CHAPTER IV.

THE LAWGIVER.


I am the Lord thy God.

These introductory words show who is the Lawgiver. [Jas. 4:12] As
earthly kings place their names at the beginning of their decrees to
give them authority, so God places His name at the beginning of the
commandments in order to make known who gives them, and whose
displeasure we shall incur if we disobey them. These introductory words
belong not only to the first but to all the commandments.

I AM. By these words God reminds us that He is a Person. He speaks to
us. He is not an impersonal God who pervades and is a part of nature. He
is above nature and has created it. [Gen 1:1]

THE LORD. The word here translated "Lord" means in the original Hebrew
"I AM THAT I AM." [Exod 8:14+] God thereby declares that He is the One
and Only Self-existent, [Isa 44:6+] Eternal, [Ps 90:1, 2+] and
Unchangeable Being. [Mal 3:6+] He is the true and living God in
contradistinction from all so-called gods. [Jer 10:10] The name Jehovah
or "LORD" is used in the Old Testament Scriptures to designate God as
the covenant God of Israel. It signified that He stood in a specially
near relation to them as His chosen people. The name has the same
comforting meaning for Christians; for they are the New Testament people