January 11, 1998 Dt. 19-20 "Sixth Commandment (1): Love Your Neighbor as Yourself"

Luke 10:25-37 (Jesus says same in Matthew 22:37-40)

This lawyer--this expert in the Mosaic law--understood what Moses had taught.

Do you?

Do you know what is written in the Law?

After all, Jesus says, if you do what the Law says, you will live!

What does the Law say that you are to do?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all you soul,

with all your strength,

and with all your mind.

And Love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus says that if you do this, you will live.

Of course, if you fail to love God with all your heart,

and if you fail to love your neighbor as yourself,

then you will die.

So is Jesus saying that we are supposed to rely upon our own works?

Wait a second!!

Who ever said anything about works?

Jesus didn't say anything about works, did he?

He said: LOVE.

What is the difference between LOVE and WORKS?

Works is rooted in the mentality that says,

"If I do this and this, then God will save me"

Love is rooted in the mentality that says,

"Since God has saved me, I will love him and others."

Love is a response that we make to one who loved us first.

Works is a response that we make out of fear of judgment.

The lawyer is asking what he should do to inherit eternal life.

This lawyer is a Jew--which means that he has been circumcised--

and so he is within the covenant, and is asking how to inherit eternal life.

Jesus answers by asking him, "what did Moses say?"

Moses had said that if God's people responded to his grace with love,

then they would be blessed.

But if they responded to his grace with rebellion and hate,

then they would be cursed.

And so Jesus tells the lawyer that if he responds to God's promises with love,

then he will receive eternal life.

Well, let's dig back into Deuteronomy and try to understand what Moses had said.

Because if you wish to understand who Jesus is,

and if you want to know what he means by loving God and neighbor,

then it would help if you understood what he is talking about with this lawyer.

What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?

We have seen throughout the book of Deuteronomy,

that the Law is rooted in Grace.

God has redeemed his people from bondage and slavery in the land of Egypt,

and has saved them from death and destruction.

Now he gives them his Law--his 10 Commandments--

as a guide to show them how they ought to live.

If God has saved you, then you should love him and obey him.

The Great Commandment was to LOVE God above all else.

If you love something else more than God,

then you are not truly worshiping God--but you are worshiping idols.

And we saw that this pointed us to how and even where we are to worship Him:

in Christ--who is the Temple, the Holy Place where we meet with God.

And we looked at the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy,

and respecting the authority of Christ as it is found in parents, rulers, and elders.

And now we turn to the sixth commandment.

Chapters 19-22 deal with the command "Thou Shalt Not Murder"

Moses expounds this commandment by demonstrating that murder starts in the heart.

1. Cities of Refuge (19:1-13)

Accidental death should not be equated with murder.

The one who kills his brother accidentally should not be put to death.

If he did not hate his neighbor previously,

then he may flee to a city of refuge.

The reason is given in verse 10-

"Lest innocent blood be shed in your land

that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance"

If it was unintentional, then he should not be considered guilty.

But also notice that the one who kills his brother accidentally

cannot go on living as though nothing has happened.

He must live in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest (Num 35:28).

He is not deserving of death, but still, he has shed blood.

Have you ever known someone who accidentally killed a person?

There is a good reason why they are tormented by that death.

Even though they are not deserving of death,

they do indeed have blood on their hands.

This is why God required that the manslayer should not return to his home

until the high priest died.

The death of the high priest will be reckoned as his death,

and he may then return to the place of his inheritance.

This is why we distinguish between murder and manslaughter in our day.

(Though our distinction between murder and negligent homicide is more puzzling)

If it was truly an accident, no penalty should be required

-our great High Priest has died-and his death removes the bloodguiltiness.

2. Property Boundaries (19:14)

Verse 14 may be somewhat puzzling if you are thinking about murder in a strict sense.

Perhaps Moses could have treated this under the command not to steal.

But the point is that if you remove your neighbor's landmark,

you are not merely stealing property,

you are stealing his livelihood-and therefore his life.

The Promised Land is not mere "property" in the OT.

It is the inheritance of the Son of God.

3. Witnesses (19:15-21)

Likewise, verses 15-21 may seem to fit better with the ninth commandment.

But if you can steal your neighbor's life,

so you can also speak his death.

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-26 regarding this commandment.

Whoever speaks evil of his brother is guilty of murder.

Jesus is simply pointing to the true meaning of the sixth commandment-

something that his hearers should have understood from Moses.

Some have thought that the requirement for having two or three witnesses

was only in capital cases.

But Dt 19 makes it clear that this is for "any crime."

Verse 16 speaks of a "malicious witness."

There are two different kinds of witnesses.

There are ordinary witnesses who have no stake in the matter.

They may be called upon to testify to what they saw.

If their testimony is proved inaccurate, they will not necessarily be punished.

They are not malicious witnesses.

But a malicious witness is one who brings an accusation,

or one who has something to gain from the charge.

He is one who intends "to do something" to his brother.

With this sort of witness, the judges must be much more careful.

He must be warned that if his charge proves false,

then he will be treated as he wanted his neighbor treated.

"Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."

In other words, if he wanted his brother put to death,

then he will be put to death.

If he wanted his brother to forfeit three cows,

then he must forfeit three cows.

The phrase "eye for eye," etc., is a figure of speech.

No Israelite law required a man's eye to be plucked out,

so this should not be taken literally.

4. Warfare (20)

The first nine verses set forth basic principles for how Israel's army is to be run.

The first verse reminds them that Yahweh is the one who will go with them

to give them the victory.

The priests were to remind them of this before every battle.

The armies of Israel were to be willing combatants.

