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All right, you can turn in your 
Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 5, as we continue to work through 
the Ten Commandments. We're in the Second Commandment, 
so verses 8 to 11. It's good to read the section, 
though, so I'll start reading in Deuteronomy chapter 5 at verse 
1. Remember, this is the longest 
of the exhortations, beginning here in chapter 5. and continuing 
all the way to chapter 26, so Moses exhorting the people of 
God on the plains of Moab prior to their entrance into the promised 
land and so this emphasis in chapters 5 to 26 is on covenant 
loyalty, the faithfulness and fidelity of the people of God, 
so as they enter into the land they are supposed to be obedient 
to God, if they are they will receive the blessings promised, 
if they are not then they will receive the curses that are promised 
in Leviticus 26 and they'll be repeated and amplified and extended 
even in Deuteronomy chapter 28. So that's the particular section. This is the sum, or the core 
rather, of all of that law. So I'll begin reading in verse 
one. And Moses called all Israel and said to them, hear, O Israel, 
the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, 
that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. "'The 
Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. "'The Lord 
did not make this covenant with our fathers, "'but with us, those 
who are here today, "'all of us who are alive. "'The Lord 
talked with you face to face on the mountain "'from the midst 
of the fire. "'I stood between the Lord and you at that time 
"'to declare to you the word of the Lord, "'for you were afraid 
because of the fire, "'and you did not go up the mountain. He 
said, I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land 
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other 
gods before me. You shall not make for yourself 
a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven 
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water 
under the earth. You shall not bow down to them 
nor serve them. For I, the Lord, your God, am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 
to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. but showing 
mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. 
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for 
the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Observe 
the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded 
you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the 
seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. "'In it you 
shall do no work, you nor your son, "'nor your daughter, nor 
your male servant, "'nor your female servant, nor your ox, 
"'nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, "'nor your stranger 
who is within your gates, "'that your male servant and your female 
servant "'may rest as well as you. "'And remember that you 
were a slave in the land of Egypt, "'and the Lord your God brought 
you out from there "'by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. 
"'Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you "'to keep the Sabbath 
day. Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has 
commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may be 
well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 
You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall 
not steal, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife and you shall not desire 
your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female 
servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. 
These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly in the mountain, 
from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, 
with a loud voice. And he added, no more. And he 
wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me." Amen. Remember, the moral law or the 
Ten Commandments is trans-covenantal. So whatever we find here is binding 
in the New Covenant as well. It's not a covenant of works. 
It's not a do this and live. Rather, it's a look to Jesus 
and live by God's grace. So we are justified by that grace 
through faith, we are forgiven of our sins, and we receive that 
righteousness of our Lord Jesus. He then fills us with the Spirit 
and points us to the law as a rule or as a guide for our living 
in the Christian life. So the moral law is binding upon 
all men everywhere at all time. The judicial law was specifically 
for the children of Israel, for their life or tenure in the land. 
There are certainly principles of wisdom, a general equity principle 
that we can glean from those judicial laws and bring application 
in this new covenant era. The other division of the law 
is ceremonial, and that specifically spoke to Israel's worship, It 
regulated priesthood. It regulated temple, sacrifice, 
all those things that were unique to their religious worship. Those fulfilled by our Lord Jesus 
Christ are no longer binding in this new covenant era. So 
the moral law is judicial law. We learn wisdom and good help 
with reference to the application of moral law. But the ceremonial 
law is no longer for us. So we'll take this second commandment 
the way that we did the first commandment. We'll look first 
at the prohibition, secondly the reason, and then the positive 
aspect in the commandment. With reference to the first and 
second commandments, they go hand in hand. They go together. 
The first commandment gives us the object of worship, and the 
second commandment prescribes the manner of worship. So in 
other words, Commandment number one is the proper God we are 
to worship and then commandment two is the proper way we are 
to worship that God. In Israel's history there were 
times when they predicated of a golden calf that that was Yahweh 
who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. So that was obviously 
not worshipping the living and the true God in the proper way. 
In the history of Israel, there were also times when they went 
after Baal, or they went after Asherah, or they went after Molech. 
That was obviously an infraction of the first commandment. They 
had a different object. They didn't go after the living 
and the true God. So these two commandments are 
inextricably connected. Watson says, in the first commandment, 
worshiping a false god is forbidden. In this, worshiping the true 
god in a false manner is forbidden. So that's the connection between 
the two. So with reference to the prohibition, 
notice in verse 8, you shall not make for yourself a carved 
image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that 
is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 
You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. So the first 
prohibition is the making of idols, and the second prohibition 
is the worship of idols. So note that the commandment 
is comprehensive and extensive. It's not just a, don't make idols 
and worship them. No, you're not supposed to make 
an idol at all. You're not supposed to give any visible representation 
or expression to the living and true God. We've already seen 
that in Deuteronomy chapter four. You saw no form, but rather you 
heard his word. So this is not a prohibition 
against all art. In fact, when we get to tabernacle 
and temple, there is certainly artistic expression involved. 
Those artisans or those craftsmen that are responsible for building 
the tabernacle and then the temple, were certainly artistically inclined, 
but the specific prohibition is against making anything to 
represent the God who is spirit, the God who is simple, the God 
who is not to be pictured or represented by creature. And 
so when we come to this, the first commandment, as I said, 
forbids the worship of other gods. The second commandment 
forbids making an idol to represent the true God. So look back to 
Deuteronomy chapter 4, specifically at verse 15. Take careful heed 
to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you 
at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly 
and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure. 
the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that 
is on the earth, or the likeness of any winged bird that flies 
in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or 
the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. 
