The 10 Commandments

I'll be talking about the The Commandments and just breaking them down and describing them. Some people get confused with them, or completely overlook them. So I'll take it a step further for your understanding. I've read all of Exodus especially the 10 Commandments. But, that was almost a year ago, and I feel like it'd be nice to go over them again.

The Commandments start in Exodus 20:3
1. “You shall have no other gods before me." Ex. 20:3

This one is number one and it's pretty plain and simple. It's doesn't just apply to idols or statues, but also as a mindset. Don't hold anything else up above God. It doesn't matter whether you think something you passionately enjoy is a god, it's whether or not you begin worshiping in with a mindset of it being better than God or a sense of worship.

2. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." Ex. 20:4

Now this one may seem kinda confusing. It's basically saying that you shouldn't make an idol out of anything from the sky to the sea. Now what does that mean? Nothing from that range should be considered an idol. Of course you'd have to think about it. Nothing in heaven should be an idol or below the earth. God is the only one who should be worshiped.

Here is a blog by Isaac Deitz about idolatry.
http://isaacdeitz.com/2011/06/pills-and-idols/

Verses 5-6

5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Now these two verse have great meaning and depth. Because when we sin and break the commandments, our children will be punished. How will the be punished? I don't know. Sometimes it's an illness, or disorder. Sometimes it's economic. Sometimes it's hard living. But it's doesn't just happen to individual families. For example, the children of Israel. Because of their sin, they wandered for forty years (about 3 or 4 generations). Sin is inevitable because of the ones before us. But God promises to love us to a thousand generations. If we keep the commandments to the best of our ability, that's great. But if that's our main goal, then we've already broken the first commandment.


The Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28-31)

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”


3. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." Ex. 20:7

This is a big one most people tend to oversee. I was going to do a whole post about profanity, but why not just cover it all with the commandments?
A lot of people say, why can't I say that? Those words are in the Bible. Well, yeah, but they aren't used in a profane way. The words like damn, ass, hell are in the Bible. Does that mean we can't say them? No. Does that mean we can use them in a derogatory way? No. We can, but shouldn't. So then what about the other bad words. Some people say, "God doesn't care what words I use." Or "Man made these words, and they aren't in the Bible." Now, God doesn't hold what you say above your relationship with him. But, if your taking others down with what you say, your relationship with God needs to be checked.

Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Colossians 3:8
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

When (and if) you became a follower of Christ, you are to repent of you old ways. Such as profanity.

Here's a blog I read by one of my inspirers (Isaac Deitz) about profanity.
http://isaacdeitz.com/2011/03/question-should-christians-cuss/


4. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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 male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 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." Ex. 20:8-11

God rested on the seventh day to look back at His work. He wasn't tired. He just looked backed and enjoyed what He did. You could sorta say he slowed down to recognize Himself. It's not so much that you must stop working after 6 days of work. It's just take at least one day to stop and thank God for your week and talk to Him. It's also a great time to stay clean and just reset yourself for the next week. It doesn't even have to be Saturday or Sunday for that matter. Just as a day to be with God and acknowledge Him.

5. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Ex. 20:12

Have respect for the ones who brought you into the world, because God can take you out. (That was an attempt at a lame joke.) Seriously, be thankful that you're here on the earth. "Every breath is a second chance."- Lecrae "But what if I don't have parents. Or I don't like my parents and vice versa"? Well, it doesn't matter if you like your parents, but you should have respect for them.

6. “You shall not murder." Ex. 20:13

You might be thinking, "I've never killed anyone, that's an easy commandment to keep." Sure, but raise your hand if you've ever hated or come close to hating a person. With anger and bitterness, you can kill someone with your mind. It's hard to not fall into that mindset. You could push someone to suicide or seriously mentally hurt someone with what you do and say. So what I'm trying to say it, don't kill them with your heart.

7. “You shall not commit adultery." Ex. 20:14

It doesn't just take physical action to commit adultery. With fantasizing about someone other than your significant other is adultery. If you're going to love someone, you must be committed to them. Half a commitment isn't a commitment at all. God is a jealous god. He doesn't want to be worship along with other gods, He want's to be worshiped alone. And the same with your person. They want your love focus to be on them and not any other person.

8. “You shall not steal. Ex. 20:15

Once again, it doesn't have to be physical. You can steal a person's joy or happiness just with your attitude. You can even kill our own joy with your attitude. But on a physical matter, you shouldn't steal, even if it's a bank pen or a penny. Sure, who'd care? But it's really a mindset. If you start with small things, it can become bigger things. It's also not so much what you do, it's being an example. If you're a bad example, it'll teach others, especially the younger ones, that it's okay to do wrong things.

9. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Ex. 20:16

This is another one that can be confusing. Being a false testimony against your neighbor means that if you were in a trial and you witnessed something, tell the truth. Don't lie for some benefit or because you dislike your neighbor.

10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Ex. 20:17

Being jealous is hard not to do. It can be easy to want what others have such as money, status, luxury, and whatever else. So don't be jealous. Be thankful for what you have, since there is always someone who has it worse than you. If you're reading this, you are certainly privileged and should be thanking God. Don't envy that someone who appears to have it better, because you don't know what they may be going through.

So I leave it at this. I was simply inspired by a Sunday School lesson and of course by our Creator. :)

Dani