The Commandment of God vs the Deception of Antichrist | 2 John 4-7

Reading the Entire Letter of Second John

Okay, brothers and sisters, let's go ahead and turn in our Bibles to the letter of 2 John. John's second letter, this time, I meant to do this before, but I want to read the entire letter so we can get the full context and scope of it, even though we're going to focus particularly in verses 4 -7 today.

The letter of 2 John. The word of God speaks to us today and says, The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment from the Father.

Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another, and this is love, that we walk according to his commandments.

This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.

This is the deceiver and the antichrist. See to yourselves that you do not lose what we accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God.

The one who abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him a greeting, for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made complete. The children of your elect sister greet you.

The Importance of Sound Commentaries

Amen. So, you can see the sermon title for today's message is, The Commandment of God versus the Deception of Antichrist. There's a sharp contrast here in John's letter on these two themes. And, you know, I was looking for good commentaries on 2 John.

It's not as common to find commentaries on this letter. And not just expository commentaries, those are the ones that tend to interpret, explain, and apply the text. But exegetical ones as well. It's very important, not just for us as pastors, but for all believers in general, to consult good, reliable, exegetical commentaries that are also semi-technical as well.

That come from a sound commentator that knows the original languages and the textual critical issues, which I've talked about before, because there's different manuscripts, and sometimes the manuscripts differ, and it's important to be able to wrestle through those issues.

And by semi-technical, that means that these are commentaries that still offer academic discussions of the text, but most have students and pastors in mind as the primary audience, not professional researchers or academics.

These commentaries often appeal to the Greek text and almost always treat exegetical problems with a good amount of depth. And that's what we want to be able to study the word properly. Many of them aim to support preaching pastors and Bible teachers in confessional context, like ours.

We are a confessional church, a confessing church, in the Reformed and Baptist tradition, so they are thoughtful about theological meaning, which is really the point of the commentary, fundamentally. That's from Nije Gupta.

Some helpful explanations there. And, you know, obviously there's older and newer commentaries, like those of John Calvin, which are highly regarded and recommended, and newer ones like those of Gordon Clark, which I've quoted numerous times before, although he did not write a commentary on 2nd or 3rd John.

He did write only on 1st John. There's also others like the Baptist John Gill, a very detailed commentary that he wrote, thousands of pages. And a newer one, like from William Hendrickson, which is also very well respected and good to have.

I believe he's also Reformed as well. And one I've also quoted before is by F .F. Bruce. He's also very helpful, a good Protestant commentator and theologian. And also good to consult the early church.

Oftentimes they have very insightful comments on the text of Scripture as well. And I've recommended in the past Matthew Henry's commentary. Matthew Henry, he was, I believe, an Anglican. Actually, no, he wasn't an Anglican.

I think he was a nonconformist. But he has a very good commentary on the whole Bible, but it is primarily expositional rather than exegetical. So he doesn't really get into the original languages or the textual issues that much.

And it was also disappointing to find out that John Calvin did not write commentaries on 2nd or 3rd John, in addition to the book of Revelation. That was kind of disappointing. And he evidently did not even plan to write them because 10 years prior to his death, he had basically concluded his New Testament commentary project.

And so it appears that there wasn't any plans for him to write commentaries on those three books. With that being said, you know, nevertheless, 2nd John is a short but powerful letter, as we've seen. That covers highly important subjects, doctrines, and warnings, admonitions, exhortations, according to God's commandments, and in opposition to Antichrist false teaching and teachers, both and, both and.

Very important. These issues are directly relevant and applicable to churches today. More than ever before, you might say. And yet, sadly, so many churches and so many Christians are disregarding the teaching of 2nd John, much to their demise, much to their detriment and demise.

So let it not be so among us, beloved. We need to know these things. We need to imbibe these things because they are God's Word. Despite being a small letter, it is a very important letter. The subtitle of the message, if I had one, I would call it, The Law of Love, The Commandment of Charity.

The Law of Love and the Meaning of Charity

The Law of Love, The Commandment of Charity. Because we saw previously that verses 4 through 6 in 2nd John are predominantly law, right? They're focused on law, God's command, God's commandment, God's commandments, plural, on walking, right?

