The Ten Commandments

1. The 1st of the 10 commandments. Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt have no other gods “has the force of, thou shalt own, possess, seek, desire, love or worship none other. No "other gods;" they are called such not because they are so, either by nature or by office (Psalm 82:6), but because the corrupt hearts of men make and esteem them such—as in "whose god is their belly" (Philippians 3:19). "Before Me" or "My face," the force of which is best ascertained by His word to Abraham, "Walk before me and be thou perfect" or "upright" (Genesis 17:1)—conduct thyself in the realization that thou are ever in my presence, that Mine eye is continually upon thee. This is very searching. We are so apt to rest contented if we can but approve ourselves before men and maintain a fair show of godliness outwardly; but Jehovah searches our innermost being and we cannot conceal from Him any secret lust or hidden idol.

It requires that we have a love for Him stronger than all other affections that we take Him for our highest portion that we serve and obey Him supremely. They are idolaters and transgressors of this first commandment who manufacture a "god" as a figment of their own minds.

Such are the Unitarians, who deny that there are three Persons in the Godhead.

Such are the Catholics, who supplicate and worship the Savior’s mother and affirm that the pope has power to forgive sins.

Such are some Armenians who worship self through an imbalance of the doctrine of choice.

Such are some Calvinists who worship there doctrine leaving no room to worship and serve God, man is not a robot. Nor is doctrine to rise above the infinite wisdom and power of God who works all things to His glory and purpose.

Such are sensual Epicureans ( Philippians 3:19), for there are inward idols as well as external.

"These men have set up their idols in their hearts"(Ezekiel 14:3). The Apostle Paul speaks of "covetousness which is idolatry"(Colossians 3:5) and, by impartial reasoning, so are all immoderate desires. That object to which we render those desires and services which are due alone to the Lord is our "god," whether it be self, gold, fame, pleasure, or friends. What is your God? To what is your life devoted?

2. The second commandment Exodus 20:4 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: (Ex 20:4-6) is the logical expression of the first. If there is but one true God, then the making and worshiping of idols is not only illogical, but it’s a denial of Israel’s confession of faith. Israel was “married” to Jehovah at Sinai, and idolatry was a breach of that marriage covenant and the equivalent of adultery. Keep in mind that in the East in that day, idolatry could involve sexual intercourse with temple prostitutes.

As the first Commandment concerns the choice of the true God as our God, so the second tells of our actual profession of His worship; as the former fixes the Object so this fixes the mode of religious worship. As in the first commandment Jehovah had proclaimed Himself to be the true God, so here He reveals His nature and how He is to be honored.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image thou shalt not bow down thyself to them." This commandment strikes against a desire, or should we say a disease, which is deeply rooted in the human heart, namely, to bring in some aids to the worship of God, beyond those which He has appointed—material aids, things which can be perceived by the senses. Nor is the reason for this difficult to find: God is incorporeal, invisible, and can be realized only by a spiritual principle, and since that principle is dead in fallen man, he naturally seeks that which accords with his carnality. But how different is it with those who have been quickened by the Holy Spirit. No one who truly knows God as a living reality needs any images to aid his devotions; none who enjoys daily communion with Christ requires any pictures of Him to help him to pray and adore, for he conceives of Him by faith and not by fancy.

Since God is a spiritual, invisible, and omnipotent Being, to represent Him as being of a material and limited form is a falsehood and an insult to His majesty. Under this most extreme corruption of mode—image worship— all erroneous modes of Divine homage are here forbidden. The legitimate worship of God must not be profaned by any superstitious rites. This second Commandment is but the negative way of saying "God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Spurgeon

3. In the third commandment Exodus 20:7 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. (Deut. 5:11), God’s name represents God’s character and reputation, and to honor His name means to make Him “look good” to the people around us. All parents want their children to bring honor to the family name. We pray, “Hallowed be Thy name” (Matt. 6:9), and then we live and speak in such a way that we help to answer that prayer. Using God’s name under oath to defend a dishonest statement, as well as cursing and swearing, are ways of dishonoring the Lord’s name. Bearing that name and living like a Christian will honor God’s good name before a watching world (1 Peter 4:12-16).

When using the Name of God, we must do so in a way which is true to its meaning and to its implications. Therefore He says to us, "Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say"(Luke 6:46). In like manner, we are guilty of this awful sin when we perform holy duties lightly and mechanically, our affections not being in them. Prayer without practice is blasphemy, and to speak to God with our lips while our hearts are far from Him is but a mocking of Him and an increasing of our condemnation. Spurgeon

"The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain." "As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him... as he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water" (Psalm 109:17, 18). God is dreadfully incensed by this sin, and in the common commission of this Heaven-insulting crime our country has incurred terrible guilt. It has become almost impossible to walk the streets or to enter mixed company without hearing the sacred Name of God treated with blasphemous contempt. The novels of the day, the stage, and even radio (and more lately television, the cinema, and the press) are terrible offenders, and without doubt this is one of the fearful sins against Himself for which God is now pouring out His judgments upon us. Of old He said unto Israel, "Because of swearing (cursing) the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil" (Jeremiah 23:10). And He is still the same: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain." Sore punishment shall be his portion, if not in this life, then most assuredly so, eternally so, in the life to come. Pink

