TEN COMMANDMENTS REVISITED - NYOBS 48.13

TEN COMMANDMENTS

REVISITED
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Exodus 20:2

First Word

·         I believe the Ten Commandments (The Decalogue) stand alone and are already clear to the reader and need no further explanation, but I felt a need to amplify the thoughts to increase the impact not only on your thinking, but on your actions.

·         These commandments proclaim Yahweh’s unconditional will and were unique to the Hebrews.

·         These Laws were the only laws that were written by the finger of God. – The other 613 laws written in the Torah by Moses have their foundation in these Laws.

·         As Christians we are under the New Covenant Laws and are no longer under the Old Covenant Laws, however I strongly believe that we would all do well to keep the commandments that God Himself “ENGRAVED IN STONE” TWICE; once for the Old Covenant and once for the New Covenant. – These were later placed by Moses in the “Ark of the Covenant”.-  (Ark of the Testimony)

·         Note: Traditionally the two tablets were small enough to be placed inside a robe.  They were a little larger than the size of a man’s large wallet which would be placed in the inside pocket of his dress coat. – They were not three feet tall as seen in the movies

#1 Exodus 32:15-16 –Written front and back on two tablets.
¹⁵ Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.
¹⁶ The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. (ESV)

Exodus 32:19 – Moses breaks the first set of Tablets
¹⁹ And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. (ESV)

#2 Exodus 34:1 I will write on the tablets again
¹ The LORD said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.(ESV)

Exodus 34:27-28 – God gives Moses even more covenant laws
²⁷ the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
²⁸ So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And He (God) wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. ESV)

Deuteronomy 10:5 – Put the Ten Commandments into the Ark
⁵ Then I came back down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made, as the LORD commanded me, and they are there now. (NIV2011)

A little background

·         Originally the Ten Commandments WERE SPOKEN by the Divine Voice of God from the top of Mount Sinai in the hearing of all of Israel who were gathered at the foot of the mountain and then God followed up with a copy in stone and with a broken duplicate that He still has.

·         Side Bar - Some scholars believe that the Two Tablets of stone were actually identical with the same commandments engraved on both of them; an original and a copy to prevent tampering. (SELAH; ponder that)

·         The Arabs called the peak of Mount Sinai; “Jebel Musa” which means Mount Moses. – The breaking of the stone tablets by Moses symbolized the people breaking the covenant of God which they had already heard audibly by His voice. - Interestingly Sinai comes from the word “sina” meaning “a bush”; referencing the burning bush that Moses encountered.

·         The Torah; the first five books of the OT embodies the will and wisdom of God and points to His grace that brought them out of the bondage of Egypt. – These Laws are often referred to as the Decalogue which from the Greek means “Ten Words”

·         The laws of Israel were built on God’s own laws so that when an offense occurred against the community, it was also an offense against God. – The Laws originated from God’s eternal character therefore their moral value cannot change.

·         The Ten Commandments engraved by the finger of God were proclaimed on the third moon or the month Sivan (June) about three days after Israel arrived at Mount Sinai; scholars believe that this day falls on the “Day of Pentecost” Festival. – This was a special COVENANT between God and Israel that they would be His treasured possession… If they obeyed His commandments. – Have you ever thought of yourself as “God’s treasured possession”. – SELAH; ponder that -

·         The commandments were NOT a set of regulation to earn salvation, but a perpetual reminder of His deliverance. – They were intended to be memorized and publicly recited by the Hebrew community using the ten fingers of both hands.

·         All the Commandments were negative except the fourth toward God and the fifth toward man. – Although spoken in the negative, they are a positive call to Godliness. - All are spoken to us as individuals and allow us to enter into a life of joyful fellowship with our Redeemer. - With the exception of Sabbath Keeping, all are repeated in the NT.

·         Jesus declared His stamp of approval on the Laws by declaring that He did not come to destroy the Laws, but to fulfill them.

Deuteronomy 4:10 -13 – Ten Commandments SPOKEN
¹⁰ How on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’

¹¹ And you (Israel) came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.
¹² Then the LORD SPOKE to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.
¹³ And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone.

