20:1-17, The Decalogue (The Ten Commandments) stated fundamental spiritual duties to both God and man. This is the basis upon which the whole moral code is founded, and it is a perfect summary of religious and ethical duty - Rom 7:12.
20:18-23:19, Then some civil and ceremonial laws were given.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: Christians need to be able to show the fallacy of the popular belief that the way to be saved is to obey the Ten Commandments. At the same time, we need to be impressed with our need to heed the moral requirements which are timeless.
effect when Texas belonged to Mexico and Texans were under Mexican law. We do not obey them now because they were in the Mexican law, but because they are in Texas law, and that is the law we are under - Cf Jn 1:17 ("For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ").
4.We are not under the Old Covenant, therefore cannot scrip-turally "keep the Ten Commandments." We are under the New, and must obey Christ - 1Co 9:21 ("being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ"); And Heb 7:12,18-19,22 ("12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. . . . 18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope [did]; by the which we draw nigh unto God. . . . 22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament"); And Heb 8:6-13 ("6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13 In that he saith, A new [covenant], he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old [is] ready to vanish away"); And Heb 9:13-15 ("13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance").
5.It is not technically correct to say, "Nine of the Ten Com-mandments were carried over into the NT." Better: "The law of Christ contains basic moral laws, some of them stated in the same words of Exodus 20." Compare Rom 13:9 ("For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself").
20:1 AND GOD SPAKE ALL THESE WORDS, SAYING,
20:2 I [AM] THE LORD THY GOD, WHICH HAVE BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE.
A.I AM THE LORD THY GOD: It is made clear that these words came from Almighty Jehovah.
B.THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE: "Where you were slaves."
NOTE: The first four of the commandments which follow lay down duty to God, the last six deal with obligations to fellow men.
20:3 THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.
A.This commandment asserts the unity or oneness of Deity, and forbids polytheism; Remember that the Israelites were living in superstitious times, and would believe in many gods; They had to be led to the conviction that Jehovah is the only God.
B.THOU: The individual, not just a general national requirement.
C.BEFORE ME: Beside, or in addition -- "Do not worship any deity except Me." This indicates to them there is only one God.
D.In the NT - Mt 22:37-38 ("37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment"); cf 1Jn 4:19 ("We love him, because he first loved us"). This is more than belief; It is devotion, adora-tion, complete allegiance, and only Jehovah is worthy of this.
E.He will not allow anyone or anything else to share His place.
F.Isa 45:5 ("I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else, [there is] no God beside me") -- Nothing should take His place in our lives: Sports, family, home, money, possessions, work, recrea-tion, social status, physical appearance, retirement, etc.
G.Give Him highest place in thoughts; Praise Him for everything.
H.Mostly from PULPIT COMMENTARY: Jehovah is very near us, "in Whom we live, and move, and have our being;" He is about our path and about our bed, and spies out all our ways; He is our Father Whom we may know, and love, and trust, and feel to be with us, warning us, and cheering us, and consoling us, and pleading with us, and ready to receive us, and most willing to pardon us -- He is never absent from us, Who continually sus-tains our life, and gives us all we enjoy and our power to
enjoy it, and Who is therefore the natural object of our warm-est, tenderest, truest, and most constant love. This first commandment should not be difficult to keep. We have only to open our eyes to the facts, and let them make their natural impression upon our minds, in order to love One Who has done and still does so much for us.
20:4 THOU SHALT NOT MAKE UNTO THEE ANY GRAVEN IMAGE, OR ANY LIKENESS [OF ANY THING] THAT [IS] IN HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THAT [IS] IN THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT [IS] IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH:
A.This commandment asserts the spirituality of God, and forbids idolatry and materialism; The first commandment has to do with the object of worship, this with the manner of worship.
B.In the NT - 1Co 10:14 ("Flee from idolatry").
C.GRAVEN IMAGE: Carved by hand.
D.ANY LIKENESS: Idols that look like anything that exists.
E.No part of His creation is as great as the Creator.
F.We do not know what He looks like, and He forbids us to make any effort to make a physical resemblance of Him.
G.An image calls for a superstitious regard which takes up the religious feelings that should have been directed to God.
H.Some try to justify use of images by saying they help them get closer to God; The danger is for them to assign to the man-made things powers that really belong only to God - cf Isa 42:8 ("I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images").
