BIBLE, CHRISTIAN LIVING

IF YOU COULDN’T READ — BOB PRICHARD

One of the pearls of wisdom uttered by the Beaver, the title character on the fifties TV show “Leave it to Beaver,” was his observation in defense of education that “If you couldn’t read, you couldn’t look up what’s on television.” To a child, certainly a great argument for literacy!

We have almost universal literacy today, but the Literacy Project estimates that forty-five million Americans are actually functionally illiterate, and that 44% of Americans do not read a book in a year.

But the statistics are probably worse in relation to biblical literacy. Even church-going folks often don’t know where to look up things in the Bible, and never read their Bibles.

The psalmist thought of the scriptures as a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path (Psalm 119:105). Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). How can we keep Jesus’s words of eternal life if we do not read the Bible?

If you can’t read, get some help. And if you can read, don’t neglect your Bible.

CHRISTIAN LIVING, SALVATION

WHAT’S THE SCORE? — BOB PRICHARD

I have a friend whose wife just can’t understand why so many people are so interested in sports. She says that she doesn’t understand why her husband should actually watch the games. After all, she says, all that matters is the score. Why waste time seeing how the score comes about?

While I can’t exactly agree with her point of view, and I know that other things really do matter, it is true that the winner is judged by the score. Chuck Noll, who coached the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, once commented on why he likes football. “The nice thing about football,” he said, “is that you have a scoreboard to show how you’ve done. In other things in life, you don’t. At least not one that you can see.”

Since life’s scoreboard is one that you can’t see, man has been diligent in trying to make up his own substitute scoreboard. He may think that the quantity of riches amassed is a good scoreboard, or how new his car is, or something like that. But the number of things we have is not necessarily the indicator of life’s score. Neither is how high we rise in our company, or who we know and associate with.

Sometimes in a football game, one team gets more first downs, and gains more yards, and maybe even has a better band, but those things are not what counts in the end. All that really matters in the end is the score. In the game of life, a man may have those earthly things we count so precious, and he may be a good neighbor, and may even be kind to animals, but these are not really what count in the end. 

John saw a great vision of the scoreboard of life. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. … And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-12, 15). How do you stand according to what is written in the books?

BIBLE

MATHEW OR MATTHEW? — BOB PRICHARD

“Spell checkers” are one of the great inventions of our day. Even though I am a good speller, I am sometimes a careless typist. The “spell checker” is great for catching those transposed letters that come too often from trying to type too fast. 

I just recently made a discovery about my spell-checker, though. It is not always right. Not only will it not flag correctly spelled words which are not the words I meant, it also doesn’t catch some variants of words that I expected it to catch. It seems that I have had a problem lately in my lessons by typing Mathew when I meant Matthew. (Just one “t” missing, but it makes a difference). It seems that my software is just fine with spelling it “Mathew” instead of “Matthew.” I have relied on the “spell checker” to proofread for me, but will have to be more careful in the future, knowing that it may not catch the misspelled Matthew.

This little insight reminds me that we must be careful what or whom we trust. Not everything you read on the internet is correct or reliable. It is not uncommon for us to look to some great preacher of the past or present for wisdom or judgment. There is nothing wrong with this, but whoever it is, we need to be sure that we use our reasoning abilities and we truly search the scriptures. We may too easily accept some things because of who teaches them, but even the best of us are sometimes wrong.

  Luke commends the Christians of Berea: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). The Bereans were searching the scriptures daily to consider if what they were being taught by men like Paul and Silas was correct. If it is necessary to check up on Paul, it is also necessary to check up on our present day preachers and teachers, even including Bob Prichard. And it is also necessary to check on ourselves. Do we believe what we believe because we have really searched the scriptures, or have we just accepted what was taught? And letting someone else proofread certainly won’t hurt!

CHRISTIAN LIVING

PERSONAL ARMOR — BOB PRICHARD

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5).

The shield was a very important part of the personal armor of the ancient soldier. With this personal armor, the soldier was protected against the blows of the enemy’s sword or arrows of the enemy’s archer. The effectiveness of the shield depended on the quality of the shield and the skills of the soldier.

