Foreword:
The following exerpt is taken from The Ten
Commandments by Arthur W. Pink
(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)
In this blog series I will work through this very
important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style
questions at the end. In our day, when people who identify themselves as
Christians are so sensitive to any accusation of legalism that they tend to
swing all the way out to antinomianism (that is lawlessness), it is perhaps now
more than ever that we ought to prayerfully re-examine the Ten Commandments –
and few do it better than Arthur Pink (1886 - 1952). I found
this article to be very convicting as I first worked through it. And, lest we
think we the church are not in need of this labour, let us be reminded that
those whom Jesus will reject on the last Day even though they did many mighty
works in his name, were accused by our Lord of not just having no intimate
relationship with him (‘I never knew you’), but also that they were accused as
workers of lawlessness by our Lord. The Law of God does not save, nor does it
keep one saved – none the less we are called to obedience to it who are saved –
but enough of me – here is Arthur Pink…
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT PART IV
This Commandment is enforced by three reasons. The first
is drawn from the Person who pronounces judgment upon those who break it.
He is described by His relationship, "thy God"; by the might of His power,
for the Hebrew word for "God" here is "the Strong One",
able to vindicate His honor and avenge all insults thereto; and by a similitude
taken from the state of wedlock, wherein unfaithfulness results in summary
punishment--He is a "jealous God." It is the Lord speaking after the
manner of men, intimating that He will not spare those who mock Him. "They
provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they Him
to anger.... They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is not God"
(Deut. 32:16-21 ff).
Secondly, a sore judgment is threatened:
"visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate Me." "Visiting" is a
figurative expression, which signifies that after a space of time, in which God
appears to have taken no notice or to have forgotten, He then shows by His
providences that He has observed the evil ways and doings of men. "Shall I
not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not My soul be avenged on
such a nation as this?" (Jer. 5:9, and cf. 32:18; Matt. 23:34-36) . This
was designed to deter men from idolatry by an appeal to their natural
affections. "The curse of the Lord righteously rests not only on the
person of an impious man, but also on the whole of his family" (John
Calvin). It is a terrible thing to pass on to children a false conception of
God, either by precept or by example. The penalty inflicted corresponds to the
crime: it is not only that God punishes the child for the offenses committed by
the parents, but that He gives them over unto the same transgressions and then
deals with them accordingly, for the example of parents is not sufficient
warrant for us to commit sin.
Thirdly, there is a most blessed encouragement to
obedience, in the form of a gracious promise: "Showing mercy unto
thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments." To the same
effect He assures us, "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children
are blessed after him" (Prov. 20:7). Love for God is evidenced by a
keeping of His commandments. Papists contend that their use of images is with
the object of promoting love, by keeping a visible image before them as an aid;
but God says it is because they hate Him. This promise to show mercy unto
thousands of the descendants of those who truly love God does not express a
universal principle, as is clear from the cases of Isaac having a godless Esau
and David an Absalom. "The Legislator never intended to establish in this
case such an invariable rule as would derogate from His own free choice . . .
When the Lord exhibits one example of this blessing, He affords a proof of His
constant and perpetual favor to His worshippers" (Calvin). Observe that
here, as elsewhere in Scripture (Jude 14, for example), God speaks of "thousands"
(and not "millions," as men so often do) of them that love Him and
who manifest the genuineness of their love by keeping His commandments. His
flock is but a "little" one (Luke 12:32). What cause for thanksgiving
unto God have those who are born of pious parents, whose parents treasure up
not wrath for them, but prayers!
1) According to Pink and in your own words elborate on
the three ways in which the second commandment is enforced.
2) Can you explain why jealousy is wrong for humans but
right for God?Or perhaps consider the difference between a righteous jealousy
(which even a person might exhibit) and a sinful jealousy?
3) It is not that God punishes children for the sins of
their parents but that children are most likely to emulate their parents behaviour
and so deserve wrath. But who deserves the greater portion of punishment: the
one who is lead or the leader? The child or the parent? How should this warning
encourage Christian parents to greater efforts of discipleship of their
children? There is a sense of carrot and stick here because we are also
encouraged – see Proverbs 20:7.
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