(ESV)

Exodus 31:18 - Written with the finger of God
¹⁸ And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

(ESV)

Exodus 20:2 – The gift of deliverance – Grace of the Redeemer
² I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (NIV2011)

Exodus 19:5 - You shall be my treasured possession
⁵ Now therefore, IF you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; (ESV)

Matthew 5:17-18 – I have come to fulfill the commandments
¹⁷ Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (ESV)

The first four commandments deal chiefly with

the relationship of God

1^st Commandment – other gods

·         The original text says that “there shall not be to you other gods before Me”; meaning that these other gods only existed in the worshipers’ minds – There are no other gods. – Satan temped Jesus on this very point – Note: Temptation is not sin; giving in is the sin.

·         The intent of the heart is to put God first and others will see what God’s character is like through our actions.

·         The name God is not a “class term”, but is a proper name. – It is singular, absolute and an exclusive deity.

·         Having another god is idolatry - When something consumes your thinking and actions, you are literally worshiping it. – Idolatry is the “Blanket Sin”; ever sin that man commits can be boiled down to idolatry, an action that places something in front of God’s commands.

·         When I was in my 20’s, I was consumed with collecting Lionel Trains; so much that I would take the Sunday paper and skip Sunday School and Church just so I would be the first one to purchase the trains. – I put collecting in front of God; I had made Trains my god.  Although it took a while, I realized what I was doing and went back to putting God first in my life.  – Fifty years later I still love to collect Lionel trains, but with limited zeal; (sort of)

·         Take a moment to ponder what you think about most of the time; take a look in your checking account, your debit and credit cards; FOLLOW THE MONEY.

Exodus 20:3 – No Other God
³ You shall have no other gods before me. (ESV)

Matthew 4:8-10 Satan tempted Jesus on this very point
⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
⁹  “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (NIV2011)

2^nd Commandment - Images

·         God has never been a tangible or visible being – “I am that I am”. – I will become whatever I will become; maybe even a burning bush or smoke and thunder.

·         Graven or carved images are an abomination to God. – Every image that has been made is made from various metals, gold, silver, wood, stone and other by-products of the earth. – Carved or engraved images show a devotion to the creation, not the creator, therefore no visible or material representation of His True Deity is possible.

·         This is not a general prohibition of having pictures or art in your home which you do not pay homage or reverence.

·         Statues of the Virgin Mary and various other saints found in the Bible are the norm now being found in the home as well as the yards.  - In the Catholic Church's opinion, "the honor paid to sacred images is a 'respectful veneration', not the adoration due to God alone".

·         The Cross is the identifying mark or symbol of those that follow Jesus Christ. - Protestants display the cross without the image of Jesus hanging on it.

·         In the Catholic Bible this second commandment has been omitted and the tenth commandment has been split into two in order to make the Commandments Ten again.

·         The 2^nd commandment for the Catholic Church is “do not take God’s name in vain”, with graven images becoming a part of the 1^st Commandment. – In all fairness it must be pointed out that we were never instructed on how the commandments were to be grouped.

·         As Christians, WE are a form and image of God’s will so that we can express His wondrous works in the form of worship and praise as well as be an extension of His Love to our “neighbor”. – His Word went forth and created us, carving His name in our mind and soul.

Exodus 20:4 – Carved Idols – Catholic Bible

4 You shall not carve IDOLS for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth. (NCE)
Exodus 20:4-6 – Carved Images

⁴ You shall not make for yourself a carved IMAGE, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

⁵ You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

⁶ but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 4:12 – God is not a visible or tangible being
¹² Then the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. (ESV)

3^rd Commandment – His Name

·         God’s Name and His character are inseparable.

·         Taking God’s name in vain is the norm in America; to use it in common speech for worthless reasons, for no good purposes, irresponsibly. – It’s played out on TV and in real life with terms like OMG or Oh My God spoken as an explanation point; or using God’s name to DAMN someone or something in an attempt to wield power. – His name is not to be exploited or manipulated for personal interest or for the trivial or the magical.

