A Look At The Ten Commandments- Part 2
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Exodus 20:3-17 (KJV)
Yesterday we began our overview of the Ten Commandments, beginning with the first five. Today, we will pick up where we left off.
6. Thou shalt not kill. In the original language, the word kill is better translated as murder. God is telling us that we shall not murder. God actually established capital punishment for anyone who committed murder (Genesis 9:6). If God truly meant that no one was to be killed for any reason, then He wouldn’t have set up capital punishment. Defending yourself is acceptable, whether in war or in protecting your home and family. God is speaking of premeditated murder in this commandment. However, we must be on guard to protect our hearts as well, because the Apostle John explains that to hate someone in your heart is the same as murder. (See Matthew 5:21-26, Romans 13:1-7, Ephesians 4:26, I John 3:15)
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. This refers to being unfaithful to one’s spouse. Adultery begins in the heart, then is carried out in actions. Jesus said that even looking at someone to lust is the same as committing the act. Loving God will help us overcome temptation and loving our spouse as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. If our focus is on God, we can avoid lusting in our hearts and then carrying out the act of adultery, (See Leviticus 20:10, Job 31:1, Proverbs 6:25, Matthew 5:28, II Timothy 2:22)
8. Thou shalt not steal. Don’t take anything that does not belong to you. It is more blessed to give than to receive. We must trust God to give us what we need and want. He will provide. And keep in mind that cheating is a form of stealing. The devil is called a thief and we are to imitate Christ, not the devil. (See John 10:10, Acts 20:35, Ephesians 4:28)
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. We are not to lie or deceive in any way. This commandment protects people’s names, their reputations and character. We are to be honorable and truthful in all our dealings. This applies to untrue words and statements as well as actions or words intended to give someone a false impression. And remember, there is no such thing as a white lie. No lie is white or pure.(See II Corinthians 12:20, Ephesians 4:15, 25, 29)
10. Thou shalt not covet…. Do not desire what others have, resenting that they have something you don’t. Check and protect your thoughts, heart, and motives. God will give you what you need and what is right for you. Often people who have something that we don’t have have it because they paid a price to get it that we have not yet paid. (See Psalm 23:1, Psalm 37:4-5, Romans 13:8-10, Philippians 4:19,)
The Ten Commandments are foundational to understanding God’s idea of what is holy, and upright. Jesus fulfilled The Law, including the Ten Commandments, As we accept and follow Jesus, we are guiltless of any violation, and His grace helps us to live right..
