Summary: Duties to God and to others, a summary of God's will for us.

The Ten Commandments…a Sermon Series…Pastor Bob Leroe, D.Min...Cliftondale Congregational Church

Introduction to the Ten Commandments

Matthew 5:17-20, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

~Definition: The Law of God is God’s absolute, unchanging, eternal standard regulating the conduct of all people.

A. The Purpose of the Law:

1. To define our boundaries

2. To inform us of the holy nature of the Law-Giver

3. To reveal God’s will for us

4. To point us to the One who perfectly kept the demands of the Law

5. To lead people to God (and His grace)

B. The Nature of the Law:

1. The Law is perfect

2. The Law is unalterable

3. The Law is holy

C. Understanding, Interpreting & Applying the Law:

1. The 10 Commandments demand internal and external obedience

2. Both main and lesser sins must be avoided

3. Negative commands imply positive responsibilities, just as each positive command indicates a negative restriction

4. Divided into 2 sections—Duties to God (1-4) & Duties to others (5-10)

5. We cannot keep God’s commandments by our own strength

“Heavenly Father, open our eyes that we may be shown wondrous things out of Your Law” (Psalm 119:18).

The First Commandment—Putting God First

Exodus 20:1-3 & Colossians 1:15-18

Introduction:

A university professor handed out copies of the Ten Commandments to his students and then asked them to arrange them in order of importance. 90% of the students reversed the order, putting the commandments about how we should treat others first (1-4) and the commandments about how we are to relate to God (5-10) last.

The Jews understood the reason for the original arrangement. Our relationship with God provides the basis for living a life of character. The first 4 commandments are foundational; they provide the reason for treating others fairly. If we are in right relationship with God, we will treat others properly.

The first commandment starts by letting us know Who God is: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). God begins with His personal covenant Name, “I AM”, a Name that indicates His eternal, unchanging character. And by stating “I am” He is saying that all those other gods—are NOT.

This can be a dangerous teaching. When German Lutheran minister Martin Niemoller published his sermon on this very same commandment he was immediately arrested by the Nazis. They correctly saw this message as a threat to their tyranny.

The tragedy of our times is that people today put themselves first and want little to do with God—they don’t want to be under His authority, yet they get upset with God when life doesn’t go as expected. It would be fitting to repeat this statement of God’s deliverance before each individual commandment. After establishing Who He is and what He has faithfully done for His people, God announces His first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (verse 3).

Without God, laws become merely pragmatic reasons to comply with society’s arbitrary expectations. Compliance is simply to avoid negative consequences, punishment for wrong-doing. But the true test of character is what we might do if we could “get away with it”, if we could be certain there’d be no penalty. If we’ve put God first, if we’re living to please God, that desire keeps us from sin. We’re compelled to do the right thing, even if that goes against the current of society.

When I taught ethics at the Army’s Air Defense Artillery School, I asked students to give me reasons why they shouldn’t commit adultery. The answers I received included:

It’s against Army regulations, fear of sexually-transmitted diseases and pregnancy, it would damage one’s reputation and career, it would hurt the kids and destroy one’s marriage, and alimony. A few officers added the guilt they would feel and their religious convictions. My point is that once we put God first, we have a higher motive to govern all our behavior and a purpose behind every decision of life.

The key to holiness and character is putting God first. If God has preeminence, the supremacy in our lives, we will want to keep His rules because we love Him and are convinced that His way must be what’s best for us. Our relationship with God causes us to seek lives of purity—and not out of fear of hell, but out of gratitude for all God has done and is doing for us.

God chose and brought Israel out of a land filled with idolatry, a land of suffering and slavery. Before the Jewish nation had a chance to complain about these 10 rules, God reminded them of how He was looking after them. Israel had been a slave nation. Today people become enslaved to habits, substances, activities which take over and replace God. Those enslaved don’t see their bondage as self-abuse; they often see their addictive substance or activity as an attempt to gain predictable control over their lives. But for self-control we must let God control; we must put God first. Only then can we truly get our needs met in life. As God led the Jewish nation out of captivity, He can free us from the things that seem to control us.

As we make ethical choices, we need to apply the test of prayer. Can we pray and ask God to bless our decision? I was counseling an alcoholic and suggested the next time he poured a drink to say grace before imbibing. He recoiled and in horror said “There’s no way I could do that, Chaplain!” Here’s my point—if we are putting God first, we should be able to pray about everything we do, and if that’s uncomfortable it may be because we’re dealing with an ethical dilemma. One thing’s for certain—God sees us and knows all we do. We would likely not do some things if they were to appear on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper. The all-seeing eye of God should also keep us walking the right path as well.

Character begins with God and must be built on the right foundation, if our moral values are to withstand the pressures of life. For example, we’re unlikely to tell the truth when doing so will put us in a predicament—unless we care more about how God values honesty than we care about our own comfort. Our love for and allegiance to God causes us to value character and seek first His righteousness.

This first instruction says that God will not accept any place in our lives but first place. God is our only legitimate foundation and authority. Until we commit to the first commandment, it doesn’t matter to us what God says about lying, stealing or adultery, because we haven’t yet acknowledged His right to legislate those areas of our lives. Until we put God first, we become the center of all our decisions. And so the first place to start in building a life of character is by asking ourselves, “Who is going to sit on the throne of my life? Who will be the foundation on which I will build my life?” Paul wrote, “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:11). God is saying to us: “Put Me first.”

All sins are the result of putting other gods on the throne. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” God has as much competition for our lives today as in the days of Moses. Egypt worshipped many gods; in fact each of the 10 plagues was a direct assault on a particular, related Egyptian deity. Today our imposter gods are the things that take preeminence in our lives, the things we put “before” God. They are illegitimate contenders for the thrones of our hearts. The “god” most often put on the throne is self (pride is the essence of sin). Only God belongs on the throne.

How do we replace God with other gods? The Sabbath commandment concerns lifestyle priorities; it tells us to set aside one day a week to rest and reflect and honor God. The idea behind this principle is “Don’t let work become your god; don’t build your life on the foundation of your career.” If we’re putting God first, we won’t get caught up in workaholism and finding our identity in our vocation. The commandment prohibiting murder is saying, “Don’t let hatred be your god.” The 8th & 9th commandments tell us not to steal or covet. We can make “things” our god. Materialism isn’t owning things, but being owned by things. When we put God first, we don’t spend much time fretting about the things we don’t have (“if only I had this, or that, I’d be happy”); we learn to be content. The purpose of tithing is to teach us to put God first—how we use our money, time and talents indicates whether God is first. Jesus counseled a Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10) whose wealth became an idol which replaced God. It’s OK to have possessions, so long as they don’t consume us, so long as we are putting God first.

In Exodus 34 we’re told, “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord is a Jealous God.” He has a right to be jealous. Though there are no other gods but God, people put other things before Him. When we put God first, all other priorities will fit into place. He is the only true source of morality. To have no other gods means to have no other law than God’s Law.

God put us first by dying on the cross because of our sins. In spite of God’s action in our behalf, we’re all tempted to forsake our first love by yielding to the influence of the idols all around us. There is no substitute for God, yet we’re pressured to put things above and before God. When Joshua brought the Jewish nation into the Promised Land, he challenged them by saying “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Prayer: Lord God, may we grant You the supremacy in our lives; may nothing take Your place. Our hearts are restless till they find their rest in You. If we’ve been replacing You with substitutes, help us to re-prioritize our lives. Help us to put You first. We pray in Your holy Name, Amen.

The Second Commandment—Images of God Deuteronomy 9:7-21

A Sunday School teacher saw a child busy at his desk, and asked what he was drawing. The boy said, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” That interested the teacher, who then asked, “How can you do that, since no one knows what God looks like?” The boy answered: “They will when I’m through.”

You may have felt off the hook when you came in, checked out the bulletin and saw that the sermon was on the 2nd Commandment, thinking, “Well, I haven’t made any graven images lately!” We think this Commandment is irrelevant, when in fact, we’ve missed the point behind what “graven images” really are. I’ve seen people bow before idols in Korea, but you don’t have to make a statue to break the 2nd Commandment.

The First Commandment forbids the true worship of a false god; the Second Commandment forbids the false worship of the true God. The First Commandment forbids putting anything before our devotion to God. He must be first in our lives. The Second Commandment forbids worshiping the true God in a false manner (the negative restriction). We must worship God on His terms (the positive responsibility). We must accept God for Who He is, and not try to make Him fit our image or perception of Who we think He is.

The Westminster Confession explains that “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, goodness and truth.”

