Rejoicing in God’s Law
On Preaching the Decalogue Positively
Doxology Grand Reunion

Belleville, Illinois, 2011

1.	Introduction
•	Feedback from Confirmation class on the Decalogue
•	Reaction of people in Kazakhstan: law as good news
•	Fear of chaos and disorder with many young people
•	Antinomianism from a psychological understanding of the gospel and gospel-reductionism: God’s law as the enemy of freedom
•	Truth of Paul’s remarks in Rom 7:12: So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

2.	The Three Uses of the Law
•	Three uses of the law
•	First use: God’s operation as Creator and Benefactor with all people in the order of creation
•	Establishment and maintenance of good order by his ordinances: natural and social ecology
•	Order for the delivery and protection of earthly blessings
•	Work through divinely instituted orders
•	Second use: God’s operation as Judge in the world and in the conscience of all people
•	Diagnosis and exposure of sin
•	Conviction of guilt and pronouncement of judgment
•	Repentance for reception of pardon and redemption
•	Third use: God’s operation as Sanctifier and our co-operation with him in the order of redemption
•	Guidance for holy living in the church, family, and society
•	Doing God-pleasing works 
•	Focus on the first and third use as modelled in the Large Catechism

3.	Using the Decalogue to Preach and Teach God’s Good Order and God-pleasing Works
•	Shift in sense of teaching since Luther’s day
•	Teaching what to think and how to think: academic study
•	Teaching what to do and how to do it: apprenticeship
•	Teaching God’s order for the reception and enjoyment of temporal blessings
•	The problem of practical atheism
•	Foundation: God as the source of all good gifts in creation
•	1 Tim 6:17: God provides us with everything to enjoy.
•	Importance of First Commandment for the right use of God’s gifts in LC 1:47: God ...makes no greater demand on us than a hearty trust in him for all blessings. Then we shall be on the right path and walk straight ahead, using all of God’s gifts exactly as a cobbler uses his needle, awl, and thread (for work, eventually to lay them aside) or as a traveller avails himself of an inn, food, and bed (only for his temporal need. 
•	Prohibitions in the Decalogue
•	Boundaries for the protection of God’s blessings and their delivery system
•	Protection for their enjoyment
•	God’s order for the transmission of earthly blessings
•	The creation and maintenance of created orders by God’s ordinances: LC 1:26: Although much that is good comes to us from men, we receive it from God through his command and ordinance. Our parents and all authorities – in short, all people placed in the position of neighbours – have received the command to do us all kinds of good. So we receive our blessings not from them but from God through them. Creatures are only the hands, channels, and means through which God bestows his blessings. ...No one should therefore presume to take or give anything except as God has commanded it.
•	Ordinances as decrees that establish God’s order
•	Commands as mandates that commission people to operate properly in that order
•	Ongoing operation of orders by God’s ordinances: Apol XX111, 8: The Word of God did not form the nature of men to be fruitful only at the beginning of creation, but still does as long as this physical nature of ours  exists. Just so this Word makes the earth fruitful (Gen. 1: 11), “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed.” Because of this ordinance, the earth did not begin to bring forth plants only at the beginning, but yearly the fields are clothed as long as this universe exists.
•	Three orders established by God’s ordinances: family, government, church
•	Use or abuse of order by use or abuse of its gifts
•	LC 1:47: Let each person be in his station in life according to God’s order.
•	SC 1, 22: God promises grace and every blessing to all who keep his commandments.
•	Teaching in the NT on how we how we must (Greek: deȋ) walk to please God (1 Thess 4:1)
•	Result of faith (Heb 11:5-6) and God’s work in us (Heb 13:21)
•	Purpose of life on earth (2 Cor 5:9; Col 1:9)
•	Pleasing God by doing his will (Rom 12:2; Eph 5:10)
•	With right worship as recipients of his grace (Heb 12:28)
•	With righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:18)
•	With spiritual sacrifices well-pleasing to God through Jesus Christ ( 1 Pet 2:5)
•	By offering our bodies (Rom 12:1) and ourselves to God (Rom 15:16)
•	By offering thanksgiving (Col 1:10-11) and praise (Heb 13:14-15)
•	By offering our money or goods (2 Cor 8:12; Phil 4:18; Heb 13:16)
•	Pleasing  God with our good works (Col 1:10; Heb 13:16), such as obeying parents (Col 3:20) as he works in us to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil 2:13)
•	Pleasing God by doing what he has commanded (1 John 3:22)
•	Teaching which works are pleasing to God as his holy priesthood
•	Difference between God’s pleasure with us and his pleasure with our works
•	LC 1:113: Here, then, we have the Ten Commandments, a summary of divine teaching on what we are to do to make our whole life pleasing to God.
•	LC 1:198: it is the works commanded by God’s word which are true, holy, and divine works in which he rejoices with all the angels.
•	LC 1:113: by commanding them he shows that he is well-pleased with them.
•	LC 1:113: all our life and work must be guided by God’s word if it is to be God-pleasing and holy.
•	Certainty of pleasing God by doing what he has commanded (LC 1:113)
•	Result of God-pleasing work: joyful heart in God’s presence (LC 1: 118) and a joyful conscience (LC 1:144) with confidence in God’s rich reward (LC 1:77, 151, 152, 328) and his abundant blessings (LC 1:290)
•	God-pleasing work as eternal work

