Nearly everyone has heard of the Ten Commandments – the list of “thou-shalt-nots” found in the Bible. Jesus saw these commandments not as onerous burdens, but as guardrails to help us experience a good and beautiful life. Every “thou-shalt-not” points to a life-giving “thou shalt.” These ancient words were given by a loving God who longs to protect us from harm while pointing toward a deeply meaningful and joyful life.
In the 21st century, a god is anything that is the central focus in our lives. Many of our false gods are gifts from God that get misused – like money, sex, and power. Putting God first in our lives and allowing everything else to be subordinate to that puts everything right in our lives. So, what’s at the center of your life? What drives you? If it is not God, we need to refocus.
For as long as human beings have been around, we have longed to see God. We want to see, feel and touch our gods. The ancient Egyptians made idols that not only came to represent their gods, but they believe they were the essence of their gods. The second Commandment, given to the Israelites during this time, forbids the creation of idols or images to represent God.
Our personal names are important. They go hand in hand with our integrity and character. No one wants someone to steal their identity and tarnish their reputation. God feels the same way about his name. So the 3rd commandment says “Do not misuse the name of Yahweh your God.” Some of us were taught that this commandment is about profanity. But the primary lesson this commandment was teaching was about promise keeping and truth telling.
Setting a day aside each week for rest and renewal is essential to our well-being and helps us be intentional about how we use our time to live the balanced life God intends.
Even if you did not grow up in the church, you have probably heard the fifth commandment to “honor your father and your mother.” Maybe your parents referenced this commandment when you did not obey them. Although this commandment is familiar, what does it look like to honor your parents?
The sixth commandment, “do not murder,” seems straightforward at first. However, Jesus came along and broadened the meaning of this commandment; and we find that his words have implications far beyond the taking of another human life. So what does this commandment mean for us today?
In ancient Israel, the seventh commandment – “do not commit adultery”- was framed as a sin against a married man committed by his wife and another man. However, Jesus came along and broadened the meaning of this commandment and we find that it means more than sleeping with someone who is not your spouse. So what does this commandment mean for us today?
The eighth commandment, like several of the other commandments, might seem so irrelevant to us. Most of us would agree that stealing is wrong and we would never do it. But most of our images of stealing are related to shoplifting or somehow taking someone’s material possessions. But when properly understood, we have all violated the eighth commandment; and God is calling us to stop stealing.
The ninth commandment was about not bearing false witness in the courts of ancient Israel. The people of Israel were prohibited from making false accusations against one of their neighbors and fellow Israelites. Most of us reading this devotional would not go to court and make false accusations… so how does this commandment apply to us?
The tenth commandment warns us not to covet. Coveting in the Hebrew Scriptures is defined as strongly desiring something; and in the New Testament as the desire to have more constantly. We all struggle with coveting in our lives. We all want the latest stuff and what our neighbors have that we don’t have. We convince ourselves that if we just had more stuff our lives would be better. However, Jesus tells us our lives do not consist in an abundance of possessions.