Julie Ann's Request.

Introduction

The Ten Commandments are the only words ever recorded to have been written by God Himself. The Bible may be inspired by God, but it is not written by His Own Finger as were the Ten Commandments.

Many people like to say that the Ten Commandments do not apply to us today because when Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead three days later, He fulfilled the requirements of the Law.

However, Jesus Himself said that even if Heaven and Earth pass away, the Law will still stand.

This is because the Ten Commandments are about relationship and not about rules and regulations that are made up for us to demonstrate that we are being good. Governments make up many rules and regulations about how people are to conduct themselves when driving or staying somewhere or handling food or buying and selling. Usually there are fines or taxes attached to the rules made by governments.

The laws that God gave to Moses regarding what Israelites were to do regarding various matters that were not expressed in the Ten Commandments were not written by Him. They were written by Moses, even though dictated by God. However, unlike the Ten Commandments they were not eternally binding because they were mainly symbolic of what Jesus Christ was going to accomplish when on the Cross of Calvary.

The Ten Commandments cover every aspect of our lives. This is because they have to do with relationships: our relationship with each other and our relationship with God.

I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad. (Psalm 119:96 NASB[i])

Perfection requires us to be able to define something and know its limits. If we cannot define a given object, then we cannot know whether or not something is perfect. All humans are perfect human beings. Each human is a unique person and to be unique means to be perfect. To be unique means to be one of a kind, of which there is no other. There is nobody who is exactly the same as you. You have fingerprints, a voice, and an eye that belong to you but nobody else. Even your very DNA is uniquely your own. In this sense, you are a perfect individual that is exactly you.

Since all humans have limits and therefore can be defined and identified, they are technically perfect. But when it comes to the relationships and the commandments of God, these can be endless because of many factors and facets of exchange between each different person. There are billions of people on Earth. Every little aspect of a relationship means that an interaction takes place and this is but one of many different interactions that could take place over time, with there being an endless number of interactions to take place between individuals over eternity. Therefore the commandments of God are exceedingly broad, so that each interaction can be covered by the commandments. When we understand this, we can begin appreciate why Jesus said that Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but the Law shall not pass away until all is accomplished.

The Law that Jesus was speaking about here is the Ten Commandments. The only time this law will not need acknowledging will be when everybody walks in accordance to it and nobody violates any of the commandments. When our nature has been changed and our desire is to love one another because we love our Heavenly Father and the Lord of Lord and King of Kings, Lord Jesus Christ, then there will be no need for people to be reminded of what is right and what is wrong behaviour.

Understanding that perfection is limited to what we can define is a very important matter when it comes to accepting ourselves in relation to God and other people. We are called to accept our uniqueness and yet recognize that each person is perfectly unique also.

If you are having trouble accepting that you are perfect, just think of a chair. How you describe a chair is a perfect chair. To say that a chair has a seat, four legs and a back is to describe a perfect chair. Now whether that chair is perfect for each person is another matter, because a small chair might be too small for a large person and a chair made out of wood without any padding might be too uncomfortable for most people to sit on for a long time. But when we describe a chair, we all know that a seat with four legs and a back is a chair. There is no need to say that this is not a perfect description of what a chair is expected to have. When we go into other details, we are only describing what type of chair we are speaking about.

As human beings, we are perfect sinners because we are born into sin and as soon as we break one of the Ten Commandments, we cannot be called imperfect sinners. We are either sinners or we are not. We have clearly sinned and, therefore, we are in need of forgiveness, if we are to become right with God and any one whom we have sinned against.

Just because we are born into sin, this does not immediately make us guilty of having committed sin. To be guilty of sin, we have to commit sin. Committing sin requires us to break one of the Ten Commandments. This we can do unintentionally or intentionally. Not everybody begins to sin by wilfully intentionally breaking one of the Ten Commandments. Most people unknowingly begin committing sin against God by not seeking Him out and relating to Him on a daily basis. People also begin sinning when they disobey their parents or take what does not belong to them without permission or envying something another person might have that they would like to possess.

What the Ten Commandments do is enable us to understand what is defined as sin and point us to what is right to do. Attempting to keep the Ten Commandments will not make us right before God, but if we repent of our wrong doing and see to it that we do not break them, we will find favor with God.

There are Ten Commandments. The first five have to do with our relationship with God. The second five have to do with our relationship with other people.

Some people divide the Ten Commandments into God crimes, person to person crimes, speech crimes and thought crimes. God crimes are the second commandment (people making idols) and the fourth commandment (not observing the Sabbath). Person to person crimes are the fifth commandment (not honoring our parents), the sixth commandment (committing murder), the seventh commandment (committing adultery) and the eighth commandment (stealing). Speech crimes are covered by the third commandment (taking God’s name in vain) and ninth commandments (bearing false witness against one’s neighbor). The first and tenth commandments are considered thought crimes because they are how we view God or what our neighbor has. The first and tenth Commandments are about what we think and not so much about what we do. The law itself is not evil, but it enables us to know what is evil; that is what sin happens to be. In the New Testament the Ten Commandments are referred to as the Law. We are told that the law is not evil even though, if it did not exist, we would not know sin; that is, what it means to commit crimes against God and other people. The Law is good because it defines sin and enables us to understand our need to repent and exercise faith towards God by doing what is right.

The following is what the Bible has to say about the Law of God; that is, the Ten Commandments:

Does this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do that.  (Romans 7:7 CEV[ii])

You might think I am saying that sin and the law are the same. That is not true. But the law was the only way I could learn what sin means. I would never have known it is wrong to want something that is not mine. But the law said, “You must not want what belongs to someone else.”(Romans 7:7 ERV[iii])

Therefore, God will not justify any human being by means of the actions prescribed by the Law, for through the Law comes the full knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20 ISV[iv])

Now do you see it? No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners. (Romans 3:20 Living Bible[v])

There is a story told about a teacher who stood before his pupils and placed a large empty fish tank on his desk. He then took some large stones (about twice the size of a can of drink) and placed them into the tank. When he had placed all the stones he could into the tank so that they were level with its top, he asked his pupils whether the tank was full. The pupils said, “Yes!” Now there were some very big gaps between the stones, so the teacher poured a couple buckets of smaller stones into the tank until he could get no more in. When asked if the tank was now full, the pupils said, “Yes!” But the teacher said, maybe it is not full and then began pouring sand into the tank and giving it a little shake, every now and again. When the sand was flattened at the top of the tank, the teacher asked the class of pupils looking on if the tank was now full. They replied, “Now it is definitely full.” “

The teacher asked the pupils if anything more could go into the tank. The pupils said, “No the tank is completely full, nothing else can be put into the tank.” Then the teacher went outside and came back with a bucket of water and poured water into the tank until it began to overflow. This time the teacher said that the tank is now full and asked the class of pupils what they learned from the illustration. The class unanimously agreed that they could put more into the tank than what they thought. The teacher said that the main point was that if we do not put the big rocks in first we will not be able to put them all in later, whereas if we can put the smaller stones and the sand and water later.

The Ten Commandments were written by God Himself. They are like the two big rocks that take up most of the space that we need to put in our tank first. Unless we understand the Ten Commandments, we will not be able to understand what God requires of us when it comes to the smaller matters in our everyday life. In fact, if we do not understand the Ten Commandments, we will not be able to live life in a way that is acceptable to God in this current world; neither will we be able to understand what is written in the Bible and we will fall into error—as many people do.

The Ten Commandments present us with an organized system not only to understand how to interpret the Scriptures but also to live our lives in a way that enables us to love the Lord our God and our neighbor as ourselves. Essentially, this means do not do to other people what you hate having been done to yourself. If this means that you hate to be ignored, do not ignore God and do not ignore other people. If this means that you would hate to have an intimate relationship shattered between you and your partner in life, do not invite another party to share that relationship, whether between you and your life partner or you and God. If you do not want another people to take what belongs to you, do not take what belongs to God for yourself or anything that belongs to another person. If you do not want people to speak evil of you, do not speak evil of them nor accuse God of creating evil. If you do not want other people desiring to have what you have, accept oneself and recognize that you exist because of your Creator.

The Ten Commandments may seem to be a series of “do nots” and compared to love, very negative. Yet what is known as the love chapter in the Bible, we learn that we are given a series of “do nots” so that we know how to love one another.

This is what the “Love Chapter” states about love:

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil (1 Corinthians 13:4-6 NIV[vi])

As we can see there are eight (8) “do nots”.

1) Do not envy.

2) Do not boast.

3) Do not be proud.

4) Do not dishonour others.

5) Do not be self-seeking.

6) Do not be easily angered.

7) Do not keep a record of wrongs.

8) Do not delight in evil.

There just happens to be only eight “do nots” referenced in the Ten Commandments. The forth commandment states that we are to “remember the Sabbath. The fifth commandment states that we are to “honor our father and mother”.

For us to understand to love we need to see what it is that we should not be doing. This is because we are born into a world that is governed by sin, which is evil. Sin cuts us off from God. Sin causes us to treat other people in ways we would not like to be treated ourselves. Sinful acts cut us off from each other.

Understanding the Ten Commandments helps us to understand how we ought to love one another and also to love our Heavenly Father.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:20-21 NIV)

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6.31-33 NIV)

In the following pages we will learn what the each of the Ten Commandments mean. A more detailed discussion providing a deeper understanding can be found in the book The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God.

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The first commandment

                                      

 God spoke all these words, saying: I am Yahweh 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.

The first commandment tells us how God wants to be known by us. God wants us to understand that He is our deliverer from sin and death and the futility of being born only to die. God wants us to know Who He Is. To know anyone means we have to have a relationship with that person and understand what our relationship means to each other. This requires us to know who the other person is to us; who the other person is in our world.

Knowing someone other than ourselves requires us to recognize the reason why we would interact with the other person. The reason why we would relate to another person determines who that person is to us. If the person is a stranger and we merely see the person walking down the street, there is no interaction and there is no relationship; the person means nothing to us. Whereas, if we were interested in knowing who that person was, we would want to know more about them, so that we could enter into a relationship; at least, initially.

The first commandment reveals to us many things. Primarily though, the first commandment tells us Who God Is. The commandment begins with God speaking; otherwise, we would not know whether He made the declaration.

God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh 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.” (Exodus 20:1-3)

This commandment tells us God declares His name to be YHWH—actually pronounced YihWih as we breathe in and out. The name of God actually means LIFE. God is saying I am LIFE itself; without Me there is no life, no hope, no purpose, no significance or meaning to existence.

Many versions of the Bible translate the Hebrew YHWH as Lord. Therefore, you will read “I am the Lord” instead of “I am YHWH”. The World English Version adds two vowels to form the word Yahweh—which is a common practice. The truth is when everybody breathes they pronounce the name of God.

God is the one whom we worship. So when this commandment, as it is commonly understood, states “I am the Lord your God,” this is explaining that our worship is to be directed towards YHWH, the source of life.

As far as the Israelites are concerned, they were brought out of the land of Egypt where they were in bondage to Pharaoh and they are being told that they will have no other gods to serve other than their deliverer, if they are to have a relationship with the Source of Life. Bear in mind that life that is not eternal is not life at all, but a state of meaningless insignificance—in other words: death. And death does not mean ceasing to exist, but existing in a meaningless existence. An example of a meaning existence is found in rocks. Rocks have no life but they exist. Just imagine if they were conscious of their meaninglessness.

Now we might say that the first commandment does not apply to us because we were not brought out of Egypt by the Lord God. However, what we learn is that in the first commandment there is typology, which is the use of symbols within the Bible to present a hidden truth.

The hidden truth here has to do with Egypt representing the world in which we live and being enslaved to Pharaoh represents being enslaved to the god of this world. Pharaoh is not mentioned but implied, because when the Hebrews were in Egypt they were in bondage to him and his servants, not anyone or anything else. Furthermore, Pharaoh was also considered a god, The god of this world is the Evil One who blinds the minds of unbelievers. The god of this world is not the Lord God, Creator of the Universe, but the fallen angel that Jesus said He saw fall from Heaven as lightning.

When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, the Gospel of Mark states that He said it was to hear God’s voice. We read:

Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one:  you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:29-30)

First Jesus states that we are to listen to the voice of the Lord God, and then He says that God is one, for there is no other. We cannot be listening to the voice of the Lord God and the voice of another at the same time. God does not change His mind. What God states He will do, He will do. If we are not willing to accept this, then we have to present our disagreement to Him to find out whether we are in the right. The book of Isaiah tells us that we are to reason with God, But we can only reason with God if we know Him, we cannot argue our point if we do not know whether we are being heard. Neither can we love God, if we do not have a relationship with Him. Nobody loves another if they have not relationship. We might be infatuated with an idea, but unless we are in a relationship we cannot truly love another person, even if we have a strong desire to have a relationship. Only when a relationship is entered into can expressions of love be received and appreciated.