4. In the 4^th commandment Exodus 20:7 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, 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" (Exodus 20:8-10). This commandment denotes that God is the sovereign Lord of our time, which is to be used and improved by us just as He has here specified. It is to be carefully noted that it consists of two parts, each of which bears directly upon the other. "Six days shalt thou (not "mayest thou") labor" is as Divinely binding upon us as "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." It is a precept requiring us diligently to attend unto that vocation and state of life in which the Divine providence has placed us, to perform its offices with care and conscience. The revealed will of God is that man should work, not idle away his time; that he should work not five days a week (for which organized labor once agitated), but six. He who never works is unfitted for worship. Work is to pave the way for worship, as worship is to fit us for work. Pink

The Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, is not a “Christian Sabbath,” because the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week and belonged especially to the Jews. Therefore, the Old Testament laws governing the Jewish Sabbath don’t apply to the Lord’s Day. But Sunday is a special day to God’s people because it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead John 20:1. We ought to use the Lord’s Day to the glory of the Lord.

Because the first day of the week was the day on which the early Christians celebrated Lord’s Supper, it became known as Lord’s Day, the distinctively Christian day of worship.

First and second century Christian documents indicate that Sunday quickly became the standard day for Christian worship, but they do not explain how or why this change from Sabbath to Lord’s Day came about. The most obvious reason, of course, was the Resurrection of Jesus which took place on that first Lord’s Day. Since the earliest collective experiences of the disciples with the risen Lord took place on Easter Sunday evening (Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-23), one might naturally expect the disciples to gather at that same hour on subsequent Sundays to remember Him in the observance of the Supper. This pattern, perhaps, is reflected in the service at Troas in Acts 20.

The change in the time of worship from evening to morning, though, probably came about because of practical necessity. Writing to the emperor Trajan at the beginning of the second century, Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, reported that in compliance with Trajan’s edict against seditious assemblies, he had ordered that no group, including the Christians, could meet at night. Pliny then described an early morning service of the Christians. Forbidden to meet at night, they met for the observance of the Supper at the only other hour available to them on the first day of the week: early in the morning before they went to work. It is likely that the practice then spread throughout the empire wherever similar regulations against evening worship were in force.

Although some Jewish Christians probably also observed the sabbath, the early Christians saw Sunday as a day of joy and celebration, not a substitute for the sabbath. The use of the term “sabbath” to refer to Sunday did not become common until the English Puritans began to do so after A.D. 1500. Evidence from the early centuries clearly shows that Christians regarded Sunday as a day to rejoice in the new life brought by the resurrection.

Because he was alive after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the apostle Paul was quick to understand the significance of the Sabbath. He did not go so far as to ban all observance of the Jewish Sabbath. Indeed, he attended many Sabbath synagogue services himself while he was travelling (Acts 13:14-16). Jewish Christians who insisted on keeping up their Sabbath practices were free to do so, provided they respected the opinions of those who differed (Romans 14:5-6, 13). However, Paul emphasized that any suggestion that observing the Jewish Sabbath rules was necessary for salvation must be resisted (Galatians 4:8-11). Paul considered the Sabbath to be a shadow, while Christ himself is the reality of that shadow (Colossians 2:16-17).

Finally, it is the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews who explains how Jesus Christ fulfills the twin biblical “Sabbath themes” of creation and redemption. He did so by linking together the ideas of God’s rest after Creation and his redeeming work in bringing Israel to “rest” in the promised land of Canaan. He then describes how both of these events relate to the present rest that Christians can enjoy with a relationship with Jesus (Hebrews 4:1-11).

The Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament epistles and commanded to believers. The tenth concerning the Sabbath day is spoken of spiritually in Heb chapter four, that their remains a rest for the people of God. That as Christians we are to work diligently to enter into His rest prepared before the foundation of the world. Concerning the observance of the literal Sabbath Saturday the last day of the week was given to only Israel (see Rom 14). Although the NT also gives us the command to not forsake the assembling of ourselves as to regular Church going Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and everyday is holy unto the Christian as we worship in our work and in faithfulness in assembling with others of like precious faith.

5. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee Exodus 20:12. This commandment to honor parents is much broader in its scope than appears at first glance. It is not to be restricted to our literal father and mother, but is to be applied to all our superiors. The scriptures speak of honoring or treating our fellow Christians as family, elders as our father the younger woman as sisters ext, but when it comes to authority the Bible gives utmost priority to honor and obedience.

