The Ten Commandments-An Overview of God’s Law

“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:19-20)

“Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.
The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.
Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.
Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments.
Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.” Psalm 119:129-138 (KJV)

Before we embark on a study of The Ten Commandments, let’s take a moment to ask a few questions and see just what people know, or think they know about them, and also get a feel for what people’s opinions are about law in general. This is not a test to see if you paid attention in Sunday School or church, or to see if you are “good enough”, nor is it for the benefit of anyone but you. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Ten Commandments Quiz

1. Who actually wrote the Ten Commandments?

2. What standard of law was used before they were written?

3. How long after the creation were the Ten Commandments given?

4. Are Christians still expected to live by them today?

5. How are the Ten Commandments divided? (There may be multiple ways to answer this one that are correct, so don’t worry).

The questions above actually have answers that can be found in the Bible, and, with the exception to number 5, which can be answered a number of different ways, are for the most part going to be either right or wrong. However, this is a learning experience, not a shame experience. Don’t worry.

Next, think about a few things. The Ten Commandments are, in simple terms, a set of laws. Given to the Nation of Israel, we now have laws on many levels which guide us in our lives daily.

What kinds of laws govern you in your life?

Are they all set by God?

Are some set by man?

If so, by whom?

How do you feel about having laws and rules that you are expected to follow?

How would you feel if you had total freedom without laws? What if everyone did? Would this be better or worse? Explain.

Are you in a position in your life where you sometimes set laws and rules for others, such as family, employees, or another group?

If you do, what guides you in making these rules?

Finally, below, list as many of the Ten Commandments as you can. Do not worry about them being in the exact order they are listed in the Bible, or that the wording is exact.

10.

Introduction

It is often misunderstood by Christians that God has almost been in a changing state through the ages, as has His expectation or tolerance of human behavior. There are those who would say that they are glad that they are glad that they were born under the age of grace rather than in the Old Testament during the age of the Law. It is as if God did not show grace until Jesus was crucified, and He would not show wrath now. Just to show that this is not true, let us look at some Scripture to see the unchanging of the Lord, Himself. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. Heb 13:7-8 (NASB77)”, and for those who say, “Yes, but what about God the Father, I like Jesus, He was kind and compassionate, loving and spent time with children, lepers, and the sick. God the Father flooded the earth, struck people dead, even commanded his people to slaughter entire nations!”

Well, let’s look at what Jesus said when asked about being able to see the Father, and what John writes about how long Jesus has been with the Father, “I and the Father are one." John 10:30 (NASB77) is a very simple statement letting the disciples know that anything coming from Jesus is also the Word of the Father. John’s gospel account also opens up in the first verses qualifying Jesus as having been a part of the creation and with the Father since the beginning.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5 (NASB77). Note that in the Greek, the word for “beginning” is not a specific time period like that used in Genesis 1:1, but means from the beginning of eternity. Therefore, Jesus and the Father have been forever together.

I bring this up to point out that they are of one mind, and as we read in Hebrews, it is the same mind today as it was yesterday.

Even in the Garden of Eden, God showed grace to Adam and Eve. They sinned when they ate of the tree which they had been told would bring death if they touched it. Think about what would have happened if they had been allowed to live physically inside the garden, yet be spiritually separated from God. Still with access to the Tree of Life, they could have lived physically forever, with a growing knowledge, continuing to sin, and growing in their knowledge of their sin, which would have led to guilt and shame. If you ask me, banishing them, bringing on a physical death as well, was, in fact an act of grace. God showed mercy and allowed them to redeem themselves once out of the garden, but as is the case in our lives today, there will sometimes be times when even forgiven, sin brings with it consequences that are permanent.

The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrew often called the “Hall of Faith”, lists Old Testament saints who gained God’s favor not by good works or following the Law, but by their faith. In fact, a number of them were born before the Law, or Ten Commandments, were even written. Abel, Noah, Abraham, all lived and died before the Ten Commandments were even written. We will explore later just how they knew what was right and wrong.

This, of course can be debated, and will be a bone of contention even amongst Christians until the end of time, so let me set something straight here in the introduction. I have spent a great deal of time researching this project, in addition to the time devoted to it in class, additional reading and lectures, and have given myself to prayer, asking for discernment regarding this entire project. However, all of what I am presenting is my own interpretation of the Gospel I read, and the instruction given by others. In fact, in my study I have more than once found myself at odds with at least one of the foremost authorities on the Bible regarding his interpretation of the keeping of the Sabbath today.

Questions the Ten Commandments Raise

First, before we consider the questions, let us not overlook some key things. As God spoke to Moses, He did not whisper softly, but His voice was a loud, booming one that could even be heard by the people at the bottom of the mountain. This means that even in their sin, they heard His instructions being given.

Secondly, consider the actual wording of the commandments. While some English translations vary, most still use the word “Thou” instead of “You”. The difference?

To say, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. “Exodus 20:3 (KJV) speaks to one individual. By replacing the word “Thou” with the word “You”, the commandment is now spoken corporately, to a group. God meant the commandments to be taken and followed by each person with accountability for himself or herself.

Any time there are laws, there are undoubtedly going to be questions about them. Sometimes these will be questions meant to challenge the authority by which they are issued, while other times simply as a matter of clarification.

When the Israelites were given what would be the first set of written laws man would ever know, after twenty-five centuries without them, no doubt there must have been some. Another five thousand years have past, and still we ask some of the same questions, adding even more to them. Perhaps the most common one I hear today is, “Do the Ten Commandments still apply today?” To this, I will not even attempt to answer as eloquently as Jesus, Himself did, when He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15 (KJV)” Remembering that Jesus was with the Father from the beginning as we already discussed, the commandments about which He spoke were not only those given during His three year ministry, but just as importantly, those given in Exodus 20:3-17. So for people who want to argue that the Law of the Old Testament no longer applies, I would ask them why Jesus instructed His own followers to live by it? Was this just to be done until He was crucified? I hardly think so. Furthermore, sin is "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God" according to the Illustrated Bible Dictionary: And Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. We see evidence of this clearly stated in the New Testament in 1 John 3:4 (KJV) where it says, “⁴ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” And also in Romans 4:15 (KJV) where Paul writes, “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Notice the pattern here? Those called by Jesus to be apostles are equating violating or transgression of the Law with sin. Paul also writes later in the same letter to the Romans 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Not conforming to the world means keeping the commandments that He had given. There were an estimated 1430-1450 years between the writing of the book of Exodus where the Ten Commandments are

Moses parts the Red Sea

One thing often asked by students of the Bible when studying the Ten Commandments is, if there was no written law before the Commandments were handed down to Moses, and we find that this was roughly 2500 years, by what standard did people determine right and wrong? After all, there had to be some sort of moral compass. The very first sins recorded in the opening chapters of Genesis, from the eating of the forbidden fruit, lying to God about the act itself, blaming and hiding after doing so, all were sinful acts. In chapter 4 of Genesis, Cain killed his brother Abel in jealousy, and then denies accountability to God for this. All these actions are sinful, yet there is no “law” so to speak that mandates it. Looking ahead to the account of the flood in Genesis 6. God a need to destroy everything He had created based on what He saw long before He handed down any written laws: Genesis 6:4-5 (KJV)
⁴ There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
⁵ And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

We will spend a good deal of time discussing this, as it is important to understand. As we will see, we often find ourselves in situations where we must draw on things that may not appear to fit right into a perfectly square box of one of the Ten Commandments, and it is at times like this that we must draw on the same God given abilities to avoid the pitfalls of sin.

One question, or rather misunderstanding that I have probably heard more than just about any other in my years as a Christian, not only in my years in a teaching ministry, is the notion that the period from Exodus 20, when Moses received the Ten Commandments, until the time of Jesus, either His death or resurrection, depending on the belief of the individual, the children of Israel lived “under the Law”, meaning that they were judged according to how well they kept the Law, and whether or not we meet them in glory will depend on whether or not they were able to keep it properly. Those of us living after Jesus, on the other hand, according to these people, are living “under grace”, meaning that the blood of Christ has washed away our sins, and the Law does not apply to us any more.

There are many false points in this which can be explored, but I will point out only two for now. The others we can address in detail later.

In a nutshell, just reading Hebrews 11, often referred to as the “Hall of Faith”, give us evidence that countless Old Testament saints, some whom even lived before the Law, some after, and Moses, the one God entrusted with delivering it himself, were all saved not by good works, not by keeping the Law, but by their faith.

To those who would say it no longer applies, read what Jesus said to His followers when He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 (KJV)

OK, so we have established that the same God of the Old Testament is the alive and living in the New Testament. Does this explain Law vs. grace?

Think for a moment. When God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden, we see this as punishment. After all, He banished them from a life in paradise, a life in the perfect garden, right?

Well, He also banished them from the two trees that could have caused destruction. Consider this:

· The Tree of Life would have allowed them to live Forever

What might this have meant if they had been allowed to stay?

· The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, along with the taste of sin after exercising their free wills would have meant coupling this eternal life with the guilt, pain, and suffering that accompanied the sin.

· By being banished and condemned to die, every man, while born with a sinful nature, has two escapes. Both can be found in Romans 6:23 which tell us, “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Can you imagine living with the sin and guilt of the sin they had, the knowledge of sin, the ability to continue living with free will, AND the ability to live eternally because of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil reminding you of this while eating of the Tree of Life which kept you alive forever?

In truth, do you think God was only punishing Adam and Eve, or do you think He was showing mercy as well? Can you qualify your answer?

· Therefore, a person who lives in sin does not have to be continually living in this sinful way if he or she chooses. Had Adam and Eve stayed in the garden under the circumstances under which they were, they would have lived in eternal sin. God has certainly made no exception for disobedience, and still demands holiness. However, even as a perfect and holy God, He has offered His own Son as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Further Examination

Proverbs 6:16-35 (NASB77)

16 There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. 20 My son, observe the commandment of your father, And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; 21 Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life, 24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the adulteress. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, Nor let her catch you with her eyelids. 26 For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life. 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? 28 Or can a man walk on hot coals, And his feet not be scorched? 29 So is the one who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished. 30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; 31 But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house. 32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it. 33 Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out. 34 For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not accept any ransom, Nor will he be content though you give many gifts.

This is a powerful statement, written long after the Ten Commandments had been given. Let’s look at how many, and which of the Commandments in particular, were addressed here.

Adam Clarke makes note of this in his commentary on the text:

These six—doth the Lord hate—

1. A proud look—exalted eyes; those who will not condescend to look on the rest of mankind.

2. A lying tongue—he who neither loves nor tells truth.

3. Hands that shed innocent blood, whether by murder or by battery.

4. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations—the heart that fabricates such, lays the foundation, builds upon it, and completes the superstructure of iniquity.

5. Feet that be swift in running to mischief—he who works iniquity with greediness.

6. A false witness that speaketh lies—one who, even on his oath before a court of justice, tells any thing but the truth.

Seven are an abomination unto him—‏נפשו‎ naphsho, "to his soul." The seventh is, he that soweth discord among brethren—he who troubles the peace of a family, of a village, of the state; all who, by lies and misrepresentations, strive to make men's minds evil-affected towards their brethren.

—Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Old Testament

Let’s compare these to the Ten Commandments we were introduced to last week in Exodus 20:1-17

1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 " I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 " You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 " You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 " You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 " You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 " Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 " For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 " Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 13 " You shall not murder. 14 " You shall not commit adultery. 15 " You shall not steal. 16 " You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 " You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

How many do we find listed one way or another? Which ones are

they? Why do you think that is?

