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Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Spurgeon - There could not have been a better law. Some talk about the law of God being too severe, too strict, too stringent, but it is not. If the design had been that men should live by the law, there could not have been a better law for that purpose; and hence it is proved that, by the principle of law nobody ever can be justified because, even with the best of laws, all men are sinful, and so need that justification which comes only by grace through faith. Plumblines (plumb bobs) are not meant to straighten the building but to tell one how crooked it is and where change is needed. The Law was given as a plumbline to show us our need for a "divine reconstruction." 2). Law shuts up (shut in on all sides, describes fish caught in a net or trap which is a common way of fishing) all men under sin… (until they enter) "by faith (into) Christ Jesus" "But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."(Gal 3:22+) Spurgeon - All of us, by nature are shut up like criminals in a prison that is so securely bolted and barred that there is no hope of escape for any who are immured within it. But why are all the doors shut and fastened? Why in order that Christ may come and open the one only eternal door of salvation: “that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believes.” 3). Law keeps men in custody under the Law. Keep is a military term for soldier on guard. The Law keeps unbelievers under protective custody and they cannot escape. "But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed." (Gal 3:23+) "until we could put our faith in the coming Savior" (NLT) Spurgeon - Well do I remember when I was “shut up” in this fashion. I struggled and strove with might and main to get out, but I found no way of escape. I was “shut up” until faith came, and opened the door and brought me out into “the glorious liberty of the children of God.” 4). Law serves as a tutor ("guardian," "custodian," "disciplinarian.") to lead us to Christ. The "pedagogue" had the responsibility of taking a child to the schoolmaster in the morning and leaving him there) - "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith." (Gal 3:24+) "until Christ came" (NLT) Spurgeon - The pedagogue was a slave who led the children to school, and sometimes whipped them to school. That is what the law did with us; it took us under its management, and whipped us, and drove us to Christ. God didn’t give His Law to save us. We are saved (delivered from God’s judgment) by His undeserved favor through faith in Christ and His death on our behalf (Eph. 2:8–9+). He paid the penalty that we deserved. When we trust in Christ, God puts our sin on Christ and imputes Christ’s righteousness to us. Only after putting your trust in Christ and receiving His indwelling Holy Spirit can you begin to obey His Law. Good But Guilty Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. —James 2:10 Was the apostle Paul right when he declared that “there is none righteous” and “all have sinned”? (Romans 3:10,23). Or is that verdict of condemnation too sweeping? Many people might protest. They don’t see themselves as rebels against the laws of society or the laws of God. They consider themselves to be good people. So why condemn them as deserving God’s judgment? According to James, “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). In God’s eyes, it takes only one act of disobedience to put us in the company of those who have broken His law and deserve His judgment. Can any of us claim that we’ve never violated one of God’s laws? What about the command not to covet? (Exodus 20:17). The truth is that all of us at some time or other have been guilty of longing to possess what belongs to someone else. Paul himself confessed that he was guilty of this sin and deserved God’s judgment (Romans 7:7-10). We may be relatively good, but in the eyes of a perfectly holy God we’ve fallen far short of His standards. We all need the guilt-cleansing grace that Jesus Christ alone provides. I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus— Trusting only Thee; Trusting Thee for full salvation, Great and free. —Havergal Christ died for sinners—both good and bad. Exodus 20:2 "I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. I am the LORD your God - Ge 17:7,8 Lev 26:1,13 De 5:6 6:4,5 2Ch 28:5 Ps 50:7 81:10 Jer 31:1,33 Ho 13:4 Ro 3:29 10:12 who brought you - Ex 10:1-15:27 Lev 19:36 23:43 out of the land of Egypt - Ex 13:3 De 5:15 7:8 13:10 15:15 26:6-8 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries BROUGHT OUT OF IDOLATRY AND SLAVERY Why do the Ten Commandments