God’s Instruction in the Wilderness

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J. D. Greear
This evening, how many of you have an actual paper Bible with you, you want to hold it up there. My pastor, my little Baptist church growing up used to say the sweetest sound that he ever got to hear was the sound of the ruffling of the pages as people open their Bibles to the passage. As a pastor of a church full of millennials and Gen Z years, I never, ever, ever get to hear that sound. See the warm glow of God’s word on your faces and I’ll take it. I’ll take it. However you’re going to get there. The church that I pastor, I’m privileged to pastor in Raleigh Durham has been blessed with a lot of college students. They say that within about 20 minutes of our central campus, there are approximately 150,000 college students in the semester parts of the year, which means that an unusually high percentage of our attendance each weekend are college students, which has its ups and its downs. One of the UPS is that we have a lot of enthusiasm at our church. And we have a lot of potential missionaries, they are a huge part of our missions and our church planning strategy. In fact, we tell all of our students, we say to them, you got to get a job somewhere. So why not get a job in a place where God is doing something strategic and be a part of one of these church plants. We tell them that unless they’ve heard from God audibly, by the time they graduate, they should plan on spending the first two years on one of our church planting or mission projects around the world, we call that our more minimization strategy of reaching the world. But one of the Downs is that we are not a great given church, at least per capita, if you judge it that way. College students bring a lot of things to a church, but money is not one of them. One of my favorite memories, as a pastor is in between two of our services. One of our ushers came into the little backstage area, and he had the offering bucket. And in it was a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonald’s from a college student. With a little note on it that says Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have given unto you. So not a lot of money. But the other reality is that the presidents of all these universities makes ours a very progressive era area. Raleigh Durham is technically in the Bible Belt. But I always say it’s like the little hole in the Bible Belt, where you put the buckle the bible belt goes around it, but I’m not sure you could actually include it in it. Just as an example, the community, the home community, our church is in about 75% of that local community voted for Joe Biden in the last election, if that tells you anything, it’s just not a typical southern area. And so I want to talk this evening from Exodus 19 and 20. About the relevance of the 10 commandments in our preaching and teaching today, particularly in progressive areas, which increasingly applies to really all of our country. You might think that in progressive areas, preaching the commandments, would be one of the least productive things that you could do. I mean, these commandments by their very nature scream authority, they scream, traditional morality rate comfort on the sidewalk, they evoke visions of culture warriors fighting to keep these commandments on display in the courthouses even as they they live private lives that flout them. But I want to explain why the preaching of the law might be one of the most important things that you can do with this generation. One of my seminary professors at Southeastern seminary claimed that every major awakening in America owed itself if you study the preaching of it owed itself to a renewal of the preaching of the 10 commandments. I want you to see why that is, and why it will undoubtedly be central. Also, in our next great awakening, Lord willing, if I could ask you to do something just a little bit unusual, based on previous sessions. But could I ask you, if you would to stand for the reading of this passage? If you would stand. When we get to the actual commandments, I’m gonna have you read them with me. But first, let me just walk you through the setup. Exodus 19. For you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will, indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant. You shall be My treasured possession among all peoples firsthand and the Lord said to Moses, tell the people to wash their garments, and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You still set limits for the people all around saying, Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death, whether beast or man, he shall not live I want you to try to imagine this scene. In fact, if you will indulge me one more thing, would you? Would you close your eyes as I read this next section and just try to picture this, as I read it. For 16, on the morning of the third day, there were thunders and lightnings in a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, a blast that just kept getting louder and louder. It was terrifying. So that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a furnace. And the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him and thunder and the Lord said to Moses, Go down and warn the people let’s they break through the barrier to the Lord to look. And many of them perish. Keep your eyes closed for just a minute and imagine this with me. You parents, your kids are standing there besides you, they’re scared, then you want to comfort them, but you can, because you’re terrified. There’s no way to protect yourself from the power that is radiating from this mountain. You’re holding tight to them, because if one of them gets loose and ran up past this barrier, they would be killed. The message is clear, God’s majesty, His Holiness is an awesome and terrifying reality. It is nothing to be trifled with. Okay, you can open your eyes. And then God sent Moses down verse 25. So Moses went down to the people and gave them these commandments. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. And now if you will, would you please read these with me, verse three, you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or 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, or serve them. For I, the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third, and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to 1000s of 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. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God, verse 12. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that 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 house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ops, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbors. Thank you. And now let me read the final few verses. When all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of the lightning and the sound of the trumpet in the mountain smoking, the people were afraid, and they trembled. And they stood far off and they said to Moses, you speak to us, and we will listen but do not let God speak to us lest we die. Thank you, you may be seated.