The Israelites were informed that God was speaking to them and they were hearing His voice. They needed to know that the One, who delivered them from Pharaoh, who had heard their requests for deliverance, this was the One speaking to them. God was entering into a relationship with the nation of Israel and the people needed to understand that they had a responsibility within this relationship.

Relationships require responsibility from both parties in the relationship. Therefore, whenever we are in a relationship, we need to understand the responsibilities that we undertake to enjoy the privileges the other enables us to have. Relationships are not meant to be meaningless interactions, but meaningful engagements that grow in significance as the each one enjoys the favor of the other. A relationship with our Heavenly Father is no different to having a relationship with other people, who go on to become significant contributors to our well-being and enhancing our enjoyment of life.

The first commandment is about knowing Who God Is and what He means to us. If we do not hear God’s voice we cannot have a person relationship with Him. Once we find God, we will being to hear His voice. The Bible instructs us that we are to seek God and find Him. The Bible states:

He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ (Acts 17:26-28)

You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Only when we seek God with all our heart, with all our soul and all our strength, and nothing else matters will we find our Lord to be open to us, so that we can enter into a relationship with Him that endures unto eternity.

King David advised his son Solomon that forsaking God also brought an eternal consequence:

You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Yahweh searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. (1 Chronicles 28:9)

The Second commandment

You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The second commandment is not understood by most people because they think it is either you shall not have any gods before me or you shall not make for yourself a carved image and pray before it. However, this commandment actually has much more to say about what happens in life and why we our lives are not going the way we might like than any other commandment.

You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,  and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6)

Here we learn a number of facts that need to be addressed individually.

1.       You shall not make for yourselves an idol

2.       You shall not make for yourselves an image of anything

3.       you shall not bow yourself down before an image

4.       You shall not serve what the image represents

5.       The Lord God is a jealous God

6.       God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon those who hate Him

7.       The consequences of the iniquity can extend to the fourth generation

8.       God shows loving kindness to those who love him and keep His commandments

IDOL

An idol can be anything that is placed between you and God. You can have a devotion to another person (mother, father, brother, sister, relative, friend, singer, actor, politician, priest, pastor, etc) and this person could become an idol that is placed by you before God. You might have a devotion to an activity that occupies your time (sport, hobby, acquisition of knowledge, television show, radio program, Facebook, internet, etc) and this can become an idol that is placed before God. You might be engrossed in becoming successful in life and your studies, work or career can become an idol that you put before God. This is not to say that you cannot participate in these activities or appreciate the achievements of other people or love another person who is endeared to you, just that they must not come between you and God. If they come between you and God they become an idol that diverts your love away from the One who loves you the most, the One who cares for you the most, then you become guilty of violating your right to enjoy a wholesome relationship with the Creator of Life.

Two things that help us in understanding that God deserves our utmost devotion first and foremost are:

1.       the name of God is the sound that we make when we breathe YHWH (breathe in and out and listen carefully as you make the sound YhiWhi);

2.       when the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the fullness of God in human form takes up rule over the New Heavens and New Earth, God will be all things to everyone. This is what we learn from the New Testament.

The last enemy that will be abolished is death.  For, “He put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when he says, “All things are put in subjection”, it is evident that he is excepted who subjected all things to him.  When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 26-28)

 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14)

When we understand that the Infinite Father God will become manifest in everything, for righteousness will dwell in the New Heavens and New Earth, then we can appreciate the reason our existence is totally dependent upon our Heavenly Father and all we really have is freewill. We can reject the truth or we can acknowledge the truth. This is the only right that we possess that God cannot override. If our Heavenly Father were to give us freewill and then take it back, then we were never given freewill in the first place. A gift is never taken back if it is truly given. Therefore God, being righteous, gives us freewill to make our own choices. If decide to reject Him, then we have rejected life and chosen death to be our idol.

IMAGE

When you create an image of anything, even if it is only within your thinking, this becomes an idol. The commandment refers to making an image of anything that is in Heaven, on Earth or under the Earth, referring to the water. If you make an image of anything that you believe is in Heaven then this is a violation of God’s commandment. The imagination of man is very capable of coming up with many ideas. These ideas can be expressed in symbols to represent whatever a person may want them to represent. They can be in human form or animal form or whatever shape or size a person may create. The problem with creating images is that they can lead people astray by putting the image before God. The Bible teaches that we are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When we construct images that we can see with our eyes there is always the chance that we will be lured to attribute thoughts to the image that really ought to be directed towards our Lord and Savior, Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Faith is something that comes when we repent of our sin, recognize our inability to overcome death and put our trust in God to help us, to guide us, and show us the truth.

Bowing down before an image is not an issue if no images are made. Images can be made by creating statue or works of art. Carved images can be anything. Each person can believe the same image, even if it is just a carved stick, represents something different to what it might represent to another person. One person might not see anything wrong about carving images to tell a story about an event that took place or to provide and illustration of what can be done. This can be done using painting. Actors also can be used to illustrate what has happened or explain what is expected in the future or just telling fictitious stories. The filming of actors, events and places brings with it another problem that can cause people to lose devotion towards God. Instead of expressing faith towards God, people get engrossed in developing images. Today “selfies” are very popular and people can become more engrossed in what they look like and taking images of themselves rather than learning to appreciate the presence of God. The dangers of making images are ever present and can be used as means by the Devil to draw people away from having a true devotion towards the One who loves them the most.

BOW DOWN

When you down before anyone or anything, you are assenting to being a servant of that person or whatever is represented by the thing that you are bowing down before. People bow down before kings and queens, even today, the same as they in the past. People sometimes bow down when meeting certain heads of state. Islamic rulers expect people to bow down to them when they meet them. The Pope and Cardinals and other religious figures expect people to bow down before them when they come into their presence. While this might be considered a sign of respect, this is prohibited by this commandment. Likewise, if anyone bows before a statue or even a wooden cross, this is prohibited, regardless of what the image represents. The reason being people begin to put their trust in the image rather than Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Moreover, what people call faith aids divert people from putting their complete trust in God. And in similar fashion this is evidenced when people believe that they cannot pray to God unless they are in a church building. The same applies when people travel to a certain location to get a miracle or to be heard from God or to find favor in His eyes. This is like saying that God is not the great Almighty whose eyes roam the Earth and knows the number of hairs that are on each person’s head. God is watching everything and can be contacted anywhere, for in Him we live and move and have our being. The question is, of course, Does God live and move and have His being in us?

SERVE THE IMAGE

When people bow down to images, they are acknowledging that the image represents someone to whom they owe obeisance; that is, somebody to whom they owe their life; somebody who has authority over them. People do not need to see whoever or what the image represents because they imagine this in their minds. The carved or painted or photographed or filmed image reminds them and causes their thoughts to think of what they believe is represented by the image. People make all sorts of promises and vows to whoever they believe the images represent. Not only are we speaking of the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of God, the Holy Family, Saints, Angels, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Buddha, and imaginary people being immortalized, but also dead mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, other relatives and ancestors. When people do this, they invite evil spirits to reign over their lives. They become slaves to their vows and promises. Worse still uncertainty and superstition begin to fill their lives and their thinking cannot be sound. The same applies when people begin bowing down before a religious authority because they are said to be deserving respect. If that person is truly of God, that person will be a servant of those who are members of his congregation, and will not act as a lord over his flock.  Those who are servants do not seek people to serve them; rather they seek to serve those who are brought into their sphere of influence. Lord Jesus was very clear that those who belonged to Him were to be servants and not lords over their flocks.

Jesus summoned them, and said to them, “You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant. (

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-44 NIV)

Images are not be made of anything in Heaven or on Earth. This is the case, even if they are images of the Heavenly Father or Lord Jesus Christ. Firstly, the Heavenly Father dwells in light and has no form. Secondly, Lord Jesus Christ says that He desires to dwell in our heart. If Lord Jesus is residing in our hearts, then there is no point in making an image of him. If Lord Jesus is not abiding in our heart, then we have a major problem.

As for anybody desiring to be influential among the people of God or anyone who finds themselves becoming respected by those around because they are honored of God, that person is required to be a slave not a lord. The person does not separate himself and make himself to be someone who ought to obeyed; someone who issues orders like a boss. Those who become authorities in the word of God are to become servants who seek to help others have a more fulfilling life and grow in the knowledge of the truth.

THE LORD GOD IS JEALOUS

Jealousy is often misunderstood and used by people when they really should use the word “envious”. A jealous person is not envious of what another person has but very protective of what belongs to himself. Hence God is a jealous God. He yearns jealously over the spirit that He places inside of every human being at birth.  In the book of James we read:

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? (James 4:5 NIV)

 Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love? (James 4:5 AMPC[vii])

The Amplified expounds upon what the Bible is saying and informs us that spirit that dwells within us belongs to God. Regardless of what we do, God owns us. Yet because we have been given a spirit by God, we have the ability to think and make choices as He does. Nevertheless, this spirit belongs to God, but requires to be born again by the Spirit, if we are to become members of the Body of Christ.

Now God is jealous over the spirit that is placed in us at birth because this is actually part of His infinite Spirit. Likewise, we can be jealous when it comes to things that belong to us. If somebody is attempting to take something that belongs to us out of our possession, we will jealously attempt to prevent that person from taking our possessions. In the similar fashion, God is jealously desires to have communion with the spirit that He placed within us, which is really the source of our thoughts and enables us to be conscious beings.  The jealousy of God increases the more we draw towards Him. We might not be aware of this, but this is one of the reasons life can seem difficult if we are not abiding in the will of God, and find everything seemingly going against us. A battle is taking place for our spirit between Satan and God. When you begin to get serious about walking with God, you will become more aware of the traps that set about you to distract you, frustrate you, anger you, cause you to be depressed, pump your ego, embarrass you, discourage you, express doubt and unbelief, have regrets, become bitter, despair of life, and begin to hate having began to look Heavenward. When you are born you become a temple for the spirit that God puts within you. When you are born again, how much more so, do you become the temple for the Spirit of God?

INIQUITY VISITED TO FOURTH GENERATION

Not only is God jealous over the spirit that He places in us, but over all His Creation. More so, when it comes to people and the affairs of humans, God is particularly jealous of His name. There are many gods created by people, but none of them has the authority or power of the Lord God Almighty. And the Almighty God wants it made known that He does not tolerate evil, even though evil exists. But because He is righteous and has given people freewill, he abides by their decisions, having set the cut off point of evil at the fourth generation.

As difficult as it is for people to understand how God can control the habitations of mankind and allow everyone freewill, the answer is found here. Iniquity, which is habitual sin, is permitted to run to the fourth generation, wherein it brings forth the death of the individual and is no longer passed down to the next generation. In the book of James we read:

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.  Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death. (James 1:14-15)

There is a principle here regarding the growth of sin. This can be applied to individual cases, but because God’s grace is applied to every individual, four generations are required before the sin is fully grown. In the book of Genesis, God explains to Abraham that his descendants they will go to a foreign land and will return in four generations, when the iniquity of the people of the land they are to possess is complete.

In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. (Genesis 15:16)

The idea is that there will come a time when the sin that is found among the Amorite will grow and then the whole nation will be affected by it; at this time, they will have forfeited their right to occupy the land that they currently possess. The Amorite’s hatred of God will have become complete.

Does this mean that God caused this? No. Rather, God could see that the practices that the Amorites were becoming involved in were causing them to ignore Him and turn to worship of Satan. He also understood that there was nothing that would prevent them, because like the people before the flood, their hearts were becoming evil.

LOVING KINDNESS OF GOD

Essentially God desires to have a relationship with every person. This relationship is based upon freewill not servitude. The idea of freewill is expressed by Isaiah, when God uses the prophet to issue the following invitation:

Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

Without freewill we would not be able to reason with God. What we need to do is work out for ourselves what is best for us to do. Should we acknowledge that God is greater than us? Should we acknowledge that God is more knowledgeable that us? Or should we ignore God and disregard what is written in the Ten Commandments. After all the Ten Commandments are merely informing us how we can save ourselves from doing to other people what we hate being done to us. They inform us about how we can relate to God and the best way to relate to other people. While they may be authoritative, they do not have to be adhered to or acknowledged if we decide to ignore them. Nevertheless, when you decide to acknowledge them because you recognize that they are really a law for having a trouble free relationship with other people an even our Heavenly Father, He is pleased.