People fashion gods to fit their needs and justify their actions. This is shaping God into our own image. A “graven image” isn’t just an idol you can touch. We’ve formed certain mental images of God and some are inaccurate. God is often falsely depicted as a disinterested, remote Creator, a harmless grandfatherly figure, and (the other extreme) a stern tyrant. People are looking for a “user-friendly”, “custom-tailored” God. A liberal minister told me, “I’m not sure I believe in God, and if I do, I’m not sure I like Him.” There are many inaccurate views, graven mental images of God. We must take our understanding of God from Scripture.

Christ’s disciples had a mistaken mental image of God. They saw the Messiah as a political revolutionary. Jesus had to patiently teach them that the divine Son was a Servant and Sacrifice for sin.

Idolatry is a subtle form of self-worship. It humanizes God while it deifies humankind. Whom we worship determines who we are. Our concept of God has an effect on our character. When we turn from what Scripture says about God we become open to false teaching. Cults have outrageous views of God based on writings they place on the same level of Scripture. We have but one authoritative written source of divine revelation.

I don’t believe this commandment forbids religious art. The Jewish Tabernacle and Temple were filled with works of artistic craftsmanship. God wanted beauty in His house because art reflects His creativity. The Bible does not forbid the making of representational art but rather the worship of it. Religious art inspires and reminds us of God’s greatness, but does not replace Him. We don’t bow down to our stained-glass windows.

While Moses was atop Mount Sinai receiving these Commandments, the impatient Israelites below wanted a tangible likeness of God. Aaron, Moses’ brother, appeased them by fashioning a golden bull—God represented as a symbol of power and strength. The figure of a bull obscured the nature of God because it did not convey God’s righteousness—which explains how the children of Israel could be worshipping God and having an orgy at the same time. By trying to re-shape God, they distorted Who He is. Whenever we try to re-shape God, we become a distorted people. Later, in the land of promise, they regarded the Ark of the Covenant as a good-luck charm, and were chastened by God. Why is the Ark of the Covenant, along with the Tablets, lost? Probably because we might worship them, rather than the God of the Covenant. We must worship God on His terms.

God had led His people through the Red Sea and provided for them in the wilderness. The source of their idolatry was ingratitude. Dissatisfaction with God causes people to abandon Him and set up substitutes. People want to be free from rules, and to answer to no one; they wish to be their own authority—this desire for total freedom (a license to sin) becomes a graven image.

We are not idolaters, according to our understanding of idolatry. But consider this definition: An idol is whatever is esteemed, loved, depended on, feared, delighted in—more than God. Our god is the one we want to please the most. Idolatry is trusting people, possessions, or positions to do for me what only God can do. We make idols of wealth, pleasure, knowledge, nature, and celebrities. The former Soviet Union tried to replace God with government. The Communist system failed, and today religion is flourishing in Russia.

Idolatry replaces God with superstition. Christian images can attain superstitious status. A ridiculous Country-Western song says “I don’t care if it’s rainy or scary, long as I have my plastic Mary up on the dashboard of my car.” When religious images become good luck charms they attain the status of idolatry.

Whenever someone asks me for my astrological sign, I politely refuse to answer. Astrology—along with psychic hotlines and Ouija boards—may seem like harmless entertainment, but they represent a system that replaces God with superstition. We can trust the stars or the One who made them. Astrology is a form of divination which focuses on fate and luck. In Deuteronomy we’re warned, “Beware, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them” (4:19; c.f. Isaiah 47:13-14).

In the North Shore idolatry exists in its traditional form. Wicca, otherwise known as neo-paganism or witchcraft (which takes on many forms and varieties), holds to a collection of gods and goddesses, to include Lucifer, seen as a more powerful god than the God of Jewish and Christian belief. Wiccans have turned Halloween into a pagan festival marking the pagan New Year, a time when the spirits of the dead return to earth. The evening before All Saints Day, originally called “Holy Evening”, was a time to remember Christian martyrs; it was never meant to be a day about ghosts and witches.

Laura and I caught some of the beauty of nature yesterday by visiting the Topsfield Fair. We saw some of the fall foliage and a variety of farm animals. While nature reveals the glory of God, it is no substitute for God. Those who say they can worship God by the seashore turn creation into a graven image—while losing out on Biblical instruction, sharing the concerns of others, and Christian service. We need what church provides.

On the other hand, the church building itself can become a graven image if we treat church as the only place to pray and sing praises to God. In John 4, Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman who tried to argue with Him about the correct place to worship. Was God in Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim? Jesus replied that God is Spirit—He will not stay put; you can’t localize Him. We make the same mistake by not realizing that God is in our office, classroom, sports field and home. We’re in a “sanctuary” right now, but everywhere we go as believers our presence should sanctify our whereabouts. We take our faith with us, and that faith makes a difference in how we act. The Samaritan “woman at the well” didn’t understand Who God is. Perhaps this is why she could engage in a discussion of doctrine, even though she had been married 5 times and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. When she encountered Jesus, she discovered there’s a difference between religious practice and knowing God.

In His book Knowing God, J.I. Packer writes: “What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the ‘eternal life’ that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight and contentment than anything else? Knowledge of God.” Accept no substitutes.

Graven images….God isn’t the one with the image problem. We are. We were created in His image but that image has been marred and scarred and corrupted by sin. Only Jesus can heal us and make us acceptable to the Father. When we try to clean ourselves up apart from Him, we end up making ourselves as a graven image. The idol of self has feet of clay.

Once we’re clear on Who God is, after we’ve encountered God in the Bible, what do we do with that knowledge? Knowing about God means we respond by living as His people. We live under His rule, His Lordship, because knowing Him energizes our lives.

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

The Third Commandment—“Expletive Deleted”, Mt 12:33-37

Introduction

God’s rules rub some of us the wrong way. One man wrote a rebuttal to the Ten Commandments, saying: “The curse of Mount Sinai must be gotten out of our blood. It is a poison which has spoiled and soiled the free instincts of man.” The person who wrote these heated words was Adolph Hitler. Without God’s rules, evil becomes permissible.

We’re considering the 3rd Commandment today. As a former Army chaplain, I’ve heard everything you can imagine in the barracks and motor pool and mess hall; I remember one particular Command Sergeant Major; whenever I showed up in his area, I could tell my presence was severely limiting his vocabulary!

Definition (positive & negative)

Exodus 20:7 warns us not to “misuse the Name of the Lord.” In a negative sense, this commandment forbids bringing dishonor upon the Name of God; it forbids verbal and non-verbal communication which reflect upon God in an unholy fashion. The positive duty of this Commandment is to speak the holy Name of God in truth, with respect. We are to esteem, reverence and honor what is holy.

This commandment deals with taming the tongue, which is “full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). The KJV says not to take God’s Name “in vain”; a more literal translation is to take God’s Name “lightly”. The words “in vain” refer to that which is empty, meaningless, without substance. We swear because we take God lightly; we don’t think of Him much. In Isaiah 52 God mourns over His own people rejecting Him, saying “And all day long My Name is constantly blasphemed” (vs. 5).

A. The Name of God

Names in Bible days were very important—they revealed the character of the person; occasionally names were changed to reflect a change in notoriety or integrity. You won’t find many Judases or Jezebels in the phone book (or Adolphs). A name can stand for a reputation.

The many Names of God reveal His attributes and identity—through His names we know He is loving, powerful, sovereign, forgiving, gracious, jealous, eternal, and with us.

God’s Name was identified and set apart from the idols of Egypt. Moses was told “I AM” sends you—there is no other. To be holy literally means to be “set apart”. “I AM” is a Name Jesus applied to Himself (Jn 8); by so doing, the Pharisees became convinced He was a blasphemer. They mistakenly thought He had “misused” the Name of God. Yet the Name I AM rightfully belongs to Jesus, God-the-Son.

B. Misuse of the Name

Just as a traffic-violator has the urge to insult the policeman who issues a ticket, and the judge who fines him, so humankind is inclined to insult God, mocking His justice and profaning His Name.

Often God’s name is misused as a mere expression of anger, exasperation, or as an exclamation point, to punctuate our speech--and usually without thinking. When questioned, most people respond, “I didn’t mean anything by it.” The point of this Commandment is that we shouldn’t speak God’s Name unless we do mean something by it, because His Name does mean something. Insecure people often think they won’t be taken seriously unless they add God’s Name to emphasize what they’re saying. To misuse God’s Name misrepresents and lessens Him in the mind of others.

Whenever God is told to damn something, He’s being told to do something He has never done. God is often pictured as the One Who sends people to hell. People condemn themselves when they refuse the light of Jesus and choose darkness instead. People reject the Savior and refuse the remedy for sin. God does not condemn, and so God’s Name should be a blessing, not a curse.