·         This also applies to hypocritical worship using His name in meaningless prayer and praise. – In my early days of Real Estate, because of my vernacular, my associates called me “Praise The Lord Paul”. – Sometimes I find myself meaninglessly commenting “Praise the Lord” when I probably should have just said “thank you” to someone. – My close friend sold produce and they called his place of business; “Praise The Lord Produce”. – We had a lot in common.

·         The Believer who bears God’s name, should not allow His Honor to be defiled by his conduct.

·         All through the OT, the name of God was so reverenced by the Hebrews that they would use words like “heaven” to refer to God, but never ever utter His name.

·         By happenstance I tuned to a movie called “Bruce Almighty” with the name YAHWEH floating on his computer screen.  I could not believe the blasphemy that I was seeing and turned it off. - Morgan Freeman the actor who Played God in this movie has publically said “Has anybody ever seen hard evidence? (of God) – An unbeliever playing the role of God

·         YHWH is God’s unpronounceable name in Hebrew and for us to be able to say it we add the vowels to get YAHWEH which comes from the verb that means “to be”, “become”, or “come to pass”. – Moses asked God his name and He said; “I am that I am” or I will become whatever I want to become.

·         God will not hold the person guiltless who takes His name in vain. – SELAH; ponder that -

Exodus 20:7 – Don’t use God’s name carelessly

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

Exodus 3:13-14 – I am that I am
¹³ What is his name? What shall I say unto them?
¹⁴ And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me (ASV)

4^th Commandment – The Sabbath

• The Sabbath is a Sign of the Covenant between God and Israel and comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat; meaning to cease and desist – An abstention from work.  
• The 7^th day Sabbath was specifically given to Israel, not to the Church; the Church was born on Sunday the 1^st day of the week when Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
• Whether observed on Saturday celebrating a Finished Work or on Sunday celebrating a Finished Redemption both serves man physically and spiritually.
• This encompasses the belief that Israel’s “Time” and “Land” ultimately belongs to God.
• Webster: The Sabbath; The Seventh day of the week (Saturday), set aside by the fourth commandment for rest and worship and observed by Jews and some Christian sects – with Sunday, the first day of the week as the usual Christian day of rest and worship.
• The Sabbath began at sunset on Friday evening and lasted till sunset on Saturday evening.
• God bound Israel to follow His law and no other;  “The Law” demanded reverence, obedience and service; to record, study, remember and obey under penalty of being “stoned to death”. – With that said; you could say; they took the Sabbath very seriously.
• The Fourth Commandment: The Sabbath is a Holy day on which man should rest from any work and cause no one else under his authority to work. - The penalty was death
• Don’t buy anything from anyone on the Sabbath causing them to work. – It’s in the book -
• We are commanded to work six days and rest on the seventh. – Being busy does not equate to being spiritual. – This commandment stands as a barrier against endless self-destructive human greed.
• Man was not made for The Sabbath; The Sabbath was made for man to enjoy a day of REST. – NYOBS 15.32 - SABBATH

Exodus 31:12-13 - Sign of the Covenant between Me and you
¹² And the LORD said to Moses,
¹³  You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a SIGN between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. (ESV)

Exodus 20:8-11 – The Sabbath Day

8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien.

11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Gen 2:2-3 – God rested on the seventh day

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. NIV

Ex 31:16-17 – The Jews are commanded to observe the Sabbath

16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant.

