The Ten Commandments by Thomas Watson (Modern, Updated English)

Book Summary

Thomas Watson's The Ten Commandments is a classic Puritan work that offers a profound and practical study of the moral law as presented in the Ten Commandments. Written in the 17th century, Watson’s book addresses not only the external behaviors governed by the commandments but also their deeper spiritual and moral significance. His reflections guide the reader to understand that the law reveals both God’s character and human sinfulness, leading believers to a life of repentance and obedience through the grace of Christ.

Structure and Themes

Watson begins by discussing the purpose and significance of God’s law. He emphasizes that the Ten Commandments serve as a mirror, reflecting human sin and showing the need for salvation through Christ. The law, Watson argues, is not merely a set of rules but a guide to living a holy life, a tool for sanctification. While the commandments cannot save, they drive the believer to Christ, who fulfills the law on behalf of sinners.

Exploration of Each Commandment: Watson dedicates a chapter to each of the Ten Commandments, providing both theological insights and practical applications. He divides his analysis into three main parts for each commandment:

The letter of the law: Watson first explains the literal and outward meaning of the commandment, showing what specific behaviors and actions the commandment addresses.

The spirit of the law: Beyond external obedience, Watson probes the internal requirements, highlighting how each commandment also governs the thoughts, intentions, and desires of the heart.

Exhortations and applications: Finally, Watson offers pastoral guidance on how Christians can live in obedience to the commandment, providing practical advice for avoiding sin and pursuing holiness.

The First Table (Commandments 1-4): These commandments focus on the believer’s relationship with God. Watson carefully unpacks the call to worship God alone, reject idolatry, honor God’s name, and observe the Sabbath. He stresses that these commandments are foundational to a life of faith because they set the parameters for loving and serving God properly.

The Second Table (Commandments 5-10): In these commandments, which regulate human relationships, Watson explains how honoring parents, refraining from murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and covetousness, reflects the love of neighbor. Each of these commandments is explored not only in terms of outward action but also in terms of the attitudes and intentions behind those actions. For example, Watson shows that the prohibition against murder includes sinful anger, and the prohibition against adultery includes lustful thoughts.

Key Takeaways:

Comprehensive Obedience: Watson insists that obedience to God’s law involves both actions and attitudes. The heart behind the action matters as much as the act itself. For instance, the commandment against bearing false witness covers lying but also includes gossip, slander, and misrepresentation of others.

Spiritual and Practical Wisdom: Throughout the book, Watson is careful to provide practical advice for how Christians can avoid sin and pursue a life of holiness. He offers strategies for resisting temptation, cultivating godly habits, and growing in love for God and neighbor.

The Gospel and the Law: Watson makes clear that while the Ten Commandments reveal human sin, they also point believers to Christ, the only one who perfectly fulfilled the law. Rather than viewing the commandments as a burden, Watson encourages Christians to see them as a guide for living in gratitude for God’s grace.

Watson closes the book by emphasizing that true obedience to the commandments flows from a heart transformed by God’s grace. While believers will never perfectly keep the law, they are called to pursue holiness with the help of the Holy Spirit. Obedience, for Watson, is a response of love toward God, not a means of earning salvation.

The Ten Commandments

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Chapter 1: Obedience

Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.. (Deut 27: 9, 10).

What does God expect from people?

Obedience to his revealed will.

It is not enough to hear God's voice; we must also obey. Obedience is part of the honor we owe to God. "If then I be a Father, where is my honor?" (Mal 1:6). Obedience is the lifeblood of religion. "Obey the voice of the Lord God," and follow His commandments. Obedience without knowledge is blind, and knowledge without obedience is useless. Rachel was beautiful, but being barren, she said, "Give me children, or I die;" similarly, if knowledge does not lead to obedience, it is pointless. "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam 15:22). Saul thought it was enough to offer sacrifices, even though he disobeyed God's command; but obedience is better than sacrifice. God rejects sacrifice if obedience is missing. "I spake not unto your fathers concerning burnt offerings, but this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice" (Jer 7:22). It's not that God didn't command those religious rites of worship, but He primarily looked for obedience—without which, sacrifice is just devout folly. The reason God has given us His laws is for us to obey. "Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances" (Lev 18:4). Why does a king publish an edict if not for it to be followed?

What is the rule of obedience?

The written word. Proper obedience is what the word requires; our obedience must match the word, just like a copy matches the original. Acting zealous without following the word isn't obedience; it's just self-made worship. Traditions from the Catholic Church that aren't based on the word are detestable, and God will say, "Quis quaesivit haec?" Who has required this at your hand?" (Isa 1:12). The apostle condemns the worship of angels, which might seem humble (Col 2:18). The Jews might argue they didn't want to be so bold as to approach God directly; they thought it was more humble to bow before the angels and ask them to present their requests to God. But this appearance of humility was offensive to God because there was no word to support it.

What makes our obedience acceptable?

(1) It must be with a willing and cheerful heart, or it's just a chore, not a sacrifice. "If you are willing and obedient" (Isa 1:19). Even if we serve God with weakness, we can still do it willingly. You like to see your servants go about their work cheerfully. Under the law, God wanted a free-will offering (Deut 16:10). Hypocrites obey God grudgingly and against their will; they do good, but not willingly. Cain brought his sacrifice, but not his heart. It's a true rule: what the heart does not do, is not done. Willingness is the soul of obedience. God sometimes accepts willingness without the work, but never the work without willingness. Cheerfulness shows that there is love in the duty, and love is to our services what the sun is to fruit; it mellows and ripens them, and makes them come off with a better taste.

(2) Obedience must be devout and passionate. "Fervent in spirit," etc. (Rom 12:11). Like water that boils over, our hearts must overflow with intense feelings in the service of God. The glorious angels, who burn with fervor and devotion and are called seraphims, are chosen by God to serve Him in heaven. The snail under the law was considered unclean because it is a slow, lazy creature. Obedience without passion is like a sacrifice without fire. Why shouldn't our obedience be lively and passionate? God deserves the best and strongest of our affections. Domitian didn't want his statue carved in wood or iron, but made of gold. Lively affections create golden services. It is passion that makes obedience acceptable. Elijah was fervent in spirit, and his prayer opened and closed heaven; and again he prayed, and fire fell on his enemies (2 Kings 1:10). Elijah's prayer brought fire from heaven because, being fervent, it carried fire up to heaven; "quicquid decorum ex fide proficiscitur" (Augustine).

(3) Obedience must be comprehensive; it has to cover all of God's commands. "Then I will not be ashamed (or, as it is in the Hebrew, lo Ehosh, blush), when I have respect unto all your commandments" (Psa 119:6). Quicquid propter Deum fit aequaliter fit, All God's requirements demand equal effort. There is a stamp of divine authority on all of God's commands, and if I obey one precept because God commands it, I must obey them all. True obedience runs through all aspects of religion, like blood through all the veins or the sun through all the signs of the zodiac. A good Christian makes gospel piety and moral integrity embrace each other. This is where some reveal their hypocrisy: they will obey God in some things that are easier and may boost their reputation, but they leave other things undone. "One thing you lack," [unum deest] (Mark 10:21). Herod would listen to John the Baptist but wouldn't leave his incest. Some will pray but not give alms; others will give alms but not pray. "You pay tithe of mint and anise, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith" (Matt 23:23). The badger has one foot shorter than the other; similarly, these people fall short in some duties compared to others. God does not like such partial servants who do some of the work He assigns but leave the rest undone.

(4) Obedience must be sincere. We must aim for the glory of God in it. The purpose defines the action; in religion, the end is everything. The goal of our obedience shouldn't be to silence our conscience or to gain applause or promotion, but to become more like God and bring more glory to Him. "Do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). What has ruined many glorious actions and made them lose their reward is that people's aims have been wrong. The Pharisees gave alms but blew a trumpet so they could receive glory from others (Matt 6:2). Alms should shine, but not blaze. Jehu did well in destroying the Baal-worshippers, and God commended him for it; but because his aims were not good (he aimed at securing his position in the kingdom), God saw it as no better than murder. "I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu" (Hos 1:4). O let us consider our ends in obedience; it's possible for the action to be right, but not the heart. "Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart" (2 Chron 25:2). Two things are mainly to be considered in obedience: the principle and the end. Though a child of God may fall short in his obedience, he aims correctly.

(5) Obedience must be in and through Christ. He has made us accepted in the beloved (Eph 1:6). Not our obedience, but Christ's merits procure acceptance. In every part of worship, we must present Christ to God with faith. Unless we serve God this way, in hope and confidence of Christ's merits, we provoke Him rather than please Him. Just as when King Uzziah tried to offer incense without a priest, God was angry with him and struck him with leprosy (2 Chron 26:20), so when we do not come to God in and through Christ, we offer up incense to Him without a priest, and what can we expect but severe rebukes?