The quality of the shield Solomon extols is unmatched. “Every word of God is pure.” But the effectiveness of this personal armor will depend on the skill of the soldier of God. The best way to hone those skills is through practice, practice, practice. The shield of faith quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16). Faith, trust in God, comes from practicing the ways of God, learned from the pure word of God. This personal armor is worn by following God.

CHRISTIAN LIVING

THE BEST DEAL IN U. S. HISTORY — BOB PRICHARD

It has been called the best business deal in U. S. History (at least before the computer era). It happened in 1903, when John and Horace Dodge, brothers who owned a machine shop in Detroit, made a deal with the Ford and Malcolmson Company. Henry Ford and Alex Malcolmson had decided to manufacture automobiles, but Ford had such a bad reputation for failure, that they could not raise all the cash they needed. Malcolmson became so worried about the possibility of failure that he decided to take his name off of the company, lest he also be associated with failure. The only way that they could raise the needed capital was to offer the Dodge brothers 10% of the company for $3,000 cash and $7,000 in auto parts.

Four weeks after the loan, the Ford Motor Company was about to fold, with $223.65 in the bank, payroll for the Ford workers due the next day, and not a single car sold. But that day, Dr. E. Pfennig, a dentist, paid $850.00 cash for a Ford Model A. From that day forward, Ford Motor Company took off. By 1914, the Dodge brothers were manufacturing their own automobiles, but still had that 10% stake in Ford Motor Company. When they were bought out in 1919, they sold their Ford stock for $25 million. With the $9.5 million they had made in dividends from 1903-1919, their total return on their initial $10,000 was $34.5 million. Not a bad return for two men who began with a bike repair shop! 

While we might be tempted to be envious of the good fortune and business savvy of the Dodge brothers, what the Lord offers to do for us is by far a better deal. A $10,000 investment in 1903 was really a sizable investment, but it paid great dividends, and was really valuable when cashed in. God asks of us that we give ourselves to Him, wholeheartedly, and without reservation. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Yes, it is costly, but consider the dividends it pays in this life. We have a spiritual family to love and support us, we have fellowship with the greatest people on earth, and we can live lives with clear consciences, knowing that we are His children, and He loves us. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7).

Not only are the dividends in this life great, but also the investment of our lives prepares us for an eternal reward. What could be better than spending eternity in a place where “the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4)? That’s a thousand times better than the Dodge brothers’ deal!

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS

DO CHRISTIANS BECOME ANGELS IN HEAVEN? — BOB PRICHARD

No. It is sometimes said in funerals, especially if the funeral is for a small child, “There is now another angel in heaven.” But there is no evidence in scripture that any person becomes an angel upon death, and in fact the scriptures teach otherwise. This myth that departed humans become angels is very popular with today’s entertainment industry, and numerous movies and television programs  have been made with  this theme. Often a person supposedly goes to heaven, but must come back to earth to perform some good deed, in order to earn his “angel wings,” or some such thing.  These ideas come from man’s imagination, not from God’s revelation!

Angels are created beings, separate and apart from human beings. The psalmist said, “Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. … for he commanded and they were created” (Psalm 148:2, 5). Not only were the angels created, they were apparently created before the foundation of  the world. Job 38 speaks of the creation of  the world, when “the sons of God (or angels) shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). Nehemiah wrote, “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein” (Nehemiah 9:6). That heavenly host which worships God is made up of angels.

We know that men, good and evil, can and do die. Jesus told the story of  Lazarus the beggar in Luke 16. “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). Lazarus died, but he was still Lazarus, and did not become an angel. Instead, he was carried to Paradise by angels. 1 Corinthians 15 clearly teaches the resurrection. Paul writes, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). The Bible teaches resurrection. If men become angels at death, it would not be resurrection, but reincarnation.

Angels are a distinct creation of God. They are neither divine, nor human, nor animal. The first chapter  of Hebrews emphasizes the fact that Jesus as God was above the angels. Christ “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they” (Hebrews 1:3-4). But because of His love for man, “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9).