When we hate God, we turn away from Him. When we love God, we seek Him out. The decision is ours. The reasons we make our decisions to turn away from God or look to Him may differ in some respects, but in the end we have to acknowledge our need of Him if we are to overcome death and stop sinning. Acknowledging God for Who He Is requires us to repent of our current lifestyle and begin to live in accordance to the way that finds favor in His eyes. Hence, we read that by loving God and keeping His commandments, we find favor with Him. In finding favor with God, we begin to acknowledge His loving kindness towards us.

In Summary

There is more to the second commandment than just not making graven images. What we have discussed here is but a brief look at what this commandment covers. Yet the fact that it speaks about idols, making images, bowing down before those images, or what they represent is just a part of what the second commandment addresses. For we learn that this commandment speaks about the nature of God and his love for people, through the fact that He is jealous and shows loving kindness to those who appreciate Him and keep His commandments. Yet we also learn that God does not tolerate sin, and even though He is merciful, when sin is fully grown, there is no place for it in the presence of God. Those who persist in sin are cut off from the land of the living.

The Third commandment

You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

This commandment becomes a warning for those who make out they are keeping God’s commands but are living in accordance to the requirements of a righteous life. When people claim the name of God and do not live up to what is required for a righteous life, His holy name is blasphemed by unbelievers.

In the book of Malachi, we learn that Israel was to be a land of delight because the nation existed under the blessing of God.

All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says Yahweh of Armies. (Malachi 3:12)

The gospel was first preached to Abraham (Galatians 3:8), which is why we are told that we are children of Abraham, if we have faith and are faithful. In this respect, the New Testament teaches us that Abraham is the father of us all (Romans 4:16-17). “Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).

When the gospel was first preached to Abraham, God spoke to him and said that he would blessed. This blessing required Abraham to listen to the voice of God and do what he was directed.

Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:1-3)

Not everyone is prepared to do as directed by God. Many people claim that they have not heard the voice of God; therefore, they do not need to do what God requires. The Apostle Paul tells us that even those who do not have the Law—the Ten Commandments—have a conscience; that is, an inner recognition of what is right and what is wrong to do (Romans 2:14-15). James, the Lord Jesus’ half-brother, according to the flesh, says that if anybody knows what is right to do and does not do it, then this is sin (James 4:17). Therefore, anybody claiming that they have not heard the voice of God, as did Abraham, or they have not had an encounter with Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul did (Acts 9:4-6), have no argument for not doing what is good, right and true. The fact each one of us has a conscience is sufficient to guide us towards doing what God expects of us. Not that we are to go on a good works trip, but that we have the ability to work out what is right and what is wrong, and are capable of seeking Lord Jesus that He might be found of us.

This commandment states:

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

Many people claim they are Christians because they are born into a family that say they are Roman Catholics and are baptized by sprinkling of water as a child. This is often called being christened. The same applies to those of the Orthodox churches, Coptic churches, Protestant churches and various Evangelical churches, In many independent evangelical churches and in Pentecostal churches, children are not baptized, but are dedicated to the Lord. Nevertheless, the children grow up believing they are Christians and in doing so, every time they sin by breaking one of the Ten Commandments, they are effectively taking the name of God in vain.

Blaspheming the name of God is not exactly the same as saying “God” or “Jesus Christ” as an expression of frustration or as a curse or as an expletive, used profanely and obscenely. Yet, when we do this, we are in fact taking the name of God in vain. Some people think that using “God” as an expletive, when frustrated or annoyed is okay. Many preachers are heard doing this, and many people in the congregations follow their example. Yet, when I was a non-Christian, I thought it was good to copy a woman who did this numerous times during the day, when I did it, I was convicted by a force that this was against God. When a twelve year old boy is convicted of using the word “God” as an expression of frustration and annoyance, and the boy does have a relationship with the Lord God, surely this has to be wrong and counted as taking God’s name in vain; especially, when the person knows that “God” refers to our Heavenly Father.

In the book of Romans, we are informed that the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the way the Jews break the Ten Commandments. This occurs because people preach and do not do. Or people make claims to being chosen by God, but continue to sin. We read:

You therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal?  You who say a man shouldn’t commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law, do you dishonor God?  For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. (Romans 2:21-24)

If we love someone, we cherish that person. We do not go around using that person’s name as a swear word. People use the name of the Savoir of the world as a profane word, though. They refer to God as if He were not worth knowing, and yet this is the One who is the Lord of Creation, the One who has the last say on the day of judgment. If nothing else, we can be sure that those who count the name of God unworthy to be cherished, do not love Him.

When it comes to the name of God, the book of Proverbs states:

I have not learned wisdom; neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.  Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know? (Proverbs 30:3-4)

The name of God is the same name of His Son. The Son of God is Lord Jesus Christ. This is the revealed name of God. While people might not think exclaiming, “God” or “Oh, my God” as being offensive to the Holy One, the fact that a twelve year old boy was warned about doing it, even though not a Christian, ought to be taken note of very seriously. If you love God, you will cherish His name.

The name of God is blasphemed when people claim to know Him and then they do things that dishonour his name. This is evidenced when preachers preach against immorality and are caught visiting prostitutes or are found to be homosexuals or pedophiles. When people, in the name of God, claim that people will receive blessings if they send them more money, Lord Jesus Christ is often held up in contempt.  One famous preacher is on record as having said that if people did not send him money, God was going to kill him—people sent in the required money and he was not struck down dead. The name of God is blasphemed with anyone usurps the name of Lord Jesus Christ and claims that they are the manifestation of His second coming. More often than not, manipulation is the means that the name of God is blasphemed. People in authority, priests, pastors and elders within congregations use various means to manipulate people under their influence to do what they want rather than being humble servants who seek the best for each individual. The number of people who have turned from looking to Lord Jesus Christ because of being psychologically and spiritually abused is alarming. Although, the problem is not so much people turning from looking to Lord Jesus, but that they were not really looking to Him sufficiently to recognize that they were being manipulated at the time. Truly it is tragic when a popular radio host, who comes across as gentle and mild minister of God, is found to be manipulating women in his counselling rooms.

While most people think that using the name of Lord Jesus Christ as a profanity is taking the name of God in vain and overlook referencing the word “God” as exclamation when disappointed or frustrated is of the same nature, taking the name of God in vain is really about not trusting Him. When people say “Jesus”, “Christ”, “Jesus Christ” or “God” as an expletive in any form this is an expression of not trusting in the Holy One. This is definitely an act of hatred and not love for the only One who has paid the price for sin, so that we can live in the blessing rather than be under the curse of sin.

In the book of Proverbs, we learn that taking the name of God is really about not trusting in Him. This is found in following the question regarding the name of the Holy One and the name of His Son.

Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar. “Two things I have asked of you; don’t deny me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:5-9)

The book of Proverbs is called the book of wisdom. Yet here we find the book of wisdom informing us not to add to the words of God nor deny Him. In saying that we are not to add to the words of God, this is a reference to the Father and His Son. The New Testament epistle of First John informs us:

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son, the same doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. (1 John 2:22-23)

In the book of Proverbs, we are told that to know the name of the Holy One is to know the name of the Father and the name of the Son. Lord Jesus Christ is the name of the Son; therefore, we accept that Jesus is the Christ and Lord and the revealed name of the Holy One in human form is Lord Jesus Christ. Whoever confesses Jesus is Lord has the Father also. But if we claim Jesus as Lord and do not do as He says we are not putting our trust in Him.

In Nigeria, an employee, a manager within a pharmaceutical company is caught on camera making a deal to illegally sell codeine syrup, after attending church, The man has believed the lie that God wants us to be rich. He has looked to God and prospered. Now he wants more, so he is selling harmful addictive codeine rather than seeking to help the people who are going to suffer from what is being supplied to them. The man may have rationalized his behaviour by saying that Muslims are taking this drug and they hate Christians, therefore, I doing the good; besides, others are selling this drug illegally and profiting from it, why shouldn’t I. Except, this man is not putting his trust in Lord Jesus Christ, which means he has to be adding to the word of the God and denying Him.

The Bible teaches us that if we deny the Lord Jesus, He will deny us. The Proverb instructs us in wisdom and says to trust in the Lord and not desire riches, lest we deny Him. When we desire riches, we open ourselves up to being influenced by the Devil. If we trust in God to provide, to guide us, and show us how we can obtain the material resources to meet our needs, He will do it. When we do not trust Lord Jesus Christ to provide for us, we are denying Him and cannot give Him the glory. If we cannot give God the glory for what we know He has done in our lives, then we rob Him. When we rob God we deny Him.

Lord Jesus says that when we publicly acknowledge Him as Lord, we are acknowledged by the angels in Heaven. When we do what the Law requires, we become lights to those in darkness and rather than blaspheming the name of God, people give glory to God for what we do. They become thankful for the good we do and in their hearts, they begin to look to God.

Taking the name of the Lord in vain is really about not trusting our Heavenly Father through Lord Jesus Christ to meet our needs in life. If we love our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, we will not be using the Holy name or making any reference to either of them in the form of a curse, a profanity, an obscenity or when annoyed, angry or frustrated.

For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:26)

When people say that God created evil, they are saying that He is unrighteous. If they are using the Bible to support this view, they are adding to the word of God by taking certain Scriptures out of context. God did not create evil. Evil came about because the Devil sinned in the beginning. However, what is important to know is that not only did Jesus provide a means for us to escape sin and death, but He did this for His own sake.

 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. (1 John 2:12)

People wrongly teach that God’s word is to be magnified above His name. Yet we are told that if we take His name in vain we will not be held guiltless, but we are warned not to add to His word lest we be found to be a liar The two are really synonymous. The name of God is the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). Nevertheless, we learn that only begotten Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ has revealed Him in human form. The Psalmist writes:

I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. (Psalm 138:2 NASB)

When talking of our sins being forgiven for sake of the Holy One, this is very difficult for many people to understand, because they believe that Lord Jesus only died to forgive them of their sins. However, the truth is nobody who was born into this world asked to be here.  Name one person, other than Lord Jesus, who had a say in whether they would be born into this world of sin and death. Nobody would ask to be born only to die and know that they were going to suffer in the process of living on Earth, unless they came here with a purpose to do so, so that their name could be cleared of wrongdoing; that is, an accusation of unrighteousness. Yet this is why Jesus came to pay the price for sin for His sake.

Instead of committing Adam and Eve to eternal punishment along with the Devil and his angels, God instituted another plan, to establish righteousness in the Universe and declare that His name is righteous; for He is not the creator of evil. When Jesus died, he paid the price for sin, so that every person who hated evil could have eternal life and not be consigned to eternal punishment for the deeds that they did before they repented. In paying the price for sin, the Name of God was cleared of accusations of unrighteousness forever. This is why our sins have been forgiven for His Name’s sake. We are now responsible to accept the forgiveness that has been provided for us. The choice is ours. For if we take God’s name in vain, we saying that we do not accept our sins have been forgiven and the Holy One is evil.

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The Fourth commandment

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

The one commandment that seems not to do with relationships is the command to keep the Sabbath. The day of rest appears to be about taking it easy and chilling for twenty-four hours. Yet, for some reason, many more laws were generated by the religious vultures about what a person could and could not do on a Sabbath. Man’s way is always about creating rules and regulations to govern people rather than simply accepting the truth about God.

Resting one day in seven is good for the body and the brain. It is also good for the soul. In fact, Jesus invited people to come to Him if they were heavy laden and burdened with the daily grind of life, for his burdens were light and His yoke was easy. Instead of rest for the body, Jesus said the He could give rest for the soul. Jesus also said that the Sabbath was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath. This is what we learn in the beginning regarding the first man. The man was created before the Sabbath was declared. But is the Sabbath a twenty-four hour event from the day of Creation, even for God? Many think so.

When God created Creation, this he did over a period of time that is referred to as days. The first day had no Sun. The second day had no Sun. The third day had no Sun. In fact the Sun was not created until the fourth day. And it was created to rule the day. Therefore, since this is the case the first three days could not have been twenty-four hour periods, even though we read six times from the end of the first day, there was evening and morning demarking the end of each day and beginning of the next day. Notably, the first day appears to have had no morning and the seventh day no evening. From this we have accept that the Scriptures are telling us that the days are not twenty-four hour days, but periods of time, with the first day not having a beginning and the seventh having not ended. Moreover, we read that on the day the Lord made the Heavens and the Earth He also created man.

This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens…. Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:4, 7)

Yet according to the account in Genesis, chapter one, man was created on the sixth day. The contradiction can be rather embarrassing for those who insist that the Bible states that the seven days are each twenty-four hours. But not if you accept that the separation of the days are a teaching tool to communicate truth to whoever desires to meditate the Word of God and understand what is meant.