And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when 
you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the hosts of heaven, 
if you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the 
Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven 
as a heritage, But the Lord has taken you and brought you out 
of the iron furnace out of Egypt to be his people and inheritance 
as you are this day. Furthermore, the Lord was angry 
with me for your sakes and swore that I would not cross over the 
Jordan and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord 
your God has given you as an inheritance, but I must die in 
this land. I must not cross over the Jordan, 
but you shall cross over and possess that good land. Take 
heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord 
your God, which he made with you, and make for yourselves 
a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your 
God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming 
fire, a jealous God. And if you look back at Exodus 
chapter 32, Exodus chapter 32, again, we have an expression 
of worship directed to Yahweh, but specifically targeted at 
that golden calf. Notice in chapter 32, specifically 
in verse 1. Now, when the people saw that 
Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered 
together to Aaron and said to him, come, make us gods that 
shall go before us. For as for this Moses, the man 
who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know 
what has become of him. And Aaron said to them, break 
off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, 
your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me. So all 
the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their 
ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from 
their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool and 
made a molded calf. Then they said, This is your 
God, O Israel. That brought you out of the land 
of Egypt. Notice then in verse 5, so when 
Aaron sought, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation 
and said, tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. So they're predicating 
of the calf that it brought them out of the land of Egypt, and 
then this is directed specifically to Yahweh. So what we find there 
is an exact violation of what is prescribed here, or prohibited 
rather, in the Second Commandment. You're not supposed to make something 
and say that this represents God. Idolatry is worshiping false 
gods or an attempt to worship the true God falsely. As Turretin 
says, it is impossible and wicked to represent God by an image. That's what's at stake here. 
So if you say, well, I'm just making it, but I'm not worshiping 
it, the commandment prohibits both. You're not supposed to 
make and you're not supposed to worship. You're not supposed 
to make because it's an absolute abomination. We can't picture 
God. We can't shape God. We can't 
take creature and make it represent God. The doctrine of God, or 
theology proper, demands the rejection of visible representations. Calvin says the first part of 
the commandment restrains our license from daring to subject 
God, who is incomprehensible to our sense perceptions, or 
to represent Him by any form. So the prohibition against making 
has to do specifically with who God is. He is spirit. He is infinite. He is eternal. He is unchangeable. He is simple. He is incomprehensible 
to everything outside of himself but himself. God knows himself 
especially. So when we make an image, we 
are trying to depict that God is this thing, and that is wrong. As Jesus says in John 4, 24, 
God is spirit. And it's best to remember that 
God is his perfections or God is his attributes. It's not that 
he's made up of those things. God is unique. He is not creature. And therefore, trying to represent 
him through creaturely things is to violate the second commandment. Now, when it comes to the Lord 
Jesus Christ, there's certainly some debate as to whether or 
not this commandment refers to the humanity of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. I argue that it in fact does. 
The second commandment unequivocally forbids making any likeness to 
represent deity. The Westminster Larger Catechism 
109 says, the making any representation of God of all or any of the three 
persons. Now, practically, the emphasis 
in Scripture is not upon what our Lord Jesus Christ looked 
like. In fact, you can turn to the 
prophet Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 53. In fact, everything in, I'm 
sorry, 52. Everything in scripture is just 
the opposite. It doesn't say that Jesus was 
five foot nine, that Jesus had brown hair, that Jesus had big 
muscles. You need to understand that whenever 
people picture Jesus, it's theology that drives the conception. In 
the Jehovah's Witnesses, he's ripped, he's got big muscles, 
he comes out of the water, the water's glistening on him. The 
Roman Catholics have him emaciated on the cross, always in a perpetual 
mode of suffering. It is theology that drives those 
representations. Notice in 52.14, just as many 
were astonished at you, so his visage was marred more than any 
man, and his form more than the sons of men. So shall he sprinkle 
many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths 
at him. For what had not been told them, they shall see. And 
what they had not heard, they shall consider. Who has believed 
our report? And to whom has the arm of the 
Lord been revealed? For he shall grow up before him 
as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He has no 
form or comeliness. And when we see him, there is 
no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected 
by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we 
hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we did 
not esteem him." And then you can turn over to John's Gospel, 
John chapter 8. John chapter 8. There's an intriguing 
statement that we see by the opponents of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Jesus is about 30 to 33 in his earthly ministry and he has this 
debate with the unbelieving Jews and he says in verse 56, your 
father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was 
glad. Then the Jews said to him, you are not yet 50 years old 
and have you seen Abraham? It's said that a 33-year-old 
man looked 50. Well, it makes sense in the description 
given by the prophet Isaiah. He's a man of sorrows. He's acquainted 
with grief. There's nothing about him that 
draws our attention to him in terms of a depiction that we 
want to fawn all over. As well, we need to understand 
that the Bible highlights his unique person, what we call the 
hypostatic union, the one person, two natures. And if you look 
back to John 1, one of the arguments is oftentimes, well, Jesus really 
was a man. We don't want to be docetists. 
Docetists taught that Jesus only appeared to be a man. We don't 
want to be docetists, so there's nothing wrong with having pictures 
or paintings of our Lord Jesus. Well, there is something wrong. 