17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'" NIV

Neh 10:31 – Don’t GO SHOPPING on the Sabbath

31 "When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. NIV

Mark 2:27-28 – The Sabbath was made for man

27 Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." NIV

SABBATH RABBIT TRAIL

• After the Resurrection of Christ, the early Christians began to observe the day that Jesus was resurrected from the grave as the new covenant; the new way.  They observed the Sabbath or “Lords Day” on “Resurrection Sunday” which was the first day of the week. – A new beginning.
• The Jews continued to observe Saturday as the Sabbath and the Christians set apart Sunday to be observed as “The Lord’s Day” which we also commonly call our Sabbath.  The Sabbath actually refers to the Jews; “The Lord’s Day” refers to the Christians (I understand many will disagree with this.)
• The Lord’s Day is a weekly memorial to Christ’s resurrection from the dead; a celebration of a new creation – God making all things new - A day of triumph and glory – The tomb is empty – Rejoice in “The Lord’s Day”. – He is risen; He is risen indeed.
• We have transitioned from the Sabbath to the Lord’s Day which began on the first Easter.
• Christ honored the disciples by manifesting Himself multiple times on the first day of the week.
• The feast of harvest was seven weeks long; 49 days – the 50^th day was Pentecost; Sunday, the first day. - The Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost, the first day of the week. - NYOBS 15.13 - SABBATH
• Some scholars have calculated that Jesus ascended to Heaven on the first day of the week. No OT Sabbath regulations or observances were transferred to “the Lord’s Day” to make it a “Christian Sabbath” – The “Sabbath” relates to the Old Covenant and the “Lord’s Day” relates to the New Covenant.
• NOTE:  The day of rest became “most noted” for Christians when Emperor Constantine in the fourth century A.D. designated Sunday as a Holy Day for the entire Roman Empire.  

                                                                                                                                      

The 5^th – 10^th commandments deal with

relationships between each other

5^th Commandment – Honor Parents

·         Parents are honored to be God’s surrogates; a kind of co-creatorship, a co-rulership in the governing of their children.

·         Honoring your parents by the way you live your life is a blessing not only to your parents, but to you and all those around you.

·         The parent’s duty was to train up their children in God’s Law; THE WAY, and to provide all the necessary things that were needed including the love and warmth of a caring home.  -  Later on in the NT the followers of Christ’s sect became known as “THE WAY”.

·         When the parents grow old and cannot do for themselves, we as children are to provide the same love and devotion that we received. - As a bonus, God has promised that our days will be extended. - Note: The OT statues for abandoning this respect was harsh, it erodes the moral fiber and social fabric of our nation; to curse or defy your parents was a “capital offense”. (You were stoned to death)

Exodus 20:12 – Honor your Mom and Dad

¹² Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. (ESV)

Proverbs 22:6 – Train your children in THE WAY
⁶ Train up a child in THE WAY he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (ESV)

 Proverbs 1:8 – Do not forsake your parent’s teachings
⁸ Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, (ESV)

Exodus 21:17 – Capital offense to curse your parents
¹⁷ Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death. (ESV)

Acts 9:2 – The Way – Followers of Christ sect
² and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to THE WAY, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (ASV)

6^th Commandment – Murder

·         This law reveals God’s attitude toward people created in His very own Image.

·         Man is God’s Image bearer and to murder is to take away a man’s indispensable possession and to destroy God’s image in which he was created.

·         The original text says “do not Kill”, but the spirit of the intent was to not murder.

·         Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being with Malice of Forethought.

·         The term murder is extended to include, euthanasia, abortion, suicide, assisted suicide, sacrificial suicide, drugs, slander. – NYOBS 20.09 ABORTION – NYOBS 07.17 – SUICIDE EUTHANASIA

·         It is a most serious crime worthy of the harshest of punishment, under the justification that commission of murder is highly detrimental to good order within a society.

·         In most countries, a person convicted of murder is typically given a long prison sentence, possibly a LIFE SENTENCE where permitted, and in some countries for such an act, the DEATH PENALTY may be imposed.

·         What does God say about killing in war? – If you are in the army, you have an oath of loyalty to the governing authorities who have been placed over you by God to protect the homeland, your family and to keep the peace.

·         We are NOT forbidden to kill in war – It is our scriptural duty to defend our land and our families from those who would seek to do us harm us that includes Terrorist by any name.

·         If a thief breaks in to my home; threatens my family; am I justified in shooting to KILL?

·         The Bible says YES’ - If a Thief breaks into your home… SHOOT HIM… You have God’s permission – You have a God given right to protect your family and home.

