The Ten Commandments

March 4, 2015
Opening Hymns:
529 How Firm a Foundation http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh529.sht

Scripture Reading:
Exodus 20:1-17
And God spoke all these words:
² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
³ “You shall have no other gods before^[a] me.
⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
¹³ “You shall not murder.
¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.
¹⁵ “You shall not steal.
¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Message:
I remember growing up and learning the Ten Commandments. They are a moral code to follow. They point us in the right direction for having a close relationship with God. It was one of the first things I memorized from the bible along with Psalm 23. It makes sense that growing up I would learn the rules of my house, as well as the rules that God has given us.

Most of the commandments are basic components of our innate moral code. Stealing, murdering, and coveting instinctually would feel wrong. However, there are a few that are more specific to our God. We cannot have other Gods before Him… I like to pretend that it specifically means that we shouldn’t build alters and worship other Gods. If that is the case, that commandment is a walk in the park for me. But I’ve heard people mention other things that get in the way of our God. When we start loving our possessions and things more than Him. When we put our own desires and lives ahead of God… that can draw us away from Him too.

The other commandment that is more specific for our God is keeping the Sabbath day holy. In the New Testament we learn that some people in the Jewish faith had been taking this commandment to the extreme, and criticized Jesus for healing people on the Sabbath. Jesus reminds them that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

I am so grateful that Jesus heals on the Sabbath, because as a nurse my schedule frequently changes. I’m not always able to recognize the Sabbath, and must admit that this is the commandment that I break most often. However, Jesus reminds us that this commandment is a gift to us from God. It is a time to take a break, and have our family take a break from the business of life. The other commandments have us focus on loving and respecting God and others, while this commandment has us focus on loving and caring for ourselves as well. Even Jesus took breaks during His ministry. Forgetting to love and care for ourselves can also be a sin that separates us from our God.

These commandments are wonderful rules to follow and live by. But we must not forget that though we sin, Jesus died for us on the cross, and has forgiven us of all our sins. We will not be blameless in our lives, but we have a Savior, who is Christ our Lord. He wipes away our sins, and draws us closer to Him. Though we may stumble in trying to follow these rules, God still loves us, and through faith in Christ, we can all be forgiven.    

Time of Prayer
Lord, thank you for giving us rules to teach us how to love You, our neighbors, and ourselves. Forgive us when we fall short, and let us forgive others when they sin against us as well. Thank you for Your Son who died for us on the cross. Let us always remember His sacrifice, and how much You love each one of us. Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
327 Crown Him with many Crowns http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh327.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God