The Principles of God Do Not Change

Part 26

First Commandment: Hear God’s Voice

The first commandment is not about “having no other gods before me”.

The first commandment is about hearing God’s voice and appreciating the fact that we have been saved from being alone and isolated from true love, and having to face death without any hope of something better in life. This commandment will have real meaning to us if God is our Savior and the Lord of our lives, because, if this is the case, we will know who is the Lord our God, and we will have a meaningful relationship with Him.

The first commandment also contains typology. As we have already discussed, typology is symbolism that has a broader application beyond the strict literal sense in which a type is used. In this case, there is meaning inherent in the first commandment that applies to us, as well as those who were brought out of the Land of Egypt at the time of Moses. The fact that the first commandment contains this symbolism (by using types) also means there may be other commandments of the Decalogue that have a broader application than the strict literal sense, which appears to apply only to the Israelites. It is important that this be borne in mind because, if we are inconsistent in interpreting the scriptures, we will find ourselves breaking faith with God. Our aim is to understand God, not to break faith with God.

When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” He replied by quoting Deuteronomy, which reads:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”’ (Deut. 6: 4-5).

The first commandment is not “you shall love your god” as many people seem to think. Your god could be anyone or anything. It is, firstly, hear, or listen to the words that God is speaking. For the Lord is One and there is no other God. Then it says, we are to love God and must know Him personally as Lord—not merely know of God and believe He exists. We need to love Him with our whole being and all our strength. If we do love God, we will keep His commandments and, because of this, live a life of much blessing. This is God's promise to us. This promise is found in Deuteronomy chapter six, verse three.

God’s Principles Do Not Change

We have the ability to make choices and take hold of God’s promises because we are gods, not animals. We each have a spirit, which was created to have fellowship with the God of gods—our God. This may seem strange, but Jesus Himself, called the Father not only our Father and His Father, but our God and His God, too (John 17:20). We are not mere animals with a soul; we are gods; we are spirit beings, designed to worship and have fellowship with the Father of spirits (Hebrews 12:9). Nothing has changed. The Father’s purpose has always been the same.

Many people claim that Jesus did away with the Old Testament and what is written in the books of Moses is no longer valid today. However, for those of us who actually read the Bible and note what it says, one of the remarkable discoveries we have been able to make is how the principles of God do not change. Another discovery is God Himself does not change in His requirements for having a relationship with Him. What was applicable to Adam and Eve is still applicable to us today. What was written in the Law of Moses that had significance for salvation is still applicable today. The fact that people were required to walk in the truths of God is still applicable today— even though they were given three thousand, five hundred (3500) years ago. There may be a cultural shift, but the truth remains. Hence, Jesus and the Apostles all quoted the Old Testament, even when it came to declaring the so-called new commandment, the first commandment, which is, we shall learn to hear the voice of the Lord God, and love Him with all our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength. This is the only way we can be delivered from the futility of being born—only to die.

Go to Part 1 Click HERE

Copyright  2012 H.Riches

The Ten Commandments Were Not Given To Abraham The Father Of The Faithful

Part 20

Not Given to the Fathers

Interestingly, in Deuteronomy chapter five, we learn that God made a covenant with the people of Israel, which was not the same covenant made with their fathers:

“The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the Lord¹⁶ [i.e. the Son of God] and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said:

‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me’” (Deuteronomy 5: 2-7).

The fathers were Abraham,  and Jacob. This is quite clear in the Bible, as evidenced when Moses saw the burning bush that was not consumed and God commissioned him to go down to Egypt:

“God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:15).

It is very clear who the fathers are, and according to the scriptures, they had not been given the Ten Commandments as a covenant. Yet it needs to be pointed out that Abraham kept all of God’s commandments, statutes and laws, as well as keeping His charge and obeying His voice (Genesis 26:5). While this implicitly includes the Ten Commandments, there was no covenant like the Mosaic covenant made with Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob. The scripture has no record of any covenant being made with any of the fathers charging them to keep the Ten Commandments,¹⁷ like there was a covenant made with the Israelites, who had been rescued from Egypt.—This does not mean we should break the Ten Commandments carte blanche, though, that grace upon grace might be extended to us (cf. Romans 6:1-2).

The covenant made with the Israelites after their rescue from the oppression of Pharaoh was for a good reason. God had to set up an appointed time to demonstrate His righteousness to all of Creation and legally lay claim to what was lost when Adam forfeited his right to reign on Earth to Lucifer, the now ex-Archangel; who is otherwise known as Satan and the Devil—among other names.