We cannot capture the glory of the Lord Jesus in a picture. And here in John 1.14 we learn 
that the Incarnate Word, as He went about doing what the Incarnate 
Word did, revealed His glory. The glory as of the only begotten 
of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jehovah's Witness 
Jesus does not express that glory. Roman Catholic Jesus does not 
express that glory. Any Jesus on a screen, any Jesus 
on a painting, any Jesus in a picture does not express that glory. 
So when you saw Jesus, according to his humanity, in his earthly 
ministry, you did behold that one person who had two natures. But when you have a picture or 
an image, you're not beholding that one person that has two 
natures. You're looking at an artist's 
conception. You're looking at a theologically driven idea of 
what they perceive Jesus might have looked like. Notice in John 
1, 14, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld 
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 
full of grace and truth. They beheld that glory when they 
saw Him forgive sins. They beheld that glory when they 
saw Him raise dead people. They beheld that glory when they 
saw Him raised from the dead. You cannot capture that in an 
image. You cannot get that on a painting. 
You cannot get that in a movie or on a TV show. There is no 
reason whatsoever why we wouldn't think that the Second Commandment 
doesn't apply to the Lord Jesus Christ. The uniqueness of his 
person, the fact that he has two natures, tells us that we 
cannot try to represent the God-man with some artist's rendering. 
Now the Lord Jesus is to be set forth, not through pictures, 
not through movies, not through visual aids, but through preaching. If you look at Galatians chapter 
3, the Apostle Paul makes that clear. Galatians chapter 3 verse 
1, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should 
not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly 
portrayed among you as crucified? How was he clearly portrayed 
among them as crucified? It wasn't through images, it 
wasn't through pictures, it wasn't through Mel Gibson's The Passion, 
it was through the preaching of the gospel. It was through 
the preaching of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and 
Him crucified. Perkins says the image also of 
the cross and Christ crucified ought to be abolished out of 
churches, as the brazen serpent was, 2 Kings 18. He also says, 
So when Paul goes to the churches in southern Galatia and he preaches 
Christ and Him crucified, he's able to write to them later, that before your eyes Jesus Christ 
was clearly portrayed among you as crucified. Again, it wasn't 
through pictures, it wasn't through visual aids. The Apostle Paul 
understood the prohibition of the second commandment. Ersinus 
says, because sometimes people do this, well, you know, what 
about illiterate people? They need pictures. What about 
illiterate people? Shouldn't they get the Jesus 
film? What about illiterate people? Shouldn't they be, you know, 
privy to that sort of a thing? Ursinus, way back when, says, 
God will have His people taught, not by dumb images, but by the 
lively preaching of His Word. Neither does faith come from 
the sight of images, but by the hearing of the Word of God. That's 
always the emphasis. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing 
by the Word of God. 2 Corinthians 5. We walk by faith, 
not by sight. So to put our eggs in the basket 
of images or representations because we want to win these 
illiterate people to the Lord Jesus is wrong. We preach the 
gospel to them. We learn their language. We tell 
them about the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord because 
faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Now, as we 
go back to the prohibition, there's one other thing we ought to mention. 
So we've got the making of idols, but also the worship of idols. 
So he says that. You shall not make. And then 
it goes on to say, you shall not bow down to them, nor serve 
them. Roman Catholics use images. Roman 
Catholics use pictures. Roman Catholics use the stations 
of the cross. Roman Catholics have all kinds 
of visual imagery, right down to a tabernacle behind their 
altar. with a priest serving up an atonement. Everything about 
them is contrary to we walk by faith and not by sight. They 
walk specifically by sight. But they make this statement 
in the Catholic Encyclopedia. This is from their own writing. 
So this is to try and counter the charge that when you make 
the idol, you then worship the idol. And again, I don't even 
think that's necessary. Making is condemned, so is worshiping. Right? But if they're going to 
say, we're just making these things because they help us in 
a certain way, but we're not worshiping them. Listen to what 
they say. Images are in common use in the 
Catholic Church. The object of images is to set 
Christ, the Virgin, and the saints before our eyes. We do not worship 
the images themselves, the honor which we give these objects being 
referred to the persons whom they represent. Isn't that precisely 
what they do in Exodus 32? Isn't this precisely what Jeroboam 
does in 1 Kings 12? 1 Kings 12, this is exactly the 
issue. Listen to Turretin's response. 
In dealing with a similar statement, quote, I worship not this visible 
thing but the divinity dwelling there invisibly. He says this. Neither would the Israelites 
have been idolaters to the golden calf, which they did not suppose 
to be God. For who can believe them to have 
been so stupid as to believe the work of their own hands to 
be that of God who had led them out of Egypt? They intended merely 
to form for themselves a representation of Him that they might worship 
the true God in this image." So he's saying they're They're 
wrong. They do do that. They do direct 
religious worship to it. But even if it was the case that 
they weren't directing religious worship to it, the prohibition 
against making the idol itself stands. So whether or not you 
worship the made idol, you're not supposed to make an idol. 
Because the idea, again, is theology proper. You cannot take the infinite 
God and picture him. You cannot take the infinite 
God and represent him. There is nothing in the created 
order that can do that. So when it comes to the prohibition, 
it's against making, and it's against worshiping. Whatever 
combination you might try to throw together, both of those 
are forbidden. They are condemned. Now as we 
move through the commandment, we see the reasons given for 
the commandment. So back to verse 9. You shall 
not bow down to them nor serve them. Now note the rationale, 
note the reason or the threat, if you will, and the promise. 
