We've seen God's Ten Commandments that tell us how to live in relationship with him and observe the Sabbath. Now let's look at what he says about how we are to live in relationship to each other.
5. "Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." - Ex 20:12
This is the first commandment given to us regarding our relationships with others. Why would God place it first? Because it shows that the family unit is also part of God's creation. Honoring our parents is a way of showing that we accept and believe in God's design for the family. Parents are to raise, support, and disciple their children. But even if they do not, children are still to respect and honor their authority. We do this by treating our parents with respect now and also by caring for them when the roles are reversed and they are in need of care in their elderly years. This is also the only command with a promise of God's presence and favor.
6. "You shall not murder." - Ex 20:13
7. "You shall not commit adultery." - Ex 20:14
8. "You shall not steal." - Ex 20:15
These three commandments establish a universal moral law not to murder, commit adultery, or steal. These truths and beliefs still hold true in society today (though many want to believe laws are not tied to morals or God). These commands help uphold justice in a civilized society. They also helped set the people of Israel apart as a light among other nations. To not murder means that we are to love and protect mankind created in the image of God. "Avoiding adultery means keeping our hearts pure from lust and from twisting things to appease our sinful appetites. It means keeping sexual purity and not defiling the marriage bed." Not stealing is another vital establishment of civility. We must feel that our personal property is safe and that we shouldn't take illegally from others. It also includes working hard to provide for our needs and the needs of others.
9. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." - Ex 20:16
Ironically, our court system, which lately has been veering away from moral godly principles, still requests that all witnesses in a trial tell the truth and nothing but the truth. In the context of this verse, it is important to understand that false testimony could have lead to severe punishment for a neighbor. However, its truth still applies to us today in the severity of which a lie can devastate a relationship. As Christians, our words are to be truth. "We are not to distort the truth to protect ourselves or to hurt others."
10. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." - Ex 20:17
The previous commandments dealt with external actions, but the tenth and final commandment looks at our hearts. Coveting, or a desire from within, is the motivation of external sins like murder, adultery, stealing, and lying. Coveting also places the object of our desire above God, violating the very first commandment. "Therefore, refusing to covet means that we are sold out to God, so much so that the things of this world have little value when it comes to the desires of our hearts."
As we look at the Ten Commandments and reflect on our lives, you may be like me and not feel very good about yourself right now. There are likely several commandments that we have broken in our past and possibly even recently. But God never expected us to do it on our own. He had atonement as a part of His plan from the very beginning. We don't have to live up to these commandments perfectly, we can't. We just have to love and place our faith in God's Son. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:21
5. "Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." - Ex 20:12
This is the first commandment given to us regarding our relationships with others. Why would God place it first? Because it shows that the family unit is also part of God's creation. Honoring our parents is a way of showing that we accept and believe in God's design for the family. Parents are to raise, support, and disciple their children. But even if they do not, children are still to respect and honor their authority. We do this by treating our parents with respect now and also by caring for them when the roles are reversed and they are in need of care in their elderly years. This is also the only command with a promise of God's presence and favor.
6. "You shall not murder." - Ex 20:13
7. "You shall not commit adultery." - Ex 20:14
8. "You shall not steal." - Ex 20:15
These three commandments establish a universal moral law not to murder, commit adultery, or steal. These truths and beliefs still hold true in society today (though many want to believe laws are not tied to morals or God). These commands help uphold justice in a civilized society. They also helped set the people of Israel apart as a light among other nations. To not murder means that we are to love and protect mankind created in the image of God. "Avoiding adultery means keeping our hearts pure from lust and from twisting things to appease our sinful appetites. It means keeping sexual purity and not defiling the marriage bed." Not stealing is another vital establishment of civility. We must feel that our personal property is safe and that we shouldn't take illegally from others. It also includes working hard to provide for our needs and the needs of others.
9. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." - Ex 20:16
Ironically, our court system, which lately has been veering away from moral godly principles, still requests that all witnesses in a trial tell the truth and nothing but the truth. In the context of this verse, it is important to understand that false testimony could have lead to severe punishment for a neighbor. However, its truth still applies to us today in the severity of which a lie can devastate a relationship. As Christians, our words are to be truth. "We are not to distort the truth to protect ourselves or to hurt others."
10. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." - Ex 20:17
The previous commandments dealt with external actions, but the tenth and final commandment looks at our hearts. Coveting, or a desire from within, is the motivation of external sins like murder, adultery, stealing, and lying. Coveting also places the object of our desire above God, violating the very first commandment. "Therefore, refusing to covet means that we are sold out to God, so much so that the things of this world have little value when it comes to the desires of our hearts."
As we look at the Ten Commandments and reflect on our lives, you may be like me and not feel very good about yourself right now. There are likely several commandments that we have broken in our past and possibly even recently. But God never expected us to do it on our own. He had atonement as a part of His plan from the very beginning. We don't have to live up to these commandments perfectly, we can't. We just have to love and place our faith in God's Son. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:21
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