·         Go get your Concealed Weapons Permit Today. – Go practice at the shooting range.  Take the thief out. – It’s NOT a sin; it’s a public service.-  NYOBS 29.24 – MURDER

·         Jesus extended the commandment to include anger and verbal insults to a brother in Christ and suggest anger management, forgiveness and reconciliation of an issue so that it will be not become a cancer that might result in the unnecessary taking of a life. – Jesus points out the spiritual KINSHIP of a murderer to the Devil who was a murderer from the beginning.

Exodus 20:13 – Don’t Murder

¹³ You shall not murder. (ESV)

Romans 13:1 – We are subject to those who govern us in War.
¹ Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (NKJV)

Romans 13:2 – Resisting authority resists the ordinances of God
² therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

(NKJV)

Romans 13:3 – Our Government is a terror to EVIL
³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. (NKJV)

Romans 13:4 – Army executes wrath on those who practice EVIL
⁴ For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. (NKJV)

Exodus 22:2 – SHOOT THE THIEF
² If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is NOT GUILTY of bloodshed; (NIV2011)

Matthew 5:21-26 – Don’t be angry or insult your Hebrew brother
²¹ You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
²⁵ Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
²⁶ Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. (ESV)

John 8:44 – A murderer is KIN to the Devil - SATAN
⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (ESV)

New Covenant

·         Although we are no longer under the OT Laws, we have Two Commandments of LOVE that were given to us by Jesus Christ that will make us want to keep the Ten Commandments.

·         Murder - Christ specifically mentioned Murder when he said “Love your neighbor as yourself”; that love does no harm to its neighbor. – So Murder is still a SIN.

Mark 12:28-31 – Two Commandments of Love

28 Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 

30 LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 

31 The second is this: `LOVE your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

NIV

Rom 13:8-10 – Love is the fulfillment of the Law

8 He who LOVES his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  LOVE does NO HARM to its neighbor.

10 Therefore LOVE is the fulfillment of the law. NIV

John 13:34 – Love one another

34 "A new command I give you: LOVE one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. NIV

7^th Commandment - Adultery

·         You can only commit Adultery when you are prepared to HURT others, to enjoy yourself at the expense of others. – NYOBS 08.18 - SEX

·         This commandment places a “Hedge of Protection” around the Home and Family. – It assures the legitimacy of children and the proper transfer of the family legacy. – Because of the Virgin birth of Jesus, they questioned who his father was.

• The human desire for sex is strong for both sexes – sometimes the passion is so great that you can’t escape it.  Sometimes it is forced; -  RAPE
• While immoral behavior is only one of the Ten Commandments, it is by far one of the strongest as it spins off – Lies – emotional distress – broken families – disease – sickness – and sometimes murder.
• When you are horny, a kiss can melt you. - Even a toad frog will look like a prince.

·         Marriage is a covenant between a Man, a Woman and God. – When a man and woman come together for the first time, there is blood; this is the sealing of the blood covenant between the two of them and God. - NYOBS 27.09 - MARRIAGE COVENANT

·         The two are now ONE – They are not to be unfaithful to each other nor unfaithful to God.

·         Jesus took it a step further concerning your thoughts. - He said that just thinking lustfully about someone; you will have already committed adultery in your heart; you have sinned.

Exodus 20:14 - Adultery

¹⁴ You shall not commit adultery. (ESV)

Prov 27:7 –When you’re horny, a TOAD FROG looks like a prince.

7 He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

Mal 2:14 – The Lord is in covenant with you and your wife.

14 You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. NIV

Gen 2:24 – Man and wife become one flesh

24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. NIV

Job 1:10 – Hedge of Protection around your Home
¹⁰ Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. (ESV)

Matthew 13:55 - Is not this the carpenter's son
⁵⁵ Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? (ASV)

Matthew 5:28 – Just thinking about Adultery is Sin
²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (ESV)