God continually reminded the children of Israel of their commitment to Him and His Laws, and when we look throughout Scripture we see it over and over. As soon after the receiving of the Law as Deuteronomy, Moses writes this in Chapter 4.”¹ And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers, giveth you.
²Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.
³Your eyes have seen what Jehovah did because of Baal-peor; for all the men that followed Baal-peor, Jehovah thy God hath destroyed them from the midst of thee.
⁴But ye that did cleave unto Jehovah your God are alive every one of you this day.
⁵Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as Jehovah my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it.
⁶Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, that shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
⁸And what great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
⁹Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children;
¹³And he (Jehovah) declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
¹⁴And Jehovah commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
¹⁶ Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
¹⁷ the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flieth in the heavens,
¹⁸ the likeness of anything that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth;
¹⁹ and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.
³¹for Jehovah thy God is a merciful God; he will not fail thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
³² For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
³⁵Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that Jehovah he is God; there is none else besides him.
³⁶Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he made thee to see his great fire; and thou headrest his words out of the midst of the fire.
³⁷ And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt;
³⁸ to drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as at this day.
³⁹Know therefore this day, and lay it to thy heart, that Jehovah he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else.
⁴⁰ And thou shalt keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days in the land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, for ever.

Emphasis was added by the author. Note how often Moses references things directly associated with specific Commandments, particularly that of worshiping only Jehovah the Living God, and forsaking idols. Why do you think this was of such great importance? Why do you think there is not mention of all Ten Commandments in this text?

Let us not forget, however, that above anything else, God reminds His children over and over again of the importance His word. Deut. 11:26-28 says,” Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse— a blessing, if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today: but a curse, if you disobey these commands and turn away to worship other gods that you have never worshiped before.” Notice how God makes it very clear here that a choice is given. He never in the history of mankind has forced our hand at obedience to Him. By the same token, we can never blame Him for the sins and transgressions we commit. But look again also, at the things He emphasizes as being more important than anything else, above any other Commandment given. Again I ask, why do you suppose this is?

Ten Commandments in the New Testament

Remember the story of the Rich Young Ruler?

Matt 19:16-22 (NASB77)

16 And behold, one came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" 17 And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keeps the commandments." 18 He •said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, " You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man •said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property.

When I read this, a few things come to mind-

· The man was obviously a Jew, as he not only knew the Commandments, but he knew of their importance.

· He called Jesus “Good Teacher”, or “Rabbi”, acknowledging His status and position, and questioned Him not as the Pharisees did, but as one who believed Him.

· He truly believed that he had followed the Commandments, not only fairly well, but, in his own words, “All these things I have kept”. (Notice he doesn’t say that he has done his best, even though nobody’s perfect, but “all these things I have kept”. Mark even adds the words, “from my youth up”, implying that he truly believes that he has not broken any of the commandments.

WOW! He is one remarkable individual! But wait, let’s look at his claim. When Jesus, in verse 21 tells him "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." , the young man’s response is shown in verse 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property.

Looking back at the seven points made by Adam Clarke, shall we see how well he did? Then ask yourself, (since you will only be responsible for your decisions in this life, not his, mine, or the person sitting next to you unless it is your son).

1. Who, other than a proud man, would make the claim that he had kept all the commandments his entire life?

2. Quite simply, to say that he had kept the commandments since his youth was a lie.

We have examples of two of first six, and the seventh, discord and trouble in the family; will certainly come as a result. Not a good start for someone who said he had kept the commandments.

A look at the Ten Commandments will show much the same, as we notice that the simple fact that giving up his riches was not an option to serve God, thereby making his wealth his own god. The first four commandments are already in question.

bout what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keeps the commandments." 18 He •said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, " You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man •said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property.

When I read this, a few things come to mind-

· The man was obviously a Jew, as he not only knew the Commandments, but he knew of their importance.

· He called Jesus “Good Teacher”, or “Rabbi”, acknowledging His status and position, and questioned Him not as the Pharisees did, but as one who believed Him.

1. Who, other than a proud man, would make the claim that he had kept all the commandments his entire life?

2. Quite simply, to say that he had kept the commandments since his youth was a lie.

We have examples of two of first six, and the seventh, discord and trouble in the family; will certainly come as a result. Not a good start for someone who said he had kept the commandments.

How do we all stack up?

One thing to note, is that Jesus allowed the man to walk away. He did not chase him down. Neither will He do it to those who deny Him today.

Why do you think He let him? Do you think it would have changed things if He would have chased him down? Does He operated differently now? If so, how? Explain.

Note how Jesus references the Ten Commandments in His teaching. Also note how they are tied into a condition of answered prayer. While He promises to answer prayer, obedience, along with things such as praying with a pure heart, (we covered much of this in our study on prayer), are paramount.

John 14:12-15 (NASB77)

12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. 13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15 " If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Note how He closes in verse 15 with something made so simple, yet not always easy for people who have so much in this world, like the rich young ruler, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Jesus commanded the young man to sell his possessions and follow him. He would not. What has He commanded you to do? What have you refused?

Jesus made it very clear that His purpose was, in fact, to fulfill the Law, not to contradict it. The Law, given by the prophets, was, in part, the foretelling of the Messiah.

See what Jesus says Himself:

Matt 5:17-20 (NASB77)

17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. 19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

He would also quote and preach from the Law on more than one occasion. J.W. McGarvey puts to rest any confusion about whether the Law was still in effect during the life of Christ.

Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles by J. W. McGarvey

We may pursue the same inquiry in an indirect method, by determining when the previous kingdom of God among the Jews terminated. As they both, with their conflicting peculiarities, could not be in formal existence among the same people at the same time, the new one could not begin till the old one terminated. That the law and prophets were until John, Jesus declares; but he does not declare that they continued no longer. On the contrary, he was himself “a minister of the circumcision,” and kept the law till his death. The law and the prophets were, until John, the only revelation from God. Since then the gospel of the coming kingdom was preached in addition to it, and was designed to fulfill the law and the prophets by preparing the people for a “better covenant.” Even the sacrifices of the altar, however, continued, with the sanction of Jesus, up to the very moment that he expired on the cross. Then “the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom,” indicating the end of that dispensation. All the sacrifices being then fulfilled in him, and a new and living way being consecrated for us, not under the veil, as the high priest had gone, but through the veil—that is to say, his flesh —he put an end to the priesthood of Aaron, and took out of the way the handwriting of ordinances, nailing it to his cross. At the death of Christ, therefore, the old kingdom came to its legal end, and on the next Pentecost the new kingdom began.

Jesus often taught in the temple from the Law.

The tearing of the veil when Christ gave up the ghost and proclaimed “It is finished” in John 19:30 brought us to a new era. Although the final sacrifice had been slain, and people continue to argue about whether or not we are bound by the Law, perhaps the only two things we must take from this without ever forgetting are this:

1. Nowhere in the Bible are we ever told to discontinue following the Ten Commandments

2. Grace, not obedience to the Ten Commandments, or any commandments, has always been what has saved man. (We already saw this in Hebrews 11. Let’s re-read that now to refresh that).

3. Jesus made reference to every Commandment with the exception to the 4^th at least once in His ministry. Baring in mind that we do not have every spoken word of our Lord recorded, this is not to say that it was never discussed, nor that it was not important. After all, He did say to keep His commandments; it simply is the only one which is not specifically discussed in His teachings. We will discuss this more.

In fact, if we were to look closely to instructions given to Christians about our obligation to the following of the Commandments, even in a time when the grace of God as a result of Jesus’ crucifixion had paid for our sins, let us look at what Paul tells us in Romans: “¹ Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?” Romans 7:1 (KJV)

The following verses go on to speak of the legality of marriage, and how a man and woman are bound under the laws of marriage as long as they are living, but once one dies, the law no longer applies.

How might this have anything to do with what we are looking at here, unless we isolated it to only one Commandment, that of committing adultery?

First, answer this question. Have you ever known a dead person to be put on trial for breaking the law? What if it was found that the person had violated the law even many years before his or her death? (The truth of the matter is that it has happened. For a list of five famous people who have been, go to http://listverse.com/2008/06/20/5-prominent-people-put-on-trial-after-their-death/). Ironically, all but one were Christians, and the last was a leader in the Nazi party in World War 2.

John Wycliffe, who wrote the first copy of the Bible in English over 200 years before King James would authorize the “King James Version” or “Authorized Version” of the Bible. He was tried and his bones dug up and burned after his death.

But for the most part, laws apply to people who are alive, and with good reason.

Exodus 20:3-17 (KJV)
³Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
⁴ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
⁵ Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
⁶ And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
⁷Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
⁸Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
¹²Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
¹³Thou shalt not kill.
¹⁴Thou shalt not commit adultery.
¹⁵Thou shalt not steal.
¹⁶Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
¹⁷Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Where are verses 1 & 2?

That is a good question, isn’t it? You don’t imagine that Moses simply left them out of the twentieth chapter of Exodus? Let’s take a look at the chapter itself and see.

Exodus 20:1-2 (KJV)
¹And God spake all these words, saying,
²I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

There we have it. God didn’t tell Moses to begin with verse 3. Now, keeping in mind that these Commandments were not written on some legal document as we would recognize it today, notarized or sealed with a wax seal of the ring of the king, carrying the seal of the President, Senate, Supreme Court, or any other governing body as we know it, God had to proclaim them as His in some way.

Declaration of Independence of the United States of America

I have seen documents such as the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, shown in part above, and other important documents proclaiming laws. Look carefully at the top of the document. What is presented boldly before anything else?

Why do you think it was important to state that this declaration came from a supreme authority, rather than to simply throw down a bunch of ideas as if they were ideas without indicating that they had the backing of people with authority and respect? Would they have been taken seriously then? Would they now? Why do you answer the way you do?

With that in mind, read verse 2 again, and think about what God had done for the children of Israel up to this point. List some of them below.

Now if you were one of the Israelites, would He have your attention?

Every day we are given are given instruction or are expected to obey laws, but what if we didn’t have any idea by whose authority they were given?

Has this ever happened to you? If so, how did you feel? How did you react?

The Bible establishes the authority of God for us quite clearly. "I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. “Dan 7:13-14 (NASB77).

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 " Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matt 28:18-20 (NASB77)

Remember, that Jesus and God the Father are one, as explained in Scripture, so the authority given to Jesus in these passages is ultimately that of the Father as well.

“1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. “John 1:1-3 (NASB77)

“I and the Father are one." John 10:30 (NASB77)

As you can see, the deity of Jesus, places His authority equal to that of God the Father, thereby meaning that everywhere in Scripture that we find a reference to supreme authority of one, we can conclude that the inference is also to the other.

This puts quite a lot of authority into the first two verses of this chapter, making them perhaps more powerful than the commandments themselves in some ways, as they set the tone for everything that follows.

It is now almost time to begin examining the Ten Commandments themselves, but first I would like to take a quick look at an article written by Dr. Henry Morris of the Institute of Creation Research. As you may recall, we already discussed that we are not to forget the commandments, and that they were not simply an Old Testament directive.