Walking means obeying, obedience, walking in truth, commandments, right? Love, loving one another according to his commandments, according to his law. That is the Law of Love, The Commandment of Charity.

Now the word charity often gets misunderstood these days, especially when you're reading older works like Elizabethan or King James English. Because that word charity does not always mean giving to the poor, right?

It's important to know that because the older definition of the word has a different meaning as well. And you will see that word used in the King James version in 1st Corinthians chapter 3, the love chapter, charity.

Webster's 1828 dictionary has one of these definitions for charity. In a general sense, it means love. Love, benevolence, goodwill, that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men and to do them good.

In a theological sense, it includes supreme or ultimate love to God and goodwill to men, right? Love for God and for our fellow man. And charity is also Christian love expressed in Christ-like conduct, right?

Toward others and toward God. That's what it means to walk in truth, peripateo, in the truth of God and His Word. Now, then there's like in 2nd Thessalonians and the King James says, We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity, the love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth, abounds, right?

2nd Thessalonians 1 .4. Now, I want to highlight this. I made mention of this before, but I didn't get around to counting just how many times the apostle uses the word commandment in this, just in verses 4 through 6 alone.

He mentions the commandment and commandments of God eight times. Eight times in verses 4 through 6 alone. And even more so later on in the letter. Okay, so let's look at this in verse 4, verses 4 through 6 of 2nd John.

Verse 4, the apostle, through his God-breathed words, writes and says, I rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in truth. And even that itself you might take as a command. It's obedience, walking in truth, living and obeying God's truth, his word.

So that's one right there. Just as we received what? Commandment, commandment from the Father. That's two. Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, a new commandment.

That's three. But the one, the one, four, which we had from the beginning. That we love one another. The command to love one another. That's four again. And this is the love. This is love. That we walk.

Five. That we walk. Walking is obeying God's commandments. According to his commandments. That's six. Walking according to his commandments. That's six right there. This is the commandment. That's seven.

Just as you, you all, have heard from the beginning that you all should walk in it. Walk in it. That's eight. At least eight references, beloved, to the command, the commandment, the commandments, the law of God.

In two verses. You might say that's a very important subject matter in this letter. And in God's word in general. This is an extremely important matter. Now, with that being said, you know, I have a public service announcement here to make because I recently watched a documentary about pietism.

Pietism, Emotionalism, and the Primacy of Truth

And pietism is a modern movement that came mostly from German Lutheranism. From German Lutheranism in around the 1600s, the later 1600s, after the Reformation. Once Lutheranism started to spread. And pietism is extremely common.

It is extremely common and extremely influential in churches and in Christians today. And oftentimes they are not even aware of it. Of the influence that it has on them and on their churches. And not just members, but pastors as well.

Very influential, yet often not known or not understood where it comes from and what it's really all about. And in the very beginning of this documentary, which is called God's Glory, Neighbors Good, The Story of Pietism, it's by Vision Video.

You can watch it for free on YouTube. But the very beginning of the documentary quotes numerous pietists like Philip Jacob Spanier. Philip Jacob Spanier. He lived from 1635 to 1705. And they quote him where he says he claims that the Apostle John's primary emphasis in his writings, and by extension the entire New Testament and Christ's emphasis as well, was more on practice rather than on doctrine.

It was more on practice rather than on doctrine. More on love rather than on knowledge. Okay, this is one of the biggest things that you find that pietists will say, even if they don't realize that they are.

They'll say it's more about practice than about doctrine. More on love than knowledge, right? And the key word there, he says rather, rather than doctrine or knowledge. That's the key distinction that they try to make.

And this is something that you see all around us. No Creed but Christ, right? No Creed but Christ. No book but the Bible. These are pietistic expressions and sentiments that come from these movements.

Hundreds of years ago that are still affecting many today, many churches today. Pietism teaches and promotes emotionalism, irrationalism, and pragmatism. Pragmatism. And churches are swimming in this stuff.

They are drowning in this stuff. So the question that we have to reckon with is, is this a good thing or a bad thing? This pietism. Now if you've been with me for any, even just one sermon, you'll know where I stand on this.