The truth is that the Sabbath is still current and we are all called to enter God’s rest, today. When we do this we find rest for our soul.

For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, “God rested on the seventh day from all his works”; and in this place again, “They will not enter into my rest.”  Seeing therefore it remains that some should enter therein, and they to whom the good news was before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience, he again defines a certain day, today, saying through David so long a time afterward (just as has been said), “Today if you will hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”  For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:4-11)

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

Entering God’s rest is not an easy matter because there are spiritual forces that attempt to stop us and distract us, but if we are diligent and become humble of heart, Lord Jesus will ensure that we have rest for our soul. Nevertheless, the truth is the Sabbath that is to be observed by the people who had been brought out of Egypt was different to that which the Lord God is speaking about when He says for all people to remember the Sabbath.  As we see here there are two versions of the commandment. One that is given in Exodus and one that is given in Deuteronomy.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11 for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as Yahweh your God commanded you. 13 You shall labor six days, and do all your work; 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God, in which you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore Yahweh your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

The difference between what is found in Exodus and what Moses specifically gave to the Israelites is clear. The Exodus version that addresses everybody says: “Remember!”  The version specifically addressing the Israelites begins: “Observe!” Then instead of referring to the Creation of God as in the book of Exodus, Moses informs the Israelites in the book of Deuteronomy that the reason they are to observe the Sabbath day is so that they might remember that they were delivered from Egypt by the power of God. The difference in the reason for remembering the Sabbath in the two commandments is what really distinguishes them from each other, besides the fact that one is to be an observance and has no reference to the Creation of God and that He is now resting from His works of creating the Universe and all that is in it.

The Sabbath Day is not to be an observance, as in observing one day out of seven. For the Israelites, prior to the death and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, this was the case. For they were to remember specifically why there were formed as a nation that was to bring glory to God. Unfortunately, they failed in bringing the glory of God to the world as a nation; instead, the name of God was blasphemed among the nations because of them.        

   

For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. (Romans 2:24)

Many people calling themselves Christians and believers in Lord Jesus Christ actually still think that they need to either observe the Sabbath Day or the Lord’s Day, being Sunday. One Jewish, who wrote a book about the Ten Commandments, even suggests that Friday is a Sabbath to be observed by Muslims. People who are into observance of days are out of step with what is written in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul writes:

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again? You observe days, months, seasons, and years. I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you. (Galatians 4:9-11)

For Christians who know Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, they have entered into the Rest of God and therefore have no need to observe any Sabbath Day or a substitute day, the Lord’s Day on a Sunday.

The issue about observing a particular day has to do with the observance and not about having a day of rest upon which to gather and reflect upon the things of God within a community of believers. Observance brings with it a sense of pride and appeals to the flesh. When people are not observing the day, other people observe that they have observed the day and begin to make irrational judgments, which give them a sense of superiority if they are faithfully observing the day. Meanwhile, those who do not observe the day may begin to feel guilty unnecessarily because they did not do what they thought they should have done, The Devil is able to condemn people and create resentment and bitterness among those who should be exercising good faith towards one another.

However, Christians are instructed to meet together and partake of the bread and the wine. They are also taught that if they are not faithful in Earthly responsibilities then they will not be given responsibilities in spiritual matters; which means that the Devil will have access to their lives. The choice is always a matter of freewill. Christians are called before they are chosen of the Lord. If those who are called are not faithful in responding to the call, they will not be chosen to glorify God by bearing the fruit of salvation through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul was given the commission to bring about the obedience of faith in the nations (Romans 1:1-6). He was not at the Last Supper where the disciples were told that they were partake of the bread and the wine in remembrance of Lord Jesus. Yet the Apostle declares that he was told by the Lord Himself that we are to partake of the bread and the wine in memory of Him.

For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. 24 When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” 25 In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)

More than this, the Apostle goes on to state that when we partake of the bread and drink the cup this is a public proclamation of the Lord’s death (and resurrection) until He returns. The reason being, people have to come together to partake of the meal. For the Apostle continues;

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. 31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. (1 Corinthians 26-33)

What is entailed in coming together to partake of the bread and the wine—the Lord’s Supper—is more than meets the eye. Judgment begins with the household of God. The Apostle Peter asks us to consider, “If it [judgment] begins first with us, what will happen to those who don’t obey the Good News of God?”(1 Peter 4:17). Worse is to come upon those who are not in the household of God.

The communion table as the Lord’s Supper is referred, has to do with our being members of the body of Christ. Many unfortunately believe that Jesus’ body was broken on the Cross, when we are clearly told that not a bone of his body was broken. Jesus’ body was marred but not broken. Therefore when Jesus refers to his body being broken, He is not referring to the Cross, even though we proclaim His death by partaking of the bread that is broken. Lord Jesus is referring to His body, the Spirit of which is taken from Him and given to members individually—many members, one body; the bread of life broken.

I speak as to wise men. Judge what I say.  The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread. (1 Corinthians 10:15-17)

Lord Jesus Christ’s body was not broken until He went to Heaven and the Spirit of Christ was given on the Day of Pentecost. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a baptism into Christ. Each one who becomes a member of the Body of Christ receives a portion of the Holy Spirit, which comes from the Spirit of Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the Scripture states that the Holy Spirit could not be given until Jesus had been glorified (John 7:39). Although, there are people, who say they believe and partake of the bread and the wine, and who may not actually true members of the Body of Christ. Those who are true members are known by their fruits because they bear the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Nevertheless, we are told to extend grace and permit those who say they believe that the Son of God has come in the flesh, and allow them to share in the blessings of God. Nevertheless, judgment will come upon those who are not truly looking to God.

The reason the bread and the wine is celebrated on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2) is because this is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. This is when the saints—born again disciples—are to meet and celebrate. This is not an observance. This is a celebration of what Jesus has done for us. This is a proclamation that Lord Jesus has risen from the dead. This is a declaration that Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again. Meeting to celebrate the Lord’s Supper is a public statement that we are members of the Body of Christ and have entered the rest of God.

The Fifth commandment

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

The fifth commandment confuses many people because it refers to human beings as well as God. In fact many interpreters of the Bible claim that the Ten Commandments are split into four relating to God and six relating to humans. The truth is that there are five commandments that have the mention God and five that do not. Jewish Rabbis acknowledge this and state that there were five commandments written of each of the two tablets of stone; not four on one tablet referring to God and six on the other referring to man.

An anecdote told by a Rabbi when travelling on a plane with his children, reminds us of a very important truth regarding this commandment. Seated next to the Rabbi was an atheist. The atheist noted that the children were very respectful of himself, their father and each other. Said the atheist to the Rabbi, “Your children are very respectful of you. If only my children were as respectful, but they have their own rules.” The Rabbi replied, “Maybe this is because in my tradition, when children are respectful of their parents, they are one step closer to being respectful of God, who gave the commandment to honor your father and mother on Mt Sinai. Your tradition, however, only instructs your children that by honoring their parents they are merely one step closer to being an ape.”

The fifth commandment states something that is very important in that not only the parents of one’s birth and upbringing are to be honored, but also the Lord God. The commandment states: 

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh [the Lord] your God gives you. (Exodus 20:12)

The land is not given by the parents but by the Lord God. The entire Universe belongs to Him. The Earth belongs to God too; even if the Devil has taken its inhabitants captive and has control of the atmosphere by virtue of Adam abdicating his responsibility to rule over the land, the sea and all the creatures, including the birds of the air. While we are commanded by God to show respect to our parents, the one to whom we owe the most respect is our Creator.

In order to understand this commandment within its correct context from a Christian view, we have to take into consideration what has been written in the New Testament.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise:  “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)

When it comes to the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ, though no one is to be called “Father” (Matthew 23:9), a father being the progenitor of life, those who introduce the gospel to people and bring them to the Lord, if mature and given to caring for and guiding a person in the ways of God, such a person is acting like a father. The Apostle Paul introduces the idea when writing to the Corinthians.

I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.  For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News. 16 I beg you therefore, be imitators of me. (1 Corinthians 4:14-16)

Similarly, in the book of Hebrews, we are informed to obey our leaders who have been entrusted with the oversight of our souls.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:4)

In saying that we are to obey our leaders who watch over our souls, this is not to say that they are to exercise lordship over us. Leaders who are doing the work of God are shepherds who care for their flock. They are servants, the same as shepherds are servants that protect the flock in their care and ensure that their needs are met, so that they are healthy. Shepherds ensure that their flock are well fed and have plenty of water. In the event that they are hurt they attend to them. If any of the flock go missing they seek the lost out so that they may return to the fold. This is the sense that a person becomes a father to people in the Gospel of Lord Jesus Christ and exercises the loving kindness associated with the Heavenly Father in respect to the person’s welfare.

As Christians, we actually become born again and belong to the Kingdom of God. Our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20); we no longer identify with this world. We might be in the world, but we are not of the world if we have been born of God. The Apostle John encourages us to consider the reality of our existence:

Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.  The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Jesus had half-sisters and half-brothers, who were born to His mother, according to the flesh, Mary. We learn from a Roman Catholic Bible:

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. (Mark 6:3 NRSVCE[viii][ix])

Jesus made the point that His family are those who do the will of God, when people were saying that his mother and his half-brothers and half-sisters, according to the flesh, were seeking him out and desired to see Him.

  His mother and his [siblings[x]] came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him. A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.”

He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”  Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” (Mark 3:31-36)

It is natural for people to think of their family according to flesh as being their family and not those who belong to the Kingdom of God, even when they have been born again. This is because of the bonds that are formed within families growing up. Parents ought to be respected by their children, for the mothers carried them before giving birth and breastfed them as infants. Fathers also provided for their children’s needs. (While we can acknowledge that not all children know their parents and many are reared by both their parents, for the majority of the world’s population the children are raised by their parents.)

When someone is born into the Kingdom of God, sometimes this produces immense conflict in families that are resistant to the Word of God. Not only are families known to be resistant, so are various cultures around the world and other religious traditions. In some instances, there a movements termed “cults” that insist new converts separate from their non-believing family members. However, not all these “cults” are necessarily of God, many are not. Most true Christians understand that each person, who is born of God, has the right to allow his or her family see the Holy Spirit transform the new born, in the hope that they may be won over to the Lord also. Still, we need to understand that because a person becomes a Christian, there is a need to cease from worldly activities, if one desires to do the will of God. After all, Jesus did say that if anyone loves someone else more than Him, they are not worthy of Him.

 For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  A man’s foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me.  He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me. (Matthew 10:35-38)

While the fifth commandment points out that we are to honor our parents, we need to realize that we are not to honor our parents in that which is not of God. When the Apostle says that we to obey our parents in the Lord, this has a double meaning. Not only does this mean that we are to be respectful to those who care for our soul, who are like adopted parents, but we are to obey our natural parents as long as they do not request us to do something that is contrary to the will of God. This is an important fact that many people overlook. For only those who do the will of God belong to the family of God, even though we are all children of God by virtue of being born into the human race and given a spirit from at birth. However, we all need to born of God from a voluntary submission, whereby we request and receive the Word of God from Heaven that is able to save our souls. James informs us:

Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

Becoming a Christian is not so much about leaving one’s Earthly family, rather by putting aside the filth and wickedness of the world we ought honor our parents, as much as possible in the Lord. Our natural parents are worthy of honor, if they do what is right, even if they have not become members of the family of God by being born of the Spirit. Nevertheless, when the Apostle refers to honoring our parents in the Lord, the connotation is that we are to also honor those leaders who are worthy of respect, who become shepherds to us, by providing good counsel and assist us in understanding what our Lord Jesus requires of us and desires to do in our lives.

When speaking of obeying our leaders, we are not talking about a relationship where they become our boss or lord it over us, but rather a relationship that is founded in trust and righteousness. Parents are meant to lead and demonstrate that they are deserving of authority because they assume the responsibilities of caring for their children. Care, of course, goes beyond merely meeting physical needs. Caring parents also assist in helping a child’s emotional, intellectual and spiritual development. Likewise, true shepherds do the same, so each newborn soul into the Kingdom of God under their care are nurtured unto maturity, wherein the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of lips, and the fruit of righteousness become hallmarks of each one’s character.

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The Sixth commandment

You shall not murder

Murder is something that seems to grip most people with a natural sense of dread. Few people are willing to murder another person. Once done, the curtain that forms the natural dread of taking another human life has been torn and, a second murder is not so dreadful to do. Still, of all the sins that are most feared by man, murder is the one that is what people recognize as the greatest taboo.