Forget Not His Commandments

By Henry Morris, Ph.D. | Dec. 5, 2012

"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments." (Proverbs 3:1)
It is vitally important that, even though we are saved by grace and not by the works of the law, we never forget that God's law is essentially a statement of God's holiness. We should desire to know and follow God's commandments simply because they are "holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12), not because we seek salvation through them.
It is noteworthy that the anonymous writer of the longest chapter in the Bible (Psalm 119), in which practically every verse refers to the Scriptures, stressed seven times that he would never forget the laws and commandments of his Lord. May the Lord teach us to share the same determination. Note:

"I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word" (v. 16).
"For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes" (v. 83).
"I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me" (v. 93).
"My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law" (v. 109).
"I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts" (v. 141).
"Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law" (v. 153).
"I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments" (v. 176).
This seventh reference is actually the closing verse of this remarkable 119th Psalm. It beautifully points up the urgency of not forgetting the commandments of God. He will seek us when we stray and bring us back home to Him, for we remember and love His law. HMM.
To give a preface of the Ten Commandments and the way they address different areas, I defer to Adam Clarke’s Commentary on The Old Testament:

“The preface to the ten commandments, vv. 1, 2. The FIRST commandment, against mental or theoretic idolatry, v. 3. The SECOND, against making and worshipping images, or practical idolatry, vv. 4-6. The THIRD, against false swearing, blasphemy, and irreverent use of the name of God, v. 7. The FOURTH, against profanation of the Sabbath, and idleness on the other days of the week, vv. 8-11. The FIFTH, against disrespect and disobedience to parents, v. 12. The SIXTH, against murder and cruelty, v. 13. The SEVENTH, against adultery and uncleanness, v. 14. The EIGHTH, against stealing and dishonesty, v. 15. The NINTH, against false testimony, perjury, etc., v. 16. The TENTH, against covetousness, v. 17. The people are alarmed at the awful appearance of God on the mount, and stand afar off, v. 18. They pray that Moses may be mediator between God and them, v. 19. Moses encourages them, v. 20. He draws near to the thick darkness, and God communes with him, vv. 21, 22. Farther directions against idolatry, v. 23. Directions concerning making an altar of earth, v. 24; and an altar of hewn stone, v. 25. None of these to be ascended by steps, and the reason given, v. 26.”

Adam Clarke's Commentary on The Old Testament

First Commandment

Ex 20:1-3 (NASB77)

1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 " I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 " You shall have no other gods before Me.

Notice how the two verses God gives Moses an introduction. In it He does essentially two things:

1. Identifies who He is

2. Qualifies why Moses, (and therefore the children of

Israel

) should listen to Him.

Think about a time when you have either been given instruction, or given it to others, when similar things have been done. Does such qualification of authority help re-enforce a person’s right to expect others to obey?

In looking back, what kinds of problems had God already had with people who had questioned or challenged His identity, or its importance?

Did anyone ever question His ability to make an absolute decision for them? What about Adam and Eve? Lot? Abraham and Sarah when they doubted that they would bare a son? Others?

What about you?

What other things had God done that He easily could have told or reminded Moses of that He had done, either for Moses and his people, or for their forefathers? Do you think He “owed” them this explanation? Why or why not? Have you ever questioned God or asked Him to qualify His expectations of you?

These are some of the things we already discussed, but when you put them directly ahead of the first commandment, they seem to flow into it, almost as if part of it, don’t they?

God never says so in the Bible, but it has often been speculated by theologians, this one included, that there is a specific order to the Ten Commandments. As we see, the first four deal with our relationship with God, while the last six with our relationship with man. Furthermore, if you look at the 1^st Commandment, it gives us a very clear picture that making the Supreme, True God first in our lives, and forsaking all others, is the most important thing to seeing all other things fall into place properly. By the same token, we will see that the 5^th commandment, to honor your father and mother, sets the tone for proper relations with other people, the balance of the commandments pertaining to relations with people.

There were other reasons God had for the emphasis on having no other gods before Him. Remember that the children of Israel had just come from over 400 years of bondage in Egypt, where many false gods were worshiped. In fact, the very plagues which were brought upon Egypt were representations of plagues brought on the gods, and showed that they were powerless. Furthermore, God knew that the Israelites would be entering into pagan lands where they would be introduced to even more false gods, often enticed to intermingle, intermarry, and embrace them. (Unfortunately, this would happen all too often).

Horus Temple in Egypt

Throughout history, the Pharaohs, Roman Caesars, and even into modern times, the Emperor of Japan, declared themselves to be deities. Temples and shrines would be built to them, offerings brought, and the only problem would be that each one of these men would eventually fail his followers by dying just as every other man had since Adam, save Jesus Christ, who never came in glory, never asked for gifts and palaces, and continues to reign today!

The triumphal entry of Jesus

Today we may think we don’t have the fears of being taken to new lands with false religions and gods, or to have a new church leader come in and begin teaching heresy.

Actually, let me step back a moment. Have you ever considered this as a concern? Not that I want you to begin doubting what you are hearing in church on Sundays, or reading here, or in your Bible study, but how do you KNOW that you are hearing the truth? Quite simply the Bible even tells us not to believe everything we are told and take it at face value just because someone says it is from God. John, the only one of Jesus’ apostles to live to old age, and the one He trusted with the care of His mother at His crucifixion, writes this, “1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error “1 John 4:1-6 (NASB77)

Paul, when advising Timothy, his young protégé’, advised him of the best way to be informed of God’s Word and to be prepared for all circumstances when he may have to have an answer, when he said, “15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”2 Tim 2:15 (KJV)

In my years of ministry and study, I have debated subjects of doctrine with other ministers, students, Christian authors and friends. Some have more years of education or study, some fewer. Some are stronger in faith, some may not be. While I have been a Christian for forty years, this does not mean that it gives me forty years of “seniority” in being right. Sometimes, when discussing the Bible, and particular doctrines that may be more difficult to interpret than others, we fall into disagreement. However, be very careful of anyone who strays from the basics of the salvation message.

· Have you ever gone to a church, read a “Christian” or other religious book, or heard a religious radio broadcast and thought that it did not seem consistent with what you had previously heard?

· Have you ever been invited to join in religious activities or “spiritual” deeds or performances, rituals or otherwise, which didn’t seem right, but that another person said were of god?

· Have you ever been approached by someone wanting to introduce you to a way of salvation that was inconsistent with what you know to be true?

If you can say “yes” to any of these, or anything similar, then you understand the reason for being on guard for false gods, and why the importance of the First Commandment as given to the Children of Israel.

OTHER FALSE GODS

We live in a world that has created many false gods that are, in many ways, even more dangerous than anything of the past simply because we do not call them “god”.

Unlike a deity in a temple or shrine, one to whom we bow down to worship, bring offerings to sacrifice expecting miracles, healings, etc., we have other things we have put in place as gods without even thinking of it.

http://dictionary.reference.com/ defines god several ways, most of them using a capital “G”, and with meanings much in line with what Christians or other people of faith would agree identifies a person or persons of deity and power, holiness, and strength. However, let us look at the last two definitions given, as these are the two which I believe give even the strongest Christians challenges:

· an image of a deity; an idol.

· any deified person or object.

Wikipedia explains an interesting aspect of creating a false god when describing the Emperor of Japan: “According to

Japan

's 1947 constitution, which dissolved the Empire of Japan, he is "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is also the highest authority of the Shinto religion as he and his family are said to be direct descendants of Amaterasu.^[1]Therefore, the Emperor performs Shinto rituals for the people of

Japan

.
“The Emperor is called the Tenno (天皇) in Japanese, which means "heavenly sovereign". He was also referred to in English as the Mikado (帝) of Japan.^[2]”
There have been other cultures in history which also place their leaders in a position of deity, including, but not limited to the Caesars of ancient Rome. This is not to be mistaken as a theocracy such as was present in the time of the Judges, where God appointed Judges to administer civil as well as religious law, or as in modern times where in countries such as Vatican City, the Pope sits as bishop of the Roman Catholic Church of Rome, the Head of the Worldwide Catholic Church, and the head of state of Vatican City. Other countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and a number of other Muslim nations also have similar clergy/statesmen.
However, this is not the concern I wish to focus on in this study, as it is not one we are likely to be faced with in our daily lives. Although I have visited Vatican City, and been to St. Peter’s Square where the Pope gives his daily Mass to the public, in a city where he is viewed as something just shy of a deity himself, the gods most of us face placing before the True God are much more subtle in most cases.
Honestly ask yourself the following questions before we go further.

1. Have you ever missed church, or another activity of worship in order to do something like watch a sporting event, engage in a leisure activity, and recover from indulging too much the night before?

2. Have you ever entered into a new relationship, (usually a romantic one), that caused you to begin missing church, or at least to rethink whether or not it was important to continue going to mid-week Bible study, do your daily devotions, or other activities that use to be important to your spiritual life?

3. Has there ever been a job that has caused you to stop going to church regularly because it requires you to work on Sundays, or to stop another regular part of your spiritual life, causing it to spiral downward?

4. Have you ever spent money on pleasure or material things for yourself that in the past would have been given to the church, or other ministries?

If you can answer “Yes” to any of these questions, not only are you far from alone, (I can certainly answer yes to all of them), but this is an indication that you have placed other things above God in your life, making them your god. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (KJV). That doesn’t leave a lot of room for question.

If I decide that because my favorite team is playing, and the game starts midway through church today, I won’t go, who am I saying is god?

If I am offered over-time at work if I pull an extra shift on Sunday, being paid double-time, what is more important? Before you argue that I might need the money to support my family, recall what Jesus said²⁵ " For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?
²⁶ " Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
²⁷“And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?
²⁸“And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
²⁹yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.
³⁰ "But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith?
³¹“Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?'
³²“For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
³³“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
³⁴“Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ,” Matthew 6:25-34 (NASB77)

Think about the kinds of things you have put before God in your life. They may have been things that have taken up time, money, love and devotion, or any other resources that should have been given to Him. See if you can list some below. This is not to make you feel guilty. This is not a way to see who in a group is the “best” or “worst”. It is a way to make each of us aware of where we have placed our priorities.

Second Commandment

Exodus 20:4-6 (KJV)
⁴ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
⁵ Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
⁶ And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Perhaps the most well known example of idol worship to Christians was taking place as Moses was receiving the very commandments which would forbid the practice.

WHAT IS AN IDOL?

An idol may be described or defined in a number of ways, and we will explore some of those here. In part because most of us would say that we have never, and would never worship an idol. Looking at one authority on the subject, we have the following definition of what an idol would have been in ancient, Biblical times; “An image or anything used as an object of worship in place of the true God. Among the earliest objects of worship, regarded as symbols of deity, were the meteoric stones, which the ancients believed to have been images of the Gods sent down from heaven. From these they transferred their regard to rough unhewn blocks, to stone columns or pillars of wood, in which the divinity worshipped was supposed to dwell, and which were connected, like the sacred stone at Delphi, by being anointed with oil and crowned with wool on solemn days.”
Smith's Bible Dictionary: Comprising Antiquities, Biography, Geography, Natural History, Archaeology and Literature.

I actually climbed on the ruins of this temple built to Apollo in Delphi as a boy in the early 1970s.

Roman Christians have not only deified Mary, the mother of Jesus, but bow down to statues of her and bring them gifts. While in Vatican City, I witness the faithful to the Roman church touch the foot of a statue of the apostle Peter, some even kissing it, assured that it would bring them a blessing. The statue, standing since 1626, and carved out of marble, has the top of the right foot worn down from so many people hoping that St. Peter will bless them through his holy touch. I witnessed this for myself in 1975 while visiting Vatican City.
These, of course, are ways we see Christians today acting in ways that we may consider idol worship, and we will look at ways that you and I, yes, I said you and I, do such things as well. First, let’s look at the children of

Israel

, and what they were doing while Moses was meeting with God, receiving the Ten Commandments.
Remember that Moses was away for forty days. We are all accustomed to having leaders, whether we like every decision they make or not, so imagine what it would be like to have your leader gone for over a month! Read what began happening, and recall that Aaron, Moses’ brother was, for all intents and purposes, his next in command.

Exodus 32:1-10 (NASB77)
¹ Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."
² And Aaron said to them, " Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."
³ Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.
⁴ And he took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a molten calf; and they said, " This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."
⁵ Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."
⁶ So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
⁷Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
⁸“They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ' This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"
⁹ And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.
¹⁰“Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation."

A few things should be noted here.
1. When Aaron called on the people to turn over their possessions to create the idol, at no time did he deny that G/god had delivered them out of Egypt. In fact, look at his words in verse 4. They are almost word for word the same words God, Himself used when speaking to Moses, in Chapter 20:2.
Exodus 32:4
⁴And he took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."

