The 2nd Commandment

lone-traveler · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 9:05 am Post subject: The 2nd Commandment

Exo 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

gods:

H430
אלהים
'ĕlôhîym
el-o-heem'
Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.

Thou shalt have no other magistrates, angels, or judges, before me.

Gal 3:19 Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

hmm..

ordained:

G1299
διατάσσω
diatassō
dee-at-as'-so
From G1223 and G5021; to arrange thoroughly, that is, (specifically) institute, prescribe, etc.: - appoint, command, give, (set in) order, ordain.

angels:

G32
ἄγγελος
aggelos
ang'-el-os
From ἀγγέλλω aggellō (probably derived from G71; compare G34; to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an “angel”; by implication a pastor: - angel, messenger.

mediator:

G3316
μεσίτης
mesitēs
mes-ee'-tace
From G3319; a go between, that is, (simply) an internunciator, or (by implication) a reconciler (intercessor): - mediator.

Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

what does this verse mean?
A mediator (go between) is not a (go between) of one.
But God is one.
Is one what? Mediator? go between?

If God is his own mediator then why is Moses placed in the role of mediator?

1Ti 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Gal 3:19 Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

added:

G4369
προστίθημι
prostithēmi
pros-tith'-ay-mee
From G4314 and G5087; to place additionally, that is, lay beside, annex, repeat: - add, again, give more, increase, lay unto, proceed further, speak to any more.

because of transgressions.

The first commandment says:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and might..that means with every fiber of your being. Love him with everything you got.

The second commandment says,
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

And we see that gods are magistrates, angels, judges, messengers, pastors..etc..

Exo 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Exo 16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

prepare:

H3559
כּוּן
kûn
koon
A primitive root; properly to be erect (that is, stand perpendicular);. hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous): - certain (-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth), be stable, (e-) stablish, stand, tarry, X very deed.

Whatever this manna is, they are supposed to set it up, establish it, apply it, confirm, ordain, order, perfect, make ready, tarry..hmm.it

This is the bread which God sent from heaven and provided the people with for 6 days.

Manna is represented as the word of God. Andwe are told that God sent his prophets daily to feed them with his manna.
But something happened to the manna God sent them:

Exo 16:19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

leave:

H3498
יתר
yâthar
yaw-thar'
A primitive root; to jut over or exceed; by implication to excel; (intransitively) to remain or be left; causatively to leave, cause to abound, preserve: - excel, leave (a remnant), left behind, too much, make plenteous, preserve, (be, let) remain (-der, -ing, -nant), reserve, residue, rest.

don't leave any of it behind..don't let any remain.

Exo 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
Exo 16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

melted:

H4549
מסס
mâsas
maw-sas'
A primitive root; to liquefy; figuratively to waste (with disease), to faint (with fatigue, fear or grief): - discourage, faint, be loosed, melt (away), refuse, X utterly.

the bread became fatigued or filled with grief and it fainted or became discouraged or refused to cause nourishment.

Exo 16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
Exo 16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, ((To morrow)) Idea

is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

so the daily bread is not to be kept over or left behind so it will faint or become grieved. they are to eat it with joy and thanksgiving. Because God supplied it due to their murmerings and their cries.
But, on the sixth day it is ok to let some remain, and it will be kept over for then next day to give them sustainence while God rests and they can rest..and evryone is full and happy and content.

Exo 16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
Exo 16:25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exo 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it (the field) there shall be none.
Exo 16:27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

(Luk 7:24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Luk 7:25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.
Luk 7:26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
Luk 7:27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.)

Exo 16:28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
Exo 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Exo 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

Now the manna is the bread God sent from those prophets who spoke the word of God to them in the wilderness. And they were to eat that bread daily and not let any remain until the next day. Because it would grow faint and lose it's nourishment. And when things got "hot" it would melt away.
But, on the sixth day God created twice as many prophets speaking his word, as a sure sign between him and Israel that his word would keep them sanctified in his word on the sabbath day, when no prophets would be sent.

And the prophets were until John and since then the kingdom of God has been preached.
And we are told that the manna which they ate in the wilderness will keep them..and that manna is within their bodies, sanctifying them by God's words he spoke through those prophets.
Those words are God's Words/laws written or become a part of us in our hearts and minds..

"you are what you eat".. Wink

But now see, there is an "adding" to the laws because of transgressions. They didn't keep the words, they let them faint and fail and become weak and when it got "hot" or under persecutions or trials it melted away.

Then God sent angels or magistrates or judges and a mediator between man and God to erect those "new" laws because they broke the old one.

But all along the second commandment remains..

thou shalt have no other gods before me.
So God set Moses between himself and man so that man would not be able to seek the word at the Lord's mouth but through other gods whom he chose for men to come to.

I think Moses is the angel with sword who keeps the way of the tree of life.
His fruit or his people or those who follow his laws, are the very same ones Jesus says:

Luk 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Luk 11:47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

(let the manna lay till morning till it became wormy and no good, and fatigued and tired and melted away)

Luk 11:48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
Luk 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
Luk 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

The lawyers, judges, angels, magistrates, mediators, which were set up, established, erected, instead of God's word through the prophets whom he sent..
these are the gods that man bowed down to and worshipped.
Thereby breaking the second commandment.

If we break the second commandment..how can we keep any of them?

A lot of emphasis today is on the 4th commandment, but maybe we should start at the top and work our way down. Bet you'll find that all the laws were broken from the very first Law which was made.

Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God..(first)..and listen to His (voice)..with every fiber of your being.

Do we still set men up between us and God. Jesus came and tore down that wall making himself the mediator between us and him, himself.
Do we listen to God or listen to mediators placed between us.

The Lord himself is our High Priest, He is our Judge, He is our Lawyer, He is our redeemer, our saviour, our everything.

do we keep the second commandment?

hugs
lone

cballard · Grizzly Bear Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 702 Location: WV

Hi Lone,

I have no clue how you come up with the veses of Scripture you choose. Anyhow here's my take on it.

How do we as a Christian people let such things become our gods? When we think, "It's not against human laws to kill babies by abortion so it's ok with me." We forget God's laws and go by human laws as our guide to right and wrong behavior.

You don't mention the graven gods, but we still suffer the temptation to worship things. For many of us, material things become what we live and work for instead allowing the will of God to be the focus of our lives. I suppose we're all somewhat guilty of not following the 2nd Commandment perfectly. It's hard to do the will of God 24/7.

lone-traveler · Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 2:42 pm Post subject:

Hi cballard,

Jesus says that his word is spiritual. Paul tells us that the law is spiritual. And yet how we read the bible feeds either our carnal minds or our spiritual minds.

cballard · Grizzly Bear Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 702 Location: WV