In surveys conducted of the general population regarding the Ten Commandments, rarely does anybody know them all in their succinct form, let alone everyone of them from Exodus chapter twenty, verse one to verse seventeen. Nearly everyone who thinks they know God’s requirements, as written in the Ten Commandments, the one prohibition that is mentioned is murder. Some refer to this as you shall not kill, but the commandment really means you shall not murder. The majority of the English translations following the Torah and translate the commandment “You shall not murder.” Although, we might better translate this as does the International Standard Version: “You shall not commit murder (Exodus 20:13.)”

There is a difference between killing and murdering a person. A person may be killed accidently or as an act of self-defence, or in an act of prevention from killing another person, in an act of war or intentionally for having committed murder.

An accidental killing is referred to as manslaughter. God has prescribed various laws about what to do when a person commits manslaughter. The cities of refuge were to be established for people to find safety in the event of an accidental killing of another person. These cities enabled people to find protection from relatives who may have sought to avenge the slaying of their loved one.  An eye for an eye, a hand for a hand, a life for a life was also prescribed within the covenant made by God with the people of Israel through Moses. Apart from the Ten Commandments and certain statutes, the obligations imposed through the ceremonial law and the civil laws of justice really do not apply to those who are in the Kingdom of God. This is why the Gospel of John states: “For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).” Nevertheless, there is much wisdom, justice and mercy to be found in the civil laws, which are designed to enable people to live peaceably, as law abiding citizens that would benefit society today if they were implemented.

The congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. But if the man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees, and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood, because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the man slayer shall return into the land of his possession. These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die. Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.  You shall take no ransom for him who is fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. (Numbers 35:25-32)

What the cities of refuge enable people to do is find a place where they can live, if having found themselves on the wrong side of the law, and demonstrate that they are really law-abiding citizens. Instead of people being put in jail and not being given the opportunity to demonstrate that they are not evil, they could be given the opportunity to this within a community lifestyle. Even if guilty, and not being given the opportunity to rehabilitate when in jail, the concept of a city of refuge for violent people to demonstrate that they desire to respect human life, is a very humane form of punishment, if one is to call a refuge city a form of punishment. Of course, the death penalty may need to be executed when people transgress and are not willing to rehabilitate; otherwise, there would be no point in providing a facility that does not rehabilitate people, only to encourage further violence, which would further perpetuate additional murders.

A city of refuge or jails would not be needed if people abided by the will of the Lord God and looked to Lord Jesus Christ every day. Unfortunately, people do not look to Lord Jesus and, because of this, accidental slayings occur through negligence. A person can cause many deaths just become he or she did not do their job correctly and ensure that every part of the engine on a bus, train, plane, boat, ship is functioning as required. A person might neglect to post a warning sign or set up safety barriers around explosives, a bridge, an overpass, a balcony, dangerous equipment, defective equipment, a sink hole on a paved road, poisonous gas, construction sites and a host of other possible dangers. Not being warned or protected by barriers, because of this negligence, someone or a number of people end up dead. The responsibility for the deaths falls upon the person or persons who were negligence. This is known as accidental negligence homicide. Involuntary manslaughter can also cover an act of self-defence. In voluntary manslaughter can also include the accidental death of a person attempting to murder or harm another person.

There is an oft quoted saying attributed to Golda Meir, which according to researcher Harvey Rachlin[xi] is a misquote.  The quote goes along the lines of this: “We can forgive those who kill our soldiers. We can forgive those who kill our citizens. We can forgive those who forgive our children. We cannot forgive those who force us to kill their children.”

Nobody forces anybody to kill other people’s children. The misquote perpetuates hatred and mistrust, which are at the heart of all murderous acts and acts of war. Hatred is also found at the heart of all evil.

The Bible clearly teaches in the book of Leviticus that we are not to hate our neighbor.

 You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. (Leviticus 19:17)

Some people think that is hatred to rebuke another because of their sin. The Bible teaches that it is hatred not to warn others of their wrongdoing that violates any of the commandments of God, which are designed so that people might know right from wrong and live in peace with each other.  Personal responsibility something that we all are held accountable for and there will be no excuse if we are found to be purposefully negligent. Ignorance is overlooked by God, but not purposeful negligence or any faulty reasoning where a person asserts the right to kill other people’s children for any reason. Abortions, infanticide and genocide of children are an affront to God. All these acts stem from hatred.

Killing in self-defence and capital punishment, even corporal punishment, may be justifiable as means to ensure that society is free from epidemics and evil influences. When it comes to having a safe environment to live and walk safely in the streets, Singapore is an exemplary example on the world stage. Corporal punishment and the death penalty are executed without the argy-bargy that is seen by defence lawyers in other countries. People living in Singapore and, even visitors, are clearly warned what brings the death penalty and, as a consequence, many of the crimes that are seen in other countries, which are violations of this commandment, do not exist.

Sin is the violation of any one of these Ten Commandments. When any one of us violates one of the Ten Commandments, we demonstrate a lack of faith towards God and our fellow human beings. This lack of faith brings forth death. The Bible teaches that sin brings forth death, but if a person never sins, that is, violates any one of these commandments, they will live forever. Since all humans sin at some time in their life, they are subject to eternal death, which is the second death, where they are thrown into the Lake of Fire originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.  I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.  The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.  Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 22:10-15)

All sin came into the world because of the Devil—known as Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub and other names. The Devil hated what God was doing when He created Adam and Eve in His own image, so made an attempt to destroy the plan of God. By deceiving Eve and placing Adam in a position that provided the temptation to disobey the Lord God his Creator, the Devil was able to take captivity the affairs of humanity. Lord Jesus Christ appeared to destroy the works of the Devil. To this end, the Apostle John writes:

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:9)

Jesus said that the Devil was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). The Apostle John goes a little further and explains that hatred and murder are the same thing, even though one is not physical and the other is an actual act that brings death—which is what sin did.

Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. (1 John 3:15)

John Calvin is claimed to be a great man of God, but he is on record as having murdered a significant number of people, hating those who opposed him. One famous execution that carried his imprimatur was that of firm believer in Lord Jesus Christ, Michael Servetus, because he did not accept Calvin’s heresies. Professor Paul Penly says that he oversaw 58 deaths of people that were unjust, and “when Jacques Gruet, a theologian with differing views, placed a letter in Calvin’s pulpit calling him a hypocrite, he was arrested, tortured for a month and beheaded on July 26, 1547. Jesus’ teaching to ‘love your enemies’ didn’t stop Calvin from killing them. Paul’s instructions for dealing with people who theologically disagree with you were ignored: “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).  Calvin authorized beheadings, death by fire, and torture rather than exercise patience and kindness with competing theologians.”[xii]

Murder has hatred at the heart of its implementation. Killing is different, even if murder can be classified as killing. Killing a human being is different to murder when there is no hatred involved. Mercy killings are not murder, but can be justified because the person is going to die and happens to be in so much agony, the person is being put out of their misery; otherwise, not killing the person is a kind of torture before the inevitable death. Euthanasia is not the same as a mercy killing, when a form of suicide, Suicide is the rejection of life and thereby the rejection of the giver of life and is classified as a mortal sin, because the person hates life and God. If the person committing suicide loved God, the person would seek Him out, not commit suicide.

This commandment covers all forms of death to a human that are brought about by human interaction. There may be mitigating circumstances that lesson the penalty in some cases, but not when hatred is the motive for the killing; for then this is murder. Not only this, hatred is something a Christian does not have in his or her heart, because the Bible teaches that the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;  through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope:  and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:1-6)

No matter whom we are, or what we have done, Lord Jesus Christ has made amends so that we can be reconciled to our Heavenly Father through the gift of His Life on the Cross. Jesus died so every ungodly person could find peace with God through faith in His death and resurrection and receive the Holy Spirit. If we have received the Holy Spirit, then we cannot hate anybody, rather we are filled with the love of God. Therefore, how can anybody filled with the Holy Spirit hate another person, let alone commit murder?

The SEventh commandment

You Shall Not Commit Adultery

This commandment exists so that people might be reminded of the benefits of God’s wisdom rather than the foolishness of man being exalted as wisdom. Tragically, the Evil One is able to do more harm to society through the violation of this commandment than probably any of the others, although deceit is in the heart of those who break this and think they will not pay a price.

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,  But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword. (Proverbs 5:3-4)

Adultery covers every known sexual sin that exists. The commandment applies equally to men and women. Many think that this commandment only applies to women. However, this applies equally to men. In fact, Jesus went further than saying that adultery is the physical act of sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, but also occurs when one lusts after another in the heart. His reference is to men, but it applies equally to women.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

 “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. (Matthew 5:27-32)

At the time, Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience that adhered to the laws of Moses, or at least claimed that they did. What Jesus said, needs to be understood within this context, before taking it and applying it to people today. There are a number of points which need to be addressed.

A woman who commits sexual immorality of any nature could be divorced, for she has already committed adultery and broken the commandment. A woman who had not committed sexual immorality, if divorced, commits adultery when she engages in sexual intercourse with another person.

Jesus is saying that a man who touches another man’s wife commits adultery, if the woman is virtuous and has only had one sexual partner, her husband. This is the case, whether she is divorced or not. The initial sexual union of a man and a woman, who is a virgin, is ratified by blood. Within the context of the Scriptures, the blood is the seal of the Creator that testifies that a man and woman have become one flesh; therefore, the image of God. For God said “Let us create man in our own image, after our likeness….. male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27). About this, the Apostle Paul, said that this is very sacred matter that has deep meaning, referring that this has something symbolic to do with Lord Jesus Christ and the Church.

For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:29-32 RSV)

The image of God and mystery of Christ and the Church are represented in a man and a woman becoming one flesh, which is ratified by the blood of a virgin.

In the verbal laws that God gave Moses, we learn that if any man and woman happen to have sexual intercourse, premarital sex for the first time, then they are deemed married. This is because the two become one flesh (Exodus 22:16). Now we are not talking about second or third encounters with different partners, but first encounters. The principle is that for anybody to have sexual intercourse as a virgin, if that person has sex with another person then adultery is committed and this commandment is violated. What this means is everybody who has had sexual intercourse with anyone else after the first partner, they are adulterers. In other words, there are many people who are guilty of adultery, who may not think that they are guilty.

Immorality covers every sexual sin that exists: lesbianism, homosexuality, prostitution, pedophilia, eroticism, and masturbation. There is no justification for two women performing sexual acts together or two men having sexual activity among themselves, because this is not ratified by the blood of God ordained sexual intercourse, whereupon a man and woman become one flesh. They can do what they like, but, in so doing, they have to give an account to God for breaking this commandment. Immorality also incorporates having sexual intercourse within the context of a marriage and having images in one’s mind that are not pure and one’s desire is not for one’s partner.

When Jesus spoke about a man lusting after a woman with his eye, He then proceeded to explain that it is better for a man to cut out his eye rather than sin and go to Hell. Then he said that if a person’s causes him to sin, it is better to cut it off than go to Hell. Taken in context of what Jesus is speaking about, we can only be talking about masturbation or putting hands on people inappropriately. Many  people claim that the Bible is silent about masturbation, but to walk with God requires us to have a pure mind and a pure heart. People do not make a practice of masturbation without images in their mind, whether they be male or female.

Adultery can also be of the heart. This occurs when a person finds another person more interesting than his or her partner and begins to long for that person. Many men find themselves in situations where they feel they love a woman with whom they might work. Many women also find themselves in a similar situation. They do not leave their partners and neither do they engage in extramarital sex, but they give their heart to other person. In so doing, this is also adultery. For adultery is a matter of the heart. Adultery is not just a physical action that takes place when two people get a little pleasure on the side, before the guilt kicks in.

One well-know preacher, who majors on telling everybody that they need to understand the Ten Commandments and repent of their sins, was filmed telling a woman that he lusts after other woman but has not committed adultery. His understanding of adultery is incorrect. Not only this, his understanding of the Ten Commandments also falls short when it comes to the other commandments.

Truly if we desire to walk with God we need to understand the Ten Commandments and what they mean for our relationships, so that we can walk humbly before our Heavenly Father in the forgiveness that has been made available through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fortunately, Jesus died for the ungodly and not for the righteous. Since we are all guilty of sin, we can be cleansed and set free from the effects of sin through the power of the Holy Spirit, after having acknowledged our need for forgiveness and exercise faith towards God.

When a woman accused of adultery was brought for Jesus for condemnation, He did not judge her and pronounce a sentence. When the woman’s accusers had departed and only the woman was standing before Jesus, He asked her whether anyone had condemned her—that is, pronounce a death sentence on her. We read the woman’s reply: She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.” (John 8:11)

There are two lessons that we can learn from this that are very important.