Exodus 20:2 (NASB77)
² " I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

It is my opinion that Aaron is not trying to deny that God did what He had done, but that this idol represented the essence of God. In fact, throughout history, most idol worship did not involve a belief that the physical object possessed special powers as much as it represented a deity that did.

Late Predynastic statue of the baboon god Hedj-Wer

Just like the concern about having come from a culture with many gods, (Egypt had literally thousands of gods), many were represented by idols which were worshiped. Pictured is Hedj-Wer, the baboon god, but there were also gods represented by birds, frogs, and countless other animals. As stated by Wikipedia,

The Egyptians believed that the phenomena of nature were divine forces in and of themselves.^[2] These deified forces included the elements, animal characteristics, or abstract forces. The Egyptians believed in a pantheon of gods, which were involved in all aspects of nature and human society. Their religious practices were efforts to sustain and placate these phenomena and turn them to human advantage.^[3] This polytheistic system was very complex, as some deities were believed to exist in many different manifestations, and some had multiple mythological roles. Conversely, many natural forces, such as the sun, were associated with multiple deities.

BUT I DON’T WORSHIP IDOLS!!!!!

· You don’t have a statue of an animal in your room that you offer sacrifices to do you?

· You don’t kiss a replica of a dead Christian martyr, right?

· You don’t give financial support to a temple that does any of these things do you? (At least not any more).

· You haven’t given up on God and melted down your jewelry to create a replacement, right?

I would assume you answered “NO” to all of these questions. (If you didn’t let’s get that taken care of first).
However, if you think this means you don’t have any issues with worshiping idols, think again. While you might not have the problem, or might not have it as badly as some, it is out there, and just as the problem with worshipping other gods, it is very alive and real, and in many ways encouraged in our society.
We have already entertained the idea of how a lifetime of slavery would influence people to be subject to a culture of worshiping false gods, so imagine that the same would hold true to the acceptance of idol worship.
Very few nations in the world are in their present state of government and structure that they have enjoyed for the past 400 years. Imagine having been held captive in one for that long, and then to be freed. Now, God has taken two million people, plus their livestock, to the Promised Land. Simple math tells us that from Egypt to Canaan, their final destination, was roughly 100 km, or a little over 62 miles. The average person can walk that distance in about twenty hours. Give Moses a few days because he would have a certain number of elderly, lame, babies, women with child, and sick people. Still, why did it take forty years?
There is no record in the Bible of anyone getting lost. In fact, God led them the entire way.
I did hear one pastor suggest a very interesting observation when he said, “It took 400 years for Egypt to get into the people of Israel, and it took 40 years for God to get Egypt out of them (the people of

Israel

)”.
We don’t necessarily have the same problem with idols that the children of Israel did as a form of worship, recognizing them as deities of honor and power, and thereby creating idols to represent them. We already discussed this with regard to the First Commandment. However, much like the preceding commandment, we fall into the same trap with material things and even people in this world.
Can you think of anyone in your life you have idolized?
Who is your favorite actor?
Who is your favorite athlete?
Your favorite musician?
What is your favorite TV show?
What would you give (or sacrifice) to meet these people?
Even if these are people who have done many good things, (and many of mine are people in ministry and politics who have), does that make a difference?

What about that new boat you want?

Do you have a favorite athlete you dream of meeting?

Do you always want more money?
There is nothing wrong with having desires to own things we work hard for, and a new boat would be fine, if it is within your means, (and you take me out on it).
For anyone who enjoys sports, undoubtedly you have a favorite team/athlete, and meeting them.
Lastly, having enough money to survive is a matter of responsible living, but always wanting more is another thing.
There are other things we could list here too. What are some that you might think of that might be fine to have, perhaps even necessary, but dangerous if we become obsessed with them?
When we put things above our desire to serve God, sacrifice money that should go to His service, work hours to pay for these pleasures, act irresponsibly or dangerously to obtain them, we have begun to idolize them.
One way people often do not think of people as idols is in their churches. I have a great fondness and respect for the Senior Minister I answer to in the church where I teach a Bible study. The respect, however, is mutual. While I am twenty years his senior, he is very wise and educated in the Word of God. I say this because, a time will come when the authorities over him will call him to a new station, and a replacement will come in.
Too often, people see this happen, and have not become loyal to the Lord they serve or the Bible preached, but to the man at the pulpit. Another thing that will happen is a person will move to a new town and cannot ever “fit in”. The reason? They have put their minister/pastor up on a pedestal and have essentially created an idol out of him.
There are a few things worth pointing out with this commandment. First, we generally think of jealousy as being a bad thing, and for the most part it is. It is usually a form of covetousness, meaning that a person is jealous, or wants something that is not his or hers, which belongs to someone else. However, look at the wording which comes as a warning at the end of this commandment “⁴ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
⁵ Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” . Exodus 20:4-5 (KJV)
We usually think of “jealous” being defined with words such as envious, covetous, desirous, and such. However, as much as these are accurate, when someone possesses something they love dearly, jealousy can also mean things like protective, watchful, or mistrustful (of those who would take it away). Think of a husband and how he feels if another man gets too friendly with his wife, or in all fairness, the other way around. Think of how a mother feels if a strange adult approaches her child. This is a healthy, loving, and expected jealousy. Why should we expect any less of God, our creator? Why should we show Him any less respect and honor?

Third commandment

Ex 20:7 (NASB77)7 " You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

We often associate taking the Lord’s name in vain with words said in anger. Often, it is something said as we curse something, wishing that they be “damned”. In essence, rather than asking for God’s blessing, we are asking God to damn them.

Doing this is sin in a number of ways.

If we use God’s name when we do this, we have violated the Third Commandment.

2. Look at what Jesus said about loving our enemies, or those who hate us Matt 5:43-47 (NASB77) 43”You have heard that it was said, ' You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you 45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? 47 "And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

3. James warns us also about anger: James 1:19-20 (NASB77) 19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

However, let us not forget that taking the Lord’s name in vain can take many forms.

God has already reminded us in Leviticus of the importance of His holiness, and being reverent to this at all times:

Lev 20:7-8 (NASB77) 7 'You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 'And you shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

How we can take the Lord’s name in vain without ever openly cursing:

1. Claiming to be a Christian and acting otherwise

2. Using language that would tarnish our testimony

3. Violating a vow or oath we make. Matt 5:37 (NASB77) 37 "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; and anything beyond these is of evil. Again we read in James: James 5:12 (NASB77) 12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but^[42] let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment.

4. We often get excited and use exclamations such as “Oh my…..”

5. Texting and Instant Messaging has even shortcut methods of doing this with three simple letters, “OMG” which take God’s name out of the equation, but say it just the same.

6. Any time you use the name of God, Jesus, Heaven, or anything holy in a way that is not representative of its divine purpose, even if no offense is intended, this commandment has been violated.

We may ask ourselves why this is so important. In fact, if I am not saying something bad, and am exclaiming good or exciting things, why does it matter? If I am fortunate enough to find a $50.00 bill on the sidewalk, if I pass a test with a score much higher than I expected, if the girl I always wanted to go out with accepts my request for a date, what is wrong with me jumping up and down hollering, “Yes! Yes! THANK YOU LORD!”

Can you see a problem here? If so, what? If not, explain.

All too often as Christians, we feel entitled to claim God’s name in the things we do and say. For example, I have actually known Christians who, while sick, have chosen not to heed a doctor’s advice and “give it to God”, saying that if God wills them to be healed He will heal them. The same has been heard from people who are needing jobs but not looking, needing help mending broken relationships but not working to mend them. They, in their own ways, take the Lord’s name in vain when they take His claims. This, in many ways, is more of a personal vanity than anything else. Jesus addressed this regarding the way people were to pray, so as not to bring attention to themselves. The reason was simple. Honor and glory belonged to God the Father. 5 "And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. Matt 6:5-6 (NASB77)

Note, this does not forbid us from praying corporately in church, or even from bowing in a public place to give thanks before a meal to humbly thank the Creator for what He has given us. It is meant to remind us that we are not to make a show of how grand we are that we, not the God we worship, are holy. To do this is a form of taking His name in vain. As Adam Clarke puts it:

Love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets—The Jewish phylacterical prayers were long, and the canonical hours obliged them to repeat these prayers wherever they happened to be; and the Pharisees, who were full of vain glory, contrived to be overtaken in the streets by the canonical hour, that they might be seen by the people, and applauded for their great and conscientious piety. See Lightfoot. As they had no piety but that which was outward, they endeavored to let it fully appear, that they might make the most of it among the people. It would not have answered their end to kneel before God, for then they might have been unnoticed by men; and consequently have lost that reward which they had in view: viz. the esteem and applause of the multitude. This hypocritical pretension to devotion is common among the Asiatics. Both Hindoos and Mohammedans love to pray in the most public places, at the landing places of rivers, in the public streets, on the roofs of the covered boats, without the least endeavor to conceal their outside devotion, that they may be seen of men.

—Adam Clarke's Commentary

Why is this commandment so critical?

We all have a legal name, and most of us have at least one other name we may be known by. Depending on who is calling us, different names may be appropriate. While my legal name is James Michael Dakis, very few people ever use even James. There are a few people who call me Jimmy, but most call me Jim. Professionally I may be called Pastor Jim, Reverend Jim, Reverend Dakis, and Pastor Dakis, to name the most common. I am also Dad to my daughter and Papou to my granddaughters. (Grandfather in Greek).

So why is it important that we have an understanding of God’s name and use it correctly?

Is it that important? Do we overemphasize that part of the Bible, or in today’s culture, can God even be a little less formal?

We live in an age where children have been raised to call adults by their first names, and parents are becoming more the “friends” of their children than their parents. When I was a child, all my father’s friends were called “sir”, and almost all had a rank or title. The few who didn’t were called “Mr.” Their wives were “Mrs.” Why do we expect less today, and even more, why do we expect less when we call upon the name of our Lord?

Do we even know what His name means? How many names does He have?

Several years ago, in a local church, the pastor was led to deviate from his normal teaching and took some time to teach on prayer. Essentially, he took the Lord’s Prayer and spent time each week teaching on a little more. The prayer, which is five verses long, took nine months to teach, and the most fascinating part was that the first month and a half was devoted to the first to words, “Our Father”. Great and passionate detail was gone into learning about the different names of God and what they all meant.

We will explore some here:

Adonai –The Lord My Great Lord Script. Ref.-Psalm 8; Isaiah 40:3-5;Ezekiel 16:8; Habakkuk 3: 19

Elohim- The All-Powerful One/Creator Script. Ref. - Genesis 1:1-3; Deuteronomy 10:17;Psalm 68; Mark 13:19

El Roi- The God Who Sees Me Script. Ref. –Genesis 16:11-14;Psalm 139:7-12

El Shaddai- The All Sufficient One/The God of the Mountains/God Almighty Script. Ref. Genesis 17:1-3,35:11,48:3, 49:25; Psalm 90:2

Immanuel- God With Us/”I AM” Script. Ref. –Isaiah 7:14,8:8-10;Matthew 1:23

Jehovah(YHWH) “I AM”/The One Who Is/ The Self-Existent One Script. Ref. – Exodus 3:14,6:2-4,34:5-7;Psalm 102

Jehovah-Rapha- The Lord Who Heals Script. Ref. – Exodus 15:25-27;Psalm 103:3, 147:3; 1Peter 2:24

Jehovah-Rohi- The Lord is My Shepherd-Script. Ref. –Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 53:6; John 10:14-18;Hebrews 13:20; Revelation 7:17

Jehovah-Tsidenu- The Lord Our Righteousness-Script. Ref. –Jeremiah 23:5,6;33:16; Ezekiel 36:26,27; 2 Corinthians 5:21

YHWH- “I am”/ The One Who is/ The Self-Existent One- Script. Ref.- Exodus 3:14; Malachi 3:6.

