighbors, those around us whether it be family, friends, co-workers, or the stranger we meet on the street or at the grocery store.
Our Lord Jesus summarizes this in the second of our two passages, telling us that the greatest commandment is that you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets”.
Yet, as we’re reminded in both Scripture and the Canons, it is inadequate to save us.
Dig Deeper
We’ll dig more into what is meant by the Law’s inadequacy to save us in the days ahead, so for now, let’s take some time to reflect on God’s call to love Him and our neighbor together. As believers in Christ, having been washed in the precious blood of the Lamb, this is God’s will for us.
We do so through His grace and strength, not in order to be saved by it, but out of gratitude and love for all that He has done for us in Jesus’ perfect life, atoning death on the cross, and His victory over the grave which He graciously imparts to us! Each and every day we have numerous opportunities to love God and our neighbor through our words, our actions, and even our thoughts.
Instead of worshipping all the false gods this world would have us chase after, we get to love God and worship Him solely. Instead of lying to get ahead, we get to honor and glorify God in our honesty as He is Truth. Instead of cutting someone down with our words or our actions, we get to see and treat our neighbor as a fellow image-bearer of God.
What opportunities do you have in your own life to love God and your neighbor? Ask God to show you, and ask Him for the grace and strength to do so.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the LORD our God, before whom we shall have no other gods;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the grace and strength to notice and act upon the opportunities you have to love God and your neighbor;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 12
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