The irreverent “hate-art” being shown in the Brooklyn Museum reveals that we take the sacred very lightly. Had the object displayed been an offensive representation of any other religion it would not have been tolerated. (Note: when we deny that there are absolutes, we can then call anything “art”, because we have discarded all our standards)

We misuse God’s Name when we make His Name a cliché. We may say “My Lord” without really connecting our words to God. Substitute swear words like “Holy Smokes”, “Gadzooks”, or “doggone it” refer to the more severe oaths. We should only bring in God’s Name when we really are talking about Him.

We take God’s Name lightly when we pray to Him but do not believe in Him. We may say “hallowed be Thy Name” yet live as if there is no God. We may say “Lord willing” even though we’re not. That’s a frivolous use of God’s Name—empty profession, giving lip service to God with no intention to back it up.

We should not slip into unconscious mis-usage of God’s Name just because we live in an alien world, among people who follow other gods. When in such a profane environment, it’s easy to slip down to their level. A fellow Army chaplain (assigned to an Armored battalion) told me, “The more I hang around tankers, the more my own language slips.”

We’re to speak God’s Name with thoughtful reflection—not casually, or mechanically, and certainly not profanely. When we misuse God’s Name is shows we can’t control our speech, and is a way of declaring independence from God. Let’s be intentional when we speak God’s Name.

C. Speaking the Name in Truth

Colonel Harlan Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, became a Christian late in his life. He once said, “becoming a Christian cost me half my vocabulary.”

This commandment issues a duty to take God’s Name in Truth—we’re obliged to ground our lives and thoughts and actions firmly in God and His word. We are to live the Name. Whenever we speak His Name it should be in an attitude of honor and respect.

We are compelled to share this Name, to let others know Who God is. The very fact that God has revealed His Name indicates that He wants to be known to us, and He wants us to be able to call on Him by Name. Jesus said that in prayer we are to ask “in His Name” (Jn 16:23). I’ve heard people say they went many years before learning that the Name Jesus wasn’t simply a swear word. At the Name of Jesus--one day yet future--every knee shall bow and confess Him as Lord (c.f. Phil 2:9-11). All will recognize the One whose Name they profaned. “There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Perhaps where you work people don’t hesitate to openly, brazenly profane God’s Name. We need to boldly bless the Name of God in our speech. But be forewarned—people will tolerate any kind of language but religious. Should we ask people at work to stop swearing? In the Army I tolerated profanity because I didn’t see myself as a “moral policeman” and because I didn’t expect unconverted soldiers to act like saints. But if speech creates a hostile environment, we then need to consider taking our concerns up the ladder to whoever’s in charge.

We are called to use God’s Name in a positive way as we grow in our relationship with Him. Everything we say and do is meant to be to the glory of God, to the praise of His Name. Paul states in Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Charlton Heston was interviewed on TV about his experience playing Moses in the movie The Ten Commandments. He was asked, “Has making a religious movie impacted your spiritual outlook?” Heston replied, “You can’t walk barefoot down Mount Sinai and be the same person you were when you went up.” God is calling us to the summit, too. But we must first remove our shoes, for we are on holy ground.

Prayer:

Lord, help us to keep our words sweet, because we may end up eating them. Give us a Christian vocabulary. When we get frustrated, help us to exercise self-control and patience, to disengage from what’s upsetting us and not yield to the temptation to improperly bring Your Name into the situation. Help us to speak Your Name in truth, so that others might be blessed by knowing the Name above all names. This we pray, in Your thrice-holy Name, Amen.

The 4th Commandment—“Reclaiming the Sabbath” -Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58:11-14

When I ask people how they’re doing, I’m hearing a new response. People used to say “I’m fine.” Now they say “I’m busy.” I hear that as a distress signal which should warn us to be seeking rest with God. Busyness to the point of exhaustion and burn-out has become characteristic of the American lifestyle. We are a nation that is driven, and we’re in danger of destroying our health, our families, and our character. It’s not wrong to strive to achieve. Work is a gift from God, but work is not our God. The Sabbath is a safeguard reminding us that there is more to life than work. The Sabbath keeps us from abusing ourselves and our families.

Of all the commandments, this one is the most hotly debated. Are we obligated to keep the Sabbath, and if so, which day do we rest? The Pharisees turned the Sabbath into a legal nightmare, listing all the things forbidden by this commandment. They devised over 1,500 Sabbath rules. For example: Since the Sabbath is a day of rest, they argued that it is a sin to even carry a nail in your pocket. Jesus was criticized for healing people on the Sabbath. He replied that it’s permissible to do good any day of the week. The Sabbath was intended to be a blessing, not a burden.

Jewish author Shalom Aleichem tells a story of a family whose house caught on fire. Were it not for their Gentile servant, the house and all their possessions would have gone up in flames.

The Sabbath observance began well before Moses climbed up Mount Sinai. While the Jewish nation journeyed to the Promised Land they kept a Sabbath rest. In Exodus 16 God instructed Moses to have the people gather twice the regular amount of manna on Friday because labor was forbidden on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath points back to Creation—Exodus 20:11, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” The Sabbath is a memorial of creation—it reflects God’s work and rest. The Hebrew word Sabbath (Shabbat) means “rest”. We follow God’s pattern when we work six days and cease our normal labor one day. The Good Shepherd “makes me lie down in green pastures” (Ps 23). Has God ever made you lie down?

The Sabbath also points forward to our future deliverance—Hebrews 4:9, “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” The Sabbath is a foretaste of Heaven.

Creation produced an earthly paradise; redemption promises a heavenly Kingdom. We’re commanded to “remember” the Sabbath; the word means to consider, invoke, bring to mind, revive. This holy day we set aside reminds us of God’s past provision and future salvation.

Today, most Christians worship on Sunday. The day of worship was changed by the early Christian church from the Hebrew Sabbath to the Christian day of resurrection. Jesus rose from the dead on the “first day of the week” (Mt 28). Sunday became known as “the Lord’s Day” (Rev 1:10). The day of Pentecost, the birth of the Church, was also on a Sunday. The Apostle Paul instructed believers to bring their offerings to church on Sunday (I Cor. 16:2), but he urged believers not to judge one another with respect to the day of worship (Col 2:16, Rom 14:5-6). The principle is setting aside a day each week for rest and worship.

It may be tempting to say, “Great! I can do my own thing! I don’t have to observe the Sabbath!” Remember that the love of Christ compels us to live lawfully, to obey God’s commandments—which means we take seriously Biblical restrictions and responsibilities. If we waste the resource of this day, we are hindering our personal growth and sending out a message that we don’t take God seriously. The 1st Commandment tells us we’re to put God first; once we do that, all the other commandments fall into place and become easier to follow because we’ve established our priorities.

The 4th Commandment tells us that we need a day to rest and reflect on spiritual things. It is not intended as a day of inactivity; idleness is not the focus of the Sabbath, although physical rest may be a by-product of Sabbath observance. This is a day to get reoriented, a weekly realignment of our priorities. Sabbath-keeping brings balance to our lives. By giving attention to God and having contact with His people we become revived and enabled to face our challenges with renewed strength. At church we get our spiritual batteries re-charged! Worship helps us rearm against sin, and keeps us from losing our moral compass. Think of this commandment as a preventive measure, keeping us from drifting away from God, and restraining against sinful impulses. This holy day provides comfort and encouragement, hope and forgiveness, healing and direction for those who are frustrated and confused and in need of rest.

The 4th Commandment instructs us not to dishonor or disregard the Lord’s Day. We should avoid work on Sunday; when that’s impossible, we need a make-up day. That may mean coming to church sometime during the week to get away from the telephone, to pray, to read a copy of a sermon you missed—and if I’m around, I’ll even get you a cup of coffee! If your job isn’t one that has to be performed 7 days a week (e.g. law enforcement, medicine), you can appeal to have your faith convictions honored (the military has an official policy on the accommodation of religious requirements). In most jobs (except mine) it would be unreasonable to have to work every Sunday. If your employer chooses to disregard your needs, you should pray about whether to seek employment elsewhere.

The movie Chariots of Fire tells the true story of Eric Liddell, the son of Scottish missionaries, who was a gifted runner. He prepared for years to represent his country at the 1922 Paris Olympics. On the ship crossing the English Channel he learned that his racing event was scheduled for Sunday, a day he believed belonged to the Lord and not to games. In the face of enormous pressure from the British Olympic Committee and the monarchy, he refused to violate his convictions. His refusal might dishonor the king of England, but he would not dishonor the King of Heaven. In the end, Liddell did not run on Sunday but was allowed to participate in a different event, and he brought home the Gold Medal. Liddel respected the sanctity of the Sabbath, and I believe God honored his stand.