For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity 
of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations 
of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those 
who love me and keep my commandments. So the doctrine of God, that's 
the first point, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God. That 
perfection of jealousy, when you think about that as it's 
predicated of God, it does not mean that God moves from one 
state, non-jealous, to another state, jealous. No, it's an improper 
predication. It's spoken in the manner of 
men. And I think the idea behind it 
is to underscore his love for his people, right? Jealousy on the part of a husband. 
Now there's hyper, weird, obsessive jealousy. I mean, brothers, if 
you put a tracker on your wife's car, you may have some issues. 
But a jealous man is recognized as something virtuous in scripture. Look at Proverbs chapter six. Proverbs chapter six. Verse 30, people do not despise 
a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving, 
yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold. He may have 
to give up all the substance of his house. Whoever commits 
adultery with a woman lacks understanding. He who does so destroys his own 
soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get. Who do you think he's 
getting those wounds from? from the husband of the wife 
that he has violated. So notice, wounds and dishonor 
he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. Why? 
For jealousy is a husband's fury. Therefore he will not spare in 
the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, 
nor will he be appeased, though you give many gifts. So when 
the Bible predicates jealousy with reference to our God, it's 
not to speak of some change in God, again, from a non-jealous 
to a jealous state. It underscores his covenant love. 
It underscores his steadfastness. It underscores his interest in 
his people, that when they go a-whoring from him, he is a jealous 
God in the way that he deals with that. And so that's what 
he says here. And so verse 9 again, for I, 
the Lord your God, am a jealous God. It goes on to say, visiting 
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and 
fourth generations of those who hate me. So basically what you 
have is God, who he is, his perfections, but then the threat of punishment. And notice what idolatry is. It is to hate God. That's how 
it's described here. He says, visiting the iniquity 
of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations 
of those who hate me. So, idolatry is an expression 
of the enmity and the hatred of man for the living and true 
God. It's not just, well, you know, 
I made a picture. I probably shouldn't do those 
sorts of things. No, it's an expression. No, I get the people 
that are writing children's story Bibles, and they've got pictures 
of Jesus, probably aren't sitting at their computers and fashioning 
their images in an expression of, man, I hate God, and I want 
to corrupt all these children. I just think this hasn't been 
taught. I just think that outside of, you know, some reformed churches, 
we don't think about what has popularly become called 2CV, 
second commandment violations. A lot of the Christian trad moms 
out there are bringing up the guard with reference to suit 
2CV, the second commandment violations. Children's picture books filled 
with images of Jesus, we should rather teach them the Scripture. Again, faith comes by hearing, 
and hearing by the Word of God. So the commandment is extensive, 
and this threat of punishment This use is not just here and 
in Exodus 20, but you see it in Exodus 34, Numbers 14, Jeremiah 
32. And as we dealt with, I think 
it was a week or two ago, the emphasis is not on a transgenerational 
curse. Ezekiel 18, behold the soul that 
sins shall die. And then there are various things 
stated there in Ezekiel 18. You can have a wicked man who 
has a wicked son, and both of them subject to punishment. You 
can have a wicked man who has a righteous son, and the righteous 
son is not subject to punishment. So it's not a generational curse 
per se. Just because one generation does 
it, then the rest of the generation subsequent are going to be cursed. 
Now the emphasis is on imitation. Typically if you're the son of 
an idolater, most likely you're going to be an idolater. You 
can look at Joshua 24. Joshua 24, where you see something 
of that. Joshua chapter 24, specifically 
at verse 1. Then Joshua gathered all the 
tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of 
Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, 
and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to 
all the people, thus says the Lord God of Israel, your fathers, 
including Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor, 
dwelt on the other side of the river in old times, and they 
served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham 
from the other side of the river, led him throughout all the land 
of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. 
Most likely Abraham was just as idolatrous as his father and 
his father before him. The issue is not transgenerational 
curse, the issue is typically children learn what they live 
and they live what they learn. They see what their parents are 
doing. If you're bowing to Baal in the living room, most likely 
you're going to catechize your child to bow to Baal in the living 
room. most likely your child is going 
to bow to Baal alongside of you in the living room. That's why 
catechizing them in the truth is absolutely crucial, so that 
we don't teach them to bow before Baal, but rather we teach them 
to bow before Yahweh, not using, however, any images. Calvin says 
this, when God declares that He will cast back the iniquity 
of the fathers into the bosom of the children, He does not 
mean that He will take vengeance on poor wretches who have never 
deserved anything of the sort, but that He is at liberty to 
punish the crimes of the fathers upon their children and descendants 
with the provision that they too may be justly punished as 
being imitators of their fathers. Stewart says, this oft-repeated 
theme speaks of God's determination to punish successive generations 
for committing the same sins they learned from their parents. 
Again, it's not a transgenerational curse. It's not built in. Your 
grandfather's grandfather's grandfather was an idolatrous wretch. And 
so everything that befalls you right now is a curse because 
of that. That's not biblical. And some 
people teach that. Some people think that that is 
why they've got problems, because they came from a bad background 
or they had horrible parents. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and repent from your sin. Don't worship idols. Don't give 
your attention to those things that are not God. Give yourselves 
wholly and fully to the living and true God. God saves sinners. 
