Last week, we left off as Jehovah instructed Moses to get the people ready to hear Him give His commandments to them. His initial instructions were very insightful, as He demanded complete adherence in preparation to His coming and His message. Nothing has changed in regard to His requirements as we must also come to Him on His terms alone. So while many will think I don’t need to read or hear these commandments, as I have heard them all before. Let us hear them with open eyes, ears and minds.
Exodus 20:1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 20:2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
20:3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.20:4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
20:5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
20:6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
These first three must remain first or obeying the rest is futile and useless. There is only one true and living God. He begins by reminding them that just 90 days earlier, He brought them out of Egypt. While He used Moses and Aaron, it was Jehovah that performed all the miracles/plagues before them and destroyed the entire Egyptian army right before their eyes.
20:8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 20:9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 20:10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 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.
Most fail to understand the importance of the fourth commandment. It is the longest commandment. It is a reminder of what Jehovah did during the seven days of creation. It is not, as some teach, only for the ‘Jews’.
You may want to do some research as to the meaning and history of what we have come to know as the seven days of the week. Jehovah numbered 6 days and gave a name, the Sabbath, to the 7th day. Satan renamed all seven after the very gods he created to take worship away from Jehovah.
20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
20:13 "You shall not murder.
20:14 "You shall not commit adultery.
20:15 "You shall not steal.
20:16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
20:17 "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 belongs to your neighbor."
There are come interesting points to make here include that the last ones are directed toward our relationship to fellow men and women, while first four are specific to our relationship to Jehovah.
Coveting is the last commandment and the only one that does not fall under the death penalty. Why? I believe that is true because as we let coveting fester in our hearts, minds, and bodies, we eventually will soon violate the other commandments, whereby we will fall under the death penalty.
20:18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.
20:19 Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die."
20:20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."
20:21 So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where GOD was.
Not only did the arrival of GOD strike fear into the hearts of the people, but His voice struck them with terror. Just hearing the voice of GOD made them fear for their lives.
20:22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.
20:23 'You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves.
20:24 'You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.
20:25 'If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. 20:26 'And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.'
What can we learn from this reminder by GOD?
These commandments were emphasized because in just 40 days, they would violate every one of them.
All of this was already known by GOD, but not by Moses, Aaron, or the people.
Promises of blessings, covenants from GOD, and protection by GOD are all dependent of obedience to GOD.
As we have studied so far, the true sons of GOD are those who worship Him in Spirit and truth, which demands obedience to all matters to Him.
More next Saturday.