The 4th Commandment urges us to “remember” this day because it is too often forgotten or neglected. It’s important that we prepare for the Lord’s Day. We start by choosing to build a sense of anticipation to make Sunday the best day of the week. Saturday night at dinner we can pray that God will bless the Sunday School, the worship service and youth group. We should have our clothes picked the night before so we’re not rushing around trying to figure what to wear Sunday morning. It’s important to get a good night’s rest.

If we stay up to watch Saturday Night Live we’ll be Sunday morning dead! Some people wake up late on Sunday, then rush to wash and get dressed, grab a bite to eat, then get the kids in the car and race to church just in time to sing “Take Time to be Holy”! We should have a decent breakfast Sunday morning, then pop in a Christian music tape on the car stereo and focus on God as we make our way here.

The Lord’s Day is time to shift attention away from ourselves and our pursuits and focus on serving God. Jesus said “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Mt 12:12). It’s an appropriate time to visit a shut-in, to make a hospital, nursing home, orphanage or prison visit. It’s a day to write to missionaries, take a walk along the ocean, pray through our prayer list or to read a book from the church library. It’s not a day for non-essential shopping, needless entertainment or worldly recreation.

Our attitude toward the Sabbath reflects our attitude toward God. It also raises a signal to our community that above our work, hobbies, interests and pursuits, there is God, Who has first claim on our lives. How we treat this day shows whether we take God and His purpose seriously. Observing the Lord’s Day magnifies our view of God and His plan for us. Let’s look forward to Sunday and honor the Lord of the Sabbath.

Prayer: Holy Lord, we seek our refuge in You, and we pray for family members & friends who don’t attend church.—revive those who have slipped in their faith, and bring to faith those who are not followers of Christ. Help us to be committed Christians; to put You first and to make the Lord’s Day a delight. Help us to consecrate this day by our faithful, committed observance. Shabbat Shalom—may the peace of this special day renew us and cause us to live in peace with others; with ourselves; with You, O Lord—Amen.

The 5th Commandment: Honoring Mom & Dad

Reading: Proverbs 4:10-14, 20-23

A small child was being given a time-out, and was made to sit in a corner for ten minutes. In a rebellious attitude, the disciplined child stated, “I’m sitting down on the outside but I’m standing up on the inside!” Today we’re going to consider the 5th Commandment.

The Ten Commandments are divided into 2 categories: The first four commandments deal with our duties to God. The last 6 list our obligations to others. To focus only on the first 4 turns us into Pharisees; to keep only the duties to others makes us humanists.

Jewish scholars place the fifth commandment within the first division, along with our duties to God. They contend that since parents are appointed by God’s design as His representatives for children, to disrespect parents is to disrespect God.

Our Jewish friends also see this commandment as a social issue calling for a community response. They agree that “it takes a village” to raise a child. Disrespectful and rebellious children were regarded in Bible days as a problem for all. If children do not learn to respect their own home, they’re unlikely to respect the life, property or reputation of others.

Honor does not mean being treated like royalty. It means we respect our parents, in spite of their faults. We acknowledge their authority. We honor their position. We honor our parents not because of what they’ve accomplished; we simply give them our unconditional love. Our obedience is not given because of their character or personality, spiritual condition, or kindness, but because of their position. Honoring our parents is not based on how much we approve of the job they did with us. I recall the Calvin & Hobbes cartoon where Calvin is reporting to his Dad on his low approval rating. “A raise in allowance and a later bedtime might help raise your standing.” We should treat our parents, with all their flaws and inconsistencies, the way we hope our children will treat us. We should also keep in mind that in many ways we are the product of our parents; to despise them is a form of self-hate.

We often learn respect long after we’ve left home. Mark Twain once noted, “When I was a lad of 15, I thought my father was an idiot. It amazed me, when I turned 20, to see how much he learned in just 5 years!” We unfortunately often learn to appreciate our parents too late.

Respect doesn’t stop, however, when we leave home. When we become adults and depart from the care of our parents, we’re no longer compelled to obey them. But we should do all we can to make them our friends. When they offer advice, we need to listen. My Dad calls me every 2 weeks to talk about Mutual Funds, and I consider him as my personal financial advisor.

Children are like diamonds in the rough. Parents are entrusted with the responsibility to help shape their children into people of character, maturity and responsibility. Jonathan Edwards called the home a “little church” -where values are taught, where character is developed. Children are responsible to cooperate with the process. Proverbs 13 urges us to heed the counsel of our parents: “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction.” The advice of parents can be a pathway to wisdom and understanding.

I was a teenager in the turbulent sixties. One of the slogans of those hippie days was “Question Authority”. It was a time to resist instruction. We were told not to trust anyone over 30. Some of us learned the hard way that those who refuse to be counseled refuse to be helped. We can follow the counsel of our parents, or we can risk the natural consequences of going our own way. Rebellion can slam the door to learning. The Bible warns that “rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft” (I Sam 15:23). Witchcraft is exposing one’s self to the influence of the devil’s evil purpose. When we rebel against the “tools” God brings into our lives, we are fighting God-ordained authority and exposing ourselves to the powers of evil.

One group of people who need our appreciation and encouragement is single parents. Parenting is challenging enough for 2 parents. When a parent has to be both mom and dad, it’s a double challenge. If you’re the child of a single-parent home, give your mom or dad double honor for what they’re trying to do. And the rest of us need to encourage and help single parents in their formidable task.

The Apostle Paul says that honoring parents is the “first commandment with a promise—that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth” (Eph 6:2). When we honor our heavenly Father by reverencing His Law—and our earthly parents, we are choosing to live a happier, fuller life.

Jesus modeled this commandment. In Luke chapter 2 we’re told that Jesus “went down to Nazareth with (His parents) and was obedient to them” (vs 51). Jesus lived in a “kinship society” which valued family loyalty. Families are central to the Biblical way of life. Paul says in Ephesians that obedience is part of honoring our parents (6:1-3). To obey means literally to “stand under”. It means to be under another’s authority. This directive to obey is often used in a military context, indicating a chain-of-command. As soldiers follow orders, children are to obey their parents.

The exception is when we’re told to sin. As soldiers are not obligated to follow “unlawful orders”, e.g., we are not required to lie or steal for our parents. We may have to appeal to them, explaining with all due respect that we must do what God requires.

Jesus had some harsh words for those who were trying to get out of their responsibility to care for their aging parents. People were shirking their duty by claiming that their property assets were dedicated to God and were therefore unavailable for their parents’ use (Mark 7). Our parents cared for us, and the roles may eventually reverse as we become the care-givers. In Leviticus we’re told, “You shall rise up before the gray-headed, and honor the aged.” I Tim 5:4 instructs children to care for their widowed parents. One of the last things Jesus did on earth was to ensure that His mother was taken care of. He looked down from the cross at His youngest disciple John and asked him to care for Mary (John 19:25-27).

Parents have their failings. Most parents feel frustrated with their parenting skills. I had lunch with a Presbyterian minister in San Antonio, a man I admired. I shared my struggles with parenting, expecting him to give me some advice. Instead he looked at me with compassion and said, “I understand your frustration; parenting is the area in which I feel the most amount of personal failure.” I wondered: Does anyone feel good about parenting?

There will undoubtedly come times when we need to forgive our parents and seek reconciliation with them. God can heal the pain of the past. If we feel our parents have failed us, honoring them doesn’t mean endorsing their sin or irresponsibility. We don’t pretend that they haven’t caused us pain, but we choose to forgive—and when we recall our pain, we remember the forgiveness. Otherwise we will remain enslaved to resentment. Some people join support groups to help them deal with their past, like Adult Children Of Alcoholics. We should pray for our parents. If they are not believers, we can’t expect them to understand us, but we should offer them our love. If we’ve been abandoned, abused or disowned by our parents, we need to remember that our heavenly Father will never leave us. Psalm 27:10 promises that “Though my father and mother may forsake me, the Lord will receive me.”

On the other hand, some of us may be like the Prodigal son, needing to come home. I spoke to a bitter young woman who hadn’t seen her family in years and was hoping never to see them. Poet Robert Frost wrote, “Home is where, when you go there, they have to take you in.” If we’ve estranged ourselves from our parents, we may need to take the initiative to seek reconciliation.

This is a tough commandment, considering the distress of being part of a family. Most families are a bit dysfunctional, and most of us are guilty of breaking this commandment. Will we be perfect in this life? No, but the standard is still in place.