GOD, SALVATION

IS HE STILL WAITING? — BOB PRICHARD

I read of a Victorian era lady who arranged her library so that no books by male authors were placed beside books by female authors (unless they were married, of course). I’m not exactly sure what she thought those books might do, but it does seem that books do take up more and more shelf space! Keeping up with my books is a big job. I try to treat my personal library like any other real library, with the books accessioned, classified, and properly cataloged. It takes time to process books though, so many sit on the shelf wherever I happen to find the space (irrespective of the author’s sex) until I process them. Two books recently caught my eye.

Sitting next to each other on the shelf, ready to be fully processed were The Hurried Child, by David Elkind, and The Waiting Father, by Helmut Thielicke.  Elkind’s book is about our fast paced, stress filled society that hurries our children to grow up too quickly. Thielicke’s book is a series of sermons on the parables, with the title taken from two sermons on what we usually call the “Prodigal Son.”

The two titles juxtaposed on the shelf reminded me how the pace of our world today causes too many of us to become a “hurried child.” We are not so much hurried to grow up, but to just keep pace with the world swirling around us. We may be too hurried to remember God. How often do we really find the time for serious prayer and communication with our heavenly father? Most of us, it seems, keep such a pace doing our work, keeping up the house, preparing meals, chauffeuring to soccer practice, and doing so, so many other things. Where do we find time for the “Waiting Father”?

Thielicke portrays the Father watching the son leave, and then waiting expectantly:

“I imagine that as he stands there in silence a deep affliction shadows his face and that in itself is eloquent. I am sure he is not thinking that the boy will grow more mature in the far country. He is asking the anxious question: How will he come back?

The father will keep the son in his thoughts.  He will wait for him and never stop watching for him. Every step he takes will give him pain. For the father knows better than this son who sets out, happy and lighthearted on his chosen life. But the voice of his father in his heart will follow him wherever he goes.”

We do not have to go to the far country of the prodigal to be away from the Father. We can simply get too busy for him. “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. … And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him” (Isaiah 30:15-18).

CHRISTIAN LIVING

“NEITHER BE DISMAYED” — BOB PRICHARD

“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

My friend Phil had the difficult task of telling his teenage daughter that he had lost his job with the city, and they would have to move. Her response surprised him: “Great! I know you will get a better job! God will take care of us!” 

Moses prepared a people coming out of hundreds of years of slavery to conquer a land they did not know. They knew God parted the Red Sea and they knew God took care of them during their wilderness wandering, but the unknown, entering the promised land frightened them. Moses reminded them to have courage, because God would be with them, and would not fail them or forsake then.

Why do we today spend so much time “dismayed,” worrying about the future? Don’t we have more reason to trust God than they did? 

And yes, Phil did get another better job, with better pay.

BIBLE, SALVATION

“ONE SIZE FITS ALL” — BOB PRICHARD

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

Some  clothing is “one size fits all.” If we are large or small, we may question if something will really “fit all.” But Peter said repentance and baptism was for all.

At Pentecost, Jews came from around the world. They heard the disciples speak “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:7-11). Others were there: priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, Levites, religious people. Probably some pick-pockets and thieves took advantage of the occasion. No matter how religious or irreligious, the message that day was a “one size fits all.” Since God is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), all had the same opportunity and obligation to repent and be baptized.  God’s promise was for those people, their descendants, the Gentiles (“those afar off”), and us (Acts 2:39). None then or today could receive the remission of sins without this obedience.

All, no matter how unworthy, can receive God’s blessings because the simple gospel “fits all.”

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS, GOD

IS “ALLAH” THE GOD OF THE BIBLE? — BOB PRICHARD

Allah is the name given to the one God in the Qur’an [Koran], the holy book of Islam. When a Muslim prays, he prays to Allah. The name “Allah” is the Arabic form of a simple generic word for god found in the Semitic languages (Hebrew, Arabic, Akkadian, etc.) The biblical word is El which is found more than two hundred times in the Old Testament. It is commonly found in compound names for God, such as Elohim and El Shaddai. This is not evident in our English translations, because most of the time the words are simply translated as God or Lord. 

El Shaddai is usually translated as “God Almighty.” “I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty [El Shaddai]” (Exodus 6:3). Elohim is the most common Hebrew name for God, being found over two thousand five hundred times in the Old Testament, such as Genesis 1:1, which reads, “In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heaven and the earth.” Elohim is plural in form, but is used as a singular name with plural verbs or adjectives. “And God [Elohim] said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1.26). This use of a singular noun with plural modifiers is sometimes called the plural of magnitude, or plural majesty, indicating the greatness of God. This is also at least a hint of the fact of the trinity. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. They are not three gods, but three different persons in the Godhead. As Paul said of Christ, “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). 