It shouldn't come as a surprise where I stand on this and where we ought to stand on this. But just for the sake of argument here, what do all of John's writings, the Apostle John's writings, actually and repeatedly and truly emphasize?

Pun intended there, right? Truly. What do they truly emphasize? And all of Scripture for that matter, rather, right? Are they correct in their assessment? Well, what does John's writings have to say? I'm just going to take a sample here of some of the major verses in his writings, such as from Christ's high priestly prayer, right?

In John 17, John 17, verse 3. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. What, what, what is eternal life? To know God, knowledge of the one true God and of Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Knowing God, the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ, who they are. What does Jesus say? Who do you say that I am? That's what it really matters. And then further on, the end of the gospel of John. Chapter 20, verse 31.

But these things have been written, so that you may believe. Believe what? Believe that Jesus is the Christ. It is to believe in the truth, that Jesus is the Christ. In the knowledge, that Jesus is the Christ.

In the proposition, that Jesus is the Christ. It is knowledge. The Son of God. And that believing, you may have life in His name. Believing gives you life in His name. Wow. So, what do you believe? You believe something.

That is, you believe knowledge. You can't believe anything that's not knowledge. That's not truth, or that's not a proposition. Now, people can believe lies. That's a false proposition. But we have to believe in something.

And that is knowledge. Right? True knowledge of God and His Son. Fundamentally. 1 John 5 .20, which we preached, we saw not too long ago. And we know, right? We know, believers, we believers, that the Son of God has come.

We know these things. We know these propositions. The Son of God has come. And has given us what? Understanding. So that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true. In His Son, Jesus Christ.

How many times does He use the word true? In this one verse alone. This is the true God and eternal life. You can't have eternal life without the truth, beloved. The letter of... Not only that. Not only that, beloved.

But the letter of 2 John opens up with practically, practically nothing but the truth. Pun intended there again. What does He say? What did we just read? The elder to the chosen lady. And her children.

Whom I love in what? In truth. In sound doctrine. In knowledge and understanding of God and His word. And not only I, but also all who know. Know what? The truth. All the knowing ones of the truth. Know the truth.

For the sake of the truth. Which abides in us and will be with us forever. The truth will always be with us. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us. From God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.

In truth and love. In truth and love. The gospel, beloved, the power of God unto salvation is knowledge. It is propositions about Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. That Christ died for our sins.

That He was buried and He was raised according to the scriptures. This is knowledge. And this knowledge of the truth is what saves us and gives us eternal life. He starts with an explosive declaration of truth.

So that is our answer, beloved. This was just a small sample of what scripture, in general, and especially John's writings repeatedly emphasize. It is the truth. Knowing the truth. Knowing it. Understanding the truth.

Believing the truth. Abiding in the truth. Walking in the truth. You cannot walk. You cannot love unless you are in the truth. And having, in addition, no fellowship with those who reject the truth. Who reject the knowledge of Christ.

The doctrine, the knowledge, the understanding that Christ gives us for eternal life. Plain and simple. And it is all based on the truth. For the sake of the truth. Because of the truth. Just like He says.

Because of the God who is the truth. How can you denigrate or downplay truth and knowledge when Jesus Christ himself said He is the truth. That God is the Lord God of truth. One of the principal attributes of God is that He is the God of truth.

Of knowledge. So thus, then, it really is no surprise. That 2 John transitions from an emphasis on truth. Knowing the truth. To an emphasis on walking in the truth. Right? The emphasis is never left there.

Or departed from the truth. Or downplayed in any way. To then an emphasis, a command on rejecting those who deny the truth of Christ. The antichrist. Right? The deceivers. Why? Because they teach falsehoods to lead you away from the truth.

Which saves and sanctifies us. As God's people. Let's read in 2 John. Once again. Verses 7 -11. 2 John 7. Black and white. Notice the emphasis. Notice the vocabulary that the apostle uses. I get a little worked up about this, beloved.

