Then God instructed the people as follows:
I Am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt.
Do not worship any other gods besides me.
My Life Application Study Bible comments,
" Why were the Ten Commandments necessary
for God's new nation? At the foot of Mount
Sinai, God showed His people the true function and beauty of His laws. The commandments were designed to lead Israel to a life of practical holiness. In them, people could see the nature of God and His plan for how they should live. The commands and guidelines were intended to direct the community to meet the needs of each individual in a loving and responsible manner. By Jesus time, however, most people looked at the law the wrong way. They saw it as a means to prosperity in both this world and the next. and they thought that to obey every law was the way to earn God's protection from foreign invasion and natural disaster. Law keeping became an end in itself, not the means to fulfill God's ultimate law of love.
Today we can allow many things to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshipping these things. But by the amount of time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods."
Do not make idols of any kind,
Whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish.
You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god! Comments: "ask yourself if you would like it if someone you loved made an image of you, gave it their entire attention and ignored you completely. God loved us so much that He emptied out heaven for us. He has a right to expect us to love Him in return.
Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name. Comments: "God's name is special because it carries His personal identity. using it frivolously or in a curse is so common today that we may fail to realize how serious it is. The way we use God's name conveys how we really feel about Him. We should respect His name and use it appropriately, speaking it in praise or worship rather than in curse or jest. We should not take lightly the abuse or dishonor of His name."
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work...... For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in them; then He rested on the seventh day. That is why the Lord blest the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Comments: "The Sabbath was a day set aside for rest and worship. God commanded a Sabbath because human beings need to spend unhurried time in worship and rest each week. A God who is concerned enough to provide a day each week for us to rest is indeed wonderful. To observe a regular time of rest and worship in our fast-paced world demonstrates how important God is to us, and it gives us the extra benefit of refreshing our spirits. Don't neglect God's provision."
Honor your father and your mother!
Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God will give you. Comments: "What does it mean to 'honor' parents? Partly, it means speaking well of them and politely to them. It also means acting in a way that shows them courtesy and respect (but not to obey them if this means disobedience to God). It means following their teaching and example of putting God first. Parents have a special place in God's sight. Even those who find it difficult to get along with their parents are still commanded to honor them.
"Do not murder."
Comments: "But I don't murder people' you may say. Good. That fulfills the letter of the law. But Jesus explained that hateful anger breaks this commandment (Matthew 5:21,22). Have you ever been so angry with someone who mistreated you that for a moment you wished that person were dead? Have you ever fantasized that you could do someone in? Jesus' teaching concerning this law demonstrates that we are capable of murder in our hearts. Even if we are legally innocent, we are all morally guilty of murder and need to ask God's forgiveness. We need to commit ourselves to the opposite of hatred and anger --- love and reconciliation."
Do not commit adultery.
Comments: God created one man and one woman to be together and raise children to enjoy and love. Adam and Eve are examples of God's plans for us. Marriage is a holy arrangement. The man and the woman form a unit. Nothing should come between them. They are to marry for life. It is a very serious sin to break the marriage vows. Exodus 20:14 is very clear.
Do not steal.
Comments: Jesus told us that we were to treat our neighbor as we would like to be treated. Would you like someone to come and take away something of yours that you needed or liked a lot? Do not testify falsely against your neighbor. Comments: Again ask yourself if you would like someone to lie about you to gain something for themselves? Lying is just like stealing, totally selfish and self-centered and causes only unhappiness.
Do not covet
Do not covet your neighbor's your neighbor's wife, house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that your neighbor owns.
Comments: To covet is to desire another person's property. We are not to set our desires on anything that belongs to someone else. Not only can such desires make us miserable, they can also lead to other sins such as adultery and stealing. Envying others is a uselesss exeercise because God is able to provide everything we really need, even if He does not always give us everything we want. To stop coveting, we need to practice being content with what we have. The apostle Paul emphasizes the significance of contentment in Philippians 4:11,12. It is a matter of perspective. Instead of thinking about what we do not have, we should thank God for what He has given and strive to be content. After all, our most important possession is free and available to everyone --- eternal life through Christ Jesus.
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Last Revised: August, 2005