In some senses, then, Allah could be considered just another name for God. In fact, the word most often used for God in the Arabic translation of the Bible is Allah. In many ways, the story of God in the Qur’an is a retelling of the Old Testament God. In the Qur’an, Allah is the great Creator God, the God of Abraham and Ishmael (not Isaac). Allah is the God who reveals His will through His prophets. The word of the prophets is considered the very word of God. 

One striking problem with the Qur’an’s portrait of God, which shows it to be inadequate, is in what it says (and does not say) about Jesus. Jesus is mentioned some sixty-three times in the Qur’an, and is recognized as a great prophet (although Muhammad is a greater prophet). His virgin birth, and even some of His miracles (including some non-biblical miracles) are described. According to the Qur’an, however, He did not die on the cross, He is not the Son of God, He is not a member of the Godhead, and He did not sacrifice Himself for mankind. This is truly a tragedy, because Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). By this He tells us that He is the only way to the Father. As Peter explained to the rulers of the Jews, it was by the authority of the name of Jesus that he and John had healed the lame man at the Beautiful gate. “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12). “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18).

CHRISTIAN LIVING

“ME DO IT” — BOB PRICHARD

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Every parent of a two year old has heard the words, “me do it.” They are often the prelude to spills and messes. We want our children to learn independence, but they must also learn to be guided.

Our own spirit of independence is evident when we think of our bodies. “It’s my body. I will do with it what I want.” But once we have given our hearts to God, even our bodies belong to Him. God has invested in us, “bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20), by sacrificing Christ for us and our response must be surrender of all we have and all we are.

We expect our children to grow beyond the “me do it” mentality. We too must learn the value of submission, knowing that we are not our own, but blessed with bodies that are the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Blog

WHO WILL HEAR? — BOB PRICHARD

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

In the World Trade Center rubble after 9/11, President Bush rallied the people: “I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people … who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”  

“The heavens shall pass away with a great noise.” That great noise, literally “a roar,” will come as the elements melt with fervent heat, and the earth and its works are burned up. 

Jeremiah prophesied, “At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations” (50:46). After marching quietly around Jericho, on the seventh time, “Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city” (Joshua 6:10), a fearful noise as the walls fell.

At the day of the Lord, those who were deaf to the will of God will hear and understand that God was serious about His commands and promises. Will we hear?

BIBLE, CHRISTIAN LIVING

STUCK IN MY HEAD — BOB PRICHARD

A tune was stuck in my head. It was a jazzy clarinet tune.  I was racking my brain trying to figure out what it was, and where it came from, when I happened to see a Land Rover TV commercial playing the tune. I had picked up the tune without paying attention.

Without even trying, our minds scoop up what we see, hear, smell, and feel. God has created us in such a way that we can remember an event from twenty-five years ago like it happened yesterday.

Knowing it is possible for us to absorb so many things without even thinking about it, shouldn’t we be extra cautious about where we go, what we do, and what we expose our minds to? The more we fill our minds with good things, the more good things there will be to well up into our conscious or unconscious minds. We need David’s attitude: “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17).

The song was “Baby Elephant Walk,” written by Henry Mancini for the 1962 movie Hatari. Listen to it, and it will probably get stuck in your head, too! Why not spend some time this week putting good things from God in your head!

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS, EXODUS, OLD TESTAMENT

WHAT DOES THE TENTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS? — BOB PRICHARD

The tenth commandment deals with an “internal” sin, one that may be known only to God and the sinner. It warns against coveting: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (Exodus 20:17). Coveting is an evil desire that leads to other sins. James wrote, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15). Death is the ultimate result of coveting. Not every desire is sinful. The commandment gives a summary of basic categories of possessions, and condemns the sinful lusting for that which belongs to others.