4.	Preaching the Decalogue in the Light of God’s Orders for the Delivery and Reception of his Blessings

a.	The liturgical order of the church as the holy assembly of God: 1-3
•	First commandment
•	Gift: the LORD’s gracious presence/face in the divine service
•	Right use
•	Meeting with God
•	Reception from God
•	Presentation of divinely instituted offerings
•	Benefits
•	Access to God for audience with him
•	Reception of blessing and participation in his holiness
•	Defence against ritual abuse of the divine service and promotion of false service
•	Second commandment
•	Gift: the holy name YHWH = LORD 
•	Right use
•	Prohibition of idol as means of access
•	Name as means of access to God’s grace
•	Blessing, teaching and acting by priests in his name
•	Invoking that name in meditation, prayer and praise
•	Benefits as given with name in Exod 34:5-7
•	Grace/favour
•	Loving kindness/ generosity
•	Justice and forgiveness
•	Defence against ritual abuse by false teaching
•	Third commandment
•	Gift: rest
•	Time of rest: Sabbath
•	Place of rest: temple as holy place
•	Means of rest: sanctifying word
•	Right use
•	Hearing God’s word
•	Treating it as holy
•	Benefits
•	God’s life-giving blessing
•	Sanctification of person and work
•	Defence against ritual abuse of God’s holy word and its desecration

b.	The domestic order of the family and marriage: 4-7
•	Fourth commandment
•	Gift: parents, employers, rulers and pastors as God’s representatives
•	Right use
•	Honor as higher than love
•	Subordination and obedience as next to God
•	Benefits
•	Source of earthly blessings: life and food, protection and care, love and security, education and property
•	Promise of long life as full life on earth: prosperity and health, wife and children, home and livelihood, good order and peace
•	Defence against abuse of authority and love
•	Fifth commandment
•	Gift: bodily life from parents
•	Right use
•	Physical nourishment and care
•	Promotion of physical growth and natural life cycle
•	Benefits
•	Health and physical enjoyment
•	Peace and prosperity
•	Defence against physical abuse from violence and anger
•	Sixth commandment
•	Gift: sex and marriage
•	Right use
•	Chastity and faithfulness
•	Honor and love
•	Benefits
•	Companionship and children
•	Mutual help and encouragement
•	Happiness and enjoyment
•	Defence against sexual abuse
•	Seventh commandment
•	Gift: possessions, assets, and income
•	Right use
•	Livelihood for family
•	Sharing with others
•	Improvement of assets in community
•	Benefits
•	Provision of necessities for life: daily bread
•	Enjoyment of communal prosperity
•	Defence against economic abuse

c.	The legal, economic order of civic society: neighbour: 8-10
•	Eighth commandment
•	Gift: public honor and reputation with respect of rights
•	Gift in the hand of others
•	Right use
•	Respect of others and their rights
•	Truthful advocacy of others
•	Defence against gossip and slander
•	Appreciation and praise
•	Benefits
•	Justice, peace and social harmony
•	Personal satisfaction in station and vocation
•	Defence against verbal abuse and injustice
•	Ninth and Tenth commandments
•	Gift: household as basic economic unit
•	Wife
•	Land, workers, animals and assets
•	Right use
•	Desire for prosperity of others
•	Modest lifestyle: thrifty simplicity
•	Benefits
•	Contentment with allotment from God
•	Gratitude and enjoyment of allotment
•	Defence against emotional abuse
 
5.	Rejoicing in God’s Law
•	See the seven counsels for enjoyment in Ecclesiates (2:24-26; 3:9-14; 3:22; 5:18-20; 8:15; 9:9-10; 11:7-10) and Rabbi Rab on 11:9:  Every man must render account before God for all the good things which he beheld in his life and did not enjoy.
•	Ps 119:35: Lead me in the path of your commandments, for in it I have pleasure.
•	Rom 7: 22: I delight in the law of God.