(6) Obedience must be constant. Blessed is the one who does what is right at all times (Psa 106:3). True obedience isn’t just a temporary burst of enthusiasm; it’s a consistent way of life. It’s like the fire on the altar that was always kept burning (Lev 6:13). Hypocrites' obedience is only for a season; it’s like plaster that washes off quickly. But true obedience is constant. Even when we face affliction, we must continue in our obedience. The righteous will stay on their path (Job 17:9).

We have vowed to be constant; we have vowed to renounce the pomps and vanities of the world and to fight under Christ's banner until death. When a servant has entered into a covenant with his master and the indentures are sealed, he cannot go back; he must serve out his time. Similarly, there are vows made in baptism, and in the Lord's Supper, these vows are renewed and sealed on our part, committing us to be faithful and constant in our obedience. Therefore, we must imitate Christ, who became obedient unto death (Phil 2:8). The crown is set upon the head of perseverance. He who keeps my works until the end, I will give him the morning star (Rev 2:26, 28).

Application #1

This condemns those who live in contradiction to the text and have cast off the yoke of obedience. As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you.' (Jer 44:16). God tells people to pray with their family, but they completely neglect it; He tells them to keep the Sabbath holy, but they pursue their own pleasures on that day; He tells them to avoid even the appearance of sin, but they don't even avoid the act itself; they live in acts of revenge and impurity. This is a high contempt for God; it is rebellion, and rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft.

Why don't people obey God? 

They know what they should do, but they don't do it.

(1) Not obeying God comes from a lack of faith. "Who has believed our report?" (Isa 53:1). If people truly believed that sin was so bitter and that hell followed right after it, would they continue to sin? If they believed there was such a reward for the righteous and that godliness was beneficial, wouldn't they pursue it? But they are atheists, not fully convinced of these things; that's why they don't obey. Satan's master plan, his dragnet by which he pulls millions to hell, is to keep them in disbelief. He knows that if he can keep them from believing the truth, he can surely keep them from obeying it.

(2) Not obeying God comes from a lack of self-denial. God commands one thing, and people's desires command another; and they would rather die than deny their desires. If desires cannot be denied, God cannot be obeyed.

Application #2

Listen to God's voice. This is the beauty of a Christian.

What are the main reasons or motivations for obedience?

(1) Obedience makes us precious to God, his favorites. If you will obey my voice, you shall be a special treasure to me above all people; you shall be my portion, my jewels, the apple of my eye (Exod 19: 5). I will give kingdoms for your ransom (Isa 43: 3).

(2) There is nothing lost by obedience. Following God's will is the way to fulfill our own desires. Would we like a blessing in our possessions? Let us obey God. "If you listen to the voice of the Lord and follow all His commandments, you will be blessed in the field, and your basket and store will be blessed" (Deut 28:1, 3, 5). Obeying is the best way to prosper in your possessions. Would we like a blessing in our souls? Let us obey God. "Obey, and I will be your God" (Jer 7:23). My Spirit will be your guide, sanctifier, and comforter. "Christ became the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him" (Heb 5:9). When we please God, we please ourselves; when we give Him our duty, He gives us the reward. We are prone to say, like Amaziah, "What shall we do for the hundred talents?" (2 Chron 25:9). You lose nothing by obeying. The obedient son has the inheritance secured for him. Obey, and you shall have a kingdom. "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).

(3) Disobedience is such a sin! It’s completely irrational. We can’t stand up to God in defiance. Are we stronger than Him? Will the sinner try to challenge God? (1 Cor 10:22). He is the Almighty Father, who can command legions. If we don’t have the strength to resist Him, it’s irrational to disobey Him. It’s irrational because it goes against all law and fairness. We get our daily sustenance from Him; in Him we live and move. Isn’t it fair that as we live by Him, we should live for Him? That as He provides for us, we should give Him our allegiance?

[2] It is a destructive sin. The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not obey the gospel (2 Thess 1:7-8). Anyone who refuses to follow God's commands will definitely face His punishment. While the sinner tries to escape obedience, they are actually tightening the noose of their own damnation, and they will perish without excuse. The servant who knew his master's will but did not do it will be beaten with many stripes (Luke 12:47). God will say, "Why did you not obey? You knew what was right but didn't do it; therefore, your blood is on your own head."

What can we do to obey?

(1) Serious consideration. Think about it, God's commands are not burdensome: He doesn't ask anything unreasonable. 1 John 5:3. It's easier to follow God's commands than to sin. The demands of sin are exhausting—when someone is controlled by any desire, look how they wear themselves out! What risks they take, even putting their health and soul in danger, just to satisfy their desires! Look at the long and difficult journeys Antiochus Epiphanes took to persecute the Jews! They exhaust themselves to commit sin; aren't God's commands much easier to follow? Chrysostom says, virtue is easier than vice; self-control is less burdensome than drunkenness. Some people have gone to heaven with less effort than others have gone to hell.

God commands only what is beneficial. "And now, Israel, what does the Lord require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, and to keep his statutes, which I command you today, for your good?" (Deut 10:12-13). Obeying God is not just our duty; it's our privilege. His commands come with benefits. He tells us to repent so that our sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19). He commands us to believe so that we may be saved (Acts 16:31). There is love in every command, like a king asking one of his subjects to dig in a gold mine and then keep the gold for themselves.

(2) Earnest supplication. Implore the help of the Spirit to carry you on in obedience. God's Spirit makes obedience easy and delightful. If the lodestone draws the iron, it is not hard for it to move; so if God's Spirit quickens and draws the heart, it is not hard to obey. When a gale of the Spirit blows, we go full sail in obedience. Turn his promise into a prayer. "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes" (Ezek 36:27). The promise encourages us, the Spirit enables us to obey.

Chapter 2: Love

The rule of obedience, which is the moral law summed up in the Ten Commandments, leads us to the next question:

What are the Ten Commandments all about?

The main point of the Ten Commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.' (Deut 6:5). The duty called for is love, yes, the strength of love, with all your heart.' God will lose none of our love. Love is the soul of religion, and what makes a real Christian. Love is the queen of graces; it shines and sparkles in God's eye, like the precious stones on Aaron's breastplate.

What is love?

It is a holy fire ignited in the emotions, where a Christian is driven passionately towards God as the ultimate good.

What comes before love for God?

The foundation of love is knowledge. The Spirit enlightens the mind, revealing the beauty of wisdom, holiness, and mercy in God; and these qualities attract and draw out love for God. Ignoti nulla cupido: those who do not know God cannot love Him; if the sun has set in the understanding, there must inevitably be night in the affections.

What is the true essence of love?

The nature of love consists in delighting in an object. [Complacentia amantis in amato]. This is loving God, to take delight in him. "Delight yourself also in the Lord" (Psa 37:4), as a bride delights herself in her jewels. Grace changes a Christian's aims and delights.

How should our love for God be characterized?

(1) If it is a genuine love, we love God with all our heart. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart." God wants the whole heart. We must not split our love between him and sin. The true mother would not want the child divided, nor will God have the heart divided; it must be the whole heart.

(2) We must love God for who he is, for his own intrinsic excellencies. We must love him for his loveliness. It is a harlot's love to love the portion more than the person. Hypocrites love God because he gives them corn and wine; we must love God for himself, for those shining perfections which are in him. Gold is loved for itself.

(3) We must love God with all our strength, in the Hebrew text, our intensity; we must love God, [quod posse], as much as we can. Christians should be like seraphim, burning in holy love. We can never love God as much as he deserves. The angels in heaven cannot love God as much as he deserves.

(4) Love for God must be active in its sphere. Love is a hardworking affection; it makes the head think for God, hands work, feet run in the ways of his commandments. It is called the labor of love (1 Thess 1:3). Mary Magdalene loved Christ and poured her ointments on him. We feel like we can never do enough for the person we love.

(5) Love for God must be supreme. God is the essence of beauty, a whole paradise of delight; and He must have priority in our love. Our love for God must be above all other things, like oil floating above water. We must love God more than our possessions and relationships. Love for family is strong. There's a story in the French Academy about a daughter who, when her father was condemned to die of hunger, fed him with her own milk. But our love for God must be greater than our love for father and mother (Matt 10:37). We may give others the milk of our love, but God must have the cream. The bride keeps the juice of her pomegranates for Christ (Cant 8:2).