The sin of coveting has long plagued mankind. The sin of Adam and Eve was not just in the taking of the forbidden fruit, but their desire to “be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4). After their great victory at Jericho, God’s people were defeated at Ai, because of the covetousness of Achan who saw among the spoils of Jericho an expensive garment, silver and gold, which he coveted. He took them, and brought death upon the Israelites and his own family.

Many have fallen when they coveted. Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard, and lost his life. David coveted Uriah the Hittite’s wife, Bathsheba, and brought tremendous pain on himself, his family, and his kingdom. Paul spoke of the seriousness of covetousness: “What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence [covetous desires]. For without the law sin was dead” (Romans 7:8).

Covetousness, being a secret sin, is betrayed by actions. The life of the tax collector Zacchaeus betrayed his misplaced priorities, put right by his contact with Christ. Many show the hold covetousness has on them by where they place their treasure. Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Many times a covetous heart is revealed by a conversation that speaks only of money and materialism. Christians who cannot get over their worries may betray an attitude of covetousness, because the kingdom of God is not their first priority. Perhaps even worse, the attitude that “the end justifies the means” betrays a heart of covetousness. No doubt Demas tried to rationalize his sinful behavior. Paul lamented, “Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10).

Paul warns: no covetous man “hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” Ephesians 5:5). Jesus focused on the heart, “for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15:19). Avoiding covetousness means trusting God and relying on His grace. 

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS, EXODUS

WHAT DOES THE NINTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS? — BOB PRICHARD

The ninth commandment states: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). The essence of the commandment is honesty. It seems that many today believe that honesty is not only not the best policy, but unnecessary except in the most extreme circumstances. Our words do matter, though. The psalmist said, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer”  (Psalm 19:14). The words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are inseparably linked. The enemies of Jesus did not use their tongues for truth. “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matthew 12:34-35). 

The prohibition of bearing false witness is most literally the giving false witness in court. Lying under oath is always a serious crime. Paul told the Ephesians, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another” (Ephesians 4:25). Falsehood in court is a serious sin against one’s neighbor. For the Christian, lying hurts the very members of the body of Christ. 

Words falsely used can have devastating effect. Lies such as slander, designed to hurt others, are especially hurtful. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their slander of John, the forerunner of His ministry. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil” (Matthew 11:18). Christ’s enemies would tell any lie to stop Him. “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death” (Matthew 26:59). James warned that we must be kind and honest with our tongues: “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be” (James 3:9-10). To remain silent in the face of evil, withholding love and concern, also violates the sense of the command. 

Jesus called Satan the father of lies (John 8:43-44). When we lie because we are filled with hatred, or to make ourselves look better, or to avoid unpleasantness, or for financial gain, we place ourselves squarely in the camp of Satan. 

The words of the Christian must be words of truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Solomon warned, “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish” (Proverbs 19:9). Revelation 21:8 warns: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Liars face the same fate as murderers and idolaters! Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible has as its subject the love of God’s word and love of truth. These are fundamental to the life of the Christian!

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS, EXODUS

WHAT DOES THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS? — BOB PRICHARD

The eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15), is unusual among the Ten Commandments, in that almost everyone agrees that it should be followed. It is still violated very often, as society make allowances for those who want to “cut corners,” not realizing it is condoning stealing. Peter tells the Christian, “Let none of you suffer us a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters” (1 Peter 4:15). Who wants to be known as a thief? 

The commandment deals with “things.” God has given us many blessings, including the right to have and enjoy things. Prohibiting thievery stresses this blessing. The early church experimented with the common holding of all things among the believers, as each “sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, us every man had need” (Acts 2:44-45). The normal situation, however, has been for individuals to possess things. 

There is nothing wrong with having possessions, as long as the possessor understands that everything comes from God and we are merely stewards. Jesus often spoke of the need for us to be good stewards. “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath” (Luke 12:42-44).

Stealing is common today. Taking the property of others without just compensation, although sometimes legal, is stealing. The misuse and squandering of things, even if acquired honestly is bad stewardship, and thus stealing. Many believe that stealing by “creative bookkeeping,” false advertising, or by stealing through the computer is not really stealing, because “nobody gets hurt,” just the big corporation or government. These things are a clear violation of the intent of the eighth commandment, however. Even if no individual is harmed directly, it is still wrong. Even the frivolous wasting of resources or the miserly holding of resources, such as by Scrooge in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, fits the definition of stealing. 