The Sixth Commandment: “Murder, He Wrote”

Scripture reading: I John 3:11-15

There’s an old story about a man who’s bitten by a stray dog. When he checks with his doctor he learns the dog had rabies. The guy takes out a pen and starts to write. The doctor asks what he’s doing and the man replies, “I’m making a list of all the people I intend to bite.”

What more needs to be said? Here it is—simple, plain-spoken—no ifs ands or buts. “Thou shalt not kill.” Yet these four words have been expanded on extensively, and we discover it’s not so simple. There is a possibility you may disagree with some of what I have to say this morning; these conclusions are based on my understanding of Scripture.

The Hebrew word translated “kill” (ratsach) in the KJV, is more accurately translated “murder” (NIV). The word kill is imprecise—taken literally, we could say we’re not to kill germs. The general definition of murder is: “The intentional, malicious, unlawful and unjust killing of the innocent.”

Let’s look back to the first murder—Cain resented his brother, and when he was approached by God he voiced indignation, arguing “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The answer is YES, we are.

There are numerous categories of murder, ranging from criminal neglect to pre-meditated homicide. The consequences vary due to the levels of intent, involvement, malice and violence.

The Bible is clear that we are responsible to respect and preserve life. This principle involves more than not doing something. During WWII, German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller was arrested by the Nazis. During his imprisonment at the Dachau concentration camp he wrote these words:

“The Nazis came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, but I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Next they came for the gypsies, and I said nothing because I wasn’t a gypsy. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. And then finally they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

Niemoller was not indifferent to Nazi atrocities; his open proclamation of Christ’s Lordship over the world and his criticism of Hitler’s totalitarianism were what led to his arrest by the Gestapo. The Allied victory saved his life.

Respect for life isn’t limited to opposing atrocities. Because life is hallowed, it is imperative that we come to the defense of others. The positive responsibility of this commandment is our obligation to preserve life. It encompasses everyday preventative measures such as keeping detergents out of the reach of children, locking firearms, the use of seat-belts, respecting the environment and so on. It means contacting those in government and voting on issues affecting the lives of others. We show we value life when we contribute to organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Heart Association, World Relief and the Heifer Project.

God’s covenant with Noah after the flood underscores the sanctity of human life. God decreed that if anyone takes another’s life, his life will be forfeited. Life is sacred. In Genesis 9 God says “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” (vs 6). Because we are formed in the image of God, life is a gift and everyone has worth and dignity—life must be valued. We hear of places where life is cheap. I recently read a tragic account of barbaric tribal wars in Africa. Keith Richberg, a Washington Post journalist soberly states, “In Africa, they don’t count the bodies.”

Self-murder, i.e. suicide, is playing God. It is the ultimate selfish act. It assumes that others won’t be hurt. Those who take their own lives choose a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Suicide is claiming that God is unable to resolve our crises. Suicide is often a cry for help. We need to take all suicidal gestures seriously and respond decisively when individuals talk about wanting to die or give other warning signs of suicide. We need to intervene immediately, stay with the individual, locate medical help, call the pastor…above all, we should not keep a deadly secret, assuming the person isn’t the “suicidal type.”

God gave us life, but we do not have the right to determine when life should end. Neither do doctors—“assisted suicide” or active euthanasia is the taking of life and not merely the passive removal of heroic medical measures.

I believe the Sixth Commandment extends to the unborn. Human life at every stage of development has intrinsic value. Job, Isaac, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist were all referred to in Scripture as persons while in the womb. Today the unborn are regarded as non-persons, devoid of human rights. Though the unborn are not protected under law, a bill that recently passed the House of Representatives recognizes that when a pregnant woman is murdered, the killer has ended 2 lives; this is similar in principle to a law passed in 94 prohibiting capitol punishment from being carried out while a woman is pregnant. If abortion were limited to cases of rape, incest, deformity or to protect the life of the mother, it would eliminate approximately 80% of all abortions performed in the US. It is tragic that most abortions performed are for the purpose of birth control. We have taken the value of the sanctity of life and have replaced it with the desire for quality of life.

There’ve been a lot of popular movies showing people taking the law into their own hands. God makes it clear: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom 12:19). We’re to return hostility with love. Jesus spoke against the principle “an eye for an eye” because people were not just hitting back--they were hitting back harder. The purpose of the law was to limit retaliation. Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek—this doesn’t prohibit self-defense; it’s meant to stop us from escalating violence and vengeful excess.

Jesus extended the definition of murder to include hatred, which is the spirit of murder (Mt 5:21-22). Out of the heart proceeds murder—it starts with our attitude (Mk 7:21). Bitterness assumes a right we don’t have. We may not be murderers, but sometimes we practice character assassination through poisonous words. Verbal attacks destroy reputations and relationships. The adage “sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” just isn’t so. Words hurt. Murder is more than an act—it’s an attitude.

God empowers human government to use force to preserve life—this includes police protection, capital punishment, and military force. There is a time for war and a time for peace (Ecclesiastes 3). The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the authority of governments to punish lawbreakers comes from God (Romans 13). Having taught ethics at the Army’s Air Defense Artillery School, I researched “Just War Theory”, criteria used to determine whether a particular war is just or unjust; whether it is morally acceptable. In brief, wars fought to defend one’s self or others have honorable motives and a just cause; those fought to conquer other nations are unjust. We have a moral imperative to protect and defend a neighbor from unjust attack. A just war can be fought unjustly, however—rules of engagement help prevent bloodthirsty acts and atrocities from occurring. Just wars use reasonable force and do not aim at the total destruction of an enemy. And Desert Storm proved that we don’t have to “hate” the enemy to engage in war. As peacemakers, soldiers they do all they can to secure and maintain peace, even if this includes military action and personal loss. One day the Prince of peace will return and put an end to war. In the meantime, most soldiers I’ve known prepare for war but pray to the Lord of hosts for peace. They pray as David did in II Sam 22: “You train my hands for battle, O Lord; You give me Your shield of victory…You arm me with strength for battle…You make my enemies turn their backs in flight.”

The vilest murder of all time was the brutal murder of Jesus. Our sins nailed Him to the cross. By His sacrificial death—the Just for the unjust—we are forgiven. His shed blood removes from us the stain of sin. Part of preserving life means warning people of danger. What are we doing to turn others from spiritual death to eternal life?

We will never be able to live up to the positive duties of the Sixth Commandment until we start honoring the First—that we have no gods except the Lord of heaven and earth. Only when God counts for everything will people count for anything. The sixth Commandment presents us with a myriad of social and spiritual responsibilities.

Prayer: Lord of Creation, help us to respect and defend life with thanks for this gift. Help us to develop and support our convictions. Most of us have strong ethical positions on the topics we’ve covered; in some areas, we may have to agree to disagree in Christian love. We trust in Your care, for You are the giver and sustainer of life. We pray in Your thrice Holy Name—Amen.

The Ten Commandments> “The Adultery Culture” I Corinthians 6:9-11, 18-20

Charles Lindbergh did not become famous for flying The Spirit of St. Louis from Boston to Philly. Cal Ripken didn’t play most of those ball games for 13 years. Fidelity in marriage means successfully staying true to our spouse.

We are living in an age of casual, recreational sex in a culture that thinks “If it’s pleasurable, it’s acceptable.” This is the relativistic philosophy of the unregenerate who have rejected God’s absolute standards, who embrace no authority other than their own, who reject the written revelation of God. They find the 10 Commandments very restrictive. Few people like the virtues they don’t have. People want freedom, meaning the liberty to do whatever they like. True freedom is the power to do what we ought. We who accept the authority of Scripture have convictions. A belief is what you hold; a conviction is what holds you!

According to the author of the book of Hebrews, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” God invented sex and says it’s beautiful in marriage. His rules are not intended to deprive us of pleasure but to protect us from harm.

Our secular culture wrongly accuses the Church of teaching that sex is something dirty Think of our forebears, the Puritans, who have been unfairly labeled as prudish. They viewed sexual passion as an important and beautiful expression of married love. Monogamy is not a lack of other partners; it is expertise in one. It’s an opportunity to specialize. It’s been said “If you’ve promised to drink only from one spring, its water will be sweet.” From the beginning sex has been blessed by God and is a sacred gift…but one that can be defiled, debased and misused. Sex outside of its context is sin—not because sex is sinful, but because sexual behavior outside of marriage selfishly violates a sacred, binding covenant. God wants sex kept special because marriage is sacred to God. The value of sex is in its exclusiveness.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus explained, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:27-28). The way we handle our sexuality indicates our level of inner purity.