One is that when we come before the Lord to face His judgment, we learn that He will show us mercy instead. Mercy triumphs over judgment—although, this only so in this life; not after death.

The second lesson is that once we are forgiven by Jesus, He does not say go and sin again, but says to sin no more. Now this is a difficult thing to do when it comes to adultery if we have another partner other than our first partner in life. Fortunately, Jesus is the light of life and if we follow Him we will not walk in darkness, This Jesus affirmed immediately after instructing the woman not to sin any more.

Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)

Now if any person is to marry a person after having had sexual relations with another person—divorced or not—and the two decide to follow Lord Jesus Christ and walk according to the Spirit of God, there life can be transformed. However, bear in mind, it is better to love the one you are with than be found outside of the will of God because hatred is arising in your heart.

Divorce is not something that ought to be taken lightly. If two people do divorce, this not the end of the world for both parties; much depends upon the reasons for the divorce. If the people are Christians and they do not have the love of God in both their hearts then, under certain circumstances divorce may be the last option available. But know that adultery is not to be taken lightly, because when a man and woman consume their first relationship, technically they are married, whether there has been a ceremony or not. Fortunately, Lord Jesus died for the ungodly, so they could become godly by repenting and asking for forgiveness and walking in His ways.

While we are taught to forgive and we will be forgiven, those who continually break the Law of God, will find themselves weaken in faith. Those who relax the Law of God, and teach other people that what they do is okay, will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. Whereas, those who uphold the Law of God and walk in righteously in the power of the Spirit of God, and who teach others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19-20)

What this means is that if a person sins, even divorces, but remarries and repents to follow Lord Jesus Christ and not look to the left or the right, even divorcees can begin to walk in the light of life that comes when fellowshiping with the Father and His Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Eighth commandment

You Shall Not Steal

Two commandments of God’s Ten Words of instruction from Mount Sinai appear to be taken seriously by men. One is murder and the other is stealing. If a person life is sacred, then it goes without saying that a person’s own possessions are just as sacred to that life. Taking that which belongs to another is a cursed act. Some might even include their partners in this. In societies, where the wife is considered to be a possession, and men have four wives, taking another man’s wife is stealing. However, God considers what others might see as stealing the heart of another man’s wife, as an act of adultery, for she is not a possession of another man. A man and a woman are partners, not the possession of each other, even if we might use the term, stealing another heart.

Stealing does extend beyond material possessions, though. For not only can a person steal another person’s heart away from someone else—especially in the case of two people being betrothed, but not married—but a person’s identity can be stolen, too. Identity theft is becoming a major issue today, now that people have access to technology that enables them to pose as another person and create the applicable paperwork to validate their claims, even though they are imposters. This is particularly evidenced in the form of credit card theft, where fake cards are created with the name and account details of another person, and then used unbeknown to the owner of the account.

People’s ideas can be stolen and used without their permission and knowledge. Patents and copyright laws have been created to combat this, so that intellectual property can be at least accredited to the person who originates the idea. There are limitations placed on patents and copyright; but, at least, the originator can be accredited and also be compensated for any efforts made to create a product, be it a book that provides information or an education system of some nature or the formula and knowhow for manufacturing products intended for industrial, commercial or general and personal use.

In some societies, communal sharing is what the people do. Whatever a person brings home is for the use of everyone. There is no sense of personal property. Such societies are open and usually referred to as subsistent. They are usually villages of no more than a couple of hundred people who have huts without walls and survive from what is scavenged from the local growing produce in the surrounding forest or what is found in the local lagoon or river. In some communities found in the Amazon Jungle, couples are known to change partners, although, there appears to be recognition that polyamorous activity (many lovers) has its restrictions, and unrestrained sexual activity is unacceptable. Mostly, there seems to be sense that communal sharing has its restrictions. Men will have their favorite spears, bow and other hunting tools. Taking these without permission may not be advisable. Not all natives live peaceably in primitive habitats. Conquering and stealing what belongs to other tribes appears to have been quite common.

The commandment not to steal was written by God because, even if some people may live communally, they will steal from other communities, by taking that which they have no permission to take and this causes major problems that escalate in war between neighboring villages.

The reason the law about stealing exists might seem unnecessary, but unless the law exists, then there is no judgment about stealing. The Apostle Paul states that before the law existed, there was no knowledge of what was sin; because through the law came the knowledge of sin.

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

Once we understand that stealing is taking something without the permission of the owner, we know that unless a thing is given to us, or somebody has given us permission, then we cannot take that which is not does not belong to us. When we buy something, we know that it becomes ours because the seller releases it into our possession. However, what happens if we are buying stolen goods or taking something with permission, but the true owner has not given us that permission?

If we are buying stolen goods unknowingly, we are not stealing. Stealing specifically addresses our knowingly taking goods without permission. We may be guilty of a crime under the law of the land if we are caught with stolen goods, but, usually, under a just system of law, if we can prove that we purchased the goods in good faith, and were not party to the stealing of the goods in any way, then we are not held guilty. A pawn shop dealer who accepts goods as collateral for loans will also state that he received the goods in good faith. However, if the dealer is a fence, who knowingly accepts goods from thieves to sell on, he is guilty of participating in the crime, because he has knowingly made a profit from goods that he knew in all likelihood the original owner would not have given him.

God is not mocked. One man I knew, who collected antiques, often purchased goods from known criminals. After a couple of decades of collecting, some men came and stole all the antiques from his house, including the ones he had purchased at auction and from antique dealers. They pulled up in a couple of expensive cars and paid a couple of visits while he was away one day. Done in broad daylight, the man’s neighbors thought that he was entertaining visitors and took no notice of what they were doing. When the man came home, he was devastated that he had been robbed and all his precious antiques had been taken.

Something that people do not realize is that if we are to return to God we are not to steal from men or from God. (African man consider placement of anecdote)

Stealing from other people we understand is taking something which we have not been given permission to possess. Now this is something that we can be so easily guilty of doing on a daily basis. The only way for us to avoid taking anything without permission is to not eat, drink or touch that which has not been given to us. Touching something, of itself, is not stealing, but if we damage something while touching then we are guilty of tarnishing the value of the goods and, therefore, stealing something inadvertently from another person.

Vandals commit an act of stealing when they damage other people’s good by defacing them or breaking them, because the cost of the restoration and repairs is equivalent to stealing money from a person, who otherwise would not have to pay for the materials or workmanship. Vandalism is similar to bribery and extortion. Intimidation and standover tactics may not be being used, but the violated has to pay up regardless.

When it comes to stealing from God, people do not understand how this could be possible. The Bible, however, informs us that people rob Him, when they do not tithe.

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How are we robbing thee?’ In your tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:6-12)

Robbery is armed theft. Robbers take goods from people with the threat of violence, often wielding large knives, swords or guns in front of people. Although, people can be robbed when there is a gang threatening to beat them up with sticks or fists. 

The question is how can God be robbed then if robbery is an act of violent theft—stealing something that belongs to another?

One thing we know, God does not need money to buy anything so that he can be nourished, clothed, housed and protected from the elements and wild beasts or violent people. God is almighty. God is the Creator of the Universe. In fact, God owns everything. God even has the last say about us after death.

The Scripture, nevertheless, states that God says that He is being robbed when people do not return to Him. Moreover, we are commanded to bring the full tithes into His house. Furthermore, we are told that we to put God to the test in this matter, and see whether or not he does not poor an overflowing blessing upon us. The devourer will be rebuked from turning our lives into a misery. The result being, we will be seen as blessed by those who observe our lives.

Clearly, God does not need the food Himself, but those who represent Him, who bring the good news, the gospel of salvation and enlighten us so that our lives are prosperous need to be nourished, need to be clothed, need to be housed, and need to be protected from the elements. The tithes would bless those who bring the knowledge of salvation and God’s blessing into our lives, so that we might be a witness to the nations (non-believers) that there is more meaning in life than being born to die.

God informs us that we to put Him to the test by providing these tithes and offerings for the upkeep of His house. This means that if we were to bring the full tithe and give it to those from whom we gain knowledge of God and our salvation in Lord Jesus Christ, we have a legitimate material means by which to prove our Heavenly Father scientifically. If God does not honor what is written in the Bible, and we faithfully do what is required, by tithing and not violating the Ten Commandments, then we have a legitimate test to prove the existence of the truth of the Scriptures; for we are asked to prove God in this manner.

If God does come to the party and honors what is written in the book of Malachi, because we bring the full tithe to those from whom we learn our understanding of what the Scriptures say, and we grow in the knowledge of Lord Jesus Christ, as a result, we are blessed indeed. Under these circumstances, we can only tell the truth and give God the glory for what He has done in our lives. There would be no doubt that God is alive and honors His word as written in the Bible.

How do people rob God? They rob God by not letting Him prove Himself in their lives, so they can legitimately give Him the glory for what they definitely know He has done. More than this, other people who do not walk by faith, are encouraged to seek God because they can see the blessings that are bestowed upon the people who have returned to their Heavenly Father and honored Him with their tithes.

Stanley Tam, founder of US Plastic Corporation wrote a book entitled “God Owns My Business”. Stanley was a struggling salesman until the day he opened a Bible and saw what was written in the book of Malachi. From that day, Stanley decided to honor God with his tithe, and he became a successful business owner, giving away over one hundred million dollars to the work of the gospel. More to the point, Stanley gives God all the glory for what He has done in His life.

This commandment is about reminding people that when they steal from fellow humans, they bring strive into their life and when they rob God, they invoke the curse of the devourer. More importantly though, on the positive side, this commandment is a reminder that our Heavenly Father is the one who brings the blessings and rebukes the devourer from the lives of those who love Him and keep His commandments and grow in faith by trusting Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Ninth commandment

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

The ninth commandment is often stated as being you shall not tell lies. While telling lies is covered by this commandment, what it actually states is we are not to bear false witness, which covers more than merely saying something that we know to be not true.

The Ten Commandments are actually statements that fan out to cover a multitude of different behaviors that seem harmless on the surface but are actually destructive once they begin to take root as habits. President Clinton of the United States of America is on record as having said that he tried to walk a line between not telling the truth and bearing false witness. Either we tell the truth or we do not. When we attempt to murky the waters, then we become guilty of bearing false witness.

Bearing false witness against our neighbor is easily done. All we have to do is express an opinion about what we think one of our neighbors has done and we are can be guilty of bearing false witness. When expressing an opinion about somebody, the problem is that we do not have all the facts, and because of this we will say something that in all probability is not true. The book of Proverbs warns us:

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. (Proverbs 18:2 RSV)

An opinion is really a statement that is based upon insufficient evidence to be the complete truth about a matter. Now, if we are truly honest, we have to admit that we never have the complete truth about a matter. Therefore, when we express our opinion or our views on a particular subject, we are at risk of transgressing this commandment. Maybe this why the Apostle John states that if anyone says that he has no sin, he is a liar and if we discover we have sinned and repent we can be forgiven (1 John 1:8-9).

When we hear reports of what people have done and we are not a witness, we become a false witness if we do not tell other people that what we are saying is not what we have seen. We can be a false witness so easily it becomes tragic when we think of the human condition. Every one of us is guilty of bearing false witness against someone in some way at some time, even unintentionally. Nevertheless, if we recognize this, we can turn our attention to being circumspective and considering whether what we are going to say is worthy of merit or has no value in being repeated. This way, we can clean up our lives considerably from being a battleground for the Devil to reign.

There are many books on positive thinking that repeat the mantra, “If you have nothing good to say about somebody, say nothing at all.” Many people think that this is an impossible way to live one’s life. But we all need to walk humbly before our God and acknowledge that if we were to have all our failings brought up by other people we would be totally embarrassed and downright ashamed of ourselves. This is not something that we should take lightly. Jesus did say that we will be held accountable for every word that proceeds out of our mouth.

Gossip originally meant people were talking about the good news that was taking place. However, opinion becomes a part of what may be the good news that is taking place and then we find ourselves expressing part truths or exaggerated views about matters of which we have not personal knowledge of actually taking place. Unless we witness an event, we are passing on gossip, even if it is good news, and we have no way of knowing the full truth. Even when we witness an event, what we see might not really be what actually happened. For we interpret everything according to our own understanding. This is aptly expressed in the parable about the five blind men who stumble upon an elephant.

The man holding the tale declares he has found a rope. The man holding the trunk declares he has found a python. The man grabbing one of the legs says he has found a tree. The man feeling the tusk claims he has found a spear. The man putting his hands on the elephant’s side is sure that they have encountered a wall. Each man is absolutely sure that what they have discovered is something different to the other four blind men. The elephant roars and they all flee in fear, thinking they have disturbed the Devil, and are afraid because they are now lying on the ground, having fallen over, not knowing where they were going.