(6) Our love for God must be constant, like the fire the Vestal virgins kept in Rome, which never went out. Love should be like the beating of the pulse, which continues as long as there is life. "Many waters cannot quench love," not even the waters of persecution (Cant 8:7). "Rooted in love" (Eph 3:17). A branch withers if it doesn't grow from a root; similarly, love must be well-rooted to stay alive.

What are the visible signs of our love for God?

If we love God, our desire will be for him. "The desire of our soul is to your name" (Isa 26:8). Anyone who loves God longs for communion with him. "My soul thirsts for the living God" (Psa 42:2). People in love want to talk often. Someone who loves God wants to be in his presence a lot; they love the ordinances because they are the mirror where God's glory shines. In the ordinances, we meet with the one our souls love; we experience God's smiles and whispers, and get a taste of heaven. Those who have no desire for the ordinances have no love for God.

The second visible sign is that someone who loves God can't find contentment in anything without Him. Give a hypocrite who pretends to love God corn and wine, and he can be content without God; but a soul fired with love for God cannot be without Him. Lovers faint away if they don't see the one they love. A gracious soul can do without health, but cannot do without God, who is the health of their countenance (Psa 43:5). If God were to say to a soul that entirely loves Him, "Take your ease, swim in pleasure, enjoy the delights of the world; but you shall not enjoy my presence," this would not content it. In fact, if God were to say, "I will let you be taken up to heaven, but I will retire into another room, and you shall not see my face," it would not content the soul. It is hell to be without God. The philosopher says there can be no gold without the influence of the sun; certainly, there can be no golden joy in the soul without God's sweet presence and influence.

The third visible sign is that someone who loves God hates anything that would separate them from God, and that is sin. Sin makes God hide His face; it's like a troublemaker that separates close friends. Therefore, a Christian's strong hatred is directed against it. "I hate every false way" (Psa 119:128). True opposites can never be reconciled; one cannot love health without hating poison. Similarly, we cannot love God without hating sin, which would destroy our relationship with Him.

The fourth visible sign is sympathy. Friends who love each other grieve for the misfortunes that happen to one another. Homer, describing Agamemnon's grief when he was forced to sacrifice his daughter, shows all his friends weeping with him and accompanying him to the sacrifice in mourning. Lovers grieve together. If we truly love God, we can't help but grieve for the things that grieve Him; we will take to heart His dishonors: the luxury, drunkenness, contempt of God and religion. "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes," (Psa 119:136). Some people talk about the sins of others and laugh at them, but they surely have no love for God if they can laugh at what grieves His Spirit! Does someone love their father if they can laugh when he is reproached?

The fifth visible sign is that someone who loves God works to make Him appealing to others. They not only admire God but also speak His praises to attract others to love Him too. Someone in love will praise their beloved. The lovesick spouse praises Christ, making a glowing speech about His worth to persuade others to love Him. "His head is as the most fine gold" (Cant 5:11). True love for God cannot stay silent; it will be eloquent in showcasing His greatness. There is no better sign of loving God than making Him appear lovely and drawing followers to Him.

The sixth visible sign is that someone who loves God weeps bitterly for His absence. Mary comes weeping, "They have taken away my Lord" (John 20:13). One cries, "My health is gone!" another, "My estate is gone!" but the person who loves God cries out, "My God is gone! I cannot enjoy Him whom I love." What can all worldly comforts do when God is absent? It is like a funeral banquet, where there is much food but no joy. "I went mourning without the sun" (Job 30:28). If Rachel mourned greatly for the loss of her children, how can we even begin to describe the sorrow of a Christian who has lost God's sweet presence? Such a soul pours forth floods of tears; and while lamenting, seems to say to God, "Lord, you are in heaven, hearing the melodious songs and triumph of angels; but I sit here in the valley of tears, weeping because you are gone. Oh, when will you come to me and revive me with the light of your countenance! Or, Lord, if you will not come to me, let me come to you, where I shall have a perpetual smile of your face in heaven and shall never more complain, 'My beloved has withdrawn himself.'"

The seventh visible sign is that someone who loves God is willing to do and suffer for Him. They follow God's commands and submit to His will. They follow His commands. If God tells them to mortify sin, love their enemies, or be crucified to the world, they obey. It's pointless for someone to say they love God but ignore His commands. They submit to His will. If God wants them to suffer for Him, they don't argue but obey. "Love endures all things" (1 Cor 13:7). Love made Christ suffer for us, and love will make us suffer for Him. It's true that not every Christian is a martyr, but they have a spirit of martyrdom in them; they have a mindset to suffer if God calls them to it. "I am ready to be offered" (2 Tim 4:6). Not only were the sufferings ready for Paul, but he was ready for the sufferings. Origen chose to live despised in Alexandria rather than deny the faith and be great in the prince's favor with Plotinus (Rev 12:11). Many say they love God but won't suffer the loss of anything for Him. If Christ had said to us, "I love you well, you are dear to me, but I cannot suffer for you, I cannot lay down my life for you," we would have questioned His love very much. And may not the Lord question ours when we pretend to love Him but will endure nothing for His sake?

Application #1

What can we say to those who don't have even a bit of love in their hearts for God? They get their life from Him, yet they don't love Him. He provides for them every day, yet they don't love Him. Sinners fear God as a judge but don't love Him as a father. Even all the strength of the angels can't make the heart love God; judgments won't do it; only omnipotent grace can make a stony heart melt in love. How sad it is to lack love for God. When the body is cold and has no heat, it's a sign of death; similarly, someone is spiritually dead if they have no warmth of love in their heart for God. Can such a person live with God if they don't love Him? Will God keep an enemy close? Those who won't be drawn by cords of love will be bound in chains of darkness.

Application #2

Let us be convinced to love God with all our heart and strength. Oh, let us take our love away from other things and place it upon God. Love is the core of religion, the essence of the offering; it is the grace which Christ asks for the most. "Simon, do you love me?" (John 21:15). Love makes all our services acceptable; it is the fragrance that makes them pleasing. It is not so much the duty itself, but the love for the duty, that God delights in; therefore, serving and loving God are mentioned together (Isa 56:6). It is better to love Him than to serve Him; obedience without love is like wine without its spirit. Oh then, be convinced to love God with all your heart and strength.

(1) It is nothing but your love that God desires. The Lord could have demanded your children to be offered in sacrifice; he could have asked you to cut and lance yourselves, or lie in hell for a while; but he only desires your love, he only wants this flower. Is it a hard request to love God? Was any debt ever easier to pay than this? Is it any effort for a wife to love her husband? Love is delightful. "Non potest amor esse, et dulcis non esse" [Love must by definition be sweet]. Bernard. What is there in our love that God should desire it? Why would a king desire the love of a woman who is in debt and diseased? God does not need our love. There are enough angels in heaven to adore and love him. What benefit does God get from our love? It doesn't add the slightest bit to his essential blessedness. He does not need our love, and yet he seeks it. Why does he desire us to give him our heart? (Prov 23:26). Not because he needs our heart, but so that he may make it better.

(2) We'll gain a lot if we love God. He doesn't seek our love for us to lose by it. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, the things which God has prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor 2:9). If you love him, you'll receive a reward beyond your imagination. He will commit to you with the deepest love. "I will betroth thee unto me for ever, in loving kindness and in mercies" (Hos 2:19). "The Lord thy God will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing" (Zeph 3:17). If you love God, he will share all his riches and honors with you; he'll give you heaven and earth as your dowry, and he'll place a crown on your head. Vespasian the emperor gave a great reward to a woman who professed her love for him, but God gives a crown of life to those who love him (James 1:12).

(3) Love is the only virtue that will stay with us in heaven. In heaven, we won't need repentance because we won't have any sin; we won't need faith because we'll see God face to face; but our love for God will last forever. "Love never fails" (1 Cor 13:8). How should we nurture this virtue that will outlast all others and continue for eternity!

(4) Our love for God is a sign of His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). By nature, we have no love for God; we have hearts of stone (Ezek 36:26). And how can any love be in hearts of stone? Our love for Him comes from His love for us. If the glass burns, it is because the sun has shone on it; so if our hearts burn with love, it is a sign the Sun of Righteousness has shone upon us.

What should we do to truly love God?

(1) Wait for the preaching of the word. Just as faith comes by hearing, so does love. The word reveals God in his unmatched excellencies; it describes and illustrates him in all his glory, and seeing his beauty ignites love.

(2) Ask God to give you a heart that loves him. When King Solomon asked God for wisdom, it pleased the Lord (1 Kings 3:10). So, when you cry out to God, "Lord, give me a heart to love you, it grieves me that I can't love you more," this prayer will surely please the Lord, and he will pour out his Spirit upon you. His golden oil will make the lamp of your love burn bright.

