Êxodo 20

Êxodo 20

Clarke adds ‘This necessarily implies—IF the children walk in the steps of their fathers; for no man can be condemned by Divine justice for a crime of which he was never guilty.” So why does Jehovah link fathers with their children even to the fourth generation? The answer is relatively straightforward -- the sinful actions of fathers will often (not always praise God) be passed on to the children for that is the pattern of behavior to which they have been exposed and which they associate with "normal" or expected behavior in their lives. Gotquestions comments that "A Jewish Targum specifies that this passage refers to “ungodly fathers” and “rebellious children.” So, it is not unjust for God to punish sin to the third or fourth generation – those generations are committing the same sins their ancestors did. There is a trend in the church today to try to blame every sin and problem on some sort of generational curse. This is not biblical. God’s warning to visit iniquity on future generations is part of the Old Testament Law. A generational curse was a consequence for a specific nation (Israel) for a specific sin (idolatry). The history books of the Old Testament (especially Judges) contain the record of this divine punishment meted out. The cure for a generational curse has always been repentance. When Israel turned from idols to serve the living God, the “curse” was broken and God saved them (Judges 3:9, 15; 1 Samuel 12:10-11). Yes, God promised to visit Israel’s sin upon the third and fourth generations, but in the very next verse He promised that He would show “love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:6). In other words, God’s grace lasts a thousand times longer than His wrath. For someone worried about a generational curse, the answer is salvation through Jesus Christ. A Christian is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). How can a child of God still be under God’s curse (Romans 8:1)? The cure for a “generational curse” is repentance of the sin in question, faith in Christ, and a life consecrated to the Lord (Romans 12:1-2)." (Source) Walter Kaiser points out that "Children who repeat the sins of their father evidence it in personally hating god; hence they too are punished like their fathers.” (EBC-Ex) Those who hate Me - So the visit to punish is not because of sin of the father, but sin of the sons (or daughters) which they commit, in this case "hating" God which could take a variety of forms. And as explained below the hatred is not a momentary or sporadic attitude, but is a continual, habitual attitude. Hate (08130)(sane) means to detest, abhor, loathe, be hostile, have a feeling of open hostility and intense dislike (Ge 37:4), to be unwilling, the opposite of to love (ahab). To be an enemy with open hostility and strife toward another (Pr 29:24) Note that the Septuagint translates sane with the verb miseo in the present tense signifying that this person has an ongoing, unabated willful (miseo is in the active voice) hostility toward Jehovah! This clearly explains why God would pay them a visit to pay them back for their persistent iniquity! Exodus 20:6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. NET Exodus 20:6 and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. NLT Exodus 20:6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. ESV Exodus 20:6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. showing - De 4:37 5:29 7:9 Jer 32:39,40 Ac 2:39 Ro 11:28,29 love me - Joh 14:15,21 1Jn 4:19 5:3 2Jn 1:6 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A GRACIOUS "CHANGE OF DIRECTION" But - Term of contrast. This is a wonderful grace filled "change of direction" from divine judgment to divine mercy, but it is not "cheap grace" for.... Love for God is shown Not by what we say But how we obey. Showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments - NET has "showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations." The NET adds generations which is not in the Hebrew but is probably a reasonable consideration in context. Notice the numerical contrasts - third and fourth in Ex 20:5 and thousands here, picturing God's mercy far outweighing His wrath! Indeed, God's desire is to show lovingkindness! Notice that that in addition to the contrast with judgment in Ex 20:5, we also see love of God here instead of hatred of God. And notice also the clear association of love with obedience. How do we "say" we truly "love God?" We show it not only by our words, our worship, our service, but especially and I would say supremely by our obedience to His commandments! Jesus affirmed this love/obedience relationship declaring "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." It could not be stated more clearly. And not only that, Jesus went on to describe a "reward" for loving obedience, one that should surely serve to motivate Spirit enabled obedience. He declared “He who has My commandments (WE "GET THEM" BY READING THEM IN THE BIBLE - SO READ THE BIBLE!) and keeps (THIS MEANS OBEYS) them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose (emphanizo = here describes Jesus' self-revelation inwardly communicated to the obedient saint) Myself to him (READ Pr 8:17).” (John 14:21) THOUGHT - Do you want to experience more of Jesus like Moses did in Exodus 33:18? Do you feel distant from Jesus? Then John 14:21 is for you. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Then live it out enabled by the Spirit of Christ for the glory of God and in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen! Jesus will disclose Himself to you! Lovingkindness (02617)(hesed/chesed/heced) is the idea of faithful love in action and often in the OT refers to God's lovingkindness expressed in His covenant relationship with Israel (His "loyal love" to His "Wife" Israel [cp Hos 2:18, 19, 20+, Is 54:5, Je 31:32+] = His "loyalty to covenant"). God's hesed His denotes persistent and unconditional tenderness, kindness, and mercy, a relationship in which He seeks after man with love and mercy (cf God immediately seeking man Ge 3:9+, who was immediately hiding Ge 3:8+ trying to cover their shame Ge 3:7 - contrast God's lovingkindness manifest by spilling blood to provide skins to cover their shame! Ge 3:21+). Hesed expresses both God’s loyalty to His covenant and His love for His people along with a faithfulness to keep His promises. The Septuagint (Lxx) translates hesed in Ex 20:6 with the noun eleos which is the outward manifestation of pity and assumes need on the part of those who are recipients of the mercy and sufficient resources to meet the need on the part of those who show it.The idea of mercy is to show kindness or concern for someone in serious need or to give help to the wretched, to relieve the miserable. Here the essential thought is that mercy gives attention to those in misery. Love (friend) (0157)(aheb/ahab) means to love and can convey the idea of liking things (like bribes - Isa 1:23, wisdom - Pr 4:6, wine - Pr 21:17, peace and truth - Zech 8:19, food - Ge 27:4, 9, 14). The most important uses in the OT are as an expression of God's love of people (Dt 4:37, Hosea 3:1), man's love for God (Ex 20:6, Ps 116:1) and man's love for his fellow man (Ge 29:32, Ru 4:15-note, 1 Kings 11:1 = a forbidden love by backslidden King Solomon!!!) The first use of aheb in the OT is instructive as it is found in Ge 22:2 where Yahweh instructed his servant Abraham to "“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Notice that at the outset, we see that an inherent quality of this love (in many contexts) is that it is costly. God wants us to love Him above EVERYTHING, even our own flesh and blood. Matthews writes that Ge 22:2 "is the final test of the man’s faith, the closing bookend to his discovery of God’s sufficiency to achieve the promises made at Haran." (New American Commentary) As an aside God frequently "tests" His people to reveal their trust and obedience (cp Ex 15:25, 16:4, Judges 2:22-note - in this last one they failed repeatedly). The Septuagint (Lxx) uses the verb agapao which speaks of unconditional love and in the present tense signifying that the pattern of this person's life is love of Jehovah as evidence by the fact that they generally keep His commandments. As Jesus explained " “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15) THOUGHT - The upshot is "Don't say you love God (which is okay), but show you love God (by obeying)! Do your actions this past week show that you love God? Exodus 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. BGT Exodus 20:7 οὐ λήμψῃ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου ἐπὶ ματαίῳ οὐ γὰρ μὴ καθαρίσῃ κύριος τὸν λαμβάνοντα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ ματαίῳ NET Exodus 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold guiltless anyone who takes his name in vain. NLT Exodus 20:7 "You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. ESV Exodus 20:7 "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. LXE Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord thy God will not acquit him that takes his name in vain. KJV Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. NIV Exodus 20:7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. ASV Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. CSB Exodus 20:7 Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God- Lev 19:12 24:11-16 De 5:11 Ps 50:14-16 Pr 30:9 Jer 4:2 Mt 5:33-37 23:16-22 26:63,64 2Co 1:23 Heb 6:16,17 Jas 5:12 the LORD will not leave him unpunished - Jos 2:12,17 9:20 2Sa 21:1,2 1 Ki 2:9 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THIRD COMMANDMENT: DO NOT MISUSE GOD'S NAME You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain - Not is the first word in Hebrew giving the negative statement great force! Vain means frivolous, worthless, thoughtless, and here refers to the Great Name of Yahweh!!! It is interesting that the Hebrew word for vain (shav) to describe "worthless (shav) idols" (Jer 18:15). The Septuagint translates vain with mataios which describes that which is empty, devoid of force, lacking in content, nonproductive, useless, dead, fruitless, aimless, of no real or lasting value! That is how they are treating God's Holy Name! Woe! God's Name is in fact the absolute antithesis of vain, useless, of no lasting value! Don't say “Oh my God!” unless you are sincerely saying that as a prayer! “Oh, Jeez!” is also to use Jesus’ name in vain! David