There are actually more, but these ten are enough to show the diversity of our Lord’s nature.

As you can see, even in the English language, we do not do the name of God justice. Is it any wonder that it is so important that we take such care in treating His name with such awe, reverence, and sense of holiness?

Fourth Commandment

⁸ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
⁹ Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11 (KJV)

Interestingly, the fourth commandment is the wordiest of the ten. It takes up more verses than any other, and we will see in a moment that it has several parts to it. Also, in a list of commandments where eight give instructions of things not to do, it is the first one that instructs us in what we are to do. (The second one happens to follow immediately after it).

Of all the Commandments we see in the Old Testament, it is also the only one Jesus never taught or spoke about directly, although we do have evidence that He practiced it, so it is not that He did not find it important as a Jew to follow it. Some have questioned whether or not it was not taught by Him because it was not pertinent for Christians to continue in it following His resurrection. To that I disagree. Without belaboring the point, to say that I disagree with one of the greatest Christian thinkers I still consider to be a very godly man, I look to this in God’s instruction.

Exodus 20:10 (KJV)
¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

It was not uncommon to have a non-Jewish servant or stranger in the home, so the commandment was written, in stone, by the hand of God, to all people. There was no time-table put on it.

It has been interesting to hear the debates people have over what day of the week the Sabbath is. When is it to you? Do you know? Do you care? Did it change? Does the Bible tell us?

First, we must realize that the first Sabbath was not after Moses returned down the mountain.

To find the first record of a Sabbath, we must look way back in history. Who do you think took the first Sabbath? Where do you think we find it?

Genesis 2:1-3 (NASB77)
¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.
² And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
³ Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Again we read of the Sabbath even earlier in Exodus, when Moses is told that the people will be fed manna. His instructions from God are quite clear:

Exodus 12:16-17 (KJV)
¹⁶ And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
¹⁷ And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

And again,

Exodus 16:22-30 (NASB77)
²² Now it came about on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses,
²³ then he said to them, "This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning."

²⁴ So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul, nor was there any worm in it.
²⁵ And Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field.
²⁶ " Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none."
²⁷ And it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.
²⁸ Then the LORD said to Moses, " How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions?
²⁹ "See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."
³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

While this may remove any question about whether or not the Sabbath was new, it does raise more questions. (GOOD! I love having more questions to answer! It means more time in God’s Word, so let’s get going!)

If we use the Sabbath to rest, why did God need one? He had been around forever, rested for twenty-four hours, and hasn’t rested since. In fact, we have no record of any plans of His to rest again. So, was this some kind of half-way point, and the only rest He needs?

Think about the last time you completed a rewarding task. Sure, you might have been exhausted and needed rest, but it may have also been something that did not tire you physically or even mentally. You may have finished sewing a dress, cooking a meal, painting a landscape, learning a new song on the piano, or writing a letter to a friend. When you were finished, the sense of satisfaction gives you reason to sit back, take a deep breath, smile, and rest. Rest in peace and tranquility, knowing that you have now achieved something. Resting may also be thought of as simply finding a sense of calm.

In essence, God was “being still” after He created the world, just as He instructs us to, “¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10 (KJV)”

Sometimes rest requires simply being still and getting closer to God. However, He gives very specific instructions regarding the Sabbath, but we have gone a long way to get misdirected with them.

Remembering that the Sabbath was originally set forth as a holy day where no work was to be done, and was, in the Old Testament Jewish calendar, the last day of the week, this also meant that worship, in the home, led by the man of the house, was conducted at that time. As time passed, worship was conducted in synagogues, and teachings by rabbis. We read about traditions during the life of Jesus in Scripture: “¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” Luke 4:16 (KJV)

Notice that it doesn’t say that He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath to read because this was the only day prescribed to do so according to Scripture! It does not say that worship services must be or cannot be held on a particular day. The seventh day of the week held significance to the Jewish people because of the aforementioned Passover in Exodus 12:16-17. Let us remember, however, that while the feast of unleavened bread was to be remembered forever, God at no time commanded them to keep a specific day as the designated day. We will look at this more in a moment.

The Fourth Commandment is actually a two-fold Commandment. It not only is one which gives instruction on keeping the Sabbath, but also, if we look at it again, we see an equally important second part.

⁸ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
⁹ Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11 (KJV)

Verse nine says it very clearly. We are to work for six days. Our time belongs to God. It wasn’t until the early 20^th century, and the creation of labor unions that the idea of a five day work week, and even more luxuriously, a 40 hour work week, were ever considered. Before then, people simply assumed that a Sabbath day was taken. Since the United States was founded upon Christian principles, most of the culture was that of people working Monday through Saturday, and resting on Sunday. (In Colonial Jamestown, VA. citizens could be punished for not attending church on Sunday).

Is the Sabbath a day of worship or a day of rest?

This debate rages on without necessity still today by people who do not consult the Scripture first. Let us revisit a verse we already examined: Exodus 12:16,17¹⁶ And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
¹⁷ And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

“Holy convocation”(or assembly) indicates worship. “No manner of work” is self explanatory.

The feast of unleavened bread, again, was an act of worship, set in place as a reminder of the Passover, and carried out even by Jesus on the night He was betrayed.

After considerable research of all references to the Sabbath in the Bible, this author found a consistency of several things:

1. Rest

2. Worship

3. Seven Days

One thing that can be noticed in the Old Testament is that this also fell on the seventh day of the week, which coincided with the final day of the Creation and the last day of the Jewish calendar. We have already seen this in Genesis 2:1-3 regarding the creation. We can also look back to Exodus 12 when the Israelites fled Egypt and see the significance of the seventh day in their celebrating the Sabbath then.

Remembering that in Luke 4 we read that Jesus went into the synagogue “as His custom was” on the Sabbath. This would have been because, as a Jew, He had been raised this way. It goes on to say that He went on to teach. For the record, I teach a Bible study on a Tuesday, and attend another one on a Thursday, in addition to Sunday worship. I say this not to say that I am a holier Christian than others, but to point out that we are not restricted by custom or tradition to only cross the threshold of God’s house when weekly worship services are held.

Is the Sabbath still Saturday?

Keeping in mind that the Sabbath, as we pointed out earlier is a day of rest, worship, and comes every seven days, nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that it must always be the last day of the week. The Jews had reasons for commemorating it then, and there is no reason not to. However, the first century church met on Sunday, the first day of the week, probably in celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Read what Luke tells us about a rather eventful early church meeting in Acts: “⁶ And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days.
⁷ And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.
⁸ And there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.
⁹ And there was a certain young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor, and was picked up dead.
¹⁰ But Paul went down and fell upon him and after embracing him, he said, " Do not be troubled, for his life is in him."
¹¹ And when he had gone back up, and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed.
¹² And they took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.” Acts 20:6-12 (NASB77)

As much as this is an overall amazing story, notice one thing in verse seven. They met on the first day of the week. No mention is made that there was a violation of proper protocol or laws, or that this was the exception. In fact, it was not even stated that under the new dispensation this was the “New Sabbath”. It is, in fact the opinion of this author and of many others that the specific day of rest and worship is not as important as the fact that it is observed, and observed completely and properly. Don’t use it to catch up on chores or do the extra office work you can do from home. Don’t work over-time at double-time, don’t cook a week’s worth of food to make it easier for you the rest of the week. Rest. Rest in the Lord. Rest with your family. Let your body rejuvenate.

The second part of the commandment is often ignored as we focus too much on the petty part of when the Sabbath should be observed. Look at the parts God where God actually speaks about work, not rest, “Exodus 20:9, 11a
⁹ Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
¹¹ For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Did you notice that we are instructed to labor, or WORK for six days? Many people get caught up in the idea that if a person does not have a full-time job working for a church or ministry, then he or she does not work in “full-time ministry”. In fact, any work we do for the Lord, if we do all for His honor and glory, and take opportunities to share the Gospel with others, live a life that is a righteous one, free of habitual sin, watching our speech and behavior, not fraternizing with those who would tempt us to do what we know is wrong, and not engaging in activities which compromise your witness. This in itself is ministry. This, is laboring for the Lord.

To this end, let it be noted that nowhere in the Bible is there any provision for retirement. I am not saying that people should work until they drop dead from exhaustion. We do have one reference in Scripture about the limitations of work put on the Levites called to the priesthood, but let us look carefully at what even it says: “⁴⁷ from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting.” Numbers 4:47 (NASB77) Further instruction is given a few chapters later, showing that the age at which the young man was introduced was to be twenty-five, and shows that even after retirement, a priest could still have some duties “²³ Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
²⁴ "This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting.
²⁵ "But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more.
²⁶ "They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation; but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations." . Numbers 8:23-26 (NASB77)

The preparation for the work seems to be a lifetime preparation from birth, but what kinds of things do you suppose might still be done by the older priests?

· Are there things that you think an older pastor might do today for one who is younger?

· Do you know any clergy over 50 who may be mentors or advisors to those who are younger?

· How has this relationship developed?

If you know a pastor/minist
er who fits one of these either, ask what his or he role is, and if it has changed over the years.

Fifth commandment

Exodus 20:12 (NASB77)
¹² " Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Several things to note on this, the first commandment which addresses not our vertical relationship with God, but our horizontal relationship with other people.

Like the First Commandment, it lays a foundation on which all the others commandments will follow. It is this author’s opinion that it is no coincidence that God gave first a commandment to put Him first in our lives, and when dealing with other people, to first honor those who are charged with raising us. Our parents are much more than biologically and legally connected to us, with DNA to prove it like much of today’s society would have us believe. In a world where children are becoming more belligerent and more families than ever before are being made up of single mother households, often with children from multiple fathers, it cannot be stressed enough that to honor father and mother is of critical importance.

The commandment is also one of only two which give an affirmative action rather than a prohibited one. In contrast, however, unlike the Fourth Commandment, there is reward for following this one instead of punishment for not doing so. More on that later.

The promise of prolonged days in “the land which the LORD your God gives you.” is reiterated a number of times in Deuteronomy, but none so strongly as in Deuteronomy 6:2-3 where it says, “² so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.
³ "O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Note the emphasis, (added by the author) in verse two that states keeping all His statutes (laws or commandments).

Just as we have looked at other points where the commandments handed down to Moses were mentioned in points and lessons in the New Testament, the importance of honoring ones parents is no different. Paul opens the sixth chapter of Ephesians with this reminder, “¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
² HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise),” Ephesians 6:1-2 (NASB77)

Notice that in his instruction, Paul is speaking to children specifically. This is because the rest of the chapter he addresses other relationships as well:

· Parents’ behavior toward their children

· Slaves toward their masters

· Husbands toward their wives

· Wives toward their husbands

One thing worth noting here is that the word “obey” is used here because Paul is speaking to young children still under the age of adulthood, living in their parent’s home and still being raised to be responsible adults. Obedience is key to this. To “obey” means to comply with; act upon; do as you are told or instructed

Once we become self-sufficient adults with families of our own, it is no longer prudent to expect our parents to watch our every move to make sure we are making correct decisions, but they should be able to live with the confidence that we can make moral and responsible decisions based upon what they have taught us. (This does not mean we will never make mistakes).

This is where honor differs.

By definition, honor means to give high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank. I honor the position of and knowledge of, many world leaders who have accomplished much, but at no time am I in a position which obligates me to obey most of them.

By the same token, an employee, under contract to do work for a company, must obey his boss, even if he does not honor or respect him. In addition to simply being a synonym for honor, respect is also defined as: esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability.