(3) You who love God, keep that love burning in your heart. Love, like fire, can easily go out. "You have left your first love" (Rev 2:4). Through neglecting your duties or loving the world too much, your love for God can cool down. Make sure to preserve your love for Him. Just as you take care to maintain the natural warmth in your body, be just as careful to keep the warmth of love for God in your soul. Love is like oil to the wheels; it energizes us in serving God. When you notice your love fading and cooling, do everything you can to revive it. When a fire is dying, you add fuel; similarly, when the flame of love is dying, use the ordinances as sacred fuel to keep the fire of your love burning.

Chapter 3: The Preface to the Ten Commandments

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God," etc. (Exod 20:1-2).

What is the introduction to the Ten Commandments?

The preface to the Ten Commandments is, "I am the Lord your God."

The preface to the preface is, God spoke all these words, saying,'

This is like the sounding of a trumpet before a solemn proclamation.

Other parts of the Bible are said to be uttered by the mouth of the

holy prophets (Luke 1:70), but here God spoke in his own person.

How are we supposed to understand that God spoke, since He doesn't have a body or vocal cords?

God made a clear sound or sent a voice through the air, which to the Jews felt like God himself was speaking to them. Notice:

(1) The lawgiver. God spoke. "There are two things required in a lawgiver. [1] Wisdom. Laws are based on reason, and the one who makes laws must be wise. God, in this respect, is most fit to be a lawgiver: he is wise in heart." (Job 9:4) He has a monopoly on wisdom. "The only wise God." (1 Tim 1:17) Therefore, he is the most suitable to create and establish laws. [2] Authority. If a subject makes laws, no matter how wise they are, they lack the stamp of authority. God has the supreme power in his hand: he gives being to all; and he who gives people their lives has the most right to give them their laws.

(2) The law itself. All these words. That is, all the words of the moral law, which is usually called the decalogue, or ten commandments. It is called the moral law because it is the rule of life and behavior. The Scripture, as Chrysostom says, is a garden, and the moral law is the main flower in it: it is a banquet, and the moral law is the main dish in it.

The moral law is perfect. "The law of the Lord is perfect." (Psa 19:7). It is an exact model and platform of religion; it is the standard of truth, the judge of controversies, the pole-star to guide us to heaven. "The commandment is a lamp." (Prov 6:23). Though the moral law is not [Christos] to justify us, it is a rule to instruct us.

The moral law is unchangeable; it still applies. Even though the ceremonial and judicial laws are abolished, the moral law given directly by God remains forever useful in the church. It was written on stone tablets to show its permanence.

The moral law is very illustrious and full of glory. God put glory upon it in the manner of its proclamation. The people, before the moral law was delivered, were to wash their clothes, which symbolized God requiring the sanctifying of their ears and hearts to receive the law (Exod 19:10). There were boundaries set so that no one might touch the mountain, which was meant to instill reverence for the law in the people (Exod 19:12). God wrote the law with his own finger, which was such an honor put upon the moral law, as we read of no other such writing (Exod 31:18). God, by some mighty operation, made the law legible in letters, as if it had been written with his own finger. God's placing the law in the ark to be kept was another significant mark of honor put upon it. The ark was the cabinet in which He placed the ten commandments, like ten jewels. At the delivery of the moral law, many angels were in attendance (Deut 33:2). A parliament of angels was called, and God himself was the speaker.

Application #1

Here we can see God's goodness, who hasn't left us without a law. He often presents the giving of his commandments as a sign of his love. He hasn't dealt this way with any other nation: "as for his judgments, they have not known them" (Psa 147:20). "You gave them true laws, good statutes, and commandments" (Neh 9:13). What a strange creature man would be if he had no law to guide him! There would be no living in the world; we would only have Ishmaels born—every man's hand would be against his neighbor. Man would become wild if he didn't have affliction to tame him and the moral law to guide him. The law of God is a hedge to keep us within the bounds of sobriety and piety.

Application #2

If God spoke all these words of the moral law, then it condemns: (1) The Marcionites and Manichees, who speak lightly, even blasphemously, of the moral law; who say it is below a Christian, it is carnal; which the apostle refutes, when he says, "The law is spiritual, but I am carnal" (Rom 7:14). (2) The Antinomians, who will not accept the moral law as a rule for a believer. We do not say that he is under the curse of the law, but the commands. We do not say the moral law is a Christ, but it is a star to lead to Christ. We do not say that it saves, but sanctifies. Those who cast God's law behind their backs, God will cast their prayers behind his back. Those who will not have the law to rule them, shall have the law to judge them. (3) The Papists, who, as if God's law were imperfect, and when he spoke all these words he did not speak enough, add to it their canons and traditions. This is to question God's wisdom, as if he did not know how to make his own law. This surely is a high provocation. "If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book" (Rev 22:18). As it is a great evil to add anything to a man's sealed will, so much more to add anything to the law which God himself spoke, and wrote with his own fingers.

Application #3

If God spoke all the words of the moral law, several duties are required of us: (1) If God spoke all these words, then we must listen to all these words. The words God speaks are too precious to be ignored. Just as we want God to hear all our words when we pray, we must listen to all His words when He speaks. We must not be like the deaf adder that stops its ears; whoever stops their ears when God speaks will cry out themselves and not be heard (Psalm 58:4).

(2) If God spoke all these words, then we must listen to them with respect. Every word of the moral law is a message from heaven. God himself is the speaker, which demands reverence. If a judge gives instructions in court, everyone listens with respect. In the moral law, God himself gives instructions, "God spoke all these words;" so with what veneration should we listen! Moses took off his shoes as a sign of respect when God was about to speak to him (Exod 3:5-6).

(3) If God spoke all these words of the moral law, then we must remember them. Surely everything God says is worth remembering; those words are important because they concern salvation. "It is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life" (Deut 32:47). Our memory should be like the chest in the ark where the law was kept. God's oracles are ornaments, and shall we forget them? "Can a maid forget her ornaments?" (Jer 2:32).

(4) If God spoke all these words, then believe them. See the name of God written upon every commandment. The heathens, in order to gain credit for their laws, claimed that they were inspired by the gods at Rome. The moral law comes directly from heaven. [Ipse dixit]. God spoke all these words. Shall we not trust the God of heaven? How did the angel confirm the women in the resurrection of Christ? "Look," he said, "I have told you" (Matt 28:7). I speak with the authority of an angel. How much more should the moral law be believed when it comes to us as the word of God? God spoke all these words. Unbelief weakens the power of God's word and makes it ineffective. "The word did not profit, not being mixed with faith" (Heb 4:2). Eve gave more credit to the devil when he spoke than she did to God.

(5) If God spoke all these words, then love the commandments. Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long.' (Psa 119:97). Consider how I love your precepts.' (Psa 119:159). The moral law is the reflection of God's will, our spiritual guide; it shows us what sins to avoid and what duties to pursue. The ten commandments are like a chain of pearls to adorn us, they are our treasure to enrich us; they are more precious than lands of spices or rocks of diamonds. The law from your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver.' (Psa 119:72). The law of God has truth and goodness in it. (Neh 9:13). Truth, because God spoke it; and goodness, because everything the commandment requires is for our good. Oh then, let this command our love.

(6) If God spoke all these words, then teach your children the law of God. "These words, which I command you today, shall be in your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children" (Deut 6:6-7). A godly person is both a diamond and a magnet: a diamond for the brilliance of their grace, and a magnet for their attractive virtue in drawing others to the love of God's precepts. Vir bonus magis aliis prodest quam sibi [A good man benefits others more than himself]. You who are parents, fulfill your duty. Though you cannot impart grace to your children, you can impart knowledge. Let your children know the commandments of God. "You shall teach them to your children" (Deut 11:19). You are careful to leave your children an inheritance; leave the oracles of heaven with them. Instruct them in the law of God. If God spoke all these words, you can certainly repeat them to your children.

(7) If God spoke all these words, the moral law must be obeyed. If a king speaks, his word commands loyalty; even more so, when God speaks, His words must be followed. Some people will obey partially, following some commandments but not others, like a plow that skips over tough soil. But God, who spoke all the words of the moral law, wants all of them obeyed. He will not allow the breaking of even one law. Princes, for special reasons, sometimes overlook penal statutes and won't enforce the full severity of the law. But God, who spoke all these words, requires everyone to obey every law.