Truth enables us to find the right way to go. When we only see in part, we are like children hiding our eyes with our hands and thinking that nobody can see us, because we cannot see them. Many people think that God cannot see them, because they cannot see Him. Yet we live and move and have our being within God. The very Universe itself exists within God. The Bible tells us that our Creator created a circle and within that circle the Universe was created the circle (Proverbs 18:2). The circle really was a sphere—a ball—not a two dimensional circle, like we might draw on a piece of paper with a pen.

The trouble with gossip is it leads to malicious gossip and this is where we encounter difficulties. If someone tells a person something and that person does not repeat what he is told, then gossip does not take place. If a person tells someone something about another person in the hearing of numerous people, which happens to be derogatory in nature, then malicious gossip is being spread, unless that person is an eyewitness. The repeating of this information becomes gossip, unless a person is questioning the truth of what is being said, or seeking to understand what is really meant and how it applies to a given situation. Rather than being caught being a conveyor of gossip, it pays to take heed of a story about a woman who was a terrible gossip, and had her nose in everybody’s business.

One day this woman went to see a local pastor because she was extremely hurt that she had heard people were saying that she could not be trusted. The pastor, knowing full well that this woman was a terrible gossip and always wanted to feel important by letting everybody know what was going on in and around the small town where they lived, came up with a novel idea. He told the woman that if she really wanted to be trusted that she should take a feather pillow case, go up on the local hill just outside of the town and say to God, “Lord I open this pillow to let the feathers fly in the wind to show that I am putting my trust in you, so people can trust me.” Now the woman thought that was a very strange piece of advice. Nevertheless, she accepted the pastor’s assurances that if she did this, God would see that she were genuine and people would learn to trust her, once more.

The woman purchased a feather pillow. She took it up to the cliff. After she had cut the pillow open and let all the feathers fly over the face of the cliff on the hill outside of the town, she went back to the pastor and told him that she had done what he had suggested. The pastor expressed warm admiration for her willingness to be so bold to put her trust in God. The woman asked the pastor whether he could pray for her. The pastor said that he would pray for her once she had picked up all the feathers that she had let fly over the face of the cliff. The woman said that picking up all the feathers was impossible, they had all been released and only God knows where they are. The pastor replied, “That’s what happens when you tell people gossip, nobody knows where it goes or who is going to get hurt by it. If you stop gossiping, people will begin to trust you.”

 People’s reputations are destroyed by gossip, when it turns malicious. Not only are people’s reputations destroyed by the false witness of malicious gossips, but relationships between friends are impaired to such an extent that they cannot be repaired. The Bible warns about those who bear false witness because of the disruption it brings to a peaceful community and the destruction it can do to the relationships between families and couples.  In the book of Proverbs we read:

There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19 RSV)

People who have haughty eyes bear false witness because they think that they are superior to others, when in fact everyone has fallen short of the glory of God and is guilty of sin. Sin when it is fully conceived brings forth death. Name the person who has died a righteous man and who has risen from the dead, Only Lord Jesus Christ is superior to us all. Jesus said that the greatest among you shall be the servant of you all. This our Lord and Savior did by laying His life down, so that we who humbly accept His gift to us, can have eternal life. Those with haughty eyes bear false witness to their own status before the Throne of Grace.

A lying tongue includes the person who vows only to tell white lies because she does not want to offend anyone. The truth is like a light. A lie, even if it appears white is like twilight. It does not have the power to show the way in the darkness and casts a long shadow. Deception is no different to a white lie.

Hands that shed innocent blood bear false witness against the one that is slain. In fact, it is because of a false witness that innocent blood has been shed when an innocent person has been whipped and people have had their hands cut off with the guillotine. Likewise, people lives are ruined because false witness has causes others to perform violent acts against the innocent.

A heart that devises wicked plans has to resort to false witness to carry out the evil deeds. People do not rob banks by telling the truth. Drugs are not imported into countries because people are truthful.

Feet that make haste to run to evil rely upon false witness otherwise they would be stopped in their tracks. When Judas ran to the authorities to betray Jesus, false witness was made against an innocent man.

A false witness who breathes out lies has difficulty being true to himself or herself every time the person looks in the mirror. Such people are usually found in politics somewhere stabbing people in the back. The nature of the false witness who breathes out lies is always evident in political campaigns when opponents make false claims about one another.

The false witness that God hates the most is the one who sows discord among brothers within a fellowship. When people walk in the light they have fellowship with one another. When a person sets about sowing seeds of discord, the aim is to destroy the bonds of peace brought about by the love of God, as people have fellowship with the Father and His Son, Lord Jesus Christ. This is a dirct attack upon God Himself.

I can testify to four people who joined forces to sow discord among the brethren and destroy a work of God. One hanged himself. Another died of a drug overdose. One went missing in China, not to be found. The fourth one was found dead, washed up on the rocks at the bottom of a cliff in Australia.

The disciples of Jesus saw another man casting out demons in His name, and they forbade the man because he was not in fellowship with them.  But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him; for he that is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9:50)

Regardless of what a person does, we do not know everything about that person. Until we do, we need to be wary about what we say. Repeating hearsay is a false witness. What we sow, we will reap.

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

He who sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. (Proverbs 22:8)

As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. (Job 4:8)

 Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain salvation upon you. (Hosea 10:12)

Rather than being busy bodies or worry about what other people are doing in the things of God, it is much better to seek the Lord, so that the fruit of righteous can be reaped because the seeds that are sown into people’s life are live and peace, forgiveness and joy. When we indulge in second hand gossip or bear false witness against another person in any way, we are doing the work of the Devil and opposing the work of God, who desires that all men come to salvation and the knowledge of the truth.

The Tenth commandment

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

This commandment is split into two commandments by the Roman Catholics, because they delete the second commandment that refers to statues and images and bowing before them. Because this commandment has two your shall not’s mentioned, they claim that the ninth commandment is You shall not covet your neibor’s wife is a separate commandment to the one referencing the house.

From the Vatican archives we learn that the Ten Commandments are broken down in the following way to get commandments nine and ten:

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's” which they say means: “Neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife . . .You shall not desire . . . anything that is your neighbor's” which they claim translates into 9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. 10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods. [xiii]

However, that fact that the commandment is talking about coveting and mentions we are not covet anything that belongs to our neighbor, this includes his house and his wife, as part of his household.

God declares that when a man and woman come together, both parties and their belongings are off bounds for any other person. Anyone who covet anything that belongs to another person is guilty of sin and deserving of eternal punishment—banishment from the presence of God forever. Now this is a major problem, because God is light, therefore existing in the gloom of darkness is not something to covet, even if the Devil and his angels are going to be joining those in the eternal lake of fire. Existing in raging fire is not the same as sitting around a camp fire and looking up at the stars on a dark night when the moon is not shining.

Coveting is the beginning of sin really, and yet not all sin is occurs because we are coveting something. Sin can occur because we doubt God. Though expressed in a negative fashion, the Bible states that what is not done in faith is sin.

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

Expressed in a positive fashion, what is done through faith is not sin, because the person of faith does not doubt, but trusts God to overcome all ungodliness and bring forth the fruit of righteousness.

People who doubt may not appear to have coveted anything, but if they happen to covet something, they doubt that they can obtain it, so they stop coveting. However, what we find in the book of James tells us much about coveting and what happens as a result.

Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death. (James 1:13-16)

Lust is what occurs when we covet something that does not belong to us. Eve looked at the tree and saw that it was good to look at. Like when looking at food, our mouth begins to water, Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food. When we continue to look at something frequently, we begin to become inquisitive and want to know more. There is an expression that says that curiosity killed the cat. But more often than not, curiosity kills the rat when it takes a bite of what is in the trap that has been set. This is what happened to Eve. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. Eve knew she was told not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Looking at it caused her to admire it. Thinking about the fruit began to make her mouth water. Then came the “if only” moment, that turned into a “why not?” moment as she threw caution to the wind and lunged for the fruit, thinking that she was going to become wiser by finding out whether sin really did have nasty consequences. Maybe that is not what really happened in Eve’s life, But the scenario can surely play out in our lives, if we are coveting something that does not belong to us.

In the King James Bible, we learn that that Apostle Paul speaks about coveting the gifts of God.

But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 14:1)

However, this is a wrong use of the word; other translations more appropriately use the term “earnestly desire”.

But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you. (1 Corinthians 12:31)

Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:1)

Therefore, brothers, desire earnestly to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking with other languages. (1 Corinthians 14:39)

Earnestly desiring something is not coveting until we wrongly desire something that is forbidden to us. Eve did not earnestly desire to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she coveted it. When the Apostle Paul is talking about ceasing from acts of sexual immorality, uncleanness, depravity, and evil desire, he also mentions covetousness and states that this is idolatry.

Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5)

When people commit idolatry, they devote themselves to something that is other than having fellowship with our Heavenly Father through Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We can do different things to assist in the communication of the gospel and these are not putting goals or activities or objects before the Lord. The reason being is our ultimate aim is to communicate the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ so that other people may come to salvation. Covetousness takes our eyes of doing the will of God, which is bringing people to salvation and the knowledge of the truth and focuses on our desiring something that will lead us away from the perfect will of God.

Every one of us has three desires within our soul: the desire of the eyes, the desire of the flesh, and the desire for survival—otherwise known as the pride of life. These are found in all animals. However, humans, unlike animals also have an innate ability to think and become curious in a way that animals are unable to become curious. Animals become curious because something might attract them that could look like possible food. When danger is sensed, instinctively, animals withdraw or flee. Humans, will often do something different, because they will think about how they can overcome the danger, rather than flee. Not all humans will do this, even though they have the capacity, only those who develop their thinking ability. Because we can think, too many of us confuse the pride of life with our ability to think rather than seeing that this is a combination of our ability to think and our survival instincts.

We are tripartite beings, possessing a spirit that is separate to our soul (Hebrews 4:12) and our body.

Many confuse the spirit for the soul and do not separate the two, preferring to ignore what  Numbers 16:22 actually states, which does not talk about the souls, but the spirits of all flesh and refers to mankind, not animals.

Animals have a soul and a body.

Humans have a spirit that is given to them at birth.

This spirit distinguishes animals from humans.

The spirit given to us at birth by God enables us to think and exercise our will, that is, our volition.

The human spirit, created by God, still needs to be born of the Word of God, so we can be adopted as children with the same nature as our Heavenly Father. (1 John 3:9)

Our volition resides in our spirit, not in our soul. For centuries our soul and our spirit have been taught to be the same thing, contrary to what the Bible states.

The spirit of the person is the distinguishing factor between being a human created by God and a evolutionary biological creature possessing an animal soul.

Unfortunately, the word "god" has connotations attached to it that are negatively associated with actually having no need of God our Heavenly Father or Lord Jesus our Savior.

The truth is we are gods (Psalm 82:6) created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26 ), but made lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:6-9), because of the biological existence that we have. 

However, being a god also means that we are created by God.  When we are born in the flesh, we receive our spirits from Him, and this makes God our Creator, even if we are born like animals from the womb of our mother.

Jesus is our example. All our ideas have to conform with what has happened to the Son of Man, who is the Son of God.

When the baby born of the Virgin Mary came forth from the womb, the Son of God, the pre-existent Word of God, entered the body of the child. The pre-existent Son of God, through whom the Universe was made, did not reside for nine months in the womb of Mary.

Just as the Son of God, who in spirit form only entered the baby Jesus after he was born, God places a spirit into our body and connects this to our soul.

Always remember there is a big difference between Jesus and the rest of us humans.  Jesus was the Creator God made flesh. The Bible says that in Jesus dwelt, and still dwells, the fullness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9). Jesus did not have a human father.

We are merely given a spirit that is created by God, and, therefore, we are created beings, even though biologically procreated by our parents like animals.

Philippians 2:6-8 tells us that the Son of God divested Himself of His glory to assume the mantle of a biological being.

Now notice what the book of Hebrews states:

Therefore, when Christ enters into the world, He says,

Sacrifice and offering You have not desired,
But [instead] You have prepared a body for Me [to offer]. (Hebrews 10:4)

When the body had been prepared in the womb of the Virgin Mary and came forth (with not the water only, but the water and the blood --1 John 5:6 ) then the Son of God entered that body and the Word became flesh (John 1:14).