Father, we pray that you might open our eyes, we maybe hold wondrous things out of your law, and the book of the law is written of Me. Oh, God. And let me see that again tonight. Let me first make four observations about these commandments that make them particularly relevant for progressive audiences, and then offer a couple of reflections at the end about how we should use them and our preaching, and our teaching. observation number one is that the commandments come as authority from above, not wisdom from below. The imagery is clear Moses comes down from the mountain with the commandments this is truth. descending from above our culture believes the opposite. Our culture believes the greatest source of truth comes from within it is one of our most shared Richt ideals. In fact, when I asked Chet GPT for the modern 10 commandments, number one on its list was respect individual autonomy. And to know that is the only time I use chat GPT in the writing of this message. At least that is what it wrote for me right here in this Just kidding, just kidding. But see, that means that means practically that these commandments challenge our culture, at the epistemological point of departure, and that has implications for how we teach them. We are not asked to evaluate the wisdom of these commandments, but merely to determine and establish whether Are they really from God. In John three, Jesus said something offensive, mind boggling to Nicodemus and Nicodemus objected. Jesus responded with imagery that is reminiscent at least of Exodus 19. When he said no man ascended into heaven, the Son of Man came down from heaven believe him. In other words, what I’m telling you Nicodemus is not the result of man climbing up Mount Olympus to scale the heights of wisdom and knowledge, these truths come down from above. I’m not asking you to receive these because they resonate with your experience. I’m asking you to receive them because they come with the authority of heaven. I often find myself in discussions with college students about the helpfulness of some biblical moral, trying to show its reasonableness or its practicality, but the end of the day I tell them, I don’t believe these commandments, because they make the most sense. I believe these commandments because they come with the authority of a Savior who rose from the dead. The apostles came off sometimes is ignorant and unlearn men, which means that they were not out there fundamentally out reasoning, the Sanhedrin. Instead, their witness sounded more like we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard and heard. In other words, they were they were like, listen, we know that you guys have more degrees hanging on your wall than a thermometer, we cannot compete with you. But on the other hand, there’s this guy who rose from the dead, and no offense to your education. But if you’ve got a choice between believing people who get their wisdom from reading books and reflecting on life, or one who rose from the dead, always go with the guy who rose from the dead. Our central commission is not to be defenders of the commandments. But to be proclaimers of the resurrected command giver. Number two, second observation these commandments are an expression of freedom, not slavery. Exodus, as has been pointed out already is the second book of a five volume series. Volume One Genesis depicts the original creation God brings order out of disorder. Creation is good. But when man rejects God’s rule, creation falls into total disarray, brother kills brother, our bodies start to age and to ache and to deteriorate. The Earth itself is cursed with thorns and thistles and tsunamis. And then in Genesis 12, God chooses to bring salvation to the world through the descendants of a man named Abraham but those descendants fall into captivity in Egypt for for under 25 years. Egypt as has been said, represents a place outside of the rule of God. In Exodus, God raises up Moses a savior to deliver the children of Israel. But Pharaoh won’t consent to letting them go. So God sends the plagues. And at first, we might be tempted to look at these plagues, like they’re glorified magic tricks that God uses to get Pharaohs attention. The Bible scholars point out that these plagues are far too systematic to be mirrored magic tricks. If God was merely trying to show Pharaoh that he had power, greater power than he did, Moses could have simply walked in and turn some of pharaohs soldiers into little green men and Moses could have squashed a few of them or put them in the Darth Vader chokehold, and then looked at Pharaoh and said, Pharaoh, you’re next you bet you better pay attention, and Pharaoh would have listened. But these plagues not only are they in a systematic attack on Egypt’s deities. There’s a systematic logical progression of them the Nile turns to blood which destroys the natural ecosystem of the Nile. So out of the Nile comes the frogs from the frogs come the notch from the gnats come disease, and so on. As you read this, you ask what is happening and the answer is, creation is unraveling. The plagues are the inverse of Genesis one and Genesis one God brings order out of chaos. Now we have order descending back into chaos. These commandments restore shalom, they restore the good of God’s creation. They don’t lead us into slavery. They Get us out of it because they are how God designed creation to work. Obey these puts us in harmony with the creation and its creator CS Lewis famously compared it to a fish. You don’t set a fish free by taking it out of the water and putting it up on the land of where the people are Up where they walk up, where they run up where they stay all day in the sun, wandering free wish I can be part of the world that makes for a catchy song, and a questionable kids movie but in reality, in reality, it will kill the fish. A fish is freest when it is in the habitat. It was designed to be in Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing the majority opinion of Planned