This criticizes the church of Rome, which, instead of following the entire moral law, removes one commandment and makes exceptions for others. They leave the second commandment out of their catechism because it opposes the use of images; and to keep the number at ten, they split the tenth commandment into two. Thus, they face that severe condemnation: "If anyone takes away from the words of this book, God will take away his part from the book of life" (Rev 22:19). As they remove one commandment and cut the knot they cannot untie, they also make exceptions for other commandments. They make exceptions for the sixth commandment, making murder acceptable in the case of promoting the Catholic cause. They make exceptions for the seventh commandment, where God forbids adultery; for the Pope allows the sin of impurity, even incest, by accepting fines and sums of money into his treasury. No wonder the Pope encourages disloyalty to kings and princes when he teaches disloyalty to God. Some of the Papists explicitly state in their writings that the Pope has the power to make exceptions to the laws of God and can give people permission to break the commandments of the Old and New Testament. May the Lord in his mercy prevent such a religion from ever gaining a foothold in England again! If God spoke all the commandments, then we must obey all; he who breaks the hedge of the commandments, a serpent shall bite him.

But who can follow all of God's commandments?

To obey the law in a legal sense—to do everything the law requires—no one can. Sin has taken away our original righteousness, where our strength lay. But, in a true gospel sense, we can obey the moral law in a way that finds acceptance. This gospel obedience involves a genuine effort to follow the whole moral law. "I have done your commandments" (Psa 119:166); not that I have done everything I should do, but I have done everything I am able to do. And where my obedience falls short, I look up to the perfect righteousness and obedience of Christ and hope for pardon through his blood. This is to obey the moral law evangelically; which, though it may not be perfect, is still acceptable.

We're now at the preface itself, which has three parts: 

1. "I am the Lord your God"; 

2. "who brought you out of the land of Egypt"; 

3. "out of the house of slavery".

I. I am the Lord your God. Here we have a description of God; (1) By his essential greatness, "I am the Lord;" (2) By his relative goodness, "Your God."

[1] By his essential greatness, I am the Lord: or, as it is in the Hebrew, JEHOVAH. By this great name, God shows his majesty. Sanctius habitum fuit, says Buxtorf. The name JEHOVAH was held in more reverence among the Jews than any other name of God. It signifies God's self-sufficiency, eternity, independence, and immutability (Mal. 3:6).

Application #1

If God is Jehovah, the source of all existence, who can do whatever he wants, let us fear him. "That you may fear this glorious and fearful name, Jehovah." (Deut 28:58)

Application #2

If God is Jehovah, the supreme Lord, then the blasphemous Papists are condemned for speaking like this: "Our Lord God the Pope." Is it any wonder the Pope lifts his triple crown above the heads of kings and emperors when he usurps God's title, showing himself that he is God (2 Thess 2:4)? He tries to make himself Lord of heaven, for he will canonize saints there; Lord of earth, for with his keys he binds and looses whom he pleases; Lord of hell, for he frees men out of purgatory. God will bring down this pride; he will consume this man of sin with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of his coming (2 Thess 2:8).

[2] God is described by his relative goodness; your God. If he had called himself Jehovah only, it might have terrified us and made us flee from him; but when he says, your God, it allures and draws us to him. This, though a preface to the law, is pure gospel. The word [Eloeha], your God, is so sweet that we can never suck all the honey out of it. I am your God, not only by creation but by election. This word, your God, though it was spoken to Israel, is a charter that belongs to all the saints. For further explanation, here are three questions.

How does God become our God?

Through Jesus Christ. Christ is a mediator in the Trinity. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He brings two different parties together: makes our nature lovely to God, and God's nature lovely to us; by his death, causes friendship, even union; and brings us within the scope of the covenant, and thus God becomes our God.

What does it mean that God is our God?

It includes all good things. God is our strong tower, our fountain of living water, our salvation. More specifically, being our God implies the sweetest relationships.

(1) The relationship of a father. "I will be a Father to you" (2 Cor 6:18). A father is full of tender care for his child. Who does he leave the inheritance to but his child? With God as our God, He will be a father to us; "a Father of mercies" (2 Cor 1:3); "The everlasting Father" (Isa 9:6). If God is our God, we have a Father in heaven who never dies.

(2) It means the relationship of a husband. "Your Maker is your husband." (Isa 54:5) If God is our husband, he considers us precious to him, like the apple of his eye. (Zech 2:8) He shares his secrets with us. (Psa 25:14) He gives us a kingdom as our dowry. (Luke 12:32)

How can we know that through a covenant relationship, God is our God?

(1) By having his grace planted in us. Kings' children are known by their expensive jewels. It's not having common gifts that shows we belong to God; many have the gifts of God without having God. But it's grace that gives us a true, genuine title to God. Specifically, faith is [vinculum unionis], the grace of union, by which we can understand our connection to God. Faith doesn't, like a sailor, cast its anchor downwards, but upwards; it trusts in the mercy and blood of God, and by trusting in God, it engages him to be our God. Other graces make us like God, but faith makes us one with him.

(2) We can know God is our God by having the Spirit in our hearts (2 Cor. 1:22). God often gives wealth to the wicked, but He only gives the Spirit to those He intends to make His heirs. Have we experienced the consecration of the Spirit? If we haven't had the sealing work of the Spirit, have we had the healing work? "You have an anointing from the Holy One" (1 John 2:20). The Spirit, where it is, leaves its mark of holiness on the heart; it decorates and beautifies the soul, making it glorious within. Have we felt the Spirit's pull? "Draw me, we will run after you" (Cant. 1:4). Has the Spirit, with its magnetic power, drawn our hearts to God? Can we say, "O you whom my soul loves" (Cant. 1:7)? Is God our paradise of delight, our Segullah, our chief treasure! Are our hearts so attached to God that no other object can captivate us or draw us away from Him? Have we experienced the elevation of the Spirit? Has it raised our hearts above the world? "The Spirit lifted me up" (Ezek. 3:14). Has the Spirit made us seek the things above where Christ is? Though our bodies are on earth, is our heart in heaven? Though we live here, do we trade above? Has the Spirit lifted us up in this way? By this, we can know that God is our God. Where God gives His Spirit as a guarantee, there He gives Himself as a portion.

(3) We can know God is our God if he has given us the hearts of children. Do we have obedient hearts? (Psa 27:8). Do we follow God's commands even when they go against our own desires? A true believer is like a sunflower, which opens and closes with the sun: they open to God and shut to sin. If we have the hearts of children, God is our Father.

(4) We can know that God is ours, and that we have a stake in Him, by standing up for His cause. We will defend His truth, where His glory is deeply involved. Athanasius was a defender of truth; he stood up for it when most of the world were Asians. In the past, the nobles of Polonia, when the gospel was read, would place their hands on their swords, showing they were ready to defend the faith and risk their lives for the gospel. There is no better sign of having a stake in God than standing up for His cause.

(5) We can know that God is ours, and that we have a connection with Him, by His having a connection with us. "My beloved is mine, and I am his" (Cant 2:16). When God says to the soul, "You are mine," the soul responds, "Lord, I am yours; everything I have is at your service; my mind will be yours to think for you; my tongue will be yours to praise you." If God is our God by way of giving, we are His by way of dedication; we live for Him and belong to Him more than we belong to ourselves. This is how we can know that God is our God.

Application #1

Above all, let's make sure this great promise is confirmed: that God is our God. Deity isn't comfortable without ownership. Let's work to get solid proof that God is our God. We can't always call health, freedom, or wealth ours, but let's be able to call God ours and say like the church, "God, even our own God, shall bless us" (Psa 67:6). Let everyone strive to say this clearly: "My God." To motivate us to have God as our God, think about the misery of those who don't have God as their God. How sad is their situation when trouble comes! This was Saul's case when he said, "I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me" (1 Sam 28:15). A wicked person in trouble is like a ship tossed on the sea without an anchor, crashing into rocks or sandbanks. A sinner without God might manage while they have health and wealth, but when these supports break, their heart will sink. It's like it was with the old world when the flood came. At first, the waters reached the valleys, so people went to the hills and mountains. But when the waters reached the mountains, they climbed trees on the high hills. Yet, the waters rose above the tops of the trees, and then their hearts failed, and all hope of being saved was gone. This is how it is for someone who doesn't have God as their God. If one comfort is taken away, they have another; if they lose a child, they still have wealth. But when the waters rise higher, death comes and takes everything away, and they have nothing to help themselves with, no God to turn to, and they must die in despair. How great a privilege it is to have God as our God! "Happy is that people whose God is the Lord" (Psa 144:15). Beatitudo hominis est Deus [Man's happiness is God himself]. Augustine. To see the privilege of this promise:

(1) If God is our God, then even though we might feel the impact of evil, we won't feel its sting. Anyone in such a condition must be happy because nothing can truly harm them. If they lose their reputation, it's still written in the book of life; if they lose their freedom, their conscience remains free; if they lose their wealth, they still have the pearl of great value; if they face storms, they know where to find shelter. God is their God, and heaven is their home.