Some major cosmic declarations¹⁸ were taking place at the time of the Israelites deliverance from Egypt and these were seen in everything God commanded Moses to copy from the Heavenly Sanctuary (Hebrews 8:5). Much of what occurred during this period and what Moses was ordained to do was full of typology that represented greater truths about God’s purpose for humankind. God in His wisdom ordained this so that those who truly wanted to know Him would seek Him and find Him, while for others, the events that happened and the requirements of the covenant would seem like nonsense.

The Ten Commandments were given specifically to the Israelites, along with the sacrifices and redemptive model that Moses copied from the Heavenly Sanctuary. The aim was for these to become a tutor until the full truth was revealed (Galatians 3:24). The commandments, statutes, laws and charge that were given to Moses included the weightier matters of the law (faith, justice and mercy).

However, the blood of bulls and goats could not provide the efficacy of grace and truth that was needed for salvation. Neither could the blood of goats and bulls act as a shield to protect the sinner against the accusation of the Ten Commandments. This is why it is written that the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ—Jesus did what the Mosaic Law could not do through the blood of animals and provided salvation power through His death and resurrection. However, the many regulations of the Ceremonial Law did provide the knowledge of God and how men were to be redeemed from the bondage of sin and death.  As for the Ten Commandments, they have always been of value, except no human being appears to have been able to keep them—that is, apart from Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.

To keep the Ten Commandments—and fulfill the Royal Law (James 2:8) by walking in the Spirit—a person needs to, first of all, understand that they have to heed the voice of God. This is what the first commandment is really about. We need to know who God is and obey His voice, which we do because He is our Lord. The reason God is our Lord is because He has rescued us from the slavery of sin and the bondage of death. If we do not know the reason why we need to know God, then it is impossible for God to be our Lord. Essential to knowing God and being saved from a life of futility is reasoning with God why we need Him in our life. God invites us to “come and reason with Him”.

Go to Part 1 Click HERE

Copyright  2012 H.Riches

Are The Ten Commandments Abbreviated Better Than The Complete Version Of The Ten Commandments?

Part 3

The Abbreviated Version

You might think, “What is wrong with the abbreviated version?” On face value, there does not appear to be much wrong with it; except, like the Reader’s Digest version of the Bible, it is very condensed.  The abbreviated version goes:

  1) You shall not have other God’s before me.

  2) You shall not make for yourselves any graven images.

  3) You shall not use God’s name in vain.

  4) You shall remember the Sabbath.

  5) You shall honor your mother and father.

  6) You shall not kill.

  7) You shall not commit adultery.

  8) You shall not steal.

  9) You shall not tell lies.

10) You shall not covet.

There are some variations to this. Commandment no. 4 is often recited as “You shall remember the Sabbath as a day of rest”, or “You shall remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy”. Commandment no. 5 is sometimes: “You shall honor your parents” or “You shall honor your Father and Mother”. Commandment no. 6 is sometimes, You shall not murder. ”Commandment no. 9 is sometimes, “You shall not bear false witness.”

These might seem like minor points, but they do have different connotations. In this exploration of the Ten Commandments, and what they really mean for us today, we will discover their significance, and how they can benefit us. We will also see how they can be distorted, misunderstood, dismissed, and overlooked.

The full version of the Ten Commandments has been taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible. Here is Exodus chapter 20, where the Ten Commandments are first mentioned in the Bible. We shall consider the whole chapter to provide a little context and throw some light on the awesomeness of the occasion when these great truths were first presented to the people of Israel.

The Complete Version

The First Commandment

And God spoke all these words, saying,

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

"You shall have no other gods before me. (Ex. 20:1-3).

The Second Commandment

"You shall not make for yourselves a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments (Ex. 20:4-6).

The Third Commandment

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain (Ex. 20:7).

The Fourth Commandment

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and 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 (Ex. 20:8-11).

The Fifth Commandment

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. (Ex. 20:12).

The Sixth Commandment

"You shall not murder (Ex. 20:13).

The Seventh Commandment

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

The Eighth Commandment

"You shall not steal (Ex. 20:15).

The Ninth Commandment

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Ex. 20:16).

The 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 is your neighbor’s" (Ex. 20:17).

Who Wants To Be Wise?

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Proverbs 18:2
He who gets wisdom loves himself; he who keeps understanding will prosper.
Proverbs 19:8 

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The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God

Why Do The Ten Commandments Exist?

Why The Ten Commandments

—they are A Guide To Successful Living

Part 1 

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him” (John 1:1-3 New Living Translation).