He saved Abraham out of Ur, the Chaldeans. He saved Abraham out 
of an idolatrous family. He saves sinners to the uttermost 
by Jesus Christ. It is a most blessed thing. And 
then notice there is this promise of mercy. Verse 10, but showing 
mercy to thousands, probably generations, to those who love 
me and keep my commandments. So the promise is as extensive 
as is the curse. Those who learn the truth as 
it is in Jesus, those who believe the gospel, those who are justified 
freely by God's grace, they can bank on mercy and grace and blessing 
and joy and good things coming from the Lord God most high. 
So this is the reason or the rationale given for the commandment. But then finally, the positive 
aspect of the commandment. Thus far in our studies in the 
book of Deuteronomy, and even prior to that, in Genesis, Exodus, 
Leviticus, and Numbers, what do we see an emphasis on often? Worship. Worship of the true 
and living God. I think at times we forget that. 
We were actually made to worship God. We were made to serve God. We were made to glorify God and 
to enjoy Him forever. And so it shouldn't surprise 
us that all the way through the wilderness and all the way, you 
know, when we go back before the wilderness at the base of 
Sinai, when much of the commandments, much of the legislation being 
given had to do with worship. had to do with sacrifice, had 
to do with priesthood, had to do with tabernacle, and eventually 
temple. All of that underscores the centrality 
of worship in terms of our relation to the living and true God. And 
so with reference to worship, chapter 4 here in Deuteronomy 
deals with the necessity of true worship. And we can see foundational 
to the teaching of Deuteronomy 4 is the first and second commandments. When you get to Deuteronomy chapter 
12, what is in view there is a central sanctuary. In other 
words, God didn't want the Israelites just to start worshiping wherever 
they had a hankering to. No, there was a central sanctuary, 
and that was for preventative maintenance. God knows that if 
you go out and you worship on the top of a mountain, now you 
can obviously today in the New Covenant, you get up to the top 
of Mount Shem and you want to pray and sing Psalms and praise 
God, you do that. That's a great thing. But in 
the days of Old Covenant Israel, what usually happened when people 
wandered away from the cult? They wandered into idolatry. They wandered into bad things. In Joshua chapter 22, the eastern 
tribes, remember, some of the tribes, three of the tribes stayed 
on the, or at least two and a half, stayed on the eastern side of 
the River Jordan. They didn't cross, or they crossed 
to help with the conquest, but then they went back to that. 
They make an altar over there, according to Joshua chapter 22. 
When the Western tribes hear about it, they're going to go 
kill them. That was the initial response. And then the specific 
details notwithstanding, they tried diplomacy. Well, let's 
talk to them first. And so they said, no, we're not 
trying to compete with the central sanctuary on the west side, but 
we just want a reminder. We want something that reminds 
us of Yahweh. So the battle was not carried 
out. Nobody shed blood. The Western 
tribes were satisfied. Now, if you ask the question, 
well, it sounds somewhat akin to what's going on in the prohibition. 
It wasn't a representation of Yahweh. As they put it, or as 
they stated, it was a reminder for them concerning the living 
and true God. But be that as it may, the idea 
is that a central sanctuary maintains orthodoxy. So in Deuteronomy 
chapter 12, that's going to be a huge emphasis. So we've got 
this emphasis on true worship. Then we come to what we have 
looked at many times in the past. One of these times I'm going 
to stop and call somebody else to come up and give the rest 
of this message. The regulative principle of worship. The first and second commandments 
regulate for us how we approach God. We're not free to innovate. We're not free to create, whether 
we're in the Old Covenant or we're in the New Covenant. God 
has not left it up to man to determine how man shall enter 
into the presence of God. There is sufficient information 
in the documents of the New Testament that instruct us on how we are 
supposed to worship. We're to be faithful. So with 
reference to the regulative principle, there is an alternate view called 
the normative principle. The regulative principle teaches 
that we do what God commands. Full stop. We do what God commands. The normative principle says 
we do what God commands, but we're free to do that which he 
doesn't condemn. If you can't see the problem 
in that, Outside of exegesis, you really need to think about 
it. God doesn't forbid puppet shows. God doesn't forbid a pastor 
riding to the front of the stage in a Harley, right? That opens the door to anything 
and everything. The normative principle, this 
is what Anglicans, this is what Romanists, this is what Lutherans 
practiced. And the reform said, no, it's 
the regulative principle. We are only free to do that which 
God has commanded. We're not free to do that which 
he hasn't condemned or which he hasn't forbidden. So with 
reference to this, Deuteronomy 12, I mentioned it, you can turn 
there. Deuteronomy 12, after the teaching concerning the central 
sanctuary, there is then a warning at the end in verse 29. Verse 
29, when the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations 
which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in 
their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to 
follow them after they are destroyed from before you, and that you 
do not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations 
serve their gods? I also will do likewise. See, 
God knows the heart of man. He knows what's going to happen 
when they go into that promised land. There's going to be those 
curious people that say, well, what about this bale? What about 
this asherah? What about this mollack? Maybe 
they work. Maybe bale does provide fertilizer. Maybe bale is the storm god. Maybe bale will help us with 
our crops. We're not going to neglect Yahweh, 
but we're going to add bale services right alongside of Yahweh's. 