The positive responsibility of this Commandment is for us to live lives of purity, responsibility, monogamy and fidelity. For marriages to last there must be faith in God, mutual trust, and commitment to the marriage covenant, which we need to take seriously. We ought not enter marriage casually nor temporarily. Love isn’t an act—it’s a whole life. The divine institution of marriage is a permanent relationship in which two become one. A successful marriage is one in which we fall in love many times—always with the same person. Our commitment to our marriage partner empowers our faithfulness. It doesn’t mean we are never tempted; it means we have determined that we will not violate this sacred obligation. People of character work hard to enrich and romance their marriage. Maintaining a strong marriage is an investment requiring creativity, maturity, choices, changes, adjustments, and the desire to make Jesus Christ the Lord of one’s life.

Proverbs 5:15 says “Be faithful to your own wife and give your love to her alone.” In marriage we are choosing to give ourselves fully and enduringly to one another in the face of an unpredictable future. When we say “I do” to our partner, we’re saying “I don’t” to everyone else. We’re not basing our promise on two changeable people but in one unchangeable God, Who values marriage and Who stands ready to protect it, “till death do us part”.

When I was stationed in Korea, prostitution was a major problem, along with its consequences—pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases. Soldiers couldn’t leave the compound without being solicited (and I don’t blame the Koreans for this). I remember an elderly ajima, a grandmotherly-looking woman who approached me on the street in downtown Seoul and asked, “Hey GI—I got nice woman for you—what you think?” I tried to ignore her but she was so insistent that I finally turned, looked her in the eye and said, “I think my wife is worth waiting for.” She looked startled and stammered, “That’s nice”, and walked away. I don’t think she’d heard that reply before. Our promiscuous soldiers thought they were “making love”, but they were merely having sex. Lust is a physical drive; love means involvement with another—intimacy on an emotional, intellectual and spiritual level.

During our numerous military separations Laura and I not once worried about our fidelity. We were committed to one another, to God, and our relationship has been based on trust. Infidelity destroys trust; it produces insecurity and guilt. I’ve known couples whose trust had to be slowly rebuilt after an affair. Faithfulness—lifelong monogamy—is possible when there is genuine love. True love is an unconditional, sacrificial, compassionate, life-long commitment.

Our culture assumes that people can’t help being sexually active. Giving up on abstinence, people are encouraged to engage in “safe sex.” The only safe sex is remaining a virgin till marriage, then remaining faithful to one’s spouse. Josh McDowell wrote a book for teenagers titled Why Wait. Josh quotes a guy who admitted giving in to passion, who said: “I regret what I did and I know others who’ve regretted not waiting. I also know many who have waited till they were married. I have yet to hear one of them say they’re sorry they waited.” By this commandment God is saying, “I don’t want you to do something that will bring you and others pain; I have better things planned for you.”

Young people are often pressured and made to feel that there’s something wrong with them because they’ve chosen to wait till marriage. A girl was ridiculed for being a virgin. She told her friends “Prove your friendship by respecting my standards and feelings. I can become like you anytime—but you can never become like me.” Her friends realized who truly had self-worth and self-respect.

We pray, “Lead us not into temptation”, yet we’re often guilty of leading ourselves into temptation; we are “enticed by our own lust” (James 1:13-15). When King David saw Bathsheba bathing, the first look was an accident, but the second look was lust. Our feelings are not the problem; acting on them is. Some people put themselves in compromising situations. We should avoid situations that may tempt us to sin. We can control what we read, the music we listen to along with the movies and TV shows we watch. The mind grows by what it feeds on. Put another way, we reap what we sow. It’s important that we work on controlling our thought life. As we think, so we are. The unbeliever's thoughts are conformed to the world. When we trust Christ as Lord, we begin to renew our minds (Rom 12:2), which transforms our thought life. Paul points out that “those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

Wherever we go, Christ is our Chaperone. He’s present, observing all we do and think. A farmer was concerned about how his property was being used as a “lovers’ lane”. Rather than call the police, he got rid of the trespassers by putting up a sign which read, “God sees everything I do.”

Spiritual victory is possible by submitting our minds and bodies to the will of God. People of character admit their need for strength, which God supplies. As we understand the importance of the marriage covenant, we realize that adultery presents an illusion of present pleasure, hiding a future pain. We realize that staying faithful to this covenant is the only way to have a real marriage. Faithfulness is an outcome of our commitment to the First Commandment, to put God first. By obeying the First Commandment we can behave as people of character in a sex-saturated world. When we put God first, He becomes the Lord of our marriages.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, that You have the capacity to heal, to cleanse, to forgive, to purify. Thank You that the sacrificial death of Your son brings us pardon for sin. Keep us close to You and help us find protection and guidance from Your word. Grant us right thoughts and actions. Through Jesus our Savior and Lord—Amen.

The Ten Commandments #8: “Stop, Thief!” Text: Ephesians 4:22-28

Many Christians have enjoyed Matthew Henry’s commentary on the Bible. One day this British Bible teacher was robbed in broad daylight on the street. That evening he wrote in his journal:

“Let me be thankful: First, because I was never robbed before. Second, because, although they took my wallet, they did not take my life. Third, because, although they took all I had, it was not much. And fourth, because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed.”

Occasionally you read of someone stealing a stop sign who is convicted of manslaughter because the theft caused a traffic fatality. In our society people are trying to remove the stop signs of morality. The Ten Commandments provide us with God’s stop signs. They are given, not to hinder us, but to protect and direct us.

“Thou shalt not steal.” Who would object to the eighth commandment? Even thieves object to being robbed. Yet this principle shouldn’t be taken for granted, particularly in our pragmatic age.

During the summer of 1977 I was attending the Officers Advanced Course at the Army Chaplain’s School, Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn NY. One evening I got on the subway with two other Chaplains, a Catholic and Methodist. We went had dinner at a small restaurant in Little Italy, off Mulberry Street in Manhattan. When the time came to pay the bill, the lights went out, a city-wide blackout (we didn’t skip out; we paid the bill). The subway wasn’t running, so we couldn’t get back to the base. We managed to hail a cab and went to an apartment on the west side of town to stay with a friend of the Catholic Chaplain. After getting settled, we walked to the corner just in time to see a clock store get looted. One looter ran out of the place carrying a grandfather clock (we saw time fly). The next day on the news, when the power returned, some of the looters were interviewed. “Wasn’t what you did wrong?” the newscaster asked. The looter looked confused. “Wrong? What do you mean wrong? The stuff was there, so we took it.” Where there are no standards, anything goes. In a world where values are up to individual opinion, fairness no longer exists. People may deny or reject God’s laws, but that doesn’t get rid of them.

To understand this Commandment, we have to go back to the First Commandment which tells us to put God first. If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all. We can have other gods of money and possessions—things can define and control us. Materialism isn’t owning things; it’s being owned by things. Jesus warned, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt 6:21).

The first sin was stealing forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. That theft brought sin and death into the world. Sin influences, it urges us to want what isn’t ours; it entices us to selfishly want something for nothing, and then try to justify our actions. Numerous social theories seek to explain the cause of crime. Theft is not due to a lack of social conditions, controls or genetics—it is a spiritual problem. Criminal behavior is not learned or forced by economic factors; it is innate.

There must be hundreds of ways to steal. To name a few, there is robbery, larceny, embezzlement, highjacking, shoplifting, swindling, slavery, tax evasion, plagiarism, not giving an honest day’s work—or wage, and gambling (gamblers pick their own pockets!). It’s been said, “To take what belongs to another is to feast on poison.”

The deceit of theft makes it a double crime. Why do we always call a crook a liar and a thief? Because the two go together. When people steal, they lie about it as well. What might we do, if we knew we could get away with it? The answer reveals a lot about our character. Character is defined as “who we are when no one is looking.” We forget that God is looking.

We steal from God when we give Him less than our best, and when we give Him meager offerings. The Lord says in the book of Malachi, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me…in tithes and offerings (verse 8).” We wouldn’t steal from the church, yet we defraud God by withholding, by not giving proportionately.

The positive responsibility of this commandment is to respect the property of others. When we respect what others have, we’re keeping the Golden Rule: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). When we show consideration of others we treat others fairly. We care about their welfare and we don’t look for ways to take advantage of them. We don’t seek “unjust gain” (Habakkuk 2:9). If I respect you, how can I steal from you? Sadly, disrespect is seen all around us—from road rage, to muggings, auto theft, vandalism, etc. Society seems out of control, because disrespect releases control and restraint. Why do we have to lock up our homes? Because sin produces disrespect for the lives and property of others.