Parenthood versus Casey in 1992, said, the heart of Liberty is to define one’s own concept of existence and the meaning of the universe. But that is not freedom that is the slavery of Egypt. These commandments are the expression of the Creator’s freedom. observation number three, the commandments begin and in with a prohibition as a prohibition against idolatry. I wish I had longer on this one. But Martin Luther and his greater catechism pointed out that the prohibitions against idolatry are what book in the commandments commandment one You shall have no other gods before Me commandment 10. You shall not covet a cup of tea and of course, as Paul would explain as a kind of idolatry, because coveting arises when we identify something that we need in addition to God, or what he’s provided for us to be happy. Martin Luther said that God book ended the commandments with prohibitions against idolatry, because it is idolatry that is at work, and the breaking of any of the other eight. Why do we steal, because we covet something that God has not provided for us? And we feel like I must have that and I’m willing to break the laws of God to get it. Why do we lie? We lie because we covet something that we cannot purchase with the truth and so on. Luther said if you kept the first and the 10th commandment, you would have no problem with the other eight. Dr. Keller believed connecting these commandments to idolatry were the key to explaining them to this generation. In fact, the first talk I ever heard him give in 2007. He said, talking about ministry, the young Manhattanites, he said I began speaking about sin to a young urban non Christian like this. Sin, I explained is not just doing bad things, it is more fundamentally making good things and the ultimate things. Sin is building your life and meaning on anything, even a very good thing more than on God. Whatever we build our life on will drive us and enslave us. Sin is primarily idolatry. I took a page he said from Kierkegaard that sin is building your identity, your self worth and your happiness on anything other than God. Instead of telling them they are sinning because they’re sleeping with their girlfriends or boyfriends. I tell them that they are sinning because they are looking to their careers and romances to save them, to give them everything that they should be looking for in God. This idolatry leads to driven this to addictions to severe anxiety to obsessiveness, the envy of others and resentment. I have found he says that when you describe stem this way, postmodern people do not offer much resistance. They sheepishly admit that this is what they are doing. It makes sense so much more personal. These commandments scream, you’re building your high places in all the wrong places. In fact, if you look at the end of chapter 20, it’s the part we skipped over and never preach. You’ll see the discussion is about where and how Israel is building, it’s high places. These commandments scream, you’re building your high places in the wrong places. You are looking for meaning and permanence and significance in places that cannot provide it. And that is something that deeply resonates with a progressive audience. observation number four, the last of these observations the commandments grow out of grace. I was raised in a pretty deep stream of Independent Baptist dispensationalism.

I grew up assuming that ci schofields notes were part of the original manuscripts. And that the CI Scofield KJV edition of the Bible was all we needed for life and godliness. We even had little songs about it. I dare not trust the NIV but holy lean on KJV the NAS it is a mess but oh King James, he wrote the best on ci schofields book I’ve stand all other ones are seeking sand and you think that I’m kidding, I am not. I’m actually very grateful for that hair. Not that part of the heritage. But I’m grateful for that other part of the heritage I was taught the gospel. But there were moments when the law was presented as if it were an entirely different way of relating to God. The implication was that this was a covenant of works, and that this generation of Moses was expected to earn their salvation. And we should acknowledge the chapters are filled with threats and conditions for blessing that would in many ways feel very out of place in the writings of Paul. That said, we can see the gospel of grace woven intricately through these commandments. For example, God gives these commandments to Israel, only after he has saved them not as a requirement for their deliverance. In chapter 19, he tells them, I’ve already brought you to myself on eagle’s wings, in the prologue to the commandments and chapter 20. He says, I’m the God who has already delivered you from slavery. That means these commandments are not a list of requirements to be accepted of God. They are the right response to having been accepted by God. The foundation of these commandments is God’s gracious, unmerited deliverance of Israel. There’s another fascinating little detail in here, by the way that points to that. Exodus says the Commandments were given to Moses on two tablets. You ever wonder why it was two tablets and not one? I always assumed growing up because I was told this story first one flannel graph that it was because God ran out of room on the first one. And so we had to have a second tablet. But God’s not like a kindergartner who starts writing on one page runs out of room and has to go grab another one to finish it. No, a better explanation is that in those days, you always made two copies of a covenant, you made one for each party that way if the other side broke the covenant, you could produce your copy, and you could hold them responsible. Which is why it is significant that Exodus 25 tells us that both tablets of this covenant were to be put in the Ark of the Covenant directly under the mercy seat. God was making himself responsible for both sides of this covenant. So when Israel broke their side, God took responsibility in