Rejecting Antichrist Deception and False Teaching

Because I see it everywhere. It's everywhere. And it's sad. It really is tragic to see this fundamental misunderstanding of God's word. And what does 2 John tell us here? Verse 7. For many deceivers leading you astray from the truth have gone out into the world.

Those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. They do not confess that truth. That knowledge. That Jesus Christ came in the flesh. In his incarnation. This is the deceiver. The false promoter.

The promoter of falsehoods. And the antichrist of lies. See to yourselves that you do not lose what we accomplished. But that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the what?

In the teaching. The knowledge. The doctrine of Christ. Does not have who? Does not have God. At all. If you do not have the teaching of Christ, you do not have the person of Christ. Or the person of God.

And this is one of the most fundamental convictions of pietism. It separates the person of God, the person of Christ, from the knowledge of God. But in order to have God, the person, you have to have the teaching of God.

And the teaching of Christ, his son. That's the black and white reality of the word. It is that plain before our very eyes, beloved, in this powerful letter. That sadly has fallen in disarray. In neglect.

In too many churches. The one who abides in the teaching. Once again, the emphasis. In the teaching, the didache in the Greek. The didache of Christ. The God man. He has what? Who? He has both the father and the son.

In order to come to the father and to the son, you must have the right teaching. Of the son. If anyone comes to you, therefore, and does not bring this teaching of Christ. Do not receive him into your house.

Into your church. And do not even greet him. Do not even greet him. Why? Because the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. Because lies and falsehoods, especially about God, are evil.

They are evil, beloved. And they can lead to the damnation of the hearers. And believers of these antichrist lies. Wow. So, and yet, pietists, people like this have the nerve to say such absurdities. Such nonsense.

To claim that the apostle had other priorities besides the truth. I hope that's very clear, beloved. Because this is one of the biggest problems that is plaguing churches today. It really is. It is a tragedy.

That pietists do not really understand John's writings. And by extension, most of the Bible, for that matter. Because they get the Bible wrong because they get the Bible backwards. They get it backwards.

They flip its doctrinal priorities upside down. It is a flawed piety. A misguided piety. A false piety. It is not true piety. Because true piety grounds itself, bases itself, prioritizes itself in the truth of God.

And is in the teaching of Christ. That's what the apostle is telling us. Warning us about. Commanding us to walk in. And to reject those who do not. Walk in this truth. Believe this teaching. That's the contrast of scripture.

Love Rejoicing in Truth

By contrast, true love is not apart from knowledge. Is not rather than knowledge. Or distinct from knowledge. True love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. But it rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13, 6.

The very love chapter. They love to talk about how. Oh, it's all about love. It's all about love, love, love. What is love? What is love? There is no love without truth, beloved. Because of the primacy of truth.

That's an important word. The primacy of truth. Truth, in other words, is always primary. First. It's always first. According to God. It is never secondary. Ever. Or tertiary. Or worse. It is always first and foremost.

The truth. Because love requires the truth. Presupposes the truth. Rejoices with the truth. Because love without truth is not true love at all. I've preached on this a number of times before. But it bears worth repeating.

Why? Because the apostle repeats it. The scriptures repeat it over and over and over again. Beloved, that's what 2 John is all about. Practically speaking. In a very real sense. Now. That's fundamental for us to understand and meditate on, beloved.

Don't let this false, misguided teaching lead you astray from what matters most to God. And therefore should matter to us. The truth. You cannot do anything right. You cannot practice, have sound practice without sound doctrine.

All of it stems from the truth. Even 3 John. Even his third letter. What does he say there in verse 7? For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your what? Your truth. Your truth. That is how you are walking in truth.

For they went out for the sake of the name. The name. The name of what? The name of the truth. Of the God of truth. Receiving nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men. Why? So that we may be fellow workers with what?

With the truth. Amen. That's what it is all about. So beware, beloved. Be on the lookout for these things. Be careful. There's many, even conservative preachers, who will undermine the truth and knowledge at the expense of pragmatism.

Love, quote unquote. Piety, quote unquote. But it's not biblical. So that being said, let us never lose sight of that, beloved. But that being said, now what is, what does it mean that we have received commandment from the Father?

