The Ten Commandments
In 2003 much publicity was given to the removal of a Ten Commandments monument
from an Alabama courthouse. I am not sure about your concern over the issue,
but isn't keeping the Ten Commandments more important than
displaying them? Are the Ten Commandments relevant? If not,
why the fuss over the monument in Alabama?
I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
What can be a god to us? How about self ego/pride, our possesions, wealth,
money, education, rock stars or movie starts, overemphasis on pleasure, sports,
our stomachs... can of those become gods to us? Never mind Satan worship cults,
modern witchcraft and the like. Whatever comes short of love, gratitude,
reverence, or worship toward God, breaks this commandment.
II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.... Thou shalt not bow down
thyself to them, nor serve them...
This one is related to the first one. Do we bow down and pay homage to such
objects or persons? The spiritual import of this command extends much further.
All kinds of superstition are here forbidden, and the using of mere human
inventions in the worship of God.
III. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain...
The Christian God, particularly, has become the swear word of the
world. I have met Christians and non-Christians alike who use Jesus
name as a swear word. Have you ever heard of anybody using Buddha or
other gods as swear words? Has God's name become trivial to us? Are
you guilty of trivializing Gods name? Have you ever said "Oh my G..."?
in a joking or trivial or routine situation. Respecting God's name
should be above that of any worldly dignitaries or honored humans.
IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.... For in six days the LORD made
heaven and earth...
Do we throw this one away? The
original Sabbath is on Saturday - ask any Jew - and it was to
commemorate God's creation of earth (Gen. 2:3). Many Christians keep
Sunday "instead" of Saturday to honor Christ's resurrection. That
makes as much sense as observing your wedding anniversary "instead" of
your wife's birthday - you observe both. Why would honoring God as the
Creator be of so little importance - unless we have doubts of God
being the creator and He is just some sort of psychological crutch.
After all, He told us to keep the Sabbath. Jesus kept the Saturday
Sabbath, his disciples did (they were all Jews) and no scriptural word
is ever given to abolish the practice. Sabbath is not just "Jewish",
it was instituted thousands of years before there were any Jews in
existence - in fact when only two people were around at creation.
V. Honor thy father and thy mother...
For real? Does it really make a difference to honor our parents? What
does it mean? Honour thy father and thy mother, includes esteem of
them, shown in our conduct; obedience to their lawful commands; come
when they call you, go where they send you, do what they bid you,
refrain from what they forbid you; and this, as children, cheerfully,
and from a principle of love. Also submission to their counsels and
corrections. Endeavouring, in every thing, to comfort parents, and to
make their old age easy; maintaining them if they need support, which
our Saviour makes to be particularly intended in this commandment,
Matthew 15:4-6. Careful observers have noted a peculiar blessing in
temporal things on obedient, and the reverse on disobedient children.
VI. Thou shalt not kill...
The sixth commandment requires that we regard the life and the safety
of others as we do our own. Magistrates and their officers, and
witnesses testifying the truth, should not break this command.
Self-defence is lawful; but much which is not deemed murder by the
laws of man, is such before God. Furious passions, stirred up by anger
or by drunkenness, are no excuse: more guilty is murder in duels,
which is a horrible effect of a haughty, revengeful spirit. All
fighting, whether for wages, for renown, or out of anger and malice,
breaks this command, and the bloodshed therein is murder. To tempt
mankind to vice and crimes which shorten life, may be included.
Misconduct, such as may break the heart, or shorten the lives of
parents, wives, or other relatives, is a breach of this command. This
command forbids all envy, malice, hatred, or anger, all provoking or
insulting language. This commandment requires a spirit of kindness,
longsuffering, and forgiveness. The destruction of our own lives is
here forbidden - Those with nicotine, alcohol, high cholesterol, etc.
cannot always make the right decisions, especially in regard to
eternity. Carelessness in driving habits, in work habits, and other
practices resulting in death can be regarded as murder.
VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
This one is a joke in today's society. Bed hoping, spouse swapping is
encouraged by entertainment media.
There is a lot of emphasis against child abuse, but broken families
from adultery and divorce is more serious child abuse than physical
abuse.
How about other forms of sexual irregularities? Today's society frowns
on polygamy but approves homosexuality because it can be a "loving
relationship" (how so more than polygamy?).
This commandment concerns chastity. We should be as much afraid of
that which defiles the body, as of that which destroys it. Whatever
tends to pollute the imagination, or to raise the passions, falls
under this law, as impure pictures, books, conversation, or any other
like matters.
VIII. Thou shalt not steal.
The eighth commandment is the law of love as it respects the property
of others. The portion of worldly things allotted us, as far as it is
obtained in an honest way, is the bread which God has given us; for
that we ought to be thankful, to be contented with it, and, in the use
of lawful means, to trust Providence for the future. Imposing upon the
ignorance, easiness, or necessity of others, and many other things,
break God's law, though scarcely blamed in society. Do we believe in
"finder's keepers" when you can locate the owner? Plunderers of
countries though above human justice, will be included in this
sentence. Defrauding the public, contracting debts without prospect of
paying them, or evading payment of just debts, extravagance, all
living upon charity when not needful, all squeezing the poor in their
wages; these, and such things, break this command; which requires
industry, frugality, and content, and to do to others, about worldly
property, as we would they should do to us.
IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
Today, a little lying is regarded as good for business. Are you honest
in business practices? In sports? In daily living?
A certain survey some years ago, claims that about eighty percent of
people lie some of the time, fifty percent lie often and about thirty
percent are regular liars. I don't know about the accuracy but am
convinced that there is a high percentage. Just check out your junk
email.
You can make a difference to the world in honest dealings and
encourage people to be true Christians with your example of honesty.
X. Thou shalt not covet...
What's wrong with wanting to have what others have? Foolish debt for
one thing. Keeping up with the status quo. This commandment forbids
all wrong desire of having what will gratify ourselves.
Only Two Commandments
The ten commandments were given to children of Israel and the world
because they had a stubborn heart and became legalists. Like children
they had to be told more details and specific rules on behavior - like
little Johnny's attitude: "but you did not tell me that I can't break
the window".
The original commandments were only two: "Thou shalt love the LORD thy
God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
might." (Deut 6:5, Mat 22:37) and " Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself." (Lev 19:18, Mat 22:39.) For if you love God supremely, why
would you worship other objects, persons or things, bow down to them,
not honour God's Sabbath day to remember his creative ability? If you
love your neighbor as yourself, why would you lie, cheat, kill, steal,
covet your neighbour? The explicit rules "thou shalt" and "thou shalt
not" would not be needed.
Learn more of facts from scripture themselves...
Don't let the media, public opinion or second hand word teach you about God.
Learn for yourself directly from scripture. If you are a bit rusty or fuzzy on
scriptural facts, the following are some sources for Bible Study Guides you can
follow on your own.
http://www.vop.com/free_bible_guides/index.html
http://www.thequiethour.org/htmlbible/biblestudy.shtml
http://www.amazingfacts.org/school/af_logon.asp