God paid with his wife, the foundation of these commandments is grace. These commandments are not how we earn acceptance by God, they are how we love the God who has graciously purchased or acceptance by His blood. So those are the four observations. So what then are the implications for New Testament preaching? Here it is, I’ll give you one, major one and then a quick follow up, preach the commandments, as curb map and mirror. In Galatians 319, Paul says the commandments are a schoolmaster, a guardian, a tutor to bring us to Christ. We know that but what exactly does that mean? Traditionally, Reformed theology is taught that it means three things. And I’m going to call them curb mirror and Matt, but I’m going to reverse the order base different than Calvin, I’m gonna put two in the place of three and vice versa here, the first one curve for the sake of time, okay, I’m just going to mention this one. But this one points to the laws usefulness, it limiting the damage of our sinful choices. Even though obedience to the law, conformity of the law cannot produce righteous desires in me, it can keep me from causing further destruction through my sin by obeying the prohibition against adultery. Even in those moments when my desires might point the other way. I’m not only preserving my wife and my family and keeping the power of sin from multiplying in my heart. Again, we could do a lot more on that one, but for time sake, let’s just leave it there to curb. Second we preach the law as map. That is after being saved. The law shows us the best way, the right way, the only way to please the God that we love. Few years ago, the an ancient discussion wasn’t new, very ancient, ancient discussion resurfaced about the helpfulness of the Old Testament. With some suggesting the Old Testament was more of an obstacle to faith for this generation, then it was a help. And thus, we ought to unhitch our Gospel witness from it. We should focus instead it was said on Jesus’s message of love and acceptance and grace. And in particular, we should highlight the simplicity of the great commandments about loving God with our hearts and loving our neighbors as ourselves because after all, Jesus said, that was the heart of all the commandments, and he did. And I know, I know that sounds so appealing, but the problem is, we are left with the question, what does love for God and others look like in practice? Do we really want our sinful hearts answering that question? One person thinks that love looks like open marriage or affirmation of same sex attraction. Another thinks that looks like protecting a woman’s right to abortion. The law shows us what love for God and others looks like before the giving of the law. Nations wondered how to please God we’re going to offerings does God want to want 5% to 50%? Does he want the sacrifice of our children is that what he wants unhitching ourselves from the law basically means going back to every man doing what was right in his own eyes. And that is not the glorious freedom of the promised land that is the slavery of Egypt. It is true. It is true that the law cannot bring us righteousness, but it shows us what righteousness in action looks like. The law I’ve heard it said is like railroad tracks. They can point us in the direction to go but it is powerless to move the freight along the tracks the gospel is the locomotive. But after we’d been given the engine, the power the new heart to obey, the law points us in the direction that we are supposed to go. As Jen Wilkin says the law drives us in desperation to grace. But Grace drives us in devotion back to the law. Finally, the law is a mirror. The law is a mirror The law reveals to us how sinful we are. It holds up to us an image of what a truly righteous heart would look like. Charles Spurgeon compared the law to a perfectly tailored set of clothes. You know, as the weather has started to change, I’ve had the unpleasant experience of pulling out some of last year’s outfits, and realizing that they don’t fit anymore. Things have moved. Imagine if the only clothes that you were allowed to wear, were ones perfectly tailored to your ideal build and weight when you were 22 years old. And that’s what you had to wear every day, every time you put them on that dilapidated state of your body would be on display. This is what the Lord does. Spurgeon said, we try it on, see all the places that our hearts don’t fit. And that’s what drives us to grace. It’s what brings us to Christ. In fact, let me go through and use our remaining time to go through a few of these commandments. And I want you to just to be honest with yourself about how instinctive these are to you. Not say whether or not you can conform your behavior to them. But how instinctive to they come to your hearts to these reflect the natural state of your heart. And with God’s help, I want you to consider what happens in your heart as we do this. But you’re taking notes right now make two little columns, put a little yes column and a little no column and put a check in the yes column if you think the command comes instinctively to you. And then put it in the no column if you think that particular command does not come instinctively to you. Command number one, you shall have no other gods before me. Can you say what you say God is instinctively always preeminent in my thoughts, affections and actions? Can you say I never take more delight in things? Like a raise or a new car? Or a compliment? Or preaching invitation? than I do and knowing God? God’s glory and His pleasure are always my first thought. Is that a yes for you? Or is that a no? Y’all if I’m honest, functionally. Sometimes I get more excited about a new TV program or a good attendance report on Monday than I do, knowing and glorifying God. I yearn for people’s approval more than I care about his reputation. That is a big no. And that column for me, jumped down to commandment four. Remember the Sabbath? You naturally take time out just to be with God.