The commandment was being given to the Israelites, so the understanding was that it was given to parents who were teaching their children the Law handed down by God through Moses. A further study of this law through the first five books of the Bible spell out many other things that parents would pass on to their children. These would be things that would shape them:

· Spiritually

· Morally

· Intellectually

· Physically

· Mentally

· Relationally with others

· Financially

These laws would also guide them in other ways.

· Did your parents give you laws or rules to help guide you in these ways?

· Do you feel that even if they did not succeed all the time, they did the best they could?

· Do you believe it is the obligation of a parent to do this for children for as long as the child lives at home?

· Does this responsibility continue even after the child leaves home?

· How does that relationship change?

· For the parent.

· For the child.

It cannot be forgotten that this is the first commandment which comes, as we are reminded in Ephesians 6:1, “with a promise”. The promise as stated, is literally stated, “that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.”

This commandment, given to the Children of Israel right before they would take the Promised Land was a way of assuring them that by keeping true to this, their days “may be prolonged” in the land. This could be read a number of ways. Some could see this to read that they would live long lives individually, but I prefer to see this as a command and reward, telling the people as a nation of their obligation, and rewarding them of a conquest of the land that would last a long time if they obeyed. While still commanded to each individual, the conditions of keeping or losing the land relied on the entire nation.

If we look at the other commandments we have studied so far, the Hebrew word for “you”, translated “Thou” in the Old English of the King James Version of the Bible, (the first English translation available), is always singular. It means that the command to worship only one God, not to take the Lord’s name in vain, etc., are all given to people as individuals, and people are held accountable as individuals. The Hebrew word, ‏עֶבֶד‎ (pronounced eh—bed), is more directly defined “servant, manservant, or bondservant”. Notice this is singular. This makes it clear that God, while speaking to an entire nation, held each one accountable for his or her own actions.

Do you ever see problems today when people in a group are held accountable for themselves, yet an entire group can suffer if they do not do what they should?

How does this make you feel?

We have already seen that Paul addressed the matter of children obeying their parents when he spoke to the Ephesians. In his letter to the Colossians, he had similar words, again, speaking not to the parents about their children, but directly to the children, themselves.

Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Col 3:20 (NASB77)

It may be hard, then, to ask, at what point does a child reach the point of not worrying about obeying his or her parents? The Bible makes no provision for ever discontinuing the practice of honoring them, and in the days of the writing of the Bible, as in some cultures even today, a number of generations may live in the same house at the same time, so drawing the line may be harder still. In fact, I have a good friend whom, because she is not married, lives with her parents in her mid-twenties, although she is a successful dentist, and her sister, an attorney, also lives with them as does their adult brother. While all three adult children honor their parents, and the culture of the country where they live makes this living arrangement very normal, are they still to “obey” as a small child? Being single, this is a difficult call, but Scripture does have words for us about what happens when we marry and leave the homes of our parents.

God saw a need for man to forge ahead and make it on his own, while never losing sight of his parents, and so wrote,

“ 23 And the man said, " This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." 24 For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Gen 2:23-25 (NASB77.”

Think what it would be like if, at my age, (I am a grandfather in my 50s), my father, nearing 80 years old, still had to worry about checking on me to make sure I was paying my bills, eating right, staying out of trouble, doing my chores, and all the other things he had to worry about when I was a boy! When would his job ever end? This is not just freedom from parents that children some day gain. It is a time when parents can now enjoy watching the fruits of their labor. As Christians, we are responsible to raise godly children every generation so that the cycle continues. Granted, as creatures with free-will, there are never guarantees that this will happen, but we are never alone in our child rearing if we partner with God.

We often hear people say that we should honor and respect our elders, and although there are countless Scripture passages which allude to this in one way or another, some regarding parents, others to people in authority, which assumes that they are also our elders, I like a particular reference in particular. Keep in mind that Paul was very much a mentor to Timothy, a much younger man. Educated as a Pharisee, and seated amongst the Sanhedrin prior to his conversion, Paul knew the Jewish law and tradition well and was Timothy’s elder and teacher. Both 1 & 2 Timothy are letters written by Paul to Timothy, giving him much advice on his ministry.

I Timothy gives a lot of advice and information about dealing with elderly people. Keep in mind that all of these people are the fathers and mothers of someone. They may be yours. They are definitely someone’s. By honoring them, you are honoring mothers and fathers. It is good practice to find an elder, (someone who at least is elder in knowledge and maturity, spiritually speaking), who is willing to mentor and guide you.

WHAT IF MY PARENTS ARE DIFFICULT TO HONOR?

What do you do if your parents are difficult to honor?

What if you are a victim of abuse by a parent?

What if you see your parents commit immoral acts?

What if your parents are not Christians?

Does this still obligate you to honor them?

The Bible does not tell us, “unless such and such”.

Matthew 5:44-45 tells us to love and pray even for our enemies. This would mean even our parents who would hurt us. Yes, even a mother who beats you, a father who molests you, who brings terror and anger, must be prayed for.

Follow this by not disrespecting the person when talking to him or her. Keep in mind that if you are a child, the delicate walk of obedience in a threatening household is not easy. However, as an adult, you are not obligated to maintain contact with those who would damage your Christian testimony or bring you physical harm. Furthermore, if you have children of your own, it is critical to ask if someone who has brought physical or emotional damage to you will do the same to your own children. In doing this, remember that Paul gives a good outline for us in his epistle to the Romans when he says, “¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
¹⁷ Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
¹⁹ Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, " VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.
²⁰ " BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS UPON HIS HEAD."
²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:16-21 (NASB77).

This may be hard to do, so it may be necessary to avoid people with whom you cannot have safe relations.

Sixth commandment

¹³Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20:13 (KJV)

¹³ You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13 (NASB77)

Cain killed Abel in anger and jealousy.

What makes this murder? Are there other times when killing may be justified?

Who or what determines this?

You will notice that the sixth commandment has been placed here in two slightly different, but very accurate translations.

What makes them different is essentially one word, which is of the utmost importance. The Hebrew word ‏רָצַח‎ ,(pronounced raw-tsakh'), while it can simply mean to kill, is more likely to mean to slay or murder, not kill as by accident, or even by military battle or in self-defense. This makes it different from other killings, and explains why God hates it so much and even makes punishment for it harsher than for careless killing or for killing in a crime of passion or anger.

By legal definition today, murder is:

The unlawful killing of a human by another human with malice aforethought.

While this is essentially a legal definition, what it tells us is that murder is committed by one person, on another person, with intent, for no good reason, and with planning. While this is not a class in criminal justice or law, they are available in most colleges if you are interested.
Why do you suppose God listed this among His commandments? Before we look at why we place such importance on life, look at what God said in Genesis.

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. Gen 1:1-5 (NASB77)

So what, you may ask, does this have to do with what we are talking about here?
God had lived for eternity with the peace and tranquility of Himself, but also in the loneliness of nothing. Notice how He created light, and in verse 4 recognized that it “was good”. But let’s read on.

26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29 Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so. 31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Gen 1:26-31 (NASB77)

Adam & Eve before the fall
Without repeating the entire text above, let us re-read the first part, and think about what God is doing and instructing Adam and Eve to do: 26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply
Several things happened here. Think how you would feel. Everyone in this group is a father himself, so consider this:

1. God created man in His image (you also created your children in your image). This is done that we may love and be loved, and in our case since we are not immortal like God, so that our legacy may be carried on. Because a child is created in the image of its father, the father is not only loving, but protective.

2. God blessed them. He wished good things to come to them. He gave them the entire garden. Granted, there was work to do, (chores to perform), but it was not lacking. Think about your parents raising you, or you raising your children. Even if things were not perfect, was there any doubt that needs were met? God blessed them with everything they needed.

3. He instructed them to be fruitful and multiply. Quite simply, He was not content with leaving the population at two people. He wanted to see it grow. He did not give them permission to multiply, He gave them instruction.

This was important enough that even after God released Noah and his family from the ark, having seen the evil of His own creation, and found the need to destroy it, He still did not excuse the killing of one man by another man’s hand. In fact, man, who until this time had not eaten meat was now permitted to, but God still stated,

"Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. Gen 9:6 (NASB77)

What makes murder so horrible?

1. To take a human life is to take the life of one made in the image of God Himself

2. To take the life of one not saved is to steal any chance of salvation.

3. To take the life of a Christian is to steal away the chance that Christian had to minister to others.

4. God has an allotted time for all of us. It may be 30 seconds from now; it may be in 100 years. It is not for anyone but God to decide.

Make the most of what you have in your own life. Don’t live it like you are not living. Don’t live it like someone has killed it. Don’t kill yourself. Let God live out in your life. He has wonderful plans for you. That is part of being fruitful.

Think of some of the products and services in our lives that may actually promote murder.

· Smoking

· Alcohol

· Dangerous and Irresponsible Activities

· Promiscuous Sex

· Abortion

· Violent Games and Entertainment

All these things either speed up or allow for death of the participant or others, or encourage activities which make death seem trivial. When we trivialize death, or do something to damage our own bodies, (causing our own deaths), we commit murder in a different way.

Can you think of other ways this is done?

List them.

We are not here to investigate every possible other law concerning the death of one person by the hand of another, but suffice it to say that God knew that this could and would happen. As a result, He instituted safe havens for just such things. To this end He instructed Moses accordingly:

⁴¹ Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east,
⁴² that a manslayer might flee there, who unintentionally slew his neighbor without having enmity toward him in time past; and by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: Deuteronomy 4:41-42 (NASB77)

One of the provisions of these cities was that the offender was to be safe as long as he resided there. He could not be avenged by the family of the person he killed. However, if he ever left the city, he was no longer safe. He was, in effect, on parole for life for his recklessness.

There are those who attempt to use this commandment to argue that even war is sin, and therefore is never endorsed or supported by God. Now, before I get everybody who reads this writing me, let me clarify this by saying that I believe wholeheartedly that war should be used as a last resort any time, and even then, only after extensive prayer that it is within God’s will, and in the fulfilling of His higher purpose.

We must not forget that The Promised Land, itself, was taken forcefully, and a great many wars, (meaning people were killed in God’s name and with His directions), took place to gain the children of Israel the land that they would claim. In fact, the land that would once again become Israel in 1948, and the unification of Jerusalem in 1967 in the eyes of

Israel

, (a point disputed by some internationally) came about as a result of World War II and The Six Day War.

Those who look to Scripture to support there argument that even professional soldiers are living in sin by being merchants of death, and therefore murder, have turned to a statement Jesus made when Peter, in haste, acted violently when it was not necessary. It was at the moment of His arrest, and nerves wee frayed

“And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
⁵² Then Jesus •said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.
⁵³ "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
⁵⁴ "How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?"
⁵⁵ At that time Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me.” Matthew 26:51-55 (NASB77)

Notice that Jesus does not condemn any use of weapons, but says that those who “take up the sword”, speaking of those who are not called to a task worthy of guarding, protecting, or otherwise needing to be armed, “shall perish by the sword”.

Seventh commandment

¹⁴ " You shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14 (NASB77)

Because of the delicate nature of the Seventh Commandment, and because it is one that is so controversial to so many people, some of them even Christians, we may find ourselves spending more time studying it than with some of the other commandments.

The commandments we examine relating to our relationships with others often will find their way into the legal systems of our day. Whether criminal or civil, many of them are represented in one way or another. Such was the case with adultery in the

United States

until very recently, and in many parts of the world it is still considered illegal under either criminal or civil law.

The present view that committing adultery is not truly “wrong”, as long as “nobody gets hurt”, meaning the partner(s) of the involved people either don’t know (or don’t care), it shouldn’t matter.