From the beginning to love one another. What does he mean there in verses, let's look at verse 4 again. What does that mean? I rejoice greatly, exceedingly to find some of your children walking in the truth.

Just as we received commandment from the Father. Right? That's the other major emphasis of this letter. The commandment. Walking in the commandment. According to his commandment. Now, this is thoroughly, this should sound very familiar to us, right?

This is thoroughly reminiscent of 1st John. 1st John 2 .7 says, Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard.

The word which you have heard. What is that? In verse 10 he continues. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. That's 1st John 2 .10. So what, that's exactly what he says in verses 4 through 6.

Verse 5. Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a what? A new commandment, but the old one or the one which we had from the beginning. That we love one another. Right? That we love one another.

And this is love. That we walk according to his commandments. That we walk according to his commandments. Now, this raises a question. This raises a question that has had some discussion in the history of the church.

How old, how old is this old commandment? Right? Because he keeps saying this isn't a new one. This is the one which you had from the beginning. From the RK. The beginning. Right? What is that referring to?

Is it referring to the beginning of Jesus' ministry on the earth? Is that what he's talking about? Because Jesus, Jesus very frequently taught about loving. Right? John 14. John 15. Love one another. Love God.

The two great commandments. Love God and your neighbor. So what, but how, is that what it's referring to? Or was Jesus himself teaching something new? What was Jesus teaching from? What was he basing his teaching on?

Right? Is this just in the new covenant? I hope we all say a hard no to that one, beloved. We all need to know better. Right? In fact, let's go back and turn to the book of Leviticus. Leviticus chapter 19.

The Old Testament Foundation of Love

We're going to get a good dose of the Old Testament today, beloved. This is very important. You know, when we were doing some evangelism some years ago, there were these men. They're called Hebrew Israelites.

And they were, they're an absolute mess of false religion. They are antichrist. And they kept trying to go back to the Old Testament and believing that we need to follow certain aspects of the Old Testament law that are no longer applicable today.

And so, one of, he appeared to be a sincere Christian. He said, well, but it's not so much about the Old Testament. Now we're about the New Testament. And we need to love our neighbor and love God and all these things.

And the Hebrew Israelite actually, he rebuked him. And rightly so. Even though they're antichrist, they reject the gospel. They don't have the gospel. That believer didn't, he failed to understand the whole counsel of God and the connection between the Old and the New Covenants.

Specifically here in the book of Leviticus. Leviticus chapter 19 verse 17. What do we find there? You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You may surely reprove your neighbor and so not bear sin because of him.

You shall not take vengeance. And you shall not keep your anger against the sons of your people. Do not hold grudges. But you shall what? You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Why? I am Yahweh. The commandment to love, the law of love, the commandment of charity is in the book of Leviticus.

If you want to talk about books that are neglected, speaking of neglected books, it's bad enough that 2 John in the New Testament is neglected. The book of Leviticus is probably the least read book in the Bible.

One of the least read books of the Bible. And that encounter that I had with the Hebrew Israelite and that misguided believer, it kind of demonstrates that. Right? Because the very book of Leviticus is the book that commands us to love our neighbor.

And not only that, but what did Jesus say it was? Jesus said it was the second great commandment. The first one being to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, mind, mind. Right? You cannot love without your mind, strength.

And then the second is like it. To love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh. And Jesus is Yahweh. And many of these cults do not believe that. These antichrists, they do not believe that Jesus is Yahweh and that he is the promised Messiah, the Christ.

Not only that, beloved, but to love God, to love our neighbor is to love God by obeying him according to his commandments. So if we love God, we love our neighbor. Because God says God commands us to love our neighbor.

Very simple, right? Now, let's go back. Let's go forward to the book of Deuteronomy. The fifth book of the Bible, the second law. Deuteronomy chapter 5. I want to read a good portion of this chapter. The end of chapter 5 and chapter 6.

This is extremely important for us to not lose our balance on the whole counsel of God. There's nothing new about this commandment, beloved. That should be clear. And it should be no surprise that the beloved Apostle John is commanding and emphasizing these same exact things.

