“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Deuteronomy 5:6-7
The Ten Commandments lay out what loving God and loving your neighbor looks like (5:6-21).
The first four commands tell us what it means to love God:
- You shall have no other gods before me (5:7)
- You shall not make an idol (5:8-10)
- You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain (5:11)
- Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (5:12-15)
The last six commandments spell out what it means to love your neighbor:
- Honor your father and mother (5:16)
- You shall not murder (5:17)
- You shall not commit adultery (5:18)
- You shall not steal (5:19)
- You shall not bear false witness (5:20)
- You shall not covet what God has given to your neighbor (5:21)
Martin Luther said that the entire book of Deuteronomy is an exposition of the Ten Commandments: Chapters 6-18 apply the first four commandments, explaining what it means for God’s people to love him. Chapters 19-26 apply the last six, explaining what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. Chapters 27-34 set out the blessings of obedience to these commands, and the curses of disobedience.
You could say that the entire book of Deuteronomy is an exposition of love. God is love, and those who are His people are called to a life of love. The commandments tell us what this love looks like. That is why love is the fulfillment of the law (see Rom. 13:10).
If you love God with all your heart and you love your neighbor as yourself, you will have done all that God commands you.
How does this change your view of the commands?