(2) If God is our God, our soul is safe. The soul is the jewel, it is a blossom of eternity. "I was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body;" in the Chaldee, it is "in the midst of my sheath" (Dan 7:15). The body is just the sheath; the soul is the princely part of man, which sways the scepter of reason; it is a celestial spark, as Damascene calls it. If God is our God, the soul is safe, like in a garrison. Death can do no more harm to a virtuous heaven-born soul than David did to Saul when he cut off the skirt of his garment. The soul is safe, being hidden in the promises; hidden in the wounds of Christ; hidden in God's decree. The soul is the pearl, and heaven is the cabinet where God will lock it up safe.

(3) If God is our God, then everything that belongs to God is ours. The Lord says to a believer in covenant, just like the king of Israel said to the king of Syria, "I am yours, and everything I have is yours" (1 Kings 20:4). So says God, "I am yours." How happy is the person who not only receives God's gifts but also inherits God himself! Everything I have will be yours; my wisdom will be yours to teach you; my power will be yours to support you; my mercy will be yours to save you. God is an infinite ocean of blessedness, and there is enough in him to fill us: just like if a thousand vessels were thrown into the sea, there is enough in the sea to fill them.

(4) If God is our God, he will love us completely. Ownership is the basis of love. God may give people kingdoms without loving them, but he cannot be our God without loving us. He calls his covenanted saints, Jediduth Naphshi, "The dearly beloved of my soul" (Jer 12:7). He rejoices over them with joy and rests in his love (Zeph 3:17). They are his refined silver (Zech 13:9), his jewels (Mal 3:17), his royal diadem (Isa 62:3). He gives them the best and most precious part of his love. He not only opens his hand and fills them, but opens his heart and fills them (Psa 145:16).

(5) If God is our God, he will do more for us than anyone else in the world. What does that mean? [1] He will give us peace during tough times. When there's chaos around us, he will bring calm within us. The world can create trouble even in peaceful times, but God can bring peace during trouble. He will send the Comforter, who, like a dove, brings an olive branch of peace in his mouth (John 14:16). [2] God will give us a crown of immortality. The world can give a crown of gold, but that crown has thorns and leads to death; however, God will give you a crown of glory that never fades away (1 Pet. 5:4). The garland made of the flowers of paradise never withers.

(6) If God is our God, he will tolerate many weaknesses. He might give sinners some time, but long patience is not a pardon; he will eventually send them to hell for their sins. But if he is our God, he will not destroy us for every mistake; he tolerates his spouse as the weaker vessel. He may discipline (Psalm 89:32). He might use the rod and the pruning knife, but not the bloody axe. He has not seen iniquity in Jacob (Numbers 23:21). He will not see sin in his people to destroy them, but their sins to pity them. He sees them like a doctor sees a disease in his patient, to heal him. "I have seen his ways, and will heal him" (Isaiah 57:18). Every mistake does not break the marriage bond. The disciples had great failings; they all abandoned Christ and fled. But this did not break their connection with God. Therefore, Christ says at his ascension, "Tell my disciples, I go to my God and to their God."

(7) If God is once our God, he is our God forever. "This God is our God forever and ever" (Psa 48:14). Whatever worldly comforts we have, they are only temporary, and we must part with all of them (Heb 11:25). Just like Paul's friends accompanied him to the ship and then left him (Acts 20:38), all our earthly comforts will only go with us to the grave and then leave us. You can't say you have health and will have it forever; you have a child and will have them forever. But if God is your God, you will have him forever. "This God is our God forever and ever." If God is our God, he will be a God to us as long as he is God. "You have taken away my gods," said Micah (Judges 18:14). But it cannot be said to a believer that his God is taken away. He may lose everything else, but he cannot lose his God. God is ours from everlasting in election and to everlasting in glory.

(8) If God is our God, we will enjoy all our godly relationships with Him in heaven. One of the greatest joys on earth is to enjoy our relationships. A father sees his own likeness in his child, and a wife sees herself in her husband. We cultivate love among our relationships, and losing them feels like losing a part of ourselves. But if God is ours, we will enjoy all our pious relationships in glory along with Him. The gracious child will see their godly father, and the virtuous wife will see her religious husband in Christ's arms. There will be an even deeper love for our relationships than ever before, though in a different way; then, relationships will meet and never part. And so we will always be with the Lord.

Application #2

For those who can understand this covenant union, we have several pieces of advice.

(1) If God is our God, let's make the most of our relationship with Him. Let's give Him all our worries: our fears, our needs, and our sins. "Cast your burden upon the Lord" (Psa 55:22). Wicked people who are a burden to God have no right to cast their burdens on Him; but those who have God as their God are invited to do so. Where else should a child find relief from all its worries but in the arms of its parent? "Let all your needs lie upon me" (Judges 19:20). That's what God seems to say to His children: "Let all your needs lie upon me." Christian, what's troubling you? You have a God who forgives your sins and meets your needs; so roll your burden onto Him. "Casting all your care upon Him" (1 Pet 5:7). Why are Christians so unsettled in their minds? They are worrying when they should be casting their worries away.

(2) If God is our God, let's learn to be content, even if we have less of other things. Contentment is a rare jewel; it cures worry. If we have God as our God, we can be content. "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim 1:12). That was Paul's confidence in God. "As having nothing, and yet possessing all things" (2 Cor 6:10). That was his contentment. For those who have a covenant-union with God, consider what a rich blessing God is to the soul, and be filled with contentment of spirit.

He is bonum sufficiens, a sufficient good. He who has God has enough. If someone is thirsty, bring them to a spring, and they are satisfied; in God, there is enough to fill the heaven-born soul. He gives grace and glory (Psa 84:11). In God, there is not only sufficiency but also redundancy; he is not only full like a vessel but like a spring. Other things can no more fill the soul than a sailor's breath can fill the sails of a ship; but in God, there is a cornucopia, an infinite fullness; he has enough to fill the angels, therefore enough to fill us. The heart is a triangle, which only the Trinity can fill.

God is bonum sanctificans, a sanctifying good. He makes all our comforts holy and turns them into blessings. Health is blessed, and wealth is blessed. He gives blessings along with the gifts. "I will abundantly bless her provision" (Psa 132:15). He gives us the life we have, tanquam arrhabo, as a promise of more to come. He gives the little meal in the barrel as a promise of the royal feast in paradise. He makes all our hardships holy. They won't be destructive punishments but medicines; they will corrode and eat out the venom of sin; they will polish and refine our grace. The more the diamond is cut, the more it sparkles. When God tightens the strings of his violin, it is to make the music better.

God is the ultimate good, a choice blessing. Everything under the sun is just "bona scabelli," as Augustine says, the blessings of the footstool. But having God himself as ours is the blessing of the throne. Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines, but he settled the inheritance upon Isaac. Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac (Gen 25:5). God may send away the people of the world with gifts, a little gold and silver; but in giving us himself, he gives us the very essence, his grace, his love, his kingdom: here is the crowning blessing.

God is bonum summum, the ultimate good. In the ultimate good, there must be delectability; it must have something that is delightful and sweet. And where can we find those pure essential comforts that fill us with joy, but in God? In Deo quadam dulcedine delectatur anima, immo rapitur [In God's character there is a certain sweetness which fascinates or rather enraptures the soul]. At thy right hand there are pleasures (Psa 16:11). In the ultimate good, there must be transcendence; it must have a surpassing excellence. Thus, God is infinitely better than all other things. It is beneath the Deity to compare other things with it. Who would weigh a feather against a mountain of gold? God is fons et origo, the source of all entities, and the cause is more noble than the effect. It is God who adorns creation, who puts light into the sun, who fills the veins of the earth with silver. Creatures only maintain life; God gives life. He infinitely outshines all earthly glory. He is better than the soul, than angels, and than heaven. In the ultimate good, there must be not only fullness but variety. Where variety is lacking, we are apt to become weary. To feed only on honey would breed loathing; but in God is all variety of fullness (Col 1:19). He is a universal good, meeting all our needs. He is bonum in quo omnia bona [the good in which is every good], a son, a portion, a horn of salvation. He is called the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3). There is a combination of all beauties and delights in him. Health does not have the comfort of beauty, nor beauty of riches, nor riches of wisdom; but God is the God of all comfort. In the ultimate good, there must be eternity. God is a treasure that can neither be depleted nor exhausted. Though the angels are continually drawing from him, he can never be spent; he abides forever. Eternity is a flower of his crown. Now, if God is our God, there is enough to bring full contentment to our souls. What need do we have for torchlight if we have the sun? What if God denies the flower if he has given us the jewel? How should a Christian's heart rest on this rock! If we say God is our God, and we are not content, we have cause to question our interest in him.