In Jewish literature there is an interesting story about a Rabbi by the name of Samuel, who made a visit to Rome. Walking along a city street he found a beautiful bracelet. Moments after picking it up the Rabbi heard a public crier announcing the loss of the bracelet and promising a generous reward if it were returned within 30 days. Rabbi Samuel put the bracelet in his pocket and held onto it for 30 days. On the 31st day he reported to the civil authorities. The official who put out the notice was visibly relieved to see the bracelet had been recovered. “Thank you”, he said. “When did you find the bracelet?” The Rabbi replied, “31 days ago.” This puzzled the official. “Didn’t you hear the announcement about the reward for its return?” “I did”, said Rabbi Samuel. “Then why didn’t you return it sooner?” The Rabbi answered, “Because truly ethical conduct must not be inspired by hope of reward, nor forced by fear of punishment. Ethical conduct must proceed solely from a desire to do what is right, from a love of God and a desire to live His commandments.” I wonder—Are our values showing? Do our standards identify us as people belonging to God?

We’re approaching Thanksgiving. Are we truly thankful? Contentment keeps us from desiring and taking what isn’t ours. Dissatisfaction leads to stealing and is the result of our attachments to the world. Proverbs 30 offers a sensible prayer: “O God, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs! For if I grow rich, I may become content without You. And if I am too poor I may steal, and insult Your holy Name” (vss 8-9, LB). Paul tells Timothy, “We brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (I Tim 6:7-8). A thief’s root problem is dissatisfaction. Solomon advises, “Whoever loves money never has enough money; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

The Gospels tell of Zacchaeus, a short man who had to climb a sycamore tree in order to see when Jesus visited his town. Zacchaeus was a very unpopular and unethical tax collector. Jesus spotted him above the crowd and announced that He wished to stay at Zacchaeus’ house. The crowd murmured, because Zacchaeus seemed the least deserving of such an honor. Then suddenly in the presence of all, this tiny tax collector confessed his faith in Jesus and announced that he would pay back ten times the amount of money he had cheated the people—a sign of true repentance. Restitution is a by-product of genuine repentance. Asking forgiveness isn’t always enough; we’re obligated to restore that which was taken. God says of thieves, in Ezekiel:

“I take no pleasure from the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their evil ways and live….And if I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but he then turns from his sin and does what is just and right—if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen and follows the decrees that give life and does no evil, he will surely live…and none of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him” (Ezekiel 33:11, 14-16).

One of the last things Jesus did before His death on the cross was to forgive a thief. His love stretches out to us all. There is only one way to respect that which belongs to others, through trust in Jesus as our Lord and Provider. We all sin. We all need a Savior. We find pardon and eternal life through the One Who died between two thieves.

The Ten Commandments, #9: “The devil’s native language” Colossians 3:9-10, 16-17

Four students decided they’d rather go to the mall for lunch instead of school. They showed up late for their afternoon class and apologized to their teacher, explaining that they’d had a flat tire. The teacher asked them to take their seats and take out a sheet of paper for a pop quiz. The first question: “Which tire was it?” Liars are caught by the tale.

Jesus called Satan the “father of lies”, saying that when the devil lies, “he speaks his native language” (John 8:44). Satan’s lies in Genesis 3 resulted in human sin, turning a garden paradise into a grave. Deception has since been woven into the fabric of our culture. When we lie, we’re speaking the devil’s native language.

Here’s a top-ten list of the most well-known lies:

10) “The check is in the mail.”

9) “Give me your number and we’ll call you right back.”

8) “It’s not the money; it’s the principle.”

7) “I don’t have a problem; I can stop any time I want.”

6) “It’s someone else’s fault.”

5) “I just need 5 minutes of your time.”

4) “This hurts me more than it hurts you.”

3) “I don’t go to church but I’m close to God.”

2) “Let’s have lunch sometime.”

1) “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.”

Sir Walter Scott said it well: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” Hardly a month goes by without a news item about someone who padded their resume or lied about their education, sports involvement, criminal record or military service. Then their false past comes back to haunt them and they have to face the facts, the shame, the humiliation. When false advertising is exposed by investigative journalists, we’re reminded us of the warning, “Let the buyer beware.”

There are many ways to lie: Insinuation, obfuscation, fabrication, hypocrisy, plagiarism, flattery, gossip, exaggeration (which is different from hyperbole—an understood overstatement for effect, e.g. after Thanksgiving I felt as fat as a house”), half-truths (a half-truth is a whole lie); and sometimes remaining silent when we ought to speak what is true. We can communicate with false words or false silence. Speech has been called our greatest gift and most dangerous ability. “False witness” refers to all means of deception. According to an Apocryphal writer, “More have fallen before the tongue than before the sword” (Ecclesiasticus 28:18).

A butcher was about to close his store one Saturday night when a customer came in wanting a roasting chicken. He had one left—he placed it on the scale and said “It’s 2 pounds, 4 ounces—that’ll be $2.35”. The customer said that was too small and asked if he had another. He didn’t, but he took the chicken to the back and returned with the same bird. He quickly weighed it and said “This one’s 3 pounds; that’ll be $2.80”. Figures lie and liars figure. The customer still wasn’t satisfied and said, “I think I’ll take them both.” The butcher was caught by a lie and lost a customer that night.

The Apostle John warns that “if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (I Jn 1:8). Sin is not an impossible obstacle for God to negotiate, but denying our sin is. Sometimes we’re guilty of lying to ourselves.

Here’s another top-ten list, this time a list of the lies we believe:

10) “Life should be fair.”

9) “I shouldn’t have to wait.”

8) “Others should know and meet my needs.”

7) “I must be perfect.”

6) “I’ll be happy when I get (fill in the blank).”

5) “It’s someone else’s fault.”

4) “I shouldn’t have to change my behavior.”

3) “God can’t use me.”

2) “I’m only as good as what I do.”

1) “God’s love must be earned.”

Situation Ethics claims that there are times when it’s OK to lie. This way of thinking assumes that God can’t help us. For example, we may feel forced to lie for an employer. The end does not justify the means. If we think God can’t protect us when we’re being honest, we don’t have the God of the Bible. In The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boon’s family was hiding Jews in Nazi-occupied Holland. When asked if Jews were hiding in her home, her sister said, “Yes—they’re right down beneath us”, pointing to the floor, and the Germans left laughing. Corrie’s sister had told the truth.

A recent issue of US News & World Report (Nov 22 1999, pp 55-66) contains a cover story about cheating in American schools (The Cheating Game). Polls indicate that 80% of high-schoolers admit to having cheated at least once—and half said they did not believe cheating was “necessarily wrong.” They cite the pressures to excel academically in to get a college scholarship and a high-paying job. 90% of college students believe “cheaters never pay the price.” The goal is “success at any cost.” Yet cheating devalues learning, especially when getting ahead becomes more important than attaining knowledge. The article describes “the erosion of conscience at every level of education.” How’d you like your heart specialist to be someone who cheated in medical school?

The article raises the point that our values regarding honesty and cheating begin in the home. A father is quoted as saying, “It all begins with the Pinewood Derby.” Just as parents may do their kids’ homework for them, there are some very professional-looking Pinewood Derby vehicles you know the Scouts didn’t make. When kids get too much parental help, they end up learning a bad lesson that we do whatever it takes to win. This can lead to a way of life. We need to teach our children well.

When the topic of lying comes up, people often ask about Rahab the harlot (Joshua 2), who lied to save the lives of 2 Jewish soldiers. God honored and blessed Rahab—on the basis of her faith, because she “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31)—but not because she lied. The Bible does not justify her lie. It is never right to do wrong, even for a good purpose.

Why do we lie? The primary reason is that we are sinners, and sin is the root of all lies. We also lie because it’s often socially acceptable. We lie to defend our egos or to avoid the consequences of our behavior. We lie to compensate for our lack of talent or ability. We want to impress our friends, employers, parents. Sometimes we lie to antagonize others, to get revenge. We lie when we hope to escape from reality and responsibility, often because we’re unable to accept ourselves as we are.

The reason Christians choose to be honest isn’t because we might be caught or we fear punishment—it’s because we’ve put God first in our lives and we don’t want to displease or disappoint Him. Some unbelievers choose honesty merely because it’s easier to tell the truth—they don’t need to constantly cover your lies, trying to remember what they said. Unbelievers understand that honesty is often rewarded. As believers, we have a higher motivation. Truth must permeate our lives because we desire to follow Christ; our incentive is to be like Jesus (WWJD). We affirm that Jesus did more than speak the truth—He was the Truth. The positive responsibility of this negative command is to be honest in all our dealings, to the glory of God.