unworried about the work that you’re not doing because you are confident he’s going to supply all your needs. Have you consistently set apart one day weekly to rest in Him? Does your life overall reflect a peaceful dependence on God? And not an anxious dependence on self? That a yes or no. Commandment five honor your parents. Theologians point out this is the hinge commandment because it connects the first four commandments which are more about our vertical relationship and we begin to go into the horizontal relationships with each other and this one kind of touches both of them onto your parents. Your parents are the first representation of God’s authority to you. So the bigger question in this commandment is how your heart and my heart responds to any God ordained authority. Can you say? I always gave my parents respect and heartfelt obedience. By the way, the commandment online is coming. I never assumed as a teenager that I knew better than they did. That extended to other God ordained authorities in my life teachers traffic cops, the IRS, my board of directors that a yes or no No commanded six You shall not kill you say finally somebody the whole time and like get them or get them or get them or get them or then you know this Jesus came along a mess that went up to because he said that, to hate somebody in your heart or to desire their harm is the sin of murder in the eyes of God. Can you say I’ve never had hateful thoughts about somebody delighting in or fantasizing about their harm or their misfortune? You know, I look at how I’ve sometimes rejoiced and another preachers failure, because it made me look better. So deep is the jealousy and self centeredness in my heart that I delight in somebody’s destruction because it benefits me. Maybe you’re not that bad. Maybe you’re not as bad as I am. But I just look at that and I say what’s wrong with my heart? Commandment seven You shall not commit adultery. Same rule with this one. As the previous Jesus said, this meant not entertaining lustful thoughts about somebody to whom you’re not married. You fully contain your marriage or your singleness or whatever. Little monitor on the side of your head. Just displayed everything you were thinking at any given moment of the day. How quickly would your life and ministry be over? What’s going on in the heart? Commandment nine You shall not lie. Should I even have to go over this one? But can you say I’ve never distorted the truth in any way for my own benefit or cover up my faults or hidden awkward things I didn’t want other people to know. I’ve never exaggerated our church attendance or presented things at the church or in my marriage better than they were. Some of you broke down on the way in here. Never fudge the age one of my children so they could get the kids right at movies. The all you can eat Golden Corral buffet I’ve always told the truth in every situation regarding every person I’ve ever known. Commandment 10 Thou shalt not covet this is the worst one can you say? I’ve never resented other people’s success, their beauty their talents, their intelligence, their possessions, their church their popularity their place on a platform their book sales I’ve always rejoice with others in their blessings glad that they have them even when I even when I don’t I don’t know about you, but I’m Oh for however many that we did. Newsflash, y’all if you get to zero on the only exam in a class, you’re not going to pass the course. I look into the mirror and I say in the Spirit the Lord marks iniquity, who can stand there’s none righteous, not even one oh have turned aside all have become unprofitable There is none righteous not even one Jeremiah was right I have an in curable wound My heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. And Isaiah Oh, my righteousness is like a filthy rag. It’s tainted. Even my good deeds like the Puritans used to say even our tears of repentance have to be washed in the blood of a lamb because they’re filthy. And here’s the thing. Force in my heart to do the right thing won’t change it. Martin Luther talked about the dilemma of the great commandment. And the great commandment he said, God has commanded us something that by definition cannot be commanded. says if you love something, you don’t need to be commanded to do it. You never have to command me to eat a steak, take a nap or kiss my wife. I do all of those things instinctively without your command or your advice. On the other hand, if you don’t love something, no command is gonna make you love it. I hate I despise mayonnaise on any kind of sandwich. If you put down a mayonnaise sandwich in front of me, if you’re a big enough boy, you might be able to get me to eat it. But I don’t care how big you are. You’re never gonna get me to love it. Luther said that’s the irony of the law. The irony of the law is God has commanded us something that by definition cannot be commanded. In fact, here’s what he said what the law requires is freedom from the law. The law is like the fence that my granddaddy used to put around his pigs when I was a young boy kicked me out to feed the pigs with him. kiddies big ol buckets of slop and then if you’re a slob is it’s just all it is is rotting food and trash. It is disgusting. nasty stuff you could