Jesus said to those who professed to know God in His day that they knew neither the scriptures nor the power of God. Knowing one without the other is bad enough, not to know either is worse. To know the power of God but not know the scriptures would be like living on a volcano without the knowledge of what to do when it blows. Whereas, to know the scriptures but not the power of God is like having architectural plans for a house but no materials with which to build—not to mention the skills required.

Many claim they know the scriptures, yet observations of their lives indicate they do not have the skills to interpret them. This is because interpreting the scriptures is an applied science and not a theory—like many scoffers would have us believe. 

Often, there are different views that create problems for people. At one discussion group I attended, two diametrically opposed views were expressed that created a volatile situation. One person believed that it is negligent and irresponsible stewardship not to insure one’s house and belongings against loss from fire, theft or acts of God. The other person claimed that to take out insurance was to demonstrate a lack of faith in God. The two individuals had different worldviews, even though they both claimed to be Christians who justified their position from scripture.

Another person I know severely injured his shoulder. Instead of having an x-ray to discover the extent of the injury, this person claimed he was going to believe God to heal him. Six months later, the last time I saw him, his shoulder appeared to have gotten worse and his agony more excruciating. Surely,  in this person’s case, a better option would have been to find out exactly what was the problem with his shoulder and then express his faith in God to show him how he would be healed.

Knowledge and faith go together; we cannot have faith without knowledge. The more sound our knowledge, the more effective our faith.

When Moses was up on Mt Sinai getting instructions from God, the people below became impatient and built a golden calf to worship. Moses came down and broke the tablets upon which God had written the Ten Commandments and ordered the sons of Levi to slay people. Three thousand people were slain that day, because people chose to rebel against God (Exodus 32:7-28).

On the day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were baptized into the name of the Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins in order to receive the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:37-41).

One preacher I heard comparing the two aforementioned scriptural passages, from the books of Exodus and Acts, claimed that this demonstrated that the old covenant of the Law could not bring life, only the new covenant of the Holy Spirit could bring life and the power to heal—evidently, this preacher had overlooked the promise of healing that was made at Marah (Exodus 15:26) before the Law was given to the Israelites.

The truth is the three thousand people who were killed by the sons of Levi had not yet received the Law and perished through a lack of knowledge. The Law did not bring death, since death reigned before the Law was introduced. What the Law does is provide people with the knowledge of the salvation of God.

Knowledge is an important element in understanding how we can apply our faith. Incorrect interpretation of events and a lack of applied knowledge results in merely a theoretical faith in God, which is ignorance. Ignorance is not what faith is about. Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is not blind devotion. Faith comes from applied knowledge through understanding the principles of salvation found in the Word of Life, the Word of God.

When the Word became flesh, no one had seen God with his or her physical eyes. To quote that very literal English translation, The Emphasized Bible: “No one, hath seen, God, at any time: An Only Begotten God, The One existing within the bosom of the Father, He, hath interpreted him” (John 1:18). Jesus effectively interpreted how to live a righteous life in accordance with the Ten Commandments by loving the Father and His neighbor as Himself. Jesus’ interpretation of the scriptures was not a theoretical display of knowledge; rather it was a demonstration of the power of a Godly life. We can say from a modern perspective, Jesus demonstrated that applied science is living the truth of the scriptures.

In the book of Romans, chapter two, verse twenty, we learn that the Law has the “embodiment of knowledge and truth” (ESV). Since the Law of God embodies knowledge and truth, and Jesus demonstrated the powerful benefits of living in accord with the Law, by not transgressing the Ten Commandments once, surely this would be a good enough reason for us to desire to know them. What other guide to successful living exists?  The promise of Psalm One is all who meditate on the Law will prosper in what they do.

These Ten Commandments are so powerful that because Jesus kept them, He has been able to bequeath, in His last will and testament, life to every human being at His death (Hebrews 9:15-17). However, this life is conditional in that it is only available to whosoever is willing to accept the truth and grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 2 Peter 1:2; John 8:31-32). If we are to partake of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and yet do not understand the just requirements of the Law, we are like people seeking to harness the power of a volcano without the required knowledge. This is something the people of Thera, living on what is now known as the Greek Island of Santorini, once tried to do before it destroyed their civilization. In other words, without the Ten Commandments, there is no hope for true success in life. We are beaten before we start. Fortunately, we can thank God; this need not be the case.

The Ten Commandments were once taught in schools everywhere in Western Countries but these days they are considered irrelevant, no longer fashionable, antiquated, and even superseded—but, by what? As you will discover, without the Ten Commandments, there is no hope for anyone.