I.The only Scriptural picture of God is Christ - Col 1:15 ("Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature"); And He must be worshipped in all His fullness - Col 2:9-10 ("9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power"). Any crucifix or other material thing can suggest to the mind only one aspect of His glory, and therefore limits the thoughts of one who would center attention on the wood or the metal.
20:5 THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN THYSELF TO THEM, NOR SERVE THEM: FOR I THE LORD THY GOD [AM] A JEALOUS GOD, VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH [GENERATION] OF THEM THAT HATE ME;
A.NOT BOW DOWN...NOR SERVE: It was not uncommon for people of that time (or now for that matter) to honor material objects as actual embodiments of deity.
B.A JEALOUS GOD: He will not give His glory to another - Isa 42:8 (see H. above); 48:11 ("I will not give my glory unto another") -- He demands all the love of the human heart, and does not approve when reverence which is due Him is directed to anyone else, or to anything else.
C.VISITING THE INIQUITY: Punishing. It often happens that children suffer the consequences of their parents' wrong actions. Those consequences may include disease, poverty, ignorance of God's Word (therefore poor moral training), etc.
D.These are temporal disadvantages; This Verse is not saying that God holds children responsible for the sins of their parents - cf Eze 18:20 ("The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteous-ness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him").
E.Those who would serve Jehovah must always respect Him, acknowledging that He is Creator and rightful Ruler.
20:6 AND SHEWING MERCY UNTO THOUSANDS OF THEM THAT LOVE ME, AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.
A.UNTO THOUSANDS: Literally, "Unto the thousandth generation," which would not be a literal, definite number.
B.The thought seems to be that His favor endures much longer to the descendants of those who love Him than does His wrath endure in the other situation.
20:7 THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN; FOR THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD HIM GUILTLESS THAT TAKETH HIS NAME IN VAIN.
A.Now we have the method of worship: Reverence and devotion. God's NAME would represent all He is, and therefore it must be treated with the deepest reverence.
B.In the NT - Eph 4:29 ("Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edi-fying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers"); 1Ti 4:7 ("But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself [rather] unto godliness"); 1Ti 6:20 ("avoiding profane [and] vain babblings"); 2Ti 2:16 ("But shun profane [and] vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness").
C.IN VAIN: Misused -- Perhaps primarily in false swearing.
D."Secondarily it forbids all unnecessary oaths, all needless mention of the holy Name of God, and all irreverence towards anything which is God's -- His Name, house, day, book, laws, ministers. Whatever in any sense belongs to God is sacred, and, if it has to be mentioned, should be mentioned rever-ently." -- PULPIT COMMENTARY." Let us be sure that we are in the proper frame of mind to speak to Him or about Him, and so never use His Name in a careless way - cf Ecc 5:1-2 ("1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they
consider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter [any] thing before God: for God [is] in Heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few").
E.The first thing in order is for us to keep from all emptiness and shallowness of thought about God.
F.Then take care to use His Word properly - 2Ti 2:15 ("Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth").
G.And to act only on His authority - Mt 7:21-23 ("21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the king-dom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?} 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity"); And Lk 6:46 ("And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?")
H.His Name can be profaned by our conduct -- Compare the Jews, who refused even to pronounce the Name lest they profane it, but who profaned it by their hypocrisy - Eze 36:20-23,31-32 ("20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These [are] the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. 21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. 22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. . . . 31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that [were] not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32 Not for your sakes do I [this], saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel").
20:8 REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY.
A.In the NT - Col 2:14-17 ("14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man there-fore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an
holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ") -- The commandments were a shadow (were only types or pictures), and have been completely carried out and all requirements met in the Person of Jesus Christ.
B.TO KEEP IT HOLY: It was set aside to God; It belonged to Him. One of the lessons Israel should have learned from the manna is that six days' work is to supply seven days' need.
C.There is no indication the Jews had ever kept the sabbath, or even knew about it, until Ex 16:23-26 ("23 And he said unto them, This [is that] which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow [is] the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [today], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morn-ing. 24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25 And Moses said, Eat that today; for today [is] a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [which is] the sabbath, in it there shall be none"). Note that they had to be told on this occasion here (at Mt. Sinai) which day to rest on. If the sabbath had been observed from creation, as some teach, the Jews would certainly have known which day it was. The past tense of Gen 2:3 ("God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made") indicates that Moses wrote after the Law was given at Sinai. This would explain why no sign of the sabbath is to be found in patriarchal times.
