January 27, 2010
1) You must not have other gods. PERIOD! Nothing. This commandment appears to be the easiest. After all, we don't believe in Buddha, etc. However, it is the foundation for all the others and it is the hardest to obey. If you get this one right then all the rest fall into place. Get this one wrong? All the rest will be a problem as well. Anything that replaces God as the supreme authority in our lives is having another god. The biggest obstacle to obeying the first commandment? Ourselves. Thinking we can handle things ourselves. The problem of "I." Pride. There is a big difference in believing and understanding we are wonderfully and powerfully made by God to be who we are; and thinking that who we are is of our own doing. Nothing before God! Not pride, money, the need to be in control, this world, family, job—nothing.
2) You must not worship or serve any idols. This goes hand-in-hand with #1. We again think we can skim right over this one because it doesn't apply. But anything we are putting as more important than God, anything that is getting more of our devotion than God—is an idol. Pride, possessions, people, etc. God demands to be God of all our lives, NOT a god among other gods in our life. He wants total surrender to who HE is. I AM THE LORD. When He has that? He shows blessings and kindness. When He doesn't? There are consequences not only for yourself but for generations to come.
3) You must not use the name of the LORD your God thoughtlessly. The misuse of God's name literally shows that He is not LORD of your life. To understand who God is, to fully understand that He is the LORD (Yawheh—too holy of a word to even write), then you understand, even in our small human way, the majesty of God and you cannot take that lightly or use His name in vain. It says the LORD will punish anyone who misuses His name. That doesn't mean He will punish you because you said "a" word. It means that if you can misuse His name then you don't truly know Him and then you cannot be following #1 or #2 either. It means you have not fully surrendered to HIS authority and there will be consequences because of it.
4) Keep the Sabbath holy. We need to have a day set apart to remember Him. This isn't about legalism. It's about understanding the importance of surrender and worshiping God for who He is. It's about making Sabbath a priority in our lives. Not obeying #4 leads to problems with #1 and #2. The opposite is true as well. If #1 and #2 aren't obeyed, then not obeying this commandment will follow. Our hearts are sinful by nature. We must constantly be in God's word and communicate with Him through prayer if we are to stay surrendered. Fellowship with other like-minded people encourages, blesses, and uplifts us.
5) Honor your mother and father. Honor is the key word. Parents are human and not always the best examples in our lives, but we are to honor them. That means we respect them. God ordained when we were born and who we were born to. To not honor them is denying that God knew what He was doing. The reverse can be true as well. We are not to have our parents be a god in our lives. We are to honor them, not worship them. When we get this right the scripture says it will go well with you. Why? Because you have acknowledged God as LORD. #1 and #2 are being followed.
6) You must not murder.
7) You must not be guilty of adultery.
8) You must not steal.
9) You must not lie.
10) You must not want what others have.
Commandments 6-10 - What is the one thing in common with all of these? Self. To murder, cheat, steal, lie, or want other peoples things is the sin of selfishness and pride. What I want; what I deserve; what I want to have; and what is best for me. Selfish pride. It's all about me and what I want. Therefore, you are your own god and God is not the God in your life. #1 and #2 are broken. God is either God of all or He isn't God at all. It truly is that black and white. He is God of all—or He isn't God at all.
Exodus 20:23 says we cannot have gods in addition to Him. We either acknowledge that He is THE LORD and surrender our lives, wants, dreams, desires, to Him, OR we remain god in our own lives. Which is it? God—OR—Me? I choose God.
Addendum: 9/25/13 ~ I love how God takes His words and peels back the layers and continues to reveal HIS truth to us as we go to HIM to learn from HIM and are willing to listen to HIM. We often breeze right past God's commandment #3 and think it doesn't apply to us since we are not using His name in "vain" as we typically think about it. Could it be using His name in vain isn't just referring to swearing or thoughtless use? Could it be that we also misuse God's name when: we keep silent about who HE is; we "say" we are a follower of HIS but our actions don't line up with our words; we don't obey HIS teachings; we don't even bother to take the time to read HIS words; we go to Him with our laundry list of what we want HIM to do for us; and we don't obey #1 and #2. That is just a short list. We have it all wrong. We somehow think life is about us—and it is not. It is only about HIM.
Next Entry: Exodus 21:1 – 22:31
The Ten Commandments: "I am the LORD your God."