The Christian who considers stealing because of the pressures of life lacks faith. Jesus taught that we should trust God to provide as we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Christians are tempted to steal sometimes because they are self-centered, rather than being Christ-centered. The very essence of sin is to put our own desires above that of all others. Either Christ or self will rule the heart. If it is self, selfishness will follow. Another temptation to stealing comes from the natural laziness that so many have within them. Man too often wants the easy way out, and stealing offers the lure of gain without work. God expects us, however, to pray, work hard, and trust Him to provide. Jesus pleads for honesty. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Thinking of others will help us pursue the virtue of generosity, and avoid the sin of stealing.

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WHAT DOES THE SEVENTH COMMAND MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?  — BOB PRICHARD

The message of the seventh commandment is one that modern man seems to have outgrown. The command, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14), seems outdated in our sophisticated times. The idea of monogamous marriage seems stifling to many in an era of sexual freedom. Few realize, however, that this command opens the door to true sexual freedom and expression, and is liberating, rather than burdensome. 

The focus of scripture is not on preventing adultery as much as it is in developing fulfilling marriage. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Marriage involves a commitment, both emotionally and physically, and when that commitment is made, the two so joined must remain committed. The seventh commandment also limits sexual intercourse to marriage, and thus forbids it to those who are unmarried. It is strictly a privilege of husband and wife. Sex is not wrong. It is God’s gift. He limits it, however, to the marriage relationship. When God’s gift is misused, calamity results. 

In the Old Testament era, some practiced polygamy. Although sometimes done for humanitarian reasons, such as the care of a widow, or of a brother’s wife, many such as Abraham, David, and Solomon reaped bitter fruit from the practice. Too many today practice “serial polygamy” by taking one mate after another, without considering the consequences. “Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. … Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:13b, 18-20). 

Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees, reminding them that adultery is a sin committed with the mind as well as the body. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Jesus considered fornication, or adultery, so serious that it is the one cause for divorce (Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:3-19). 

Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and His ministry included offering forgiveness to those involved in sexual sin, such as the adulterous woman brought before Him. He showed her grace. “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). He balanced forgiveness with repentance and a desire to end sin. 

Fidelity in the marriage relationship is important, because it reflects the relationship that God wants to maintain with His people. The prophets equated the fall into idolatry with spiritual adultery. When man lusts after some of the gods of today, such as popularity, power, and sex, he commits spiritual adultery. All are subject to the lure of sin, so we must remain vigilant against all sin, especially the sin of adultery.

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WHAT DOES THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS? — BOB PRICHARD

We may be living in the most violent time in history. There are more than a million violent crimes in the United States each year, nearly fifty thousand suicides and a million abortions. As minister Owen M. Weatherly commented, “The most crucial problem which men face today is their unfortunate habit of killing one another.” God spoke to Cain after he had murdered Abel, saying, “What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10) In contrast to the violence of today, the sixth commandment says: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). 

Hebrew has at least ten words for killing. The word God chose for the sixth commandment is one rarely used, found only five times in scripture. It refers to the deliberate, violent, premeditated taking of a life, or murder. For this reason, most modern versions, such as the NIV or NASB translate the verse, “You shall not murder.” Jesus stressed that murder begins in the heart: “Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21-22).

Did this commandment prohibit all killing? This hardly seems possible, since the very next chapter commands killing under some circumstances. Exodus 21:12, “He that smiteth a man, so that he dieth, shall surely be put to death,” is only one of numerous passages that specify death for certain crimes. God did not contradict Himself, but merely clarified the law. While murder, the taking of the life of an innocent party is prohibited, there must be, at least in certain cases, situations in which the state is permitted, or even required to take life. Under these guidelines, the capital punishment of a convicted criminal could be permitted, while euthanasia and abortion, the taking of innocent life, are always wrong. The forbidding of murder really strikes at the roots of many sins that lead to murder, such as racism, greed, pride, lust, envy, and hatred. It is not practical for the state to pass laws against all of these sins, but the prohibition of murder certainly helps keep them in check. 

