After being freed from Egyptian bondage, the Israelites made their way to Canaan, the promised land. When they arrived at the border of Canaan, Moses chose twelve men (one from each tribe) to go and spy out the land. After forty days of searching the land, Caleb reported, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it,” but the report of the majority was an “evil report.” … Continue Reading
Tag Archives: EXODUS
WHAT DOES THE TENTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
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.… Continue Reading
WHAT DOES THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
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).… Continue Reading
WHAT DOES THE SEVENTH COMMAND MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
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 The command, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14), seems outdated in our sophisticated times.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. … Continue Reading
WHAT DOES THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
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?… Continue Reading
WHAT DOES THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
“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.… Continue Reading
WHAT DOES THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
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).… Continue Reading
WHAT DOES THE THIRD COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
A name is very important, because it represents all that a person is. The third commandment warns, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). When Moses asked God what he should say to the Israelites, as he came to lead them out of Egyptian bondage, “God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:14).… Continue Reading
WHAT DOES THE SECOND COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
The second of the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, gives timeless principles concerning God’s attitude about worship. Christians, who are “delivered from the law” (Romans 7:6-7), learn principles from the Ten Commandments that allow them to live under the better covenant of Christianity (Hebrews 8:6-7)
The commandment reads: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6).… Continue Reading
WHAT DOES THE FIRST COMMANDMENT MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, form the basis for modern western civilization. In their summary of the proper attitude to God and one another, they provide fundamental concepts that allow people to function in obedience to God. The relevance of the Ten Commandments for the Christian lies in the timeless principles they describe. Paul explained that the Christian is no longer bound by the old covenant, including the ten commandments, because Christ brought the Jew and the Gentile together, “having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Ephesians 2:15).… Continue Reading