So the caution comes on the heels of this emphasis on a central 
sanctuary, again, which was given to engage in preventative maintenance 
with reference to orthodoxy. Notice in verse 31, you shall 
not worship the Lord your God in that way. For every abomination 
to the Lord which he hates, they have done to their gods. For 
they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their 
gods. Now note verse 32. This is a encapsulated statement 
concerning the regulative principle. Whatever I command you, be careful 
to observe it. You shall not add to it, nor 
take away from it. Pastor Albert M. Martin describes 
the regulative principle just like that. Nothing more, nothing 
less, and nothing else than what God has commanded. That's the 
safe spot to be relative to the first and second commandments. 
You've got Hebrews 12, 28, therefore since we are receiving a kingdom 
which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve 
God acceptably with reference and godly fear. Do we think about 
that word acceptably? Acceptably to who? To the charismatics? The people that want to dance 
on Sundays, no, it's not acceptable to us. It's acceptable to God. That should be the requirement 
when we think through how our church is going to worship. Well, 
I don't like this. That doesn't matter. I'd prefer 
this. That doesn't matter. It's not 
about us. It's about God. I'm not saying 
we should be as nasty and horrible and obnoxious about it as we 
can possibly be. You know, brethren, we're going 
to sit on spikes and we're going to just knuckle under and, you 
know, no AC, nothing like that. You're going to just suffer. 
No, we'll deal with that sort of category in just a moment. 
And then again, Hebrews 12, our God is a consuming fire. Same 
statement that you get in Deuteronomy 4, 24. Shows the consistency 
of the principle. If Deuteronomy 4 is about proper 
worship to the living God, and it's punctuated with the statement, 
our God is a consuming fire, and then the apostle in Hebrews 
12 talks about acceptable worship, and then he punctuates it with, 
our God is a consuming fire, what is the apostle suggesting 
there in Hebrews 12? It's just like the old covenant. 
The positive laws have changed. There's no more sacrifice, there's 
no more priesthood, there's no more tabernacle, there's no more 
incense. Positive law has changed with reference to covenant. But 
in terms of moral law, the abiding perpetuity of first and second 
commandments, you are supposed to worship God the way the covenant 
you're in dictates and demands. Why? Because our God is a consuming 
fire. 1 Timothy 3, 14 and 15, these 
things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly, 
but if I am delayed, I write, so that you may know how you 
ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the 
church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 
When it comes to the regulative principle of worship, you need 
to understand, when it came to Moses' own tent, Moses' own house, 
Moses' own dwelling place, God never said, hey Moses, I want 
the couch in that corner. I want the fridge over there. 
I want your entertainment stuff. He doesn't do that. He doesn't 
regulate Moses' house. He regulates his house. And that's 
what Paul says here. I write so that you may know 
how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God. The main 
emphasis on the worshipper ought not to be on what is acceptable 
to me, but what does the householder demand? What does this God demand? How am I supposed to function 
when I'm on His property, when I'm in His house? So when it 
comes to this, one of our Baptist forefathers, Benjamin Keech, 
says, whatsoever we do in the worship of God, we must see we 
have a command from God to warrant our practice. And also, we must 
not add to, nor diminish from, nor alter anything. If we do, 
God will not hold us guiltless. And of course, our confession, 
I think, has a wonderful statement in chapter 22, paragraph 1. The 
light of nature shows that there is a God. So what? We see. As image bearers, when we look 
out at the world around us, the way Paul tells us, the effects 
of creation lead us to the reality of a creator. And Paul says his 
eternal power and Godhead are manifested in the things that 
are made. Also, sinners, according to 132, know that it's righteous 
with God to punish sinners. So, light of nature, general 
revelation, natural theology, whatever we want to call it, 
does show us that there is a God who should be worshipped, and 
that's what the Confession says. The light of nature shows that 
there is a God who has lordship and sovereignty over all. is 
just, good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, 
loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served with all 
the heart and all the soul and with all the might." That's why 
Paul can say in Romans 1, they're without an excuse. Literally, 
they're without an apologetic. They have no defense. They can't 
say, well, I didn't know. Well, the creation around you 
screams God. You just suppress that truth 
and unrighteousness because you didn't want to retain the knowledge 
of God in your hearts. Now our confession then goes 
on to say this, but, so what they're saying, light of nature 
shows us there's a God. Shows us that this God is to 
be feared, He's to be loved, He's to be served, He's to be 
worshipped, but The acceptable way of worshipping the true God 
is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed 
will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imagination 
and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, 
or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture." So general 
revelation tells you there is a God. tells you you should worship 
and serve that God. But you need special revelation 
in order to come to that God in the way that He has prescribed, 
in the way that He has dictated, in the way that He has commanded. 
So in the Old Testament, it was through the cult. In the New 
Covenant, it's through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the acceptable 
way that we approach the Father. So the confessional statement 
lays down the necessity of worship. As well, our confession deals 
with a distinction in worship that we need to remember. The 
distinction is there are elements of worship. Those are the things 
that God commands us to do. We're supposed to pray and worship. 
We're supposed to preach in worship. We're supposed to read in worship. 
We're supposed to praise in worship. Those are the elements. When 
you boil it all down, you ask the question, in the New Testament 
epistles, what are the apostles telling us we're supposed to 
do when we get together? Acts 2, they continued steadfastly 
in what? In the apostles' doctrine, in 
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Those 
are elements. Those are non-negotiable. You 
can't say, well, we're going to not do those, and we're going 
to supply these things instead. No, elements are non-negotiable. Those are the things that make 
up worship. But there are also what's called 
circumstances. Circumstances has to do with 
things that aren't prescribed specifically in the Bible, but 
the light of nature helps us with. For instance, what time 
does a church meet? There's no text in Romans 17 
that says thou must meet at 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning after 
either a confession study or a prayer meeting at 9.30 and 
then you have to meet again at 5. There's no text that prescribes 
that. There's no text that says that. 
