Q: What does God require in the fifth, sixth and seventh commandments?
A: Fifth, that we love and honor our father and our mother, submitting to their godly discipline and direction. Sixth, that we do not hurt, or hate, or be hostile to our neighbor, but be patient and peaceful, pursuing even our enemies with love. Seventh, that we abstain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or in single life, avoiding all impure actions, looks, words, thoughts, or desires, and whatever might lead to them.
Romans 13:9 “For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ephesians 6:1-4 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Each of the commands serves to reveal to us the character of God. We see here in the fifth commandment a reflection of the perfect relationship displayed in the Trinity, the Son while no less than the Father in being, willingly submits himself in relation to the Father in order to bring him honour through obedience.
In the same way, we are called to honour our parents through obedience, respect and caring for them in a reflection of the love God has shown for us. Paul says in Colossians 3:20-21 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” Honouring our parents can take on many forms, obedience, showing them respect, both in action and word and submission to them. Remembering in all these things, that they too are to submit to God, and his authority and rule is over all. Likewise, the command to parents is to be people worthy of the honour God has bestowed upon them as stewards of their family. Do not provoke or mistreat your children and become a hindrance to them in their growth and sanctification.
In all these things we must remember God has placed our parents over us, this does not mean that parents are always right or even good, but we do know he has placed them there for our good, and we trust in his providence over us by treating them with honour and respect as he has commanded.
So what does the sixth commandment Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder” tell us about the character of God? Question 106 of the Heidelberg Catechism addresses this superbly.
Q:Does this (sixth) commandment refer only to murder?
A: By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness. In God’s sight all such are disguised forms of murder.
The root of murder stems from these things, all things which are abhorrent to God’s nature, and likewise have no place in the hearts of his people. It shows us the value he places on those he has created in his image.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22"“You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
Clearly the most basic concept of this command is to refrain from the preconceived murder of others. But, as Jesus points out, the root of this desire comes from our failure to love our neighbour as ourselves. John Calvin stated it like this “The hand, indeed, gives birth to murder, but the mind when infected with anger and hatred conceives it”
The implications of this command are far reaching, we can be guilty of this by direct action, by our words or by our inaction. Abortion is one of the most prevalent and grievous forms of murder in the world today. While this may not be driven by anger, or hatred, it is driven by our selfish desire for comfort. We also are guilty of this sin when we fail to provide help for others, once again our disdain for our neighbours is revealed. We are also guilty of murder in our hearts when we fail to forgive others, or when with our words we cause them harm.
Lastly, let’s look at the seventh commandment, Paul says in Ephesians 5:25-33 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” God is the author and preserver of the covenant he has made with his people. Not only has he been faithful to keep the covenant he laid out, he alone has made it possible for a faithless people to remain in covenant with him through the sacrifice of his own Son.
Leviticus 18 lays out a long list of commands regarding sexual immorality, these commands are some of the very few that are repeatedly stated again throughout the New Testament, as in Hebrews 13:4 “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” It is clear that sexual immorality has always been and continues to be an abomination in the sight of the Lord. How much more so then when this abomination also defiles the marriage covenant, the best representation we have in this life of Christ and his church.
Matthew 5:28 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Once again Jesus shows that the intent of the law is not captured merely in the abstaining of physically breaking the law, but that our heart’s propensity to unfaithfulness not just to our spouse, but to our Lord, is the root of this sin.
Marriage, apart from being a representation of the church and Christ, is also something that the Lord uses as a tool for our sanctification through the Holy Spirit. It is not our nature to be faithful, it is not our nature to be satisfied, to be submissive, to be sacrificial, but all of these things, through the work of the Spirit’s continued work of sanctification in us bring us closer to the image of Christ.