D.The sabbath had significance only to those who were brought out of Egypt, and to their descendants - Ex 20:1-2 ("1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage"); And Deu 5:15 ("And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day").
E.The sabbath was not a type of the first day of the week.
F.Christians worship on the first day of the week - Ac 20:7 ("And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread"; And 1Co 16:2 ("Upon the first [day] of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as [God] hath prospered him") -- But there is no restriction against working that day, provided of course that one can be in the assembly when the saints come together for worship.
20:9 SIX DAYS SHALT THOU LABOUR, AND DO ALL THY WORK:
A.SIX DAYS belonged to them, for this purpose; BUT the SEVENTH DAY belonged to God (Verse 10).
B.In the six days allotted a person could get "ALL THY WORK" done, so as to leave the sabbath free for rest and for service to God. Human nature is complex, and the spirit needs rest and refreshment as surely as the body needs them.
20:10 BUT THE SEVENTH DAY [IS] THE SABBATH OF THE LORD THY GOD: [IN IT] THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK, THOU, NOR THY SON, NOR THY DAUGHTER, THY MANSERVANT, NOR THY MAIDSERVANT, NOR THY CATTLE, NOR THY STRANGER THAT [IS] WITHIN THY GATES:
20:11 FOR [IN] SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IN THEM [IS], AND RESTED THE SEVENTH DAY: WHEREFORE THE LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY, AND HALLOWED IT.
A.God worked SIX DAYS, then He RESTED; He required the Israelites to do this so they would remember that God is Creator of the earth and everything in it. He is the Owner of it. Satan has usurped authority over the earth, but it does not belong to him - Psa 24:1 ("The earth [is] the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein").
B.SON/DAUGHTER/SERVANT/CATTLE: All people and all animals were to be free from work. This is one of many passages which show God's concern for animals and for their need of kindness.
C.NOR THY STRANGER: Nor the foreigner who lived in their towns; For all people this was to be a day of rest dedicated to God, so it was necessary to suspend and put aside all labor.
20:12 HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER: THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG UPON THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE.
A.This is thought of as the first of the "Second Table" of commands -- Beginning here, the teaching is about one's actions, words, and thoughts regarding other people.
B.In the NT - Eph 6:1-3 ("1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth"). Respect and affection for parents is instinctively felt, and is basic in all cultures. It involves obedience to them in all things lawful (cf Ac 5:29), and seeing they are in comfort and peace. No qualifications are given, so this HONOR is to be given whether the parents deserve it or not -- God said to do it. And, for Israel, these commandments were to be taught the children - Deu 6:6-7 ("6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up").
C.HONOR: Respect them for their age and experience, for the ben-efits they have given us, and for their affection. This is not shown to parents by children when they talk back, ignore the parents when they speak, argue with them, disobey them, pout, give them the silent treatment, criticize them, or ac-cuse them of not understanding.
D.THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG: Here, in the OT, this may be more a national promise than a personal one -- the Nation's days in the Promised Land would be long if the people would be obedi-ent, beginning with obedience to parents. In Ephesians it seems to be a general promise to persons, and it is easy for us to observe this general tendency for people to live longer if they practice respectful submission to their superiors, and primarily to God (that respect should be learned from their parents -- The earlier commands show the object and manner of worship; This one shows the nursery and school of worship).
A.In the NT - Gal 5:21 ("Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God"). Again note the prominent position given in the Decalogue. Compare Gen 9:6 ("Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man").
B.God is the Creator of all people; Only He can give life, and no one has the right to take a life unless God says so (He gives the governments the authority to take the life of a murderer - Rom 13:1-5 ("1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil").
C.This sin can be committed by provoking words and even in our hearts by angry thoughts - Mt 5:21-24 ("Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whoso-ever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift"); 1Jn 3:15 ("Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him"); Heb 4:12-13 ("For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do").
A.In the NT - Heb 13:4 ("Marriage [is] honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge"); 1Co 6:9-10 ("Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither for-nicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor cove-tous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God"); Rev 21:8 ("But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore-mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brim-stone: which is the second death").
B."Be faithful in marriage." Respect the bond on which the family is based - cf Gen 2:24 ("Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh"). The family is the ultimate social unit in any culture.
C.Sexual relationship with anyone except one's own spouse is sinful. This also can be committed in the mind - Mt 5:27-28 ("27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart").
D.Surely the principle would include impurity of every kind -- in act, word, or thought.