Being truthful doesn’t mean we are brutal with the truth. The Bible tells us to speak the truth in love. Sometimes we think we’re being honest when we’re really hammering people, telling them off in a judgmental way. A woman told her minister that she’d discovered her spiritual gift—“to always speak my mind.” The pastor assured her that “God wouldn’t mind if” she “buried that talent!” Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed that “there is a truth which is of Satan.” We shouldn’t tell people what they want to hear; however when we tell things that injure others we’re not excused simply because our words are true. We know too well the truth hurts and sometimes we want it to hurt. Proverbs 18:18 says, “the words of a talebearer are as wounds.” There is an appropriate time to speak and a time to remain silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

We are less than honest when we assume the intent of others and reach conclusions based on our perception of their motives, even though we haven’t bothered to check them out.

Sometimes we lie to God. Surviving veterans of Iowa’s 113th Cavalry—an outfit that fought in the European theater of operations during WWII—received an Easter card from Rev. Benjamin Rose, their former Chaplain. On the front of the card was a sketch of a German battlefield, with the words: “Easter 1945—REMEMBER?” Inside the card was a brief message: “You said then, ‘Dear God, if You’ll bring me safely home, I promise I’ll live for You’…Do you remember? God DID what you asked. He brought you safely home. Now have you done what you promised? How about Easter 1950?” Foxhole vows and other promises made to God show just whether we’re being honest to God

(Consider the consequences of Ananias and Sapphira’s deceit in Acts 5).

Putting God first means we guard our words, tame our tongues, examine our honesty, engage in wholesome conversation, and “put on the new self” (Colossians 3:9-10)!

The Ten Commandments, #10, “Tis the Season to be Greedy” James 4:1-3

A neighbor of Abe Lincoln’s saw the President trying to separate his two young sons, who were fighting and crying. The neighbor asked what was the matter, and Lincoln replied, “Exactly what is wrong with the whole world. I have three walnuts, and each boy wants two.” In our reading we see that conflict is usually the result of wanting what others have.

Covetousness, or greed, is the sin of the season, and shopping malls have replaced churches as the place to be this time of year. A recent poll asked people to name their favorite pastime—the #1 answer was “shopping”. Our consumer culture is designed to entice us, then leave us constantly unsatisfied. Tuberculosis was once called “consumption” because it causes people to waste away. Greed is a form of spiritual consumption. Materialism can make us forget the reason for Christmas. Then when the holiday’s over there’s a post-season letdown, as many find themselves asking. “Is that all there is?” Materialism isn’t possessing things; it’s being possessed by things. Materialism is the “myth of the greener grass.”

Henry Ford was once asked what he wanted more than anything else in the world, as if one of the richest men in the world could even have needs. But he did. What could he possibly want? He answered the question with one word: “More.” When Ford died, people wanted to know how much he left behind. The answer: All of it! What we have in our bank account or mutual fund is not the true measure of our success. Jesus said, “Take heed and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:13). If you don’t believe that, just ask Ebeneezer Scrooge!

The Bible doesn’t condemn the rich, but it warns that there is a poverty of affluence, an addictive obsession and craving for wealth and power that results in emptiness.

In Colossians 3, Paul clearly defines covetousness as idolatry. The reason is because greed creates substitutes for God in people’s lives. Some put more effort into gaining wealth than in finding God. For this reason, Charles Spurgeon observed, “I never knew a covetous man to be converted.” The reason is that people caught up in materialism have little room in their hearts for God. We can’t serve both God and money. People can gain the whole world yet lose their souls. Greed turns goods into gods.

Concupiscence is a word you don’t hear much; it means strong desire, lust or longing. I remember seeing a sports car with this word printed on the windshield in bold letters. The driver was at least honest. It’s OK to admire someone’s car, but to covet is idolatry. Because of sin we are afflicted with an insatiable desire for more than enough.

The first 9 commandments deal with action and intent. This last one deals exclusively with motivation, that emotional drive which excites desire. And while the first commandment, the principle of putting God first supplies the motivation for obeying all the others, this tenth commandment explains why we disobey all the others.

The best example of this is David and Bathsheba, II Samuel 11-12. Because of his discontentment, David violated 7 of the Ten Commandments. He coveted and stole another man’s wife; he committed adultery with her; he lied about the affair; he arranged for the murder of Bathsheba’s husband, and took the Lord’s Name in vain when confronted by the prophet Nathan. Throughout this incident David ignored the First Commandment because God wasn’t the center of his life. He put desire above God.

Greed also breaks the Sabbath commandment by causing people to overload themselves to get ahead in life, to where they find little time left for God. The Prodigal Son parable shows how greed can result in dishonoring one’s parents.

Greed is rebellion against God. The greed in us refuses to yield to God’s will; our desires cause us to never have enough, to never be satisfied with what God has given. Then ingratitude and resentment often accompany our coveting. Francis Schaeffer wrote, “Desire becomes sin when it fails to include love of God or others.”

Frederick the Great, the king of Prussia, was preparing to invade another country, and instructed his staff to prepare a Declaration of War. The document began, “Whereas in the providence of God…” –and Frederick promptly interrupted. “Stop that lying,” he thundered. “Simply say, ‘Frederick wants more land’.” Without an ethical foundation, we are left with simply the survival of the fittest, which leads to war and the noncompassionate use of accumulated wealth. Hitler stated numerous times that Christianity and its notion of charity should be “replaced by the ethic of strength over weakness.” Societies that are not governed by moral absolutes become their own, arbitrary authority.

Gamblers Anonymous will tell you how greed can take over people’s lives like a drug. This past week I received an unsolicited email encouraging me to gamble on the internet (I’m glad for the block sender ability of my email). Why is gambling so popular? And how come people are so easily taken in by con men? Usually because they want something for nothing. It’s pretty hard to con someone who is both honest and content.

King Solomon learned that possessions can’t guarantee happiness. In Ecclesiastes he confesses that craving for material things is simply “striving after wind” He decries the futility and vanity and emptiness of seeking satisfaction in material things. Solomon did some spiritual mathematics and concluded that happiness doesn’t equal things. Those who think otherwise can count on God awarding an F for failure. Real pleasure comes from receiving the things we own as a gift from God. We can’t enjoy the things money can buy if we lack the things money can’t buy. We can’t be happy by clinging to the gift and neglecting the Giver.

A minister stopped by to visit a family from his congregation. The mother of the house wanted to make a good, spiritual impression, and called to her daughter: “Dear, bring the Book Mother loves.” The little girl came back in a minute the J.C. Penney catalogue!

The Apostle Paul learned the secret of happiness—through the skill of contentment (Phil 4:11-13). This is something he learned in a Roman prison. There are two ways to have enough—one is to obtain more; the other is to desire less. When we’re content, we don’t envy or resent the good fortune of others, and we don’t covet what they have. In the German language there’s a pitiful word—shadenfreude—which is joy from another’s misfortune. Those who are content can walk up to people like Henry Ford and say, “I’m richer than you—because I’m satisfied with what I have.” Paul also instructs us to “set our affections on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:1-2). The earthly itch of greed brings no lasting satisfaction. Contentment is a spiritual discipline; it is how we cure the disease of desire. Contentment enables us to accept what we have and leads to spiritual prosperity.

In order to learn contentment we have to know the difference between needs and wants. A Quaker advised his neighbor, “Friend, if you desire anything, come and see me, and I will teach you how to live without it.” One translation of Psalm 23 reads, “The Lord is my Shepherd—I have everything that I need” (LB). We are free to enjoy what God has given us, yet all the while we practice a blessed detachment from our possessions. We understand that who we are has nothing to do with the material things we possess. It probably wouldn’t hurt us to also practice some self-denial. We need to say no to the world and yes to God.

The Ten Commandments provide order for life. They define our boundaries. God’s moral absolutes have been rejected by people wanting to “do their own thing”, yet without these laws there would be chaos and anarchy. If there are no absolutes, then there is no meaning to life, and certainly no morality—no right or wrong. Francis Schaeffer states: “Modern man has no real boundary for what he should do; he is left only with what he can do. Moral ‘oughts’ are only what is socially accepted at the moment. In this setting will today’s unthinkables still be unthinkable in ten years?” (How Should We Then Live, p. 237).

We take physical laws seriously—gravity, electricity, velocity, friction, cause-and-effect, and so on. Without order there could be no science. We saw the costly results of disorder a few months ago as a Mars probe was lost because some of the scientists were working with the metric system while others were using the American system. Most of the time we conform to the uniform laws of nature; what if we took God’s moral laws just as seriously?

Prayer: Holy Father, cause us to embrace Your will knowing that You want only what is best for us. Help us to seek first Your Kingdom and hunger for Your righteousness. Help us to be content with what You have provided, and may we guard against greed. May we find all we need in You…through Christ our Lord—Amen.