SEX RULES – RABBIT TRAIL

1. The marriage bed is to remain undefiled; Heb 13:4
2. Don’t have sex with anyone except your wife – Ex 20:14
3. If you are single don’t have sex at all; Acts 15:29
4. Do not get your friends drunk so that you can have sex with them; Hab 2:15
5. Don’t even think about having sex with your neighbors wife; Ex 20:17
6. Do not lust after any woman or man, single or not; Matt 5:28
7. Do not marry or have sex with the following:  Your father; Lev 18:7 – Your mother or step mother; Lev 18:8  – Your sister or half-sister; Lev 18:9 – Your granddaughter; Lev 18:10 – Your aunt; Lev 18:12-13 – Your uncle; Lev 18:14 – Daughter in law; Lev 18:15 – Sister in law; Lev 18:16 – Do not have sex with a woman plus her daughter or granddaughter; Lev 18:17 – Don’t have sex with two sisters while both are still living; Lev 18:18
8. Do not prostitute your daughter; Lev 19:29
9. Don’t have sex during a woman’s monthly period; Lev 18:19
10. Don’t have sex with someone of the same sex; Lev 18:22  - NYOBS 02.02 Homosexuality
11. Don’t wear clothes pertaining to the opposite sex; Deut 22:5
12. Don’t have sex with an animal; Lev 18:23

8^th Commandment – Stealing

·         A man’s property is an extension of his personality. – You can steal a marriage partner; a life as well as a reputation.

·         Stealing is a double sin; in that it breaks the commandment that Jesus gave in loving your neighbor and it accuses God of not providing enough for your needs.

·         The flip side of the coin is that a neighbor with an abundance has not met the needs of a neighbor who is in want.

·         Solomon wrote; Give me neither poverty nor riches; don’t give me so much that I forget about You God and so Little that I am forced to steal and thereby profane your name.

·         Stealing can be fraud, dispossession, withholding something that is due another man; withholding the tithe from God. (Ponder that)

·         Maude was a saint in the church, but her overgrown grandson Larry was a Bully whose delight was to hurt, steal and destroy. - He was just plain EVIL and was HATED - Larry died at a young age in a robbery; you would think that I would have been very glad, but it was SAD because he was destined for Hell.

·         This is sad to say, but the scriptures are written to a man that is seeking God’s face and there are some whose spirit just rejects the things of God.  - Their father is Satan, the father of Lies; and they will not only take your goods, they will take your life.

·         Jesus says “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need”.

Exodus 20:15 - Stealing

¹⁵ You shall not steal. (ESV)

Galatians 5:14 – Love your neighbor
¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (ESV)

Proverbs 3:27 – Don’t withhold what is due
²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. (ESV)

Malachi 3:8 – Will a man rob God of the Tithe
⁸ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.

(ESV)

Prov 30:8-9 – Give me neither poverty nor riches

8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:

9 Lest I be full, and deny (thee), and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and use profanely the name of my God.

ASV

John 8:44 – Your father is Satan – Liar – Murderer
⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar. (ESV)

Ephesians 4:28 – Let the thief no longer steal; but share
²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (ESV)

9^th Commandment – False Witness

·         This of course smacks of testifying falsely as a witness in a court of Law against someone else; The Hebrew law required that you do to the False Witness as he had meant to do to his brother. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

·         But let’s look at it a little more closely. – This is also about assaulting someone’s character, it carries the label of slander; defamation, back biting, tale toting, gossiping, pot stirring and aggravating the circumstances, and worst of all; the attempt to raise your own reputation.

·         For the Hebrew, assaulting a man’s character, which is all that he had, was like taking his life. – If you called a man a Fool you were on dangerous ground with the Lord.

·         In the political area today, when you cannot find fault with your opponents message, then you assault his character to in effect KILL HIM. – Many times jealousy of someone else’s achievements brings out snide remarks. – This is so common today not only in politics, but in the corporate world with one seeking to advance his own self above a fellow employee.

·         Again this is written to the man of God, and just goes over the head of an unbeliever or Make Believer. – Before you open your mouth, consider; does this lift up someone or push them down. – In the 40’s, my father told me that “a man’s word was his bond”, his word was only as good as his name; that is somewhat of a joke today, particularly in the Political area.

·         I remember accepting a Job when a better offer came through. – When I turned the better offer down, they could not understand why… I said, I have already given my WORD.