begin with Yahweh's self-declaration? One of the main reasons is because "the the character of God undergirds everything. God tells them to do something because of who He is." (Tony Merida) If He had said I am a stick, and then given Ten Commandments, they would be meaningless. Notice also the repeated phrase in God's self-disclosure - "out of the...out of the." The point is crystal clear that God wants to emphasize to the sons of Israel that they are now no longer in a land rampant with idolatry and no longer in bondage. They have in effect been delivered from idolatry and from slavery. In a word, they now have "freedom!" What the Ten Commandments will clearly show the Israelites is that their newly bestowed freedom does not mean they now have the right to do as they please, but that now they have the privilege to do what pleases God. And what pleases God is living within the ten basic "boundaries" He will give to them in the Ten Commandments. In short His Ten Words are meant not to be onerous and oppressive, but to be words that if followed followed lead to life and blessing. Mattoon - God identified Himself. He reminded them of His power, protection, and past. I brought you out of Egypt and have some things to say to you now. I have some guidelines and rules to lay down. If you want to please me, then obey me! If you want to demonstrate your love to the Lord today, then obey Him. He has not changed on this issue. John 14:15 I am the LORD your God - (See all uses below - only found in the OT). Yahweh introduces Himself and clearly identifies Himself as the One Who brought about Israel's delivery from Egypt. The phrase your God expresses God's special relationship with Israel as His people. He is their VERY OWN God!. The pronoun "your" is second person singular, which speaks of His personal relationship with each individual Israelite. Some commentators take this singular "your" as a so-called "collective" use which is meant to refer to the entire nation as a whole. Both senses may be intended, and both emphasize He is their PERSONAL God. He is a distant, unknowable God. THOUGHT - Is He your personal God? Do you know Him through your faith in His Son Jesus Christ? That is God's desire that you might live forever with Him. Jesus prayed " “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3) Ryken on God's Name LORD or Yahweh or Jehovah - Here he uses his special covenant name, Yahweh. He is the Great I Am, the sovereign and almighty LORD. He is the supreme, self-existent, eternal, and unchangeable God Who bound Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the unbreakable promise of His covenant. (Preaching the Word - see Exodus : Saved for God's Glory) This self designation I am the LORD your God is the most fundamental declaration in the OT for it is the basis of the Decalogue, the nucleus of the Pentateuch and the heart of the entire OT. Just as Yahweh reveled the divine name to Moses (Ex 3:14, Ex 6:2), He was now revealing Himself to all of Israel at the same mountain. This has always been God's primary goal -- that all mankind recognize Him as Jehovah (see repeated phrase "that you may know" in Ezekiel - Ezek. 6:7; Ezek. 6:10; Ezek. 6:13; Ezek. 6:14; Ezek. 7:4; Ezek. 7:27; Ezek. 11:10; Ezek. 11:12; Ezek. 12:15; Ezek. 12:16; Ezek. 12:20; Ezek. 13:9; Ezek. 13:14; Ezek. 13:21; Ezek. 13:23; Ezek. 14:8; Ezek. 15:7; Ezek. 16:62; Ezek. 17:24; Ezek. 20:12; Ezek. 20:20; Ezek. 20:26; Ezek. 20:38; Ezek. 20:42; Ezek. 20:44; Ezek. 22:16; Ezek. 23:49; Ezek. 24:24; Ezek. 24:27; Ezek. 25:5; Ezek. 25:7; Ezek. 25:11; Ezek. 25:17; Ezek. 26:6; Ezek. 28:22; Ezek. 28:23; Ezek. 28:24; Ezek. 28:26; Ezek. 29:6; Ezek. 29:9; Ezek. 29:16; Ezek. 29:21; Ezek. 30:8; Ezek. 30:19; Ezek. 30:25; Ezek. 30:26; Ezek. 32:15; Ezek. 33:29; Ezek. 34:27; Ezek. 35:4; Ezek. 35:9; Ezek. 35:15; Ezek. 36:11; Ezek. 36:23; Ezek. 36:38; Ezek. 37:6; Ezek. 37:13; Ezek. 37:28; Ezek. 38:23; Ezek. 39:6; Ezek. 39:7; Ezek. 39:22; Ezek. 39:28). It follows that all the laws in the Decalogue are framed in the context of a covenant relationship with Jehovah. And as we see below, even though the first 4 commandments are primarily vertical, and the last 6 horizontal (between men), even when one breaks one of the last 6, the act of rebellion is ultimately against God (cf Ge 39:9, et al). One other point is that typical ancient suzerainty treaties had a description of the suzerain in the preamble. And so "I am the LORD your God" serves as the preamble. I am the LORD your God - exact phrase 40x in 39v - Exod. 6:7; Exod. 16:12; Exod. 20:2; Lev. 11:44; Lev. 18:2; Lev. 18:4; Lev. 18:30; Lev. 19:3; Lev. 19:4; Lev. 19:10; Lev. 19:25; Lev. 19:31; Lev. 19:34; Lev. 19:36; Lev. 