Aside from the fact that this is simply false due to the fact that it violates God’s Law, the law was put in place to protect the integrity of the family, instill trust between a husband and wife, and, as stated in Genesis, and later repeated by Jesus when asked about divorce when He said, “⁴ And He answered and said, "Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,
⁵ and said, ' FOR THIS CAUSE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE TO HIS WIFE; AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'?
⁶ "Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." Matthew 19:4-6 (NASB77)

That is right. Let NO MAN (or woman) separate. Although Jesus is speaking of times of divorce, He undoubtedly speaks of a person who would enter into a relationship and cause conflict which could end up in divorce.

The commandment in and of itself seems pretty straight forward. In fact, if you look at the original Hebrew, it is two simple words, which in English would translate, “No adultery”.

Just as the commandment was simple, so was the punishment.

“If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” Lev 20:10 (NASB77) (emphasis mine).

“Marriage, a natural union of a man and a woman, is divinely ordained, established by God at the creation. His laws-in particular the Seventh Commandment-authorize the marriage relationship and establish it as the foundation of the family, which in turn stands as the foundation and most important building block of society”. The Ten Commandments by United Church of God

Since the Seventh Commandment seems aimed at married people, let us first establish exactly what constitutes adultery.

The technical, dictionary definition of adultery is, “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse”.

Notice that by textbook definition, adultery must include:

1. at least one legally married person

2. actual, physical contact which must be sexual intercourse.

Anything else, by dictionary definition, is not adultery. Therefore, two people who are not married at all do not violate this. Satisfying another without actual intercourse is not adultery, nor is mere fantasy or lust. This leaves the door wide open, and our society has said a big “Thank you” to it, and exploited it.

People have tried for centuries, but even more so in modern days, to justify acts other than actual sex as we define it, as adultery. However, again quoting The Ten Commandments by United Church of God, “Since God’s law sanctions sexual relationships only within a legitimate marriage, the command not to commit adultery covers, in principle, all varieties of sexual immorality. No sexual relationship of any sort should occur outside of marriage. That is the message of this commandment.”

Can you think of any commonly practiced, even encouraged sexual practices that are, by this guideline, adultery, but accepted in society?

Why do you think they are?

Do we engage in practices which are supported by some of these?

Do we encourage or support those who use such sex in advertising?

Does this make us guilty by association?

Are there ways we can avoid or minimize this involvement?

Can you think of any that are practiced by a small minority that are not acceptable, and why they are considered inappropriate? What makes them different in the eyes of men? Are they different in the eyes of God? Why or why not? Are there others which are now acceptable which in the past would have been numbered among the unacceptable?

Look what we read in James about the person who thinks that there is a difference between violating one commandment but not another.

I find it particularly interesting that adultery is one that is used as an example here. “10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11 For He who said, " Do not commit adultery," also said, " Do not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. James 2:10-11 (NASB77).

See the other warnings in the Bible about adultery. For those who say that it does not hurt anyone:

32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it. 33 Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out. 34 For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. Prov 6:32-34 (NASB77)

That certainly sounds like people getting hurt!!!!!

9 "Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known, 10 then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered!'-- that you may do all these abominations? 11 "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," declares the Lord. Jer. 7:9-11 (NASB77)

Notice how adultery is placed in with false swearing and offering sacrifices to false gods. (Remember James 2:10-11). God sees this as being no different! Where else do we see God referring to the making of His house into a “den of robbers”?

12 And Jesus entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He •said to them, "It is written, ' My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a robbers' den." Matt 21:12-13 (NASB77)

People are born with a sin nature. Because of this, we are still falling, and still must maintain a vigilant watch over ourselves, humbly knowing that we cannot do it ourselves. Regarding the sin of adultery, Jesus took things even further than what was written in Exodus 20, and we will examine this further next week, as it goes deeper than we can explore in one session.

When addressing adultery in a broader sense, He said something alarming that certainly would not be popular today. Beginning in Matthew 5:27 and 28, and continuing again in verses 31-32

27 " You have heard that it was said, ' You shall not commit adultery'; 28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. 31 "And it was said, ' Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce'; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

To make it clear that this was not a new law that was His own, or one that was being modified in the New Covenant, as some would believe even today, Jesus had addressed this earlier in the same chapter where we read, in verses 17-18, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.”

Why do you suppose He saw no difference in lusting after a woman and the actual act of adultery?

Can the act itself take place if the desire, the lust, does not take place first?

Do you ever eat first, and then get hungry?

Sleep first, just in case you get tired later?

Drive somewhere because you might want to go there?

The reason was simple- Lusting after a woman is the first step in desiring her. Desiring her leads to seeking to be with her. This leads to sinful behavior. The Bible shows this to be in the sinful nature of fallen man.

1 Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 And David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her;^[9] 2 Sam 11:2-4 (NASB77)

Now, it is worth noting that in the day of King David, it was customary for the king to be with his army when they went into battle. This is the first time we have recorded that David, or any king of Israel failed to go. However, he made no mistake about sending Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. Some have speculated that, given Uriah’s high rank, David had already met, or at least seen her, and set up this opportunity, although the Bible does not spell it out for us.

How could David have minimized his temptation?

Even if his sighting of Bathsheba was by complete accident, what should he have done?

2 Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 And David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her;^[9] 2 Sam 11:2-4 (NASB77)

The entirety of 2 Samuel is dedicated to the prophet Nathan confronting King David about his transgression. Ironically, Nathan, who uses a metaphor to explain David’s sin, has no trouble convincing David that the man who stole what was not rightly his was wrong, and worthy of being punished. It is not until things are disclosed and David repents, that David is able to begin making amends. However, even this is not without consequence. In other words, some times, even repented sin carries with it permanent consequences.

2 Samuel 12:7-15 (NASB77)
⁷ Nathan then said to David, " You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ' It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.
⁸ 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and

Judah

; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!
⁹ 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
¹⁰ 'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'
¹¹ "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your companion, and he shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.
¹² 'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all

Israel

, and under the sun.'"
¹³ Then David said to Nathan, " I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.
¹⁴ "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die."
¹⁵ So Nathan went to his house. Then the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.

At what point did he step over the line from seeing to lusting?

Is the line black and white? If not, why isn’t it?

David lusted at a beautiful woman, and in doing so, fell into sin. He also violated the Tenth Commandment which we will study later, as well as the sixth one which we already have, and some would say the eighth and ninth. That’s right, the man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), would commit murder, adultery, steal, lie, and covet. However, he would also be redeemed when he repented.

Jesus warns us about letting evil or sinful things into our bodies and minds, reminding us that anything that enters, must also be eliminated or expelled somehow.

17 "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? 18 "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19 " For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20 "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." Matt 15:17-20 (NASB77)

This is an important thing to remember when we look at Jesus’ response when asked about adultery. Again, He proves that He is not here to remove or deny the Law, but to uphold and perfect it. In fact, by giving more specific explanation and clarification, it may at first seem that He places restrictions not previously there, but we will see that this is not the case.

Regarding adultery, Jesus made a statement much the same as the one He made about murder just a few verses earlier. 27 " You have heard that it was said, ' You shall not commit adultery'; 28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matt 5:27-28 (NASB77)

Why do you think He saw no difference in lusting after a woman and the actual act of adultery, which we previously defined as an actual physical, consensual act between two people?

If the answer to this isn’t painfully obvious, can you think of anything you consent to without first thinking about it? Anything pleasurable that you consent to without some sort of desire or longing for?

Sin comes in stages. First, an opportunity must present itself. Second, it must be presented in a way which is desirable. Third, it must be thought about and an opportunity created to act on it. Lastly, it must be acted on.

Not all things which end up becoming temptations must even become temptations. For example, in the matter of lust, I can work with an attractive woman in my office, have an attractive neighbor, classmate, woman in my congregation, or even an attractive friend of my wife. As a man, I know my personal taste in what I find attractive and desirable, and am not blind to these things when they present themselves. To say otherwise would be to deny that someone other than your mother could make a meatloaf as good as hers.

The key is this. A woman walks into the room. I see her. I notice what she looks like. I appreciate God’s work of beauty for what it is. If I know her I acknowledge her, or conduct the business I have, and that is all. I do not let the image of her dance around in my head, play games, or stay for lunch. As I heard one man say, “I can’t help it if a bird flies over my head, but I don’t have to invite it to build a nest”.

How does this relate to all of us then? There are many ways we can be caught up in this. First, look at the many ways the world entices us to lust, and makes it not only acceptable, but encourages people to do so.

1. The media encourages women to make themselves more enticing to men.

2. Men are encouraged to celebrate and cheer this sex appeal with things like purchasing gifts, dating and “worshiping” the most beautiful girls, equating beauty and sex with success.

3. Sex, youth, and popularity have been used to sell products ranging from automobiles and bath products to paper towels, clothing and office supplies.

4. An estimated 7billion dollars is spent each year on cosmetics by people in order to look more beautiful. In 2010, despite the recession, an estimated 10billion dollars was spent on cosmetic surgery.

5. More and more magazines have special issues devoted specifically to things such as “The Most Beautiful Person”, “Most Handsome Man”, “Annual Swimsuit Issue”, and other things that exploit beauty and sex.

There are many other things such as mainstream media television shows. We all have control over the programming we watch, the web sites we visit, and, if we have a computer, putting a filter on it to keep inappropriate material off of it. But what do we do with our minds, our hearts, and the instincts to control what goes in?

Remember what James said when he warned us,” 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. James 1:14-15 (NASB77)

There are many things in our lives that we have control over, and some things that we may think we don’t. We are going to touch on some pretty sensitive ones next time we meet, so be ready for that. I will not be asking anyone to discuss anything he is not comfortable with, but you will know in your own hearts where you stand on all these matters.

Eighth COMMANDMENT

¹⁵Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:15 (KJV)

Interestingly, the sixth, seventh, and eighth commandments, which all read essentially, “Thou shall not…” and then give a command, could more simply be stated in Hebrew, as follows:

Sixth Commandment-No Murder

Seventh Commandment-No Adultery

Eighth Commandment-No Stealing

While the dictionary gives a number of definitions for the word “steal”, they all essentially refer to the taking of one person’s property or idea, by another, without permission, and without intent to return it. Legal penalties vary based upon many factors, and the Bible spells this out later, but for our purposes here, we are focusing on the simple fact that people owned property, and had the right to posses it, share it, sell it, gift it, but nobody had the right to simply take it.

The law of God forbids stealing. The punishment appointed for theft in the civil polity of the Jews may be seen in Exodus 22. Very ancient laws of other nations punished theft by exacting the double of what was stolen, while subsequent laws made a distinction between theft manifest and not manifest. Other laws went the length of punishing with exile, or with branding, while others made the punishment capital. Among the Jews, the punishment of the false witness was to “do unto him as he had thought to have done with his brother” (Deut 19:19)—Institutes of the Christian Religion

1 " If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. 2 " If the thief is caught while breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guiltiness on his account. 3 "But if the sun has risen on him, there will be blood guiltiness on his account. He shall surely make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 "If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double Ex 22:1-4 (NASB77)

This goes on with other conditions. Note how it even includes in it, the stealing of a virgin’s innocence. We will examine not this in particular, but how this fits into a totally different kind of stealing we often overlook. Please read the entire chapter to get the full effect of what is being said.

Other stealing

Not working while being paid

Noticing you were not charged correctly at store, or given too much change back.

Underpaying taxes.

Not helping equally at home.

Cheating on a test or helping others do the same.

Giving your children something they should be working for, thus depriving them of a learning experience they need in order to grow.

Withholding from God, be it in prayer, Bible reading, worship, finances, or other service.

Any time you have an obligation where you are not doing all you could or should.

Are you more of a thief than you may have thought?

How are these things forms of stealing? Can you think of others?

It is here that I would like to address something that will probably not sit well with some people, and is likely to contradict the way almost everyone has ever interpreted this particular Scripture, or heard it interpreted. So be it. I make no apologies for that, and feel that God, by whose Holy inspiration the Bible was written, meant this to be the way this was read.