Certain sorts of men were exempted:

1) anyone who had just built a new house, but had not yet dedicated it.

2) anyone who had just planted a vineyard, but not yet enjoyed its fruit.

3) anyone who had just been betrothed, but not yet been married.

Each were given an exemption so that he might enjoy his house, vineyard or wife,

lest he die in battle and another take it.

These were special blessings of God:

God had promised houses, vineyards and children (sorry, ladies, but that was the point!)

to his people.

For Israel's captains to take such men into battle would have been murder,

because they would deprive these men of the blessings of God.

But there is a fourth category:

those who are afraid.

The cowards are to be dismissed, not so that they might enjoy God's blessings,

but so that they might not be a curse to their brethren.

Verses 10-18 sets forth the rules for two different kinds of warfare.

Verses 10-15 sets forth the principles for how Israel was to conduct war

against the nations who are far from you

(outside the borders of the Promised Land)

Offer peace to a city-if they accept, then they become your servants.

If not, then besiege the city, kill all the men,

and take all the women and children, along with the plunder.

Verses 16-18 sets forth the principles of holy war-

warfare against those nations that live in the land of your inheritance.

They must be totally destroyed: men, women and children.

You are the instruments of God's judgment against these nations.

If you let them live,

then they will be the instruments of God's judgment against you.

Indeed, verses 16-18 suggest that letting these idolatrous nations live is hatred towards God.

When Israel failed to destroy these nations, they were trying to murder God.

Now, the command "Thou shalt not murder" has an application to the lower creation as well.

Verses 19-20

Notice especially,

"Are the trees of the field human, that they should be besieged by you?"

Do not destroy the trees-especially the fruit trees.

Those that are not used for food may be used in building siegeworks,

but the wanton destruction of trees is an act of murder against the creation.

Use trees appropriately.

Just as human life must be used appropriately,

so also the lower creation.

Don't use cherry trees for battering rams-use oaks!

The Larger Catechism cites Deuteronomy 20 as a proof

for its statement that lawful warfare is permitted by the sixth commandment.

This is a good example of the principle of the "general equity" of the civil law,"

because there is nothing in this chapter that has any direct relevance to modern warfare.

The reason for dismissing the four sorts of men in the first part of the chapter

is implicitly grounded in the importance of homes, vineyards and wives

in the Promised Land.

I doubt that anyone would say that we should kill all the males in Al-Qaeda,

and bring their wives and children to the US...

And no one but a handful of Islamic extremists would support the modern practice of

the sort of holy war described in 16-18...

So all we can say from chapter 20 is that God does not condemn "lawful war,"

even though chapter 20 does not help us very much

in defining what that lawful war might be.

How does the sixth commandment show us Christ?

Christ is the perfect fulfillment of this law:

he loved us with perfect love

he is the divine warrior who fulfills Dt 20 perfectly.

He destroyed only those whom God commanded him to destroy

--defeating sin, death and the devil

he used the creation appropriately:

think of how Jesus cursed the fig tree:

the fig tree was not living up to its proper function

--therefore Jesus cursed it, and it died

In the same way,

if you do not live up to your proper function,

in other words, if you do not put your trust in Christ alone,

and walk in his ways,

then Christ will curse you, and you will die.

So what can we take from this?

--love God--and love him with all of your heart!

When you are tempted to get upset with your wife or children,

remember what Christ has done for you:

he has destroyed the power of sin and death,

and set you free.

therefore you do not have to respond with anger.

You can love one another as Christ has loved you.

And when you do blow up--when you do get angry,

repent.

Go to your children; go to your wife;

ask them to forgive you--show forth the love of Christ through your humility

There is a recurring triad in the treatment of the latter half of the ten commandments:

Moses shows how the commandment teaches us about our

a) relationship to God

b) relationship to other humans (especially the weak and powerless)

c) relationship to nature

Obedience requires death--obedience is costly;

to enjoy the land and its benefits, you must be willing to sacrifice them/relinquish them. Blessing is promised for self-denial.

If you rejoice in what God has given, then you too must give.

Disobedience is grasping and clinging to God's gifts,

making them into idolatrous objects of ultimate allegiance, desire, and trust.

Deuteronomy is trying to show God's people,

that it is only through death--through sacrifice

--that salvation will come to the people of God.

And this comes true, finally, in Jesus Christ.

Because in his obedience, he set aside his glory,

and became a man--humbling himself,

sacrificing himself and his glory for us.

And if Jesus has done this for us,

then how much more ought we do deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him.

How can we do this?

When you are at work,

seek for ways that you can humble yourself and serve others.

look for things that you can do to encourage those around you.

Is there someone at work who is tired and weary?

What can you do that will give them relief?

When you are at home,

husbands,

how can you serve your wife? your children?

what can you do that will make their life easier?

what can you do to help them to live a more godly life?

You are called to lead and to guide with Christ's authority.

How did he do that?

By sacrificing his own time, pleasures, and glory,

for the sake of his people.

That is what you are called to do as well.

Wives,

how can you serve your husband?

how can you be an example of Christ's love to your children?

And what do you do when someone sins against you?

What do you do when your children are rebellious?

Do you shout and yell and get upset?

Or do you discipline them?

God requires of us that we obey what he commands the first time.

If you allow your children to disobey,

then you are failing to teach them what God requires.

Ted Tripp calls it "first-time obedience".

The Law was given for three reasons:

1) to show us our sinfulness--if you do not teach your children the Law,

then they will never truly understand their sinfulness.

2) to point us to Christ--if you do not enforce the Law,

then your children will never truly see their need for Christ.

3) to show us how God requires us to live--if you do not live out the Law,

then your children will never know what God requires of them.