20:7; Lev. 20:24; Lev. 23:22; Lev. 23:43; Lev. 24:22; Lev. 25:17; Lev. 25:38; Lev. 25:55; Lev. 26:1; Lev. 26:13; Num. 10:10; Num. 15:41; Deut. 5:6; Deut. 29:6; Jdg. 6:10; Isa. 41:13; Isa. 43:3; Isa. 48:17; Isa. 51:15; Ezek. 20:5; Ezek. 20:7; Ezek. 20:19; Ezek. 20:20; Joel 2:27; Joel 3:17 NET Note on "I" - The revelation of Yahweh here begins with the personal pronoun. “I”—a person, a living personality, not an object or a mere thought. This enabled him to address “you”—Israel, and all his people, making the binding stipulations for them to conform to his will...Now, the emphasis is on “I am your God”—and what that would mean in their lives. The point God is making here is because of Who He is and what He has done for Israel, He has the right to tell them how they should obey. Westminster Shorter Catechism says it this way - “The preface to the ten commandments teaches us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments” (A. 44). Who brought you out of the land of Egypt - This description would include everything Jehovah had done for Israel in bringing them out of Egypt - Passover lamb, Red Sea deliverance, turning bitter water to sweet, proving manna from Heaven, etc. And so God begins with a reminder of what He has accomplished for Israel. What He had done was good. Now He will give them the Law, so would they not also expect that it would be good? As Paul says centuries later "So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.... if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good." (Ro 7:12+, Ro 7:16+) Again the pronoun you is singular which on one hand emphasizes the binding nature of the commandments on the entire nation (spoken to as a singular unit), but also would be applicable to each individual person, evey single individual. COMMENT - For an interesting study, take a few moments and read through the following passages which all have the phrase "brought you out." Observe why they were brought out, from what they were brought out, to what they were brought out, etc. You will learn much about God by doing this simple exercise - Gen. 15:7; Exod. 6:7; Exod. 13:3; Exod. 13:9; Exod. 16:6; Exod. 16:32; Exod. 20:2; Lev. 19:36; Lev. 22:33; Lev. 25:38; Lev. 26:13; Num. 15:41; Deut. 4:20; Deut. 5:6; Deut. 5:15; Deut. 7:8; Deut. 7:19; Deut. 8:14; Deut. 13:10; Deut. 16:1; Jos. 24:5; Jdg. 6:8 THOUGHT - The fact that before giving the law God reminded Israel of their deliverance from bondage, is a good reminder to us as believers that we should frequently recall to mind the fact that the LORD HAS BROUGHT US OUT of slavery, having "rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col 1:13-14+, cf Acts 26:18+). Such a memory would hopefully stimulate gratitude in our hearts for so great a salvation. This attitude should in turn serve to motivate us to resist temptation to sin against our God Who has bought us with so great a price and promised us to great a future. Sin will continually tempt us with strong desires, but when those temptations come, we should think back on the early days of our salvation and then out of love for God flee the youthful lusts and fight the good fight of faith, remembering that now we are not our own but have been bought with a price of the blood of Christ. This pattern of "killing sin" reminds me of the great sermon The Expulsive Power of a New Affection. NET Note on you - The suffix on the verb is second masculine singular. It is this person that will be used throughout the commandments for the whole nation. God addresses them all as his people, but he addresses them individually for their obedience. The masculine form is not, thereby, intended to exclude women. Out of the house of slavery - The house is the "land of Egypt" which was the land of slavery. The point is that now that Israel was free from the oppressive enslavement in Egypt, they were free to serve Yahweh. Remember that freedom is not the right to do as you please, the power to do as you should. In giving Israel the Law, these laws would serve to guide their new found freedom, encouraging them to do as they should, not as they would (so to speak). "Now they are free to serve him. He has a claim on them for gratitude and obedience. But this will not be a covenant of cruel slavery and oppression; it is a covenant of love, as God is saying “I am yours, and you are mine.” This was the sovereign Lord of creation and of history speaking, declaring that he was their savior." (NET) The Westminster Confession of Faith describes the Decalogue as Delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man … the moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it. Neither doth Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation’ (Chapter XIX: ii, v). I AM THE LORD This self-designation by Yahweh is found 164x in 161v - Gen. 15:7; Gen. 28:13; Exod. 6:2; Exod. 6:6; Exod. 6:7; Exod. 6:8; Exod. 6:29; Exod. 7:5; Exod. 7:17; Exod. 10:2; Exod. 12:12; Exod. 14:4; Exod. 14:18; Exod. 16:12; Exod. 20:2; Exod. 29:46; Exod. 31:13; Lev. 11:44; Lev. 11:45; Lev. 18:2; Lev. 18:4; Lev. 18:5; Lev. 18:6; Lev. 18:21; Lev. 18:30; Lev. 19:3; Lev. 19:4; Lev. 19:10; Lev. 19:12; Lev. 19:14; Lev. 19:16; Lev. 19:18; Lev. 19:25; Lev. 19:28; Lev. 19:30; Lev. 19:31; Lev. 19:32; Lev. 19:34; Lev. 19:36; Lev. 19:37; Lev. 20:7; Lev. 20:8; Lev. 20:24; Lev. 21:12; Lev. 21:15; Lev. 21:23; Lev. 22:2; Lev. 22:3; Lev. 22:8; Lev. 22:9; Lev. 22:16; Lev. 22:30; Lev. 22:31; Lev. 22:32; Lev. 22:33; Lev. 23:22; Lev. 23:43; Lev. 24:22; Lev. 25:17; Lev. 25:38; Lev. 25:55; Lev. 26:1; Lev. 26:2; Lev. 26:13; Lev. 26:44; Lev. 26:45; Num. 3:13; Num. 3:41; Num. 3:45; Num. 10:10; Num. 15:41; Deut. 5:6; Deut. 29:6; Jdg. 6:10; 1 Ki. 20:13; 1 Ki. 20:28; Isa. 41:13; Isa. 42:6; Isa. 42:8; Isa. 43:3; Isa. 43:11; Isa. 43:15; Isa. 45:5; Isa. 45:6; Isa. 45:7; Isa. 45:18; Isa. 48:17; Isa. 49:23; Isa. 51:15; Jer. 9:24; Jer. 24:7; Jer. 32:27; Ezek. 6:7; Ezek. 6:10; Ezek. 6:13; Ezek. 6:14; Ezek. 7:4; Ezek. 7:27; Ezek. 11:10; Ezek. 11:12; Ezek. 12:15; Ezek. 12:16; Ezek. 12:20; Ezek. 13:9; Ezek. 13:14; Ezek. 13:21; Ezek. 13:23; Ezek. 14:8; Ezek. 15:7; Ezek. 16:62; Ezek. 17:24; Ezek. 20:5; Ezek. 20:7; Ezek. 20:12; Ezek. 20:19; Ezek. 20:20; Ezek. 20:26; Ezek. 20:38; Ezek. 20:42; Ezek. 20:44; Ezek. 22:16; Ezek. 23:49; Ezek. 24:24; Ezek. 24:27; Ezek. 25:5; Ezek. 25:7; Ezek. 25:11; Ezek. 25:17; Ezek. 26:6; Ezek. 28:22; Ezek. 28:23; Ezek. 28:24; Ezek. 28:26; Ezek. 29:6; Ezek. 29:9; Ezek. 29:16; Ezek. 29:21; Ezek. 30:8; Ezek. 30:19; Ezek. 30:25; Ezek. 30:26; Ezek. 32:15; Ezek. 33:29; Ezek. 34:27; Ezek. 35:4; Ezek. 35:9; Ezek. 35:15; Ezek. 36:11; Ezek. 36:23; Ezek. 36:38; Ezek. 37:6; Ezek. 37:13; Ezek. 37:28; Ezek. 38:23; Ezek. 39:6; Ezek. 39:7; Ezek. 39:22; Ezek. 39:28; Joel 2:27; Joel 3:17; Zech. 10:6 Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. NET Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me. NLT Exodus 20:3 "You must not have any other god but me. ESV Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me. LXE Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods beside me. KJV Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me NIV Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me. ASV Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. CSB Exodus 20:3 Do not have other gods besides Me. NKJ Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me NRS Exodus 20:3 you shall have no other gods before me. YLT Exodus 20:3 'Thou hast no other Gods before Me. NAB Exodus 20:3 You shall not have other gods besides me. NJB Exodus 20:3 'You shall have no other gods to rival me. GWN Exodus 20:3 "Never have any other god. BHT Exodus 20:3 lö´ yihyè-lükä ´élöhîm ´áHërîm `al-Pänäºya BBE Exodus 20:3 You are to have no other gods but me. Ex 15:11 De 5:7 6:5,14 Jos 24:18-24 2Ki 17:29-35 Ps 29:2 73:25 Ps 81:9 Isa 26:4 43:10 44:8 45:21,22 46:9 Jer 25:6 35:15 Mt 4:10 1Co 8:4,6 Eph 5:5 Php 3:19 Col 2:18 1Jn 5:20,21 Rev 19:10 22:9 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE FIRST COMMANDMENT: NO OTHER GODS New Testament parallel - 1 Corinthians 8:4,6+ Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one....yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from Whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we exist through Him. In Exodus 34:28 we read "So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments." The Hebrew word for commandments is dabar used over 1200x in the OT and most often translated as "word" so these are often referred to as the "Ten Commandments" or the "Decalogue" (deka = ten + logos = word), or the "Ten Words." Moses repeats this designation in Deuteronomy 4:13+ “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments (dabar); and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. Tony Merida points out that "The Ten Words display the character of God. God poured Himself into His law. Each of the Ten Words expresses particular attributes of God, who is the lawgiver....The first commandment does away with atheism on one hand and pantheism or polytheism on the other. It assumes that there is one true God and no other. It also addresses the deep problem of the human heart: idolatry. (Exalting Jesus in Exodus) Based on Merida's comment (which which I concur), as we study the "Ten Words" we should do so not just to determine only what the mean, but just as important, to discern what they tell us about the character of Jehovah. Note