This pertains to punishment for people who bring harm to others, damage their property, including livestock, and includes perhaps one of the most quoted, (or misquoted in my opinion), Old Testament passages in The Bible.

Leviticus 24:17-23 (NASB77) “¹⁷ ' And if a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.
¹⁸ 'And the one who takes the life of an animal shall make it good, life for life.
¹⁹ 'And if a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him:
²⁰ fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him.
²¹ 'Thus the one who kills an animal shall make it good, but the one who kills a man shall be put to death.
²² 'There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the LORD your God.'"
²³ Then Moses spoke to the sons of

Israel

, and they brought the one who had cursed outside the camp and stoned him with stones. Thus the sons of Israel did, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

In a world where the death penalty is debated over and over, this is not my purpose here. The key to my bringing this out is actually the part of verse 20 which I have highlighted. Although the entire passage seems to be one stating justification for revenge or punishment for wrongdoing, it is, as I read it, more a statement to let people know that there are limits to punishment. If a person kills my father, and I justifiably take the life of the man who murdered him, my son cannot carry on for another generation and keep the grudge going. Also, as you saw with the limit to what is permitted if property is damaged or livestock killed, I cannot demand more than is permitted.

Ninth commandment

¹⁶Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Exodus 20:16 (KJV)

Bearing false witness is something we don’t often give much thought to, and in a simply legal sense, pertains only to testimony in courts of law. In essence, if you give false testimony against somebody under oath, you are “bearing false witness” against them. In our courts we call it purgery, and it often includes making slanderous statements about the person.

Because it was originally used in cases of criminal trials, it would be something such as saying you saw someone commit a crime when, in fact, you did not see them, or, perhaps in order to protect someone else, you lied who it was you saw. It would also include lying about something you, yourself had knowledge of and claimed ignorance, (or vice versa).

Perhaps a look at Scripture will help understand why it was critical for the people to understand the importance of not bearing false witness.

Notice here, that the commandment takes no interest in whether or not it is a Jew or a sojourner. Also, verse 32 does not give us names, but says, “they found him…” As the accusers, if they bore false witness about this man, and he was then stoned, (for the sake of argument, let’s say they simply did not like this man and wanted him done away with), their hands would still be stained with his blood, since the entire city was involved with the stoning, and the person or persons who brought the accused to be judged would typically cast the first stone. (See similarity in John 8:7).

³⁰ But the soul that doeth aught with a high hand, whether he be home-born or a sojourner, the same blasphemeth Jehovah; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
³¹ Because he hath despised the word of Jehovah, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
³² And while the children of

Israel

were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks upon the sabbath day.
³³ And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
³⁴ And they put him in ward, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.
³⁵ And Jehovah said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
³⁶ And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him to death with stones; as Jehovah commanded Moses. Numbers 15:30-36 (ASV)

Our system of justice requires much more to convict somebody now, and certainly more than the word of three reliable witnesses to bring a person to be stoned to death, but look at the kinds of things that can be destroyed by speaking falsely about a person anyway:

· Jobs

· Reputation

· Families

· Personal Relationships

· Sense of Self-Worth

In the areas listed above, how are some ways people have worked to ruin a person by bearing false witness?

Ways that I can think of are the following:

· Outright lie

· Gossip

· Exaggerate

· Spread or start a rumor

· Misrepresent the reputation of another person or company/church/family/organization

Name some that you can think of.

Looking at more Scripture for guidance and direction, remembering that Moses had just been given the Ten Commandments, let us read further.

1 " You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. 2 You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; Ex 23:1-3 (NASB)

18 ~' You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. Lev 19:18 (NASB)

Notice that even Jesus, when discussing the Commandments with the Rich Young Ruler asked what he must do to earn his way into heaven, mentioned the very things mentioned above:

17 And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 Then he *said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, " YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; 19 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Matt 19:16-19 (NASB)

Let’s think about some areas in life where we see such behavior all the time, and where people consider it not only normal, but expected and acceptable. What do you think? Are there acceptations? Why or why not?

· Magazines and tabloids that gossip about celebrities.

· Politicians who say things criticizing one another, particularly during elections.

· Companies advertising, trying to get customers who are loyal to someone else.

· A person who is fond of someone, perhaps wanting a romantic relationship, saying harmful things about someone in order to win someone’s heart.

· Saying bad things about another church, whether true or not.

When, if ever, might it be acceptable to say negative things such as the example given above? Can you think of others not listed? If it never is, why do you think it has become so common in our modern day?

Can we all commit to examining ourselves daily to see that we are looking into our hearts before speaking, before forming opinions, and before developing feelings toward others, whether they are Christian brothers and sisters or not.

TENTH COMMANDMENT

" You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Ex 20:17 (NASB77)

What is coveting?

Do we live in a world that permits coveting?

One that even encourages it? When?

Dictionary definitions of covet:

1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's)..

2. To wish for longingly.

Why do you think our society has put such little emphasis on the importance of not coveting?

Have you ever even heard a sermon preached about it?

Of the two definitions above, would you say that the second one could even be acceptable if it is not a desire for something belonging to someone else, or something outside of God’s will? If so, what could it be?

What are some areas in life where we, as people, seem to be encouraged to covet? The following areas are seen in this society as acceptable, or even encouraged areas where we are told coveting is a way of marking success:

1.more money
2.bigger car/house
3.better job
4. different (better) mate
Never allow your desire for more to eclipse your love for people (or God).
The average person sees approximately 3000 pieces of advertisement a day telling him about things that will make his life better and happier. It may be a bigger house, better car, better paying job, a place to meet a special mate. Advertisers do not get paid to tell people to be content! This would not make money for their clients.

The Bible warns of those who covet. The prophet Micah strongly stated, “¹ Woe to those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the power of their hands.
² They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.” Micah 2:1-2 (NASB77)

It was also covetousness which caused the fall of Lucifer from heaven, as accounted in Isaiah, “Isaiah 14:12-15 (NASB77)
¹² "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
¹³ "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.
¹⁴ 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'
¹⁵ "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.”

Interestingly, people often don’t equate covetousness with selfishness, which is putting self before others, and even pride, which is thinking that they are more important than others, or that they deserve better than others. A look at the flawed logic of Lucifer shows us that this was very much in his thinking, and forces us to do the same in ourselves.

8 And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. 1 Tim 6:8-10 (NASB77)

Notice how this does not say, as many have misquoted, that money is the root of all evil, but how the love of money is the root of all evil.

Let us look at one more reason not to covet, and this is not about coveting for things we do not have, but for things that we wish to have taken from us, such as burdens to be lifted.

Paul was being challenged by what he termed a “thorn in my flesh”, something that has been discussed and debated, as nobody knows exactly what it was. To the Corinthians, he writes, “7 And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me-- to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”2 Cor 12:7-10 (NASB77)

How does “My grace is sufficient for you” play into making sure we are not covetous?

By coveting, we desire something God has not given us. We are saying that the things He has determined to be sufficient, those with which we should be content, are not enough. If we are saying that we are not content with what our God, the very creator, the Holy and righteous Lord of the universe has determined is what is best for us, how do you think that makes Him feel?

As earthly parents, it can be hard when our children express that they feel they are being cheated, and by all means, most have expressed this in their immature minds which have ideas of what is right and fair. This is essentially what happens when we covet something that God has not seen fit to give us.

Focus of the commandment is coveting things that belong to your neighbor, or in general, things which already belong to someone else. Desire for something you don't have can cause you to work for it. desire for something belonging to someone else causes jealousy. This even includes personal relationships, and is one of the leading causes for adultery, as studies have shown that many affairs begin when friends or acquaintances begin to get too close.

There are, however, ways to get past the world’s acceptance, and expectation of coveting. Listed below are a few. This is by no means a comprehensive list:

Cure for covetousness-Contentment

1. Have a proper value system

2. Trust in God's sovereign plan for your life.

3. Be grateful for God's provisions.

"Don't fall for the myth of more". Dr. Robert Jeffress

CONCLUSSION

Although the Ten Commandment were the initial Laws given to the Children of Israel, the first five books of the Bible list a total of 613 laws mentioned in the Torah, or Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament, which contain the Law). Of these, 365 laws are essentially the “Thou Shall Not” laws, numbering the number of days in a solar year. The number of “Thou Shalt” laws number 248, the number ascribed to the number of bones and main organs in the human body. (Babylonian Talmud, Makkot 23b-24a
It is not our attempt to explore these laws, and in fact, many months could be spent on this subject alone. It is often said, with much criticism, that people become too legalistic when trying to follow the laws of the Bible. Indeed, if the purpose of following them is to gain salvation, or a better form of salvation, then this is true. Salvation is, and always has been a free gift from God.
Remembering that the Bible was written thousands of years before the invention of most modern medical knowledge, and even the so called “sophisticated” sterile and hygienic ways we clean ourselves and keep our homes, some of the laws were established to do nothing more than provide for ceremonial cleansing and separation of things which could otherwise contaminate each other.

A perfect example, which we will not get into in detail, is the one of circumcision. Outlined in Leviticus we see the following,

“¹ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
² "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean.
³ 'And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” Leviticus 12:1-3 (NASB77)

OK, so what’s the big deal? Why are babies circumcised on the eighth day? Why not the sixth, ninth, tenth? Why not just when it is convenient? Truthfully, the people given instruction to circumcise their male babies would not have known, but God knew that it was on the eighth day that vitamin K reaches its peak in the blood stream of a newborn. This is a key element in blood’s ability to clot.

An examination of many other laws given by God show their value in hygiene, health, and safety.

We could examine the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy in particular and find in addition, punishments spelled out for violating the Ten Commandments and other laws God gave.

WORLD WITHOUT LAW

There is, without a doubt, a part of each of us which would like to make all of our own decisions without the hindrances of laws and authorities. At least, that is what many people think. How would that work? Total anarchy is just that. A lawless society. It happens when governments fall or lose their control, even temporarily over the civil society they are charged to oversee.

In truth, people need order. If we look back to the fall of man, although Adam and Eve stepped outside the original plan God had for them and sinned, tasting the forbidden fruit, as part of the conversation Adam would have with God he would even bring the blame back on the One who had given

· Order

· Law

· Instruction

“¹¹ And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"
¹² And the man said, "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." Genesis 3:11-12 (NASB77)

Adam had no problem accepting the forbidden fruit on his own, but insisted that the responsibility lie on God, who had given order, law, and instruction to him.

Living as fallen people in a fallen world

As we conclude, let it be noted that the easy answer to keeping all the commandments and never failing is simple-you can’t. The Ten Commandments were not written as a rule book to be kept without failure. Instead, they are a mark of perfect holiness, and indeed show us that we cannot be holy without God. No man has walked the Earth except Jesus Christ, Himself who can honestly make this claim.

Since it is by grace alone that we are saved, the best thing we can do as fallen people in a fallen world is to first accept that. We have all sinned and fallen short of the perfect holiness God demands. If you have already done this, and have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as your only hope for salvation, then you are already assured an eternal home in Heaven. If you have not, it is not too late.

The next thing to do is to begin a daily routine which involves setting aside time of prayer, meditation, and Bible reading. God has given us a manual for life in His living Word, which took over 1400 years to complete, and has stood the test of time for 2000 years.

If you have been helped by this study, or would like more information about how to learn more about the Lord, please feel free to get in touch with the author.

Reverend James M. Dakis

lsministries121@gmail.com

http://livingsacrificeministries121.webs.com

Soul winning Ministry

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Ten Commandments-An Overview of God’s Law

Forget Not His Commandments

By Henry Morris, Ph.D. | Dec. 5, 2012

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