While the commandment commands a negative, “Thou shalt not kill,” there must also be implied the positive of preserving life. Jesus taught that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. That means that we will be peace loving, merciful, and caring to all. Paul reminds us, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Galatians 5:14-15). In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned that we are not to retaliate for the wrong doings of others (Matthew 5:38- 42), and that those seeking to please God will not hate others (Matthew 5:43-48).  Jesus gave us the “golden rule,” that “All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12)

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WHAT DOES THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS? — BOB PRICHARD

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12). With this commandment, there is a shift of emphasis from the preceding commandments. There is less direct emphasis on man’s relationship with God, and more on man’s relationship with man. This commandment is foundational for both children and adults, stressing the importance of learning authority, which must begin in the home. Without proper respect for parents and their authority in the home, there will not be proper respect for God and His authority. 

The root meaning of the word honor [honour KJV], in the original language, is “to be heavy, or burdensome.” It is a burden for those receiving the honor to bear it properly, as well as for the giver of honor to give it as it should be given. Parents have responsibility and authority to teach their children about God. This should not be a matter of conceit for the parents, however, but should be a matter of grave concern. Parents should carefully consider what they teach their children, and ask them to do, because the ultimate authority always remains with God. Children should never be asked or expected to do that which is contrary to God’s will. As the apostles said before the authorities, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). 

Parents should be recognized as a gift to us. Children should be thankful for the gift of life through their parents, and all of the good things done by parents for children. Parents deserve loyalty, even when they are less than perfect (we know that only God is perfect). Along with that loyalty and gratitude children give to parents, they also should show their love and concern. Although it might be technically possible for children to honor their parents without loving them, it is certainly not God’s ideal. God loves and cares for His children, and often expresses that through parents. Authority without love often destroys. As Paul said, “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Honor and love go hand in hand. Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). 

Paul speaks of this commandment, saying, “Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise” (Ephesians 6:2). This commandment offers a promise of blessing. The well being of any nation rests on the well being of the home. If things are right in the home, they will be right in the nation. Home life has incredibly far reaching results. The nation that neglects the home is headed for trouble. 

Jesus modeled obedience to the Heavenly Father, and added richness to our understanding by stressing the love of God as Father. Many of the religious leaders of the day tried to get around their obligations to their parents, but Jesus stressed how important the family is, warning them that their neglect of their parents was “making the word of God of none effect” (Mark 7 :9-13). “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother” (Proverbs 15:20).

BIBLE QUESTIONS, EXODUS

WHAT DOES THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS? — BOB PRICHARD

The fourth commandment says, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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: 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” (Exodus 20:8-11). God gave the Sabbath as a “perpetual covenant” (Exodus 31:17) between the Jews and God. As long as the Jews were a nation, they were to keep the Sabbath. This was not a perpetual covenant with anyone else, however. 

The Sabbath lasted from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. The Jews, especially the Pharisees, treated it very legalistically. They expanded, refined, and codified it until it became an intolerable burden. Jesus fought the popular distortion of the Sabbath by healing on the Sabbath, “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day” (Matthew 12:8). Jesus kept the Sabbath perfectly, something that no one else ever did. 

This commandment is the only one of the Ten Commandments that Jesus did not repeat for Christians. Jesus kept the Sabbath, but never commanded Christians to keep it. 

Although some try to keep the Sabbath today, none keep it as God commanded it. The Lord commanded that the Sabbath was the day for burnt offerings, and other elements which no one keeps today. Paul says that Christ abolished the law (Ephesians 2:15), and “took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14). The first covenant was taken away so that the better, new covenant could be established. “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. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” (Hebrews 8:6-7). 

While we are not commanded to keep the Sabbath, there are, however, many eternal principles to be learned from the Sabbath. All Christians should consider their use of time, and the work ethic taught in the commandment, that there are six days in which the servant of God will work. As the wise man Solomon wrote, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6). Paul tried to set a good example for the Thessalonians by working to support himself, giving an example (2 Thessalonians 3:7-12). “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). 

Jesus showed the way to use the Sabbath, not by treating it as a day for idleness, but a day for service, a time for bringing blessings to others. The Christian should do no less with every day given to him. All life should be a rest from evil, and days devoted to God. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Every Christian should evaluate his time to see how much is devoted to God, and how much is devoted to self.