Introduction: The “Ten Words” and the Decalogue
Last week I explained how the Ten Commandments can give the impression that they’re just a list of rules. I suggested trying to think of them as the “Ten Words.” Then, on Monday morning, I realized there’s already a name for that: the Decalogue. “Deca” means ten, and “logue” comes from the word for “word”—so, the Ten Words.
The fact that they’re called the “Ten Words” gets to the heart of the message. We often abstract the Ten Commandments into short summaries—like the kids’ drawing sheets with little glosses: “Don’t make idols,” “Have no other gods before Me,” “Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,” “Remember the Sabbath day.” These are really short. But when we actually read the biblical text, there’s a lot more in there. And that “other stuff” is important because it shows that the Ten Commandments aren’t just a law code—they reveal how God relates to His people.
As we saw last week, we need to understand them as spiritual, as going to the heart, as positive (teaching what to do, not just what not to do). We must not only avoid theft but value our neighbor’s property. When we see the commands as they ought to be seen, two things happen:
- We realize we have no hope of keeping them perfectly. You might not murder your neighbor, but you won’t go through life without hating someone—even your own kids. So we need the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to make atonement for us. We come to Him, believe in Jesus Christ, and are saved from our sins. That gives us an amazing testimony to share, like we heard today.
- When we come to Christ, we enter this relationship and discover that these “rules”—this way of life—are the framework for relating to God in a way that pleases Him.
Now, someone might say (and I call this guy the “Hippie Christian”—he’s a character from way back), “Hey man, why do we need all these rules? Can’t we just live by the Spirit and be free?”
Two quick responses: First, don’t smoke dope. Second, the very thing we need to see is that the Ten Commandments—the Decalogue—are about a living, spiritual relationship with God. There are ten commands, yes, but they’re rules intimately bound up with how God relates to us, how God saves us, and how God ultimately desires to bless us.
Today we want to see how the Ten Commandments define our relationship with God in these five ways:
- They are covenant primarily, not law primarily.
- God’s jealousy displays His love.
- God gives us His name.
- The rules are rooted in God’s heart.
- His rules bring blessing.
They’ll make more sense as we go.
1. Covenant, Not Primarily Law
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Last week we noted that rescue precedes command. But let’s go deeper. In the original setting, when the Israelites heard this, they would have recognized the language of a great king (a suzerain king) making a treaty with a lesser king (a vassal king). These ancient treaties defined the relationship between the superior king and the vassal.
God borrowed this exact kind of treaty language to display His relationship with His people. Understanding the Ten Commandments as a suzerain-vassal covenant helps us see several things clearly:
- This is covenant in relational language—not just God beaming down a law code from Mount Sinai. This is how God relates to His people.
- There were always two copies of these covenants: one kept by the great king, one given to the vassal. That’s why there are two tablets—not “half the commands on each,” but two full copies of the same covenant.
- Both copies rest together in the Ark of the Covenant. God is both the giver and the keeper of the covenant. He identifies with His people and rules over them.
This points straight to Jesus Christ: He is the only one who perfectly keeps God’s law, and His blood sanctifies the broken law we violate. God says, “I will meet with you from above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim on the ark of the testimony.” When God looks down (anthropomorphically speaking), there is mercy between Himself and the law. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat seven times—so God looks through the blood to the law, remembering His mercy.
That blood ultimately points to Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb. The law was always given in a way that pointed to Him.
Other treaty features reinforce this: It was instituted with a meal (the 70 elders ate and drank before the Lord), which points forward to the New Covenant meal with Jesus. Treaties were renewed at major transitions (Deuteronomy with Moses, then Joshua, and so on), ultimately fulfilled in the New Covenant in Christ’s blood.
So the Ten Commandments are a relationship—covenant first, not just law.
2. God’s Jealousy Displays His Love
The second command: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image… For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.”
This language shocks us, but it’s important. Exodus 34:14 says, “You shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
We often think of jealousy as purely negative—anger over something we can’t have. But God’s jealousy is rooted in love. He desires His people’s faithfulness. When they break it, He is angry.
Here we shift from king-vassal language to marriage language. God is the faithful husband to His bride—jealous for her undivided attention. This burns with passion; it’s not a dry legal code. It’s the language of the most devoted lover.
This is common in the Old Testament (e.g., Hosea: “I will betroth you to Me forever… in steadfast love and in mercy… and you shall know the LORD”). It flows into the New Testament: “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5).
God’s jealousy is like marriage vows: He binds His people to Himself alone. The command against idols is part of His intimate vows—He will be theirs, and no other.
3. God Gives His Name to His People
“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.”
The name “Yahweh” (the LORD) appears nine times in the Ten Commandments. By agreeing to this covenant, the people bear God’s name. If they live faithfully, they bear it well; if they violate the commands, they bear it in vain.
It’s like driving a company truck: if you crash it, it’s not just your name on the line—it’s the company’s. When we bear God’s name, it’s not just about us—it’s about Him.
This flows into the New Testament: We are baptized in His name, believe in His name, are justified in His name, suffer for His name, and are marked for salvation by His name. The Decalogue is a covenant relationship, not just rules.
4. The Rules Are Rooted in God’s Heart
This is clearest in the fourth command (Sabbath), but true of all:
“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy… Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out… with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.”
God worked six days and rested the seventh. He commands rest—not just for you, but for your family, servants, animals, and sojourners. Why? Because it is God’s nature to give rest. He gave His people rest from slavery, so His people should give others rest.
The command isn’t about restricting fun (e.g., missing the Super Bowl); it’s about God’s character. If God gives rest, His people should too.
This logic continues in the New Testament: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Commands are rooted in God’s character.
5. His Rules Bring Blessing
See this in the fifth command: “Honor your father and your mother… that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
God defines His relationship through the Decalogue—binding us like a husband to a wife, calling us to serve Him, giving us rest, and blessing us. He is the great King who only commands what is good for us. In the Old Testament, it’s blessing in the land; in Christ, it’s treasure in heaven and eternal joy.
Conclusion: The Decalogue Defines Our Relationship with God
- We worship Him because He rescues us (first command).
- We avoid idols because God is jealous for His bride (second command).
- We bear His name well (third command).
- We conform to His gracious character (fourth and all commands).
- We receive blessing for obedience (fifth command and beyond).
Don’t see the Ten Commandments as God trying to keep you from fun. See them as God’s guide for a happy marriage with Him—so He can bless you and you can find all the joy in the Lord.
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10).
Closing Prayer
Oh Lord God, You have given us Your commands for our good in a covenant relationship. I pray that we would be made like You, bearing Your name on this earth so that many would see and glorify You. Help us know the great love with which You love us and live in Your blessing for a thousand generations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.