The idea of the pre-existent Son of God being in the womb of Mary is based on this text:

 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered by Him. (Luke 1:41)

Unfortunately, what Mary says about needing a Savior is overlooked in verse 47

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. (Luke 1:47)

Now if the eternal pre-existence Son of God, the Savior of the world is indwelling the Virgin Mary, she has no need of a Savior, because she becomes the savior of the world by virtue of giving birth to the Son of God, therefore making her the Mother of God, a mediatrix greater than her son, which is Roman Catholic and, even, in some quarters, Orthodox teaching.

Put simply, Jesus is our model, there is no other.

A body was prepared for the Son of God to enter.

Likewise, a body is prepared for God to put the spirits, He creates, into at birth, which makes our Heavenly Father, truly our Creator, but our spirits still need to be born of the Word of God, otherwise, we are merely created spirits; not spirits born of God.

We have a spirit, a soul and a body. We become tripartite (trichotomous) beings when God puts the spirit that enables us to think and make decisions within us.

When we are born of God, through the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23) then we are able to worship Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-24).

There are numerous Scriptures that further complete the picture, too many to mention here.

The main point that we need to understand is that because of our soul (animal nature) we might have desires to be somebody special in our eyes before other people and this comes from the pride of life. We may have lusts aroused by our desires of the flesh that are really chemical in nature (hunger, thirstiness, the need to cool down, the need to warm up, the need for shelter, the need for sexual gratification, the need for rest and sleep). These chemical desires become lusts when they start to become habits and addictive in nature; then out of control. The lust of the eye originates from what we see, and like birds are wired for sight, we can become attracted to what we see and a habit of looking at what we consider to be beautiful can turn into an uncontrollable lust.

Importantly, unlike animals, humans have a spirit that enables us to think and make decisions based on knowledge. Not only does this mean that we can make decisions to go without drink or food or shelter or sleep or sex, but our imagination can run wild and we can chose to indulge in our fantasies with an obsession that animals have no knowledge exists. Unbeknown to us, the spirit that rules this world, which is at work in those who are disobedience, actually is taking over our lives to convince us that coveting what does not belong to us is not wrong but good for us. If we cannot get what we want that other people have, rather than being satisfied with what we have, we become envious of other people and before long, not only are we stealing, but we could be even planning to murder another person so that we can take (or inherit) that person’s goods.

The commandment that we shall not covet our neighbor’s house (and everything that belongs to it: husband/wife/children/belongings) exists to remind us that there is a better way to live, and this is found by seeking the Lord God and learning His ways, so that we might now the joy, the peace and the love of the Holy Spirit that comes from doing what is right to the glory of God.

WhaT the Commandments Mean For you

Each commandment exists for a different reason. As we begin with the first commandment and work our way down, we discover that they are very much related to the preceding commandment. Like rungs on a ladder, we can walk down them and walk up them. Yet many people overlook the significance of the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments encompass more than just being a set of rules that tell us what we should not do. These are the only words that have been testified as having been written by God Himself, yet most people calling themselves Christians disregard them, even though they might read the Bible. Too many claim that the Ten Commandments have been done away with, Those who say that they are authoritative and apply to our lives today, either emphasis the keeping Saturday as the Sabbath or the Lord’s day, while not seeking to understand that truth that the first commandment begins with “God spoke these words” which effectively means “Hear!”, not read or think. For we need to hear God’s voice, if we are to obey His voice. Obeying God’s voice is the beginning and the end of the matter. Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega, This is a reference to the alphabet and translates into English as “the A” and “the Z”. Therefore, while obeying God’s voice is the beginning and end of everything we really need to understand, this does not mean that there are no other letters of the alphabet between the first one and the last one, and life if not full of meaning.

What many people do not realize is that the Ten Commandments cover everything to do with humans and their relationships with each other and towards God. They may be seemingly simple, but like headings to a chapter, or a title to ten books of what life is really about, they are an indication of what is required of us in all situations and every circumstance.

When we read the Ten Commandments from the beginning of Exodus, chapter twenty, verse one, we are viewing our relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son from a Heavenly point of view. When we begin with the tenth commandment and work up towards the first

commandment, we are actually seeing what is required of humans and how they are tempted as they grow from being babies to adults—a truth, hardly any knows except those who have read The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God.

Understanding the Ten Commandments enables us to interpret the rest of the Bible correctly. This is because the Ten Commandments form the plumb line from which the rest of God’s plan and purpose for us has been aligned. When we have established the plumb line, we have are able to put everything in perspective. This is why we read the Scripture that states:

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8:20)

A plumb line is not something that is used today in construction like it was in ancient times. All a plumb line is a piece of string with a weight at the bottom that causes gravity to pull it tight. A plumb line can be hung from anything and it will always be straight. Because the plumb line is always straight, any structure can be built with the correct dimensions to make it secure and able to be used for practical purposes. In ancient times the plumb line was first set up so that the cornerstone for the foundation of a building could be placed in position and the foundation could be level.

Tragically, too many people neglect what is written in the Ten Commandments and interpret the Bible according to their own minds. They make an assumption and then created doctrines based upon that assumption and not by using the plumb line of the Ten Commandments to construct the plan and purpose of God. Although, there are numerous “theologies” (bodies of doctrines) that distinguish various denominations from other groups of believers, none is as insidious as the teachings of Calvinists who subscribe to what are known as the five points of Calvinism, otherwise known as TULIP.

The essential doctrines are that every person is utterly wicked, has no freewill, was predestined to either eternal life or eternal punishment before being born, can sin as much as each one likes, because it does no really matter, although if a person thinks he or she is saved, that person needs to strive to prove this by doing good works. The teaching is a doctrine of salvation by works, but if you do not want to prove that you are a good person, sin as much as you like, because only God knows whether He chose you before you were born, you have no say.

If you are not aware of John Calvin and his insidious teachings, Professor Paul Penley of Colorado Christian Seminary wrote a paper entitled  John Calvin Killed Rival Theologians: Bad Bible Interpretation Justified It.   Here is an excerpt from the paper:

In 5 years as magistrate of the Geneva “church-city-state,” Calvin oversaw 58 death sentences and the exile of 76 people. He wasn't the sole decision-maker in those cases, but personal correspondence and city council records betray his extraordinary influence. When Jacques Gruet, a theologian with differing views, placed a letter in Calvin’s pulpit calling him a hypocrite, he was arrested, tortured for a month and beheaded on July 26, 1547. Gruet's own theological book was later found and burned along with his house while his wife was thrown out into the street to watch.

Michael Servetus, a Spaniard, physician, scientist and Bible scholar, suffered a worse fate. He was Calvin's longtime friend who resisted the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. However, he angered Calvin by returning a copy of Calvin's Institutes with critical comments in the margins. The next time Servetus attended Calvin's Sunday preaching service on a visit, Calvin had him arrested and charged with heresy. The 38 official charges included rejection of the Trinity and infant baptism. Servetus pleaded to be beheaded instead of the more brutal method of burning at the stake, but Calvin and the city council refused the quicker death method.[xiv]

Many Christians are under a deception and they do not realize it, because of the Calvinist teachings they unwittingly adopt and continually repeat, as if these misconceptions were the true word of God. The Calvinist mantra is

"Calvinism is the gospel."

Contrary to what most Christians believe, the Bible teaches that we are created in the image of God and, therefore, we are (little) gods (Psalm 82:6), who are accountable for our actions because of the decisions we make, for which we are held responsible; even our speech ( Matthew 12:36).

Judgment begins with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), regardless of whether we like it or not (1 Corinthians 11:32).

God sees everything, and we need to find Him for ourselves (Chronicles 28:9). God does not need to find us.  He knows how many hairs are on our heads (Matthew 10:29-31). Our Heavenly Father knows what everybody is doing every minute of the day, as much as we may find this difficult to comprehend. Nothing is hidden from God. His eyes roam the Earth (2 Chronicles 16:9). Nobody can hide from Almighty God.

While every person is called, God is not controlling our lives. We control our lives and make the decision to choose whatever we do. We either choose to obey God or disobey God (Joshua 24:15).

Nobody was chosen before the foundation of the world. The number of people (Romans 11:25) who are to saved, that is those who choose to seek God because they hate evil, these are those who were designated to be chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

Not people who go around claiming they are sinners, unholy, and can continue to sin and not be held blameworthy and accountable for their actions, because they are saved by grace. The Ten Commandments inform us we have to repent and exercise faith towards God The New Testament reinforces this truth that we have repent from our dead works and exercise faith towards God (Hebrews 5:1).

We are saved by faith, not grace. Grace is extended to everybody. By faith we receive more grace, even if faith is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8), for all good things come from our Heavenly Father (James 1:17).

We choose to allow Jesus into our hearts. Jesus does not need to find us. He knows where everybody lives; otherwise, what is stated in the book of Revelation is false.

Revelation 3:20 states "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

Jesus might be knocking on our door, but we have to open it. The decision is ours. Many choose to keep the door shut, even though they can quote the Bible, pray for the sick, see the Holy Spirit work miracles and claim that millions are following their message (Matthew 7:21-23).

Nobody is chosen before they open the door of their hearts and allow Lord Jesus Christ to come and abide in them. This is the message to the Gospel. We see it when we read:

 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:9-13)

We have to open our hearts to Lord Jesus and give our beloved Savior the opportunity to prove Himself in our lives. By doing this, we learn to walk in His ways and bear the fruit of salvation.

The reason the people to whom Jesus initially went did not receive Him was they did not believe the Ten Commandments. Jesus stated that if people do not believe Moses, how can they believe what He has to say.

For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me.  But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words? (John 5:46-47)

‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead. (Luke 16:31)

Morality concerns what people do in their relationships with one another. Amazingly, less people understand what morality actually means that we may think. People know it is wrong to do certain things to other people because they do not like those same things done to them, but they do not understand that this is what morals are about. More to the point, people reject the Ten Commandments, which is our Heavenly Father’s moral standard because they do not like rules and regulations. The Ten Commandments are not rules and regulations; they are God’s eternal principles that underline a righteous lifestyle because everybody lives in harmony with one another in the bond of love and the spirit of peace. Only when people violate these commandments is there any reason to make them known. The fact that we have to know them is because we have broken them and unless we know what they are, we cannot repent from our continuing tendency or desire to violate them and exercise faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ so that we can be forgiven, through His death and resurrection. When Jesus died, he secured the right for everybody to inherit His righteous life and not be judged for evil thoughts, speech and behavior, regardless of how insignificant what we think, say or do may seem—after all, a white lie is a lie and not the truth; therefore, a white lie is sufficient to keep us out of the Kingdom of God, if we attempt to justify it and not ask for forgiveness.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.. (Matthew 7:21)

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (Matthew 12:50)

                               

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[i] New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[ii] Contemporary English Version  Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. All Rights reserved.

[iii] Easy-to-Read Version Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International. Used by permission. All Rights reserved.

[iv] International Standard Version Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. Used by permission. All Rights reserved.

[v] The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[vi] New International Version Copyright ©2011 by Biblica, Inc.  Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

[vii] Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[viii] New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[ix] Even the Roman Catholics have to acknowledge what is written in the Bible, Jesus of Nazareth had not only half-brothers, but also half-sisters.

[x] The Expanded Bible notes: or brothers and sisters; the Greek word can mean “siblings. Some early manuscripts have “brothers and sisters” [ Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.]

The word ἀδελφός usually translated “brethren” or “brothers” can also mean any sibling for ἀδελφός, (οῦ, ὁ (from ἆ copulative and δελφύς, ”from the same womb”; cf. ἀγάστωρ)—Thayer’s Greek Lexicon. Electronic Database. Copyright © 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

[xi] Harvey Rachlin “Misquoting Golda Meir: Did She or Didn’t She?” Haaretz. The Jewish Press and Harvey Rachlin. June 16, 2015 https://www.haaretz.com/golda-meir-s-gems-did-she-really-say-that-1.5371930 --retrieved 25th, June, 2018.

[xii] In 5 years as magistrate of the Geneva “church-city-state,” Calvin oversaw 58 death sentences and the exile of 76 people. He wasn't the sole decision-maker in those cases, but personal correspondence and city council records betray his extraordinary influence. John Calvin Killed Rival Theologians: Bad Bible Interpretation Justified It Professor Paul Penly (PhD) Colorado Christian University. http://www.reenactingtheway.com/blog/john-calvin-had-people-killed-and-bad-bible-interpretation-justified-it --retrieved 25 June, 2018

[xiii]   PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST—SECTION TWO: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS From   http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/command.htm —retrieved 26th June, 2018.        

[xiv] Penley, Paul, T. John Calvin Killed Rival Theologians: Bad Bible Interpretation Justified It. http://www.reenactingtheway.com/blog/john-calvin-had-people-killed-and-bad-bible-interpretation-justified-it —retrieved 28th June 2018.