imagine. But man those pigs they love it. Not one time. And all the times I went with him not one time did he ever take those buckets of slop and put them down and say hey, JD I gotta go back over here for a minute. But listen to the sun. You are not allowed to eat the slop. I mean, if you eat the slot, you will be in big trouble. Now one time did he ever have to say that? Not one time. If he did give me permission, I still would not have eaten it. But man, there’s pigs. Unless there’s a barrier between them and that sloth, they’re coming after it, they’re gonna go after it like it’s their last meal. You want to keep them from the slop you got to restrain them the point. God doesn’t want spiritual pigs in heaven who crave the slop of sin and when we stay away from it because they’re afraid of punishment. He wants people with his heart who would not choose sin, even if they had the opportunity to. They said God’s not just after obedience, he’s after a whole new kind of obedience, and obedience that grows from desire and obedience where you seek God because you love God and obedience where you do righteousness because you crave righteousness. The law is a mirror revealing our sinful hearts driving us to see our need of Christ, our need of Christ who alone can change our hearts and so and so one day he came. And he said, one greater than Moses is here, and he was born under the law. And he lived the life under the law that we were supposed to live. He kept the law perfectly from the heart, but then he died under its curses. He kept his side of the covenant. But when it came time to produce his copy of the covenant, and hold us responsible for violation of it, he made himself responsible for our violation to and took our punishment in our place. The penalty for our violation of the barriers of God’s holiness was placed on him the thunder bolt of God’s judgment and the earthquake of His wrath went into the fragile, beaten, broken body of Jesus, that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, because God made Him who knew no sin, to become sin for me, that I might become the righteousness of God in you. And that God sprinkled his blood on the mercy seat above where the tablets are kept. So that there is therefore now no condemnation to those of us who are in Christ Jesus, there is no side of the covenant for God to hold against me anymore. To like Charles Spurgeon said it would be on just for God to hold me accountable for my sin right now, because he’s already punished Jesus and to hold me responsible for it with the main group, you’re required to penalties for the same sin. And now he says, when we gather every single week as the body of Christ, He says to us, this cop is the new covenant in my blood, a new covenant that is given for the forgiveness of sins. So gospel coalition, I will end with this admonition even in a progressive age preach the commandments as the path to revival. Francis Schaeffer once said, If he had an hour with modern men had an hour to share Christ with him. He said, It’s been the first 15 minutes trying to get them lost. And only the last five or 10 minutes explaining the way of salvation, the commandments get us, lost there, the schoolmaster that bring us to Christ, they make us thirsty for grace. Which is why to return to my southeastern seminary professor, every major awakening in our country has included a renewal of the preaching of the 10 commandments, the preaching of the law is the schoolmaster that brings us to Christ again, and again and again. And again. Only through the law do we learn to say, oh, wretched man that I am? Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Only through the law? Am I going to be aware of how I am forgiven much so that I begin to love much only from the law? Will we experience those depths of forgiveness that caused us to soar in the heights of love and praise? Only in the law?

Are we going to see that God, what God did not to the Egyptians to deliver us, but what he did to himself to deliver us only bear could we truly understand what it meant for us, for him to bring us to himself on eagle’s wings, eagle’s wings not of eagles, but of His Son as he soared above sin and death. That’s what that meant. Only the law will make us say, What can wash away my sin? What can make me whole again, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Gold precious is the flow that makes me white as snow no other founders I know. Nothing. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Don’t you bow your heads if you would with me? Again and again and again and again. Martin Luther said the progress in the Christian life has always to begin again.

Would you ask the Holy Spirit not for new insight. Not for a page full of notes. Not for new points you to work and preaching and teaching, but ask him for a sense of wonder and worship. That would just be new again like Dr. Piper talked about last night it would just be new. The gospel is like a well you don’t get the best water from the well by widening the circumference increasing your knowledge you get the best water by going deeper. God take TGC 23 deeper into the things they already know. So they look with wonder, they look with wonder and they say oh my god. Oh my god, thank you for the cross.