that the first four commandments set forth man’s duty to God ("vertical"), and second group of six set forth man’s duty to his fellow man ("horizontal"). It is interesting to read the commentaries on this first commandment. It seems crystal clear if read in the normal sense - NO OTHER GODS. PERIOD. There is only one true and living God. That settles all the erudite arguments. There are no other true gods. All are false, counterfeit gods with a little "g." John Currid - The First Commandment tells us that we are to shun other gods. For us to trust in anything more than the Lord is to make that thing a god. And idolatry can take many different forms, whether it be riches, glory, wisdom, or one’s physical appetites—it is giving homage to anything but Yahweh! As
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Spurgeon - Morning and Evening - “If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.”—Exodus 20:25 God’s altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all. All alterations and amendments of the Lord’s own Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud heart of man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the soul before God; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, humblings and repentings are trusted in, good works are cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and by all means the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine altar. It were well if sinners would remember that so far from perfecting the Saviour’s work, their carnal confidences only pollute and dishonour it. The Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of man’s chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an inherent blasphemy in seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect satisfaction. Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy knees in humble supplication; and accept the Lord Jesus to be the altar of thine atonement, and rest in him alone. Many professors may take warning from this morning’s text as to the doctrines which they believe. There is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for the Lord Exodus 20:26 'And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.' NET Exodus 20:26 And you must not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed.' NLT Exodus 20:26 And do not approach my altar by going up steps. If you do, someone might look up under your clothing and see your nakedness. ESV Exodus 20:26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.' LXE Exodus 20:26 Thou shalt not go up to my altar by steps, that thou mayest not uncover thy nakedness upon it. KJV Exodus 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. NIV Exodus 20:26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.' ASV Exodus 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon. CSB Exodus 20:26 You must not go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it. NKJ Exodus 20:26 `Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.' NRS Exodus 20:26 You shall not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness may not be exposed on it." YLT Exodus 20:26 neither dost thou go up by steps on Mine altar, that thy nakedness be not revealed upon it. so that your nakedness - Lev 10:3 Ps 89:7 Ec 5:1 Heb 12:28,29 1Pe 1:16 Exodus 20 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it - NLT says "And do not approach my altar by going up steps. If you do, someone might look up under your clothing and see your nakedness." John Currid explains that "This directive is again a pointed polemic against ancient Near-Eastern cultic practices. First, priests of the pagan cults often directed worship while in the nude. Hebrew religion requires modesty in leading the worship of Yahweh. Sinaitic law obligates the priest to be appropriately adorned: ‘And you shall make … linen undergarments for them to cover bare flesh. They shall reach from the loins to the thighs’ (Ex 28:42). Secondly, the law prohibits the inclusion of any sexual elements into the worship of Yahweh. Canaanite cults, for instance, centre upon forms of worship that promote sex and fertility. Temple prostitution was a common practice used by the Canaanites to gain the gods’ good will. They believed that acts of sexual promiscuity at sacred precincts would guarantee the fertility of their people, land and animals. Finally, examples of sacrificial areas in Canaanite contexts display high places with altars on top, reached by sets of steps. Fine examples can be seen in Temple 4040 of Area BB at Megiddo—a round altar and a square altar from the Early Bronze III period. The Hebrews were not to build altar installations that resembled those of the Canaanites.