(3) If we can understand this covenant-union, that God is our God, let it cheer and revive us in all situations. Being content with God is not enough; we should be cheerful. What greater comfort can you have than union with Deity? When Jesus Christ was about to ascend, he couldn't leave a richer consolation with his disciples than this: "I ascend to my God and to your God" (John 20:17). Who should rejoice if not those who have an infinite, all-sufficient, eternal God as their portion, who are as rich as heaven can make them? What if I lack health? I have God, who is the health of my countenance, and my God (Psa 42:11). What if I am low in the world? If I don't have the earth, I have the one who made it. The philosopher comforted himself by saying, "Though I have no music or vine-trees, yet here are the household gods with me;" so, though we don't have the vine or fig-tree, yet we have God with us. "I cannot be poor," says Bernard, "as long as God is rich; for his riches are mine." Oh, let the saints rejoice in this covenant-union! To say God is ours is more than to say heaven is ours, for heaven would not be heaven without him. All the stars cannot make day without the sun; all the angels, those morning stars, cannot make heaven without Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. And having God as our God is a reason for rejoicing in life, and especially at death. Let a Christian think, "I am going to my God." A child is glad when he is going home to his father. It was Christ's comfort when he was leaving the world, "I ascend to my God" (John 20:17). And this is a believer's deathbed comfort: "I am going to my God; I shall change my place, but not my family; I go to my God and my Father."

(4) If God is our God, let's break out into praise. "You are my God, and I will praise you" (Psa 118:28). Oh, infinite, astonishing mercy, that God would take dust and ashes into such a close bond of love as to be our God! As Micah said, "What else do I have?" (Judges 18:24). So, what else does God have? What richer jewel does He have to give us than Himself? What else does He have? That God would give most of the world riches and honor, but give Himself to us as a gift, to be our God, and with this, establish a kingdom for us! Oh, let us praise Him with the best instrument, the heart; and let this instrument be tuned to the highest pitch. Let us praise Him with our whole heart. See how David rises step by step. "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, and shout for joy" (Psa 32:11). Be glad, there is thankfulness; rejoice, there is cheerfulness; shout, there is triumph. Praise is called incense because it is a sweet sacrifice. Let the saints be choristers in God's praises. The deepest springs yield the sweetest water; the more deeply we feel God's covenant-love to us, the sweeter praises we should offer. We should start here to eternalize God's name and do on earth the work we will always be doing in heaven. "While I live, I will praise the Lord" (Psa 146:2).

(5) Let us live in a way that shows we have God as our God; that is, walk so that others can see there's something of God in us. Live authentically. What do we have to do with sin, which, if it doesn't break us, will weaken our connection? "What have I to do any more with idols?" (Hos 14:8). A Christian would say, "God is my God; what do I have to do anymore with sin, with lust, pride, malice? Asking me to commit sin is like asking me to drink poison. Should I risk my relationship with God? I'd rather die than willingly offend the one who is the crown of my joy, the God of my salvation."

II. Which brought you out of the land of Egypt. Egypt and the house of bondage are the same; only they are described to us using different expressions. The first expression is, "Which brought you out of the land of Egypt."

Why does the Lord talk about freeing Israel from Egypt?

(1) Because of the unusual nature of the deliverance. God rescued His people, Israel, through extraordinary signs and wonders, sending plague after plague upon Pharaoh, destroying the crops, and killing all the firstborn in Egypt (Exod 12:29). When Israel left Egypt, God parted the waters of the sea, creating a wall for His people to walk on dry ground, while the same sea became a causeway for Israel and a grave for Pharaoh and his chariots. It's no wonder the Lord would highlight this remarkable deliverance. He performed miracle after miracle to free His people.

(2) God talks about Israel's escape from Egypt because it was such a significant rescue. He saved Israel from the corruptions of Egypt. Egypt was a terrible place to live, filled with idolatry; the Egyptians were extreme idol worshippers. They were guilty of what the apostle mentions in Romans 1:23: "They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things." The Egyptians, instead of worshipping the true God, worshipped mortal man; they made their king Apis a deity, and anyone who said he was a man was punished by death. They worshipped birds like the hawk, animals like the ox, and even made the image of a beast their god. They worshipped creeping things like the crocodile and the Indian mouse. God highlights it as a special favor to Israel that He brought them out of such an idolatrous country: "I brought you out of the land of Egypt."

The thing I would note is that it is no small blessing to be delivered from places of idolatry. God speaks of it no less than ten times in the Old Testament, "I brought you out of the land of Egypt;" an idolatrous place. Even if there had been no iron furnace in Egypt, just having so many altars and false gods there made it a great privilege for Israel to be delivered out of Egypt. Joshua counts it among the chief and most memorable mercies of God to Abraham that He brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, where Abraham's ancestors served strange gods (Josh 24:2-3). It is well for a plant that is set in bad soil to be transplanted to a better place where it can grow and flourish; similarly, it is a mercy when anyone who is planted among idolaters is removed and transplanted into [Zion], where the silver drops of God's word make them grow in holiness.

Why is it such a big blessing to be freed from places of idolatry?

(1) It's a huge blessing because we're naturally inclined to idol worship. Israel started getting corrupted with the idols of Egypt (Ezek 22:3). Dry wood isn't more likely to catch fire than we are to idol worship. The Jews made cakes for the queen of heaven, which is the moon (Jer 7:15).

Why do we tend to worship idols?

Because we are often influenced by what we can see, and we love to have our senses pleased. People naturally imagine a god they can see; even if it's a god that can't see them, they still want to see it. The true God is invisible, which leads idolaters to worship something they can see.

(2) It is a mercy to be delivered from idolatrous places because of the greatness of the sin of idolatry, which is giving the glory that belongs to God to an image. All divine worship is reserved by God for himself; it is a jewel in his crown. The fat of the sacrifice is claimed by him (Lev 3:3). Divine worship is the fat of the sacrifice, which he keeps for himself. The idolater dedicates this worship to an idol, which the Lord will not tolerate. "My glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Isa 42:8). Idolatry is spiritual adultery. "With their idols have they committed adultery" (Ezek 23:37). To worship anyone other than God is to break the covenant, making the Lord disown his relationship with a people. "Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife" (Hos 2:2). "Thy people have corrupted themselves;" no longer my people, but your people (Exod 32:7). God calls idolatry blasphemy. "In this your fathers have blasphemed me." Idolatry is devil worship (Ezek 20:27, 31). "They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to new gods" (Deut 32:17). These new gods were old devils. "And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils" (Lev 17:7). The Hebrew word La-sairim means the hairy ones, because the devils were hairy and appeared in the forms of satyrs and goats. How dreadful a sin is idolatry, and what a significant mercy it is to be rescued from an idolatrous place, just as Lot was rescued by the angels out of Sodom!

(3) It's a blessing to be freed from idolatrous places because idolatry is such a silly and irrational religion. Like it says in Jeremiah 8:9, "What wisdom is in them?" Isn't it foolish to refuse the best and choose the worst? In Jotham's parable, the trees in the field rejected the vine, which cheers both God and man, and the olive tree, which is full of richness, and the fig tree, which is full of sweetness, and instead chose the bramble to reign over them—a foolish choice (Judges 9). Similarly, it's foolish for us to reject the living God, who has the power to save us, and choose an idol that has eyes but can't see, and feet but can't walk (Psalm 115:6-7). What a crazy thing to do! So, being delivered from making such a foolish choice is truly a blessing.

(4) It is a mercy to be delivered from idolatrous places because of the sad judgments inflicted upon idolaters. This is a sin that enrages God and makes his fury rise. [Ezek 38:18]. Search through the whole book of God, and you will find no sin he has punished more than idolatry. "Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god." [Psa 16:4]. "They moved him to jealousy with their graven images." [Psa 78:58]. When God heard this, he was angry and greatly abhorred Israel, so he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh. [Verses 59, 60]. Shiloh was a city belonging to the tribe of Ephraim, where God set his name. [Jer 7:12]. But, for their idolatry, God forsook the place, gave his people up to the sword, caused his priests to be slain, and his ark to be carried away captive, never to be returned. How severe was God against Israel for worshipping the golden calf! [Exod 32:27]. The Jews say that in every misery that befalls them, there is "uncia aurei vituli," an ounce of the golden calf in it. "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." [Rev. 18:4]. Idolatry, if lived in, cuts men off from heaven. [1 Cor 6:9]. So, it is no small mercy to be delivered out of idolatrous places.