E.Young people, keep the precious gift of purity - 1Ti 5:22 ("Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure").
A.In the NT - Eph 4:28 ("Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth").
B.On its surface this establishes the right of property, thus showing the falsity of communism/socialism - cf Ac 5:3-4 ("But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou con-ceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God"). Labor is correctly rewarded with property, or with money (or some other power to obtain property). Each person has a right to own what he has earned, and this right must be respected.
C.Also on the surface is the condemnation, not only of direct stealing, but of indirect theft (concealment of defects, mis-representation of quality, taking advantage of a buyer's or seller's lack of knowledge, incomplete work, tax cheating, benefitting from any scheme which deprives another, etc.)
D.One is stealing indirectly when he does something to devalue the property of another (mark or tear books, deface buildings, or in any way cause the other to lose or to pay).
E.Even if one were to be penitent and make restitution, that does not cleanse away the sin of stealing - cf Eph 1:7 ("In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace").
F.On the matter of restitution, in the social laws which are to be given, God taught the Israelites that to make good the original value is in some cases insufficient.
G.There are debts we can pay, and debts we may never be able to pay; We need to pray, "Forgive us our debts."
20:16 THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
A.In the NT - Col 3:9 ("Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds").
B."Do not tell lies about others." Always tell the truth in-stead of being like the greatest liar - Jn 8:44 ("Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it").
C.This can be done in a public and formal way by giving false evidence in a court; Or it can be done in a more private way simply by misrepresenting a person or in any way casting a shadow over his/her reputation. When we have occasion to speak of others, a good rule is to say the best thing we can conscientiously say. Also, if we hear false testimony about another, our silence makes us a party to it.
20:17 THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE, NOR HIS MANSERVANT, NOR HIS MAIDSERVANT, NOR HIS OX, NOR HIS ASS, NOR ANY THING THAT [IS] THY NEIGHBOR'S.
A.In the NT - Col 3:5 ("Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence (desire), and covetousness, which is idolatry").
B."Do not want anything that belongs to someone else." Since everything belongs to someone (including all items for sale), then we need to be careful to keep our "wanter" in check.
C.Our choices in life can be refined down to two: We can have God at the center of all things ("THY will be done"), or we can have self at the center of all things ("MY will be done").
TEN COMMANDMENTS POEM
Above all else, love God alone;
Bow down to neither wood nor stone.
God's Name refuse to take in vain;
The sabbath rest with care maintain.
Respect your parents all your days;
Hold sacred human life always --
Be loyal to your chosen mate;
Steal nothing, neither small nor great.
Report with truth your neighbor's deed;
And rid your mind of selfish greed.
-- Author Unknown
TEN COMMANDMENTS IN RHYME
Thou no gods shall have but Me,
Before no idol bow thy knee.
Take not the Name of God in vain,
Nor dare the sabbath day profane.
Give to thy parents honor due,
Take heed that thou no murder do.
Abstain from words and deeds unclean,
Steal not, for thou of God art seen.
Tell not a willful lie, nor love it.
What is thy neighbor's do not covet.
-- G. R. Hill
20:1-17, The Decalogue (The Ten Commandments) stated fundamental spiritual duties for Israel to both God and man.
20:18-23:19, Then some civil and ceremonial laws were given, as the people withdrew, and Moses came nearer to God.
20:18 AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAW THE THUNDERINGS, AND THE LIGHTNINGS, AND THE NOISE OF THE TRUMPET, AND THE MOUNTAIN SMOKING: AND WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW [IT], THEY REMOVED, AND STOOD AFAR OFF.
20:19 AND THEY SAID UNTO MOSES, SPEAK THOU WITH US, AND WE WILL HEAR: BUT LET NOT GOD SPEAK WITH US, LEST WE DIE.
A.THE PEOPLE SAW: They witnessed these things; All these sights and sounds brought terror to the people; They could not bear the near Presence of God, so they withdrew.
B.They feared they would die if they heard God's Voice. This is a condensation of their speech; Their words are given more fully in Deu 5:23-27 ("23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, [even] all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; 24 And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. 25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die. 26 For who [is there of] all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we [have], and lived? 27 Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear [it], and do [it]").
C.So the infinite power and majesty of God caused them to see their need for a mediator.
20:20 AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, FEAR NOT: FOR GOD IS COME TO PROVE YOU, AND THAT HIS FEAR MAY BE BEFORE YOUR FACES, THAT YE SIN NOT.