To love. To love one another. To walk according to God's commandments, which is to love. To love rightly according to his word. According to his word. You cannot obey God unless you know God. Unless you know his word.

You need to know the law and gospel rightly understood and distinguished and harmonized, beloved. Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 31. Let's look at what God's word says, speaks to us here. But as for you, Moses, stand here by me, Yahweh, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments, which you shall teach them.

Notice, teach them. Who? All the people of Israel. That they may do them in the land which I give them to possess. So you shall be careful to do just as Yahweh your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.

In all the way which Yahweh your God has commanded you, you shall walk. Walk. Notice the word again. That you shall walk. That you may live and that it may be well with you. And that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.

Obeying God, beloved, is for our good. Our ultimate good. Our spiritual good. Physical. Emotional good. Everything. It's for our ultimate benefit. Despite the consequences and the persecution that comes with it.

At times. Chapter 6. Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments, which Yahweh your God has commanded me to teach you. That you might do it in the land where you are going over to possess us.

This is Moses speaking. So that you and your son and your grandson might fear Yahweh your God. To keep all his statutes and commandments which I am commanding you. All the days of your life. And that your days may be prolonged.

O Israel, you shall listen and be careful to do it. That it may be well with you. And that you may multiply greatly. Just as Yahweh the God of your fathers has promised you. In a land flowing of promise with milk and honey.

Hear, O Israel. Hear. Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one. The Shema. That's the fundamental truth of God. On which all the law is based on. Yahweh is one. The knowledge of God. That he is one. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart.

What is the heart, beloved? The heart, first and foremost, is the mind. The mind. With all your soul. And with all your might. Your strength. With everything that you are. These words which I am commanding you today.

Shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons. And shall speak of them when you sit in your house. And when you walk by the way. And when you lie down. And when you rise up. We need to teach these things to our families.

Every day. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand. And they shall be as phylacteries between your eyes. Those are like bands on the forehead. They went on the forehead. You shall write them on the doorpost of your house.

And on your gates. In other words, you shall define yourselves. By this law. By the truth that Yahweh is one. And by his law. Define yourself by it. Make it known that this is who you are. Then it will be.

When Yahweh your God brings you into the land. Which he swore to your fathers. To Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. To give you great and good cities. Which you did not build. And houses full of good things which you did not fill.

And hewn cisterns which you did not dig. Wells, vineyards, and olive trees which you did not plant. And you will eat and be satisfied. Then beware. Lest you become complacent. And forget Yahweh who brought you from the land of Egypt.

Out of the house of slavery. Notice the focus in this chapter. And how it compares to 2 John. To the apostles emphases. Out of the house of slavery. Remember your God. And what he has done for you. Yahweh your God you shall fear.

And him you shall serve. And by his name you shall swear alone. Just like Jesus rebuked the devil with in Matthew 4. The temptation. You shall not. Now notice there. The do's and the do not's. Just as in the apostle John's letters.

Do this and you shall not. You shall not walk. You shall not walk. Or follow after other gods. False gods, idols. Any of the gods of the peoples who surround you. For Yahweh your God in the midst of you is a jealous God.

Lest the anger of Yahweh your God be kindled against you. And he destroy you from the face of the earth. You shall not put Yahweh your God to the test. As you tested him at Massah. You should diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God.

And his testimonies and his statutes. Which he has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of God. That I may be well with you. And that you may go in. And possess the good land which Yahweh swore to give your fathers.

By driving out all your enemies from before you. As Yahweh has spoken. When your son asked you in time to come. Saying what do the testimonies and the statutes and judgments mean? What do they mean? That beloved is doctrine.

The meaning of these things is knowledge. It is doctrine. It is a right explanation of God and his word. What do they mean? Which Yahweh your God commanded you. Then you shall say to your son. We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.

And Yahweh brought us from Egypt with a strong hand. It is providence. Yahweh Yireh. God provides. Verse 22. Moreover, Yahweh showed great and calamitous signs and wonders before our eyes. Against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household.

But he brought us out from there. In order to bring us in. In order to bring us in. To be separate. To be holy. To give us the land which he had sworn to our fathers. So Yahweh commanded us to do all these statutes.