Matthew 5:22  - Don’t insult someone’s name and integrity
²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (ESV)

Exodus 20:16 – False Witness

¹⁶ You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

(ESV)

Deuteronomy 19:16-21 – Do to witness as meant he meant to do
¹⁶ If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing,
¹⁷ then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.
¹⁸ The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely,
¹⁹ then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
²⁰ And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you.
²¹ Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. (ESV)

10^th Commandment – Covet

·         Covet – This is the chef root of manward sins.  – It is Action in Rehearsal. - It highlights the importance of wrong appetites and intentions; craving for worldly satisfactions; Setting one’s heart on desire. - Man’s ego becomes his God.

·         Envy is the very thread that corrodes the fabric of our society. This envy runs the gamut of coveting someone’s promotion; status, popularity, friends, house, wife or car.

·         Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. - You will not covet, envy or harm someone you care about. – Blessed are those with a pure heart for they shall see God.

Exodus 20:17 – Covet – Wife – House – Car - Friends

¹⁷ You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

(ESV)
Matthew 22:39 – Love your neighbor
³⁹ You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ESV)

Matthew 5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (ESV)

Closing Thoughts

·         These Ten Fence Post commandments provide a hedge of protection around the community against the beast of disorder, confusion and bloodshed. – If any one of the post collapses, chaos will break out within the community; survival itself is at stake. – (SELAH; ponder where we are in our community today)

·         The Beneficiaries of His steadfast love are “those who love Him and keep His Ten Commandments.

·         Today God’s Laws have been written on our hearts and we are to live according to the Spirit; doing so the Law is fully met within us.

·         If you want to get along with God, you must first agree with Him about SIN. – Sin must be confessed.

Exodus 20:6 Beneficiaries – Who loves and keep commandments
⁶ but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

(ESV)

NEW COVENANT PROMISE

Jeremiah 31:33 - Put my law within them - write on their hearts
³³ For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (ESV)

Romans 8:4 – Law is fully met in those who live by the spirit
⁴ In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (NIV2011)

QUALIFICATIONS TO GET INTO HEAVEN

• Jesus said we must come to Him believing and trusting; without reservation; just as a child would run to his daddy and jump into his arms.
• The Sermon on the Mount; “The Beatitudes” do not show a man how to be saved; they show the characteristics of one who is saved. – They are not promises of blessings for the saved, but are a description of the saved. – NYOBS 12.34 – NOW AND NOT YET

1. Poor in spirit – Realization that we are spiritually bankrupt and can offer God nothing.
2. Those who mourn – Anguishing over sin; over perishing souls; wanting right to prevail.
3. Meek – Accepting opposition, insults and provocation – Bearing patiently – mild and calm.
4. Hunger for righteousness – All sin and wrongdoing to anyone grieves them.
5. Merciful – Being kind, showing pity, mercy and compassion, even when it’s not convenient.
6. Pure in Heart – No hidden motives or self-interest, a pure heart with singleness of purpose.
7. Peacemaker – Bringing men into harmony with each other – calming the waters.

• Love – You must love Christ more than your own family or you are not worthy of Him.
• Give of what you have to those who can’t pay you back; - Give justice, mercy, compassion and faithfulness.

• Someone who is rich puts his trust in what he has – Someone who is poor puts his trust in what he hasn’t.
• It’s very hard for someone rich to seek the Kingdom of Heaven; they do not see themselves as having any needs. – They are self-sufficient. – They don’t need God.  (Jesus said this, not me.)
• The Bar is set very high - Who then can qualify to enter the Kingdom of God? – By man’s efforts, no one can qualify to enter – Only by the grace of God is it possible.

Matt 5:3-9 – Characteristics of the Believer – God Attitude   

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. NIV

Matt 19:23 – Hard for the rich to enter into Heaven

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. NIV

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

Bible Almanac; The – Packer – Tenney White

Disappointed with God – Philip Yancey

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Harper’s Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row

Holy Bible; The – New Catholic Edition

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The - Tyndale

Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

New International Dictionary of the Bible: The - Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible - NIV

Pascal’s Wager – Michael A. Gorman

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Wikipedia

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The - Tenney