A.TO PROVE (TEST, NKJ) YOU: Moses assured the people that God was not going to hurt them, but only test them to see if they were inclined to serve Him.
B.THAT HIS FEAR MAY BE BEFORE YOUR FACES: That is, God was put-ting His fear in their hearts, intending that they would stand in dread of His awful power from now on.
20:21 AND THE PEOPLE STOOD AFAR OFF, AND MOSES DREW NEAR UNTO THE THICK DARKNESS WHERE GOD [WAS].
A.With the people moved back some distance from the Mountain, Moses came closer to the Presence of God.
B.He did not allow the THICK DARKNESS (a scary thing to us!) to keep Him from being where God was.
20:22 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, THUS THOU SHALT SAY UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, YE HAVE SEEN THAT I HAVE TALKED WITH YOU FROM HEAVEN.
A.I HAVE TALKED WITH YOU: It was Jehovah Who was the Author of the laws already given, and of those to follow. He is invis-ible and spiritual, but He IS revealed. Therefore, any who hear His Word should listen reverently.
B.Beginning here at 20:22 and continuing through Chapter 23 is a series of about seventy distinct laws which form The Book Of The Covenant - Ex 24:7 ("And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient").
C.It seems these laws were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, im-mediately after the giving of the Ten Commandments, and were written by Moses into a book, called The Book Of The Covenant.
20:23 YE SHALL NOT MAKE WITH ME GODS OF SILVER, NEITHER SHALL YE MAKE UNTO YOU GODS OF GOLD.
A.YE SHALL NOT MAKE WITH ME (ANYTHING TO BE WITH ME, NKJ): That is, to worship them in place of Jehovah.
B.This is a repetition of the second commandment, and the repe-tition shows its importance; Apparently the people were not duly impressed, for the first thing they did when they thought Moses was not coming back was to make a golden calf for a god.
20:24 AN ALTAR OF EARTH THOU SHALT MAKE UNTO ME, AND SHALT SACRIFICE THEREON THY BURNT OFFERINGS, AND THY PEACE OFFERINGS, THY SHEEP, AND THINE OXEN: IN ALL PLACES WHERE I RECORD MY NAME I WILL COME UNTO THEE, AND I WILL BLESS THEE.
A.AN ALTAR OF EARTH: This Verse indicates they were accustomed to offering sacrifices upon altars (remember that Moses had asked Pharaoh to let them go into the wilderness that they might sacrifice to their God). These words authorize them to continue the practice as before, and to be certain that their altars were EARTH, and not stone which could be worshipped.
B.WHERE I RECORD MY NAME: He recorded His Name by making a rev-elation of Himself; In those places he allowed the erection of an altar. His Name is not now recorded in places - Jn 4:20-21,23 ("20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to wor-ship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. . . . 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him").
C.I WILL COME...AND...BLESS: If they obeyed, God would accept the sacrifice and bless those who worshipped.
20:25 AND IF THOU WILT MAKE ME AN ALTAR OF STONE, THOU SHALT NOT BUILD IT OF HEWN STONE: FOR IF THOU LIFT UP THY TOOL UPON IT, THOU HAST POLLUTED IT.
A.THOU SHALT NOT BUILD IT OF HEWN STONE: If they did not respect His request for an altar of earth, and insisted upon making one of stone, then "do not use any tools to chisel the stone, but leave it as natural materials provided by God Himself."
B.The engraving of animals into the stones could quickly lead them into the worship of creatures rather than the Creator.
C.THOU HAST POLLUTED (PROFANED, NKJ) IT: To LIFT UP THY TOOL UPON IT would be to inject self into the preparation and to make it seem that the worship was improved by the art of man.
D.The principle is that all worshippers are to worship in God's appointed way -- That is acceptable; But if we try to make the appointed way better, we spoil it. The altar God specifies is the expression of God's will; To try to improve it is to make it an expression of the will of the would-be improver. To see this simple principle is to see why we cannot add instrumental music in worship to the kind of music God specified.
20:26 NEITHER SHALT THOU GO UP BY STEPS UNTO MINE ALTAR, THAT THY NAKEDNESS BE NOT DISCOVERED THEREON.
A."Do not build an altar that requires steps."
B.BE NOT DISCOVERED (EXPOSED, NKJ): By reason of decency, they could not expose themselves in walking above others.
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