Those are circumstances. Those are circumstances that 
church has put into place where there isn't explicit instruction 
on those sorts of things. There's no command to use the 
Trinity Psalter hymnal. It's a circumstance. Now, in 
Confession Chapter 1 at paragraph 6, it says, Nevertheless, we acknowledge 
the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary 
for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed 
in the Word, and that there are some circumstances concerning 
the worship of God and government of the Church, common to human 
actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light 
of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules 
of the Word, which are always to be observed. So in the absence 
of specific texts as to what time a church meets, it's not 
wrong for a church to say, we're going to meet at 11. We're going 
to meet at 5. It's going to help us to keep the Sabbath day. It's 
going to be a morning and evening. It's not going to be the Lord's 
morning. It's not going to be the Lord's evening. It's going 
to be the Lord's day. So that's a helpful way to facilitate that. 
How did we learn that? Romans 17? No, light of nature, 
Christian prudence, horse sense. Things that are calculated to 
promote the use of the elements of worship as we approach the 
Father through the Son in the Spirit. As well, our confession 
in chapter 22 highlights the limitation concerning worship. 
It's only what God commands. But the acceptable way of worshiping 
the true God is instituted by Himself and so limited by His 
own revealed will. It's limited by God. It is by 
design. And there's a marked difference 
or contrast between Old Covenant worship with the incense, and 
with the priesthood, and with the instrumentation, and with 
the tabernacle, and with the temple. A lot of the older Reform 
writers says it's because the Jews were carnal. They were fleshly. 
They needed that to tie them to that cult. We're in the New 
Covenant, we're blood-bought children of God with the Holy 
Spirit that dwells in us, so naturally worship is going to 
be simple. We don't need all that stuff. 
We don't need all of those trappings. We simply need the Father through 
the Son in the Spirit according to the mind of God as limited 
by God relative to the worship of the New Covenant Church. The 
prohibitions concerning worship, devices of men, suggestions of 
Satan, visible representations, any way not prescribed in the 
Holy Scriptures. So, chapter 22, paragraph 1 is 
a great, you know, if somebody ever says, why doesn't your church 
have puppet shows? Why doesn't your pastor ride 
a Harley up to the pulpit? Well, chapter 22, paragraph 1. 
And I'm not kidding. I've seen services. I'm sure 
it's not going on now, but, you know, super cool pastor dude 
riding his motorcycle up to the pulpit. I would kill myself if 
I did that. That would be a horrible venture. If that's required, I'm a goner. 
There's a reason I don't ride a motorcycle. I crashed on a 
mini bike as a kid and broke my collarbone. That cured me. 
And just in summary, I think Johnson, in his very helpful 
book, it's a tiny book, excellent book, called Reformed Worship, 
he says, to put it simply, he's dealing with the elements, in 
worship we pray the Bible, sing the Bible, read the Bible, and 
preach and see the Bible. We see the Bible in the sacraments, 
baptism and the Lord's Supper. So the first and second commandments 
are binding upon us today. They're not salvific. It's not, 
we get saved as long as we only go after the true and living 
God, only in the manner that he says. Because remember, if 
it is that, then it must be exact, it must be entire, and it must 
be perpetual. So we're not looking to the first 
and second commandments for salvation, but we are looking to the first 
and second commandments for instruction, and for assistance, and for aid, 
and for help, so that as those blood-bought children of God 
who have been justified freely by His grace, who now have the 
Holy Spirit, how then are we supposed to approach God? Well, 
we come to the living and the true God, and we come in the 
way that He tells us to. It's very simple. It takes the 
guesswork out of a lot of it. You don't need teams. You don't 
need groups. You don't need focused sessions. Well, how are we going to structure 
worship? How about this? We do what the apostles tell 
us, because they're writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 
We should just listen and obey and do what they call us to do. 
So in conclusion, the prohibition, the worshiping of false gods. 
Turn to Psalm 115 to see one of the practical problems in 
idolatry. One of the practical problems 
in idolatry. Verse 1, not unto us, O Lord, 
not unto us, but to your name give glory, because of your mercy, 
because of your truth. Why should the Gentiles say, 
so where is their God? But our God is in heaven. He 
does whatever he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, 
the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they do 
not speak. Eyes they have, but they do not see. They have ears, 
but they do not hear. Noses they have, but they do 
not smell. They have hands, but they do not handle. Feet they 
have, but they do not walk. Nor do they mutter through their 
throat. Now note verse eight. Those who make them are like 
them. So is everyone who trusts in 
them. It's interesting, often in the 
Old Testament, the Old Covenant people are upbraided with the 
statement, stiff necked. You're stiff necked. That probably 
is an allusion to them having become like that which they worship. You're worshipping calves. You're 
worshipping animals. Animals that need a yoke because 
they're stiff-necked. Animals that need to be hedged 
in because they're wayward. Notice G.K. Beale, in an excellent 
book on idolatry, it's a biblical theology of idolatry, he says, 
what you revere, you resemble, either for ruin or for restoration. What you revere, you resemble, 
either for ruin or for restoration. Those who make them are like 
them, so is everyone who trusts in them. Christopher Wright says 
the primal problem with idolatry is that it blurs the distinction 
between the creator God and the creation. This both damages creation, 
including ourselves, and diminishes the glory of the creator. Turn 
to 1 Samuel chapter 13 for just a moment. 1 Samuel chapter 13. So worshiping false gods is bad. You're going to become like those 
gods. But attempting to worship the 
true God in a false way is bad, even if you think you should, 
even if you're compelled or constrained to do it. Notice in 1 Samuel 
13, specifically, we'll pick up at verse 8, beginning of the 
second part of verse 7, as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal. 