1) You must not have other gods. PERIOD! Nothing. This commandment appears to be the easiest. After all, we don't believe in Buddha, etc. However, it is the foundation for all the others and it is the hardest to obey. If you get this one right then all the rest fall into place. Get this one wrong? All the rest will be a problem as well. Anything that replaces God as the supreme authority in our lives is having another god. The biggest obstacle to obeying the first commandment? Ourselves. Thinking we can handle things ourselves. The problem of "I." Pride. There is a big difference in believing and understanding we are wonderfully and powerfully made by God to be who we are; and thinking that who we are is of our own doing. Nothing before God! Not pride, money, the need to be in control, this world, family, job—nothing.
2) You must not worship or serve any idols. This goes hand-in-hand with #1. We again think we can skim right over this one because it doesn't apply. But anything we are putting as more important than God, anything that is getting more of our devotion than God—is an idol. Pride, possessions, people, etc. God demands to be God of all our lives, NOT a god among other gods in our life. He wants total surrender to who HE is. I AM THE LORD. When He has that? He shows blessings and kindness. When He doesn't? There are consequences not only for yourself but for generations to come.
3) You must not use the name of the LORD your God thoughtlessly. The misuse of God's name literally shows that He is not LORD of your life. To understand who God is, to fully understand that He is the LORD (Yawheh—too holy of a word to even write), then you understand, even in our small human way, the majesty of God and you cannot take that lightly or use His name in vain. It says the LORD will punish anyone who misuses His name. That doesn't mean He will punish you because you said "a" word. It means that if you can misuse His name then you don't truly know Him and then you cannot be following #1 or #2 either. It means you have not fully surrendered to HIS authority and there will be consequences because of it.
4) Keep the Sabbath holy. We need to have a day set apart to remember Him. This isn't about legalism. It's about understanding the importance of surrender and worshiping God for who He is. It's about making Sabbath a priority in our lives. Not obeying #4 leads to problems with #1 and #2. The opposite is true as well. If #1 and #2 aren't obeyed, then not obeying this commandment will follow. Our hearts are sinful by nature. We must constantly be in God's word and communicate with Him through prayer if we are to stay surrendered. Fellowship with other like-minded people encourages, blesses, and uplifts us.
5) Honor your mother and father. Honor is the key word. Parents are human and not always the best examples in our lives, but we are to honor them. That means we respect them. God ordained when we were born and who we were born to. To not honor them is denying that God knew what He was doing. The reverse can be true as well. We are not to have our parents be a god in our lives. We are to honor them, not worship them. When we get this right the scripture says it will go well with you. Why? Because you have acknowledged God as LORD. #1 and #2 are being followed.
6) You must not murder.
7) You must not be guilty of adultery.
8) You must not steal.
9) You must not lie.
10) You must not want what others have.
Commandments 6-10 - What is the one thing in common with all of these? Self. To murder, cheat, steal, lie, or want other peoples things is the sin of selfishness and pride. What I want; what I deserve; what I want to have; and what is best for me. Selfish pride. It's all about me and what I want. Therefore, you are your own god and God is not the God in your life. #1 and #2 are broken. God is either God of all or He isn't God at all. It truly is that black and white. He is God of all—or He isn't God at all.
Exodus 20:23 says we cannot have gods in addition to Him. We either acknowledge that He is THE LORD and surrender our lives, wants, dreams, desires, to Him, OR we remain god in our own lives. Which is it? God—OR—Me? I choose God.
Addendum: 9/25/13 ~ I love how God takes His words and peels back the layers and continues to reveal HIS truth to us as we go to HIM to learn from HIM and are willing to listen to HIM. We often breeze right past God's commandment #3 and think it doesn't apply to us since we are not using His name in "vain" as we typically think about it. Could it be using His name in vain isn't just referring to swearing or thoughtless use? Could it be that we also misuse God's name when: we keep silent about who HE is; we "say" we are a follower of HIS but our actions don't line up with our words; we don't obey HIS teachings; we don't even bother to take the time to read HIS words; we go to Him with our laundry list of what we want HIM to do for us; and we don't obey #1 and #2. That is just a short list. We have it all wrong. We somehow think life is about us—and it is not. It is only about HIM.
Next Entry: Exodus 21:1 – 22:31
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