Application #1

See the goodness of God to our nation, in bringing us out of mystic Egypt, delivering us from popery, which is Romish idolatry, and causing the light of his truth to break forth gloriously among us. In former times, and more recently in the Marian days, England was overspread with idolatry. It worshipped God in a false manner; and it is idolatry, not only to worship a false god, but the true God in a false manner. Such was our case formerly; we had purgatory, indulgences, the idolatrous mass, the Scriptures locked up in an unknown tongue, invocation of saints and angels, and image-worship. Images are teachers of lies (Hab 2:18). Wherein do they teach lies? They represent God, who cannot be seen, in a bodily shape. "You saw no form, only you heard a voice" (Deut 4:12). "Quod invisibile est, pingi non potest" (Ambrose). God cannot be pictured by any finger; not the soul even, being a spirit, much less God. "To whom then will you liken God?" (Isa 40:18). The Papists say they worship God by the image; which is a great absurdity, for if it is absurd to fall down to the picture of a king when the king himself is present, much more to bow down to the image of God when God himself is present (Jer 23:24). What is the popish religion but a bundle of ridiculous ceremonies? Their wax, flowers, pyres, agnus Dei, cream and oil, beads, crucifixes; what are these but Satan's policy, to dress up a carnal worship, fitted to carnal minds? Oh! what cause have we to bless God for delivering us from popery! It was a mercy to be delivered from the Spanish invasion, and the powder treason; but it is a far greater to be delivered from the popish religion, which would have made God give us a bill of divorce.

Application #2

If it’s a great blessing to be delivered from the Egypt of popish idolatry, it shows the sin and folly of those who, being brought out of Egypt, are willing to return to it again. The apostle says, "Flee from idolatry" (1 Cor 10:14). But these people would rather run to idolatry; they’re like the Israelites who, despite all the idolatry and tyranny of Egypt, longed to go back. "Let us make a captain and let us return into Egypt" (Numb 14:4). But how will they go back to Egypt? How will they find food in the wilderness? Will God rain down manna again for such rebels? How will they cross the Red Sea? Will God divide the water again by miracle for those who leave His service and go into idolatrous Egypt? Yet they say, "Let us make a captain." And aren’t there people among us who say, "Let us make a captain and go back to the Romish Egypt again"? If we do, what will we gain from it? I’m afraid the leeks and onions of Egypt will make us sick. Do we really think that if we drink from the cup of fornication, we’ll also drink from the cup of salvation? Oh! that anyone should so forfeit their reason as to enslave themselves to the see of Rome; that they should be willing to hold a candle to a mass-priest and bow down to a strange God! Let’s not say we will make a captain, but rather say as Ephraim, "What have I to do any more with idols?" (Hos 14:8).

Application #3

If it's a blessing to be brought out of Egypt, it's not desirable or safe to settle in a place full of idols, where it might even be a serious crime to be seen with a Bible in hand. Some people, for the sake of making money, put themselves among idol worshipers and think there's no danger in living where Satan's influence is strong. They pray that God won't lead them into temptation, but they lead themselves there. They are at great risk of being corrupted. It's hard to be like a fish that stays fresh in salty water. A person can't live among people with different values without being affected. You are more likely to be corrupted by idol worshipers than to convert them. Joseph didn't gain anything good by living in an idolatrous court; he didn't teach Pharaoh to pray, but Pharaoh taught him to swear. "They mingled with the nations and adopted their customs" (Psalm 106:35-36). I fear that many have been ruined because they settled among idol worshipers to advance their trade, and eventually, they not only traded goods but also adopted their religion.

Application #4

It is a mercy to be brought out of the land of Egypt, a defiled place where sin reigns. It criticizes parents who show little love for the souls of their children, whether by putting them out to work or arranging their marriages. When putting them out to work, their main concern is their bodies, ensuring they are provided for, without caring about their souls. Their souls are in Egypt, in homes where there is drinking, swearing, breaking the Sabbath, and where God's name is dishonored every day. When arranging their marriages, they only look at money. "Be ye not unequally yoked" (2 Cor 6:14). If their children are equally yoked in terms of wealth, they don't care if they are unequally yoked in terms of religion. Such parents should remember how precious their child's soul is; it is immortal and capable of communion with God and angels. Will you let a soul be lost by placing it in a bad family? If you had a horse you loved, you wouldn't put it in a stable with other horses that were sick and diseased; don't you love your child more than your horse? God has entrusted you with the souls of your children; you have a responsibility for their souls. God says, "Keep this man: if he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life" (1 Kings 20:39). So says God, if the soul of your child is lost due to your negligence, his blood will be required at your hand. Think of this, all you parents; be careful not to place your children in Egypt, in a wicked family; do not put them in the devil's mouth. Seek for them a sober, religious family, like Joshua's. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 14:15). A family like Cranmer's, which was a nursery of piety, a Bethel, of which it may be said, "The church which is in his house" (Col. 4:15).

Application #5

Let us pray that God would keep our English nation from the defilements of Egypt, so it won't be overrun with superstition and idolatry again. Oh, what a sad state of religion it would be—not only to have our estates and bodies enslaved but also our consciences. Pray that the true Protestant religion may continue to thrive among us, that the sun of the gospel may keep shining in our horizon. The gospel lifts a people up to heaven; it is the crown and glory of the kingdom. If this is removed, Ichabod—the glory is departed. When the top of the beech tree is cut off, the whole tree quickly withers; similarly, the gospel is the top of all our blessings. If this top is cut, the whole body politic will soon wither. Oh, pray that the Lord will continue to show visible signs of his presence among us, his ordinances, so that England may be called, Jehovah-shammah, "The Lord is there" (Ezek 48:35). Pray that righteousness and peace may embrace each other, so that glory may dwell in our land.

III. Out of the house of bondage. Egypt and the house of bondage are the same, just described differently. By Egypt, we mean a place of idolatry and superstition; by the house of bondage, we mean a place of suffering. While Israel was in Egypt, they were under severe oppression; they had cruel taskmasters who forced them into hard labor, making bricks without providing straw. That's why Egypt is called, in Deuteronomy 4:20, the iron furnace, and here the house of bondage. From the phrase, "I brought you out of the house of bondage," two things are clear: God's children may sometimes face severe hardships in the house of bondage. But God will, in due time, rescue them from their suffering state. "I brought you out of the house of bondage."

God's children may sometimes go through tough times, in the house of bondage. God's people don't have a guarantee of an easy life or a pass from trouble. While the wicked might live in comfort, the godly often face hardships. And really, how could God's power be shown in bringing them out of trouble if He didn't sometimes let them experience it? Or how could God wipe away their tears in heaven if they never cried on earth? Clearly, God sees that it's necessary for His children to sometimes be in the house of bondage. "If need be, you are in heaviness" (1 Peter 1:6). Sometimes, the body needs a bitter portion more than a sweet one.

Why does God allow his people to be in a state of bondage or suffering?

He does it:

(1) For probation or trial. "Who led you through that terrible wilderness, that he might humble you and test you." (Deut 8:15-16). Affliction is the touchstone of sincerity. "You, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver; you laid affliction upon our loins." (Psa 66:10-11). Hypocrites may embrace true religion when things are going well and court this queen while she has a jewel hung at her ear; but a good Christian will stay close to God during times of suffering. "All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you." (Psa 44:17). Loving God in heaven is no surprise; but loving him when he chastises us shows sincerity. 

(2) For purgation; to purge our corruption. "The chaff burns, the gold is purified." "And this is all the fruit, to take away his sin." (Isa 28:9). The eye, though a tender part, yet when sore, we put sharp powders and waters into it to eat out the pearl; so even though the people of God are dear to him, when corruption begins to grow in them, he will apply the sharp powder of affliction to eat out the pearl in the eye. Affliction is God's flail to thresh off our husks; it is a means God uses to purge out sloth, luxury, pride, and love of the world. God's furnace is in Zion. (Isa 31:5). This is not to consume, but to refine. What if we have more affliction, if by this means we have less sin!

(3) For growth; to increase the fruits of the Spirit. Grace thrives the most in tough times. Just like sharp frosts help crops grow, tough challenges help grace grow. Grace in believers is often like fire hidden in ashes; affliction is the bellows that fan it into a flame. The Lord turns difficult times into allies for grace. That's when faith and patience come into play. The darkness of night can't dim the brightness of a star; similarly, the more a diamond is cut, the more it sparkles. The more God afflicts us, the more our graces shine brightly.