So Samuel told Saul, I'm going to come and meet you. So, he 
was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling. 
Then he waited seven days according to the time set by Samuel. But 
Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered 
from him. So Saul said, Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings 
here to me. And he offered the burnt offering. 
Now, at first glance, we might think, Hey, he's doing something 
good. He's not doing something good. When the prophet of God 
says, wait here for me for seven days. If I don't show up in seven 
days, that doesn't mean go ahead and just do whatever you want 
when it comes to worship. Now it happened, verse 10, as 
soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel 
came. And Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 
And Samuel said, what have you done? Saul said, when I saw that 
the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come 
within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered 
together at Michmash, then I said, the Philistines will now come 
down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication of the 
Lord. Therefore, I felt compelled and offered a burnt offering. 
Again, we stop and say, well, he was compelled. He had religious 
yearnings. Come on, it was a good thing. It wasn't a good thing. Verse 
13, Samuel said to Saul, you have done foolishly. You have 
not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded 
you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over 
Israel forever, but now your kingdom shall not continue. The 
Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the 
Lord has commanded him to be commander over his people because 
you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. Now, in 1 Samuel 
15, Saul's going to do another bad, wretched, horrible thing. 
He's going to not obey God when it comes to utterly destroying 
Agag and the Amalekites. But the transfer of the kingdom 
from Saul's son Jonathan to David's house isn't predicated on his 
ill-fought war against Agag and the Amalekites. That just further 
sealed the deal. It's on false worship. It's on 
a second commandment violation. It's on a, well, I felt compelled. I didn't want to sit around and 
twiddle my thumbs waiting for you there, Samuel. So the prohibition 
of the command is serious business. You ask Nadab and Abihu. Ask 
Ananias and Sapphira, if you will, in the New Testament. What 
happens when you don't honor God, when you don't worship God 
according to his will? Secondly, the positive emphasis 
of the commandment. We need good theology. We're 
not going to worship the true God truly if we don't know that 
God. As well, the requirement to worship 
God in an acceptable manner. We need to avail ourselves of 
the documents that instruct us on how to worship. That, for 
us in this New Covenant setting, is the New Testament. Not that 
we don't learn anything from the Old Testament. We see the 
continuity in terms of moral principle, first and second commandment. 
Positive law, however, in the New Covenant is different than 
it is in the Old Covenant. That's all good theology. The 
Bible tells us this. But when it comes to what we 
do in worship, it's not up to this group or that group. It 
is up to the New Testament. As well, the blessing of the 
true worship of God. You know, you sometimes hear 
that. Well, you know, I get so much fulfillment out of speaking 
in tongues. I get so much fulfillment out 
of, you know, bowing to this Mary statue. Well, what fulfillment? What kind of fulfillment? Our 
only desired fulfillment is to honor and glorify God. And if 
we're kissing the foot of a Mary statue, that's not honoring to 
God. And then as well, the rejection 
of will worship. Will worship is what our confession 
refers to, and it's there in Colossians chapter two, verses 
20 to 23. Those things that men do that 
have an appearance of being godly, but they're not. They're not 
godly. Fisher says, and so also are 
all carnal imaginations of God in his worship, as you may see. 
And so also is all will worship, or the worshiping of God according 
to our own fancy, as you may see. He goes on, whatsoever worships 
are instituted by men, or do any way hinder God's true worship, 
they are contrary to this commandment. So very important, first and 
second commandments, very important that we get our minds wrapped 
around that prohibition. It's not just the worshiping, 
but it's also the making. It's the making and it's the 
worshiping. Both are prohibited, both are 
to be shunned and avoided. The theological rationale is 
because you cannot represent the infinite God. You cannot 
put into a picture form the hypostatic union of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
You just can't do it. So may God help us with reference 
to these things. We'll all pray. Father in heaven, 
we thank you for your word. We thank you for these commandments 
given on the plains of Moab that were given on Mount Sinai. We see them in the New Covenant 
as well. We pray that you would give us ears to hear and hearts 
to receive these things. Help us to be faithful with reference 
to these things, not in a sense where we hope to be saved as 
a result, but because we are saved by great grace. Help us 
to live in light of these truths, and we ask this through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, any questions or 
comments? Yes. Yes. The light of nature tells us 
we should do it on Sunday evening. No, there's no specific reason. 
Some of the older authors did argue that it's the Lord's supper. 
It's not the Lord's breakfast. You know, I think there's some 
merit to that. I mean, I don't know that I'd 
hang my hat on that necessarily, but it does seem to be a good 
time to facilitate the practice. But no, I don't know of a specific 
text that demands that it has to be at night. Okay. Well, we did, but we just moved 
it to one. Yeah. Yeah. We had to be cunning as serpents.