First, "honor" belongs primarily and principally to God. Secondarily, and by derivation, it pertains also to those whom He has dignified and made nobles in His kingdom, by raising them above others and bestowing titles and dominion upon them. We ought to revere these just as surely as we do our fathers and mothers. In Scripture the word "honor" has an extensive application, as may be seen from 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 2:17, etc. Secondly, observe that the title "father" is given to kings (1 Samuel 24:11; Isaiah 49:23), masters (2 Kings 5:13), and ministers of the Gospel (2 Kings 2:12;Galatians 4:19) "Wherefore it ought not be doubted that God here lays down a universal rule for our conduct, namely, that to everyone whom we know to be placed in authority over us by His appointment, we should render reverence, obedience, gratitude, and all the other services in our power. Nor does it make any difference whether they are worthy of this honor or not. Calvin

James tells us plainly that with our tongue we bless God even our father yet curse men which are made in the similitude of God. Our treatment of others and especially respect for authority is looked upon as the same attitude we care for God. It is a sad scenario when we read about the blatant disrespect for authority prophesied in these last day 2 Timothy 3:2 speaks of boasters proud, blasphemers and disobedient to parents.

Honor thy father and thy mother—There is a degree of affectionate respect which is owing to parents, that no person else can properly claim. For a considerable time parent’s stand as it were in the place of God to their children, and therefore rebellion against their lawful commands has been considered as rebellion against God. Adam Clark

First let us consider the duties of children to their parents. They are to love and reverence them, being fearful of offending due to the respect they bear them. They are to be subject unto them: mark the blessed example which Christ has left (Luke 2:51). "Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord" (Colossians 3:20). They are to hearken to their instructions and imitate their godly practices (Proverbs 6:20). Their language must ever be respectful and their gestures betoken submission. Though Joseph was so highly exalted in Egypt, he "bowed himself with his face to the ground" before his father (Genesis 48:12). And note how king Solomon honored his mother (1 Kings 2:19). As far as they are able and their parents have need, they are to provide for them in old age (1 Timothy 5:16). Pink

Secondly, let us observe our duties to rulers and magistrates whom God has set over us. These are God’s deputies and vicegerents, being invested with authority from Him: "by Me kings reign" (Proverbs 8:15). God has ordained civil authority for the general good of mankind, for were it not for this men would be savage beasts preying upon one another. Did not the fear of magistrates restrain those who have cast off the fear of God, were they not afraid of temporal punishments, we should be as safe among lions and tigers as among men. Rulers are to be honored in our thoughts, regarding them as the official representatives of God upon earth (Ecclesiastes 10:20; Romans 13:l ff; Acts 23:5). They are to be revered in our speeches, supporting their office and authority, for of the wicked it is written, "they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities" (2 Peter 2:20). We are to obey them. "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well" (1 Peter 2:13, 14). We are to render "tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor" (Romans 13:7).We are to pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1, 2). Pink

Thirdly, let us consider the duties of servants unto their masters. They are to obey them. "Servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh: not with eyeservice as menpleasers, but in singleness of heart fearing God" (Colossians 3:22). They are to be diligent in duty, seeking to promote their master’s interests, "showing all good fidelity" (Titus 2:10; and see Ephesians 6:5-7). They are to patiently suffer their rebukes and corrections, "not answering again" (Titus 2:9). So strictly has God enjoined them to a quiet submission to their masters that, even when a servant has given no just cause for rebuke, yet he is to silently suffer the groundless anger of his master. "Servants be subject to your masters with all fear: not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully" (1 Peter 2:18-20) O how far have we wandered from the Divine standard! Pink

Finally, we should mention pastors and their flocks, ministers and their people, for between them also is such a relation of superiors and inferiors as brings them under the direction of this fifth commandment. "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you" (Hebrews 13:17). Christ has so vested his servants with authority that He declares, "He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me" (Luke 10:16). So again, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the Word and doctrine" (1 Timothy 5:17). This "double honor" is that of reverence and maintenance. "Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things" (Galatians 6:6 and 1 Corinthians 9:11). How solemn is this warning: "But they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy" (2 Chronicles 36:16).

To this precept is added this promise as a motive and encouragement to obedience: "That thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." First, as an Old Testament promise this is to be regarded typically of the Eternal Life promised by the Gospel, since Canaan was a figure of Heaven. Secondly, it is repeated in the New Testament (Ephesians 6:2, 3 and 1 Peter 3:10), since it is often God’s way to lengthen out an obedient and holy life. Thirdly, all promises of earthly blessing, however, must necessarily imply this condition: they shall be literally fulfilled to us if this would promote our eternal happiness—otherwise they would be threatenings and not promises. In His mercy God often abridges this promise and takes His beloved home to Himself. Pink

6. Thou shalt not kill Exodus 20:13. In the first five Commandments we have seen how God safeguarded His own glory; in the second five we are to behold how He provides for the security and well-being of men: (1) for the protection of man’s person; (2) for the sanctity and good of his family ("thou shalt not commit adultery"); (3) for the safety of his estate and substance ("thou shalt not steal"); (4) for his reputation or good name ("thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor"). Finally, as a strong fence encircling the whole Law, God not only prohibits outward crimes, but inward motions of evil in our thoughts and affections ("thou shalt not covet"). Pink

Thou shalt not kill. Every killing of a man is not murder. It is not so in the execution of justice, when the magistrate sentences a slayer (Gen 9:6 and Duet 19:21). Also there are righteous wars where a person is not guilty of murder (2 Sam 10).

Author Pink points out that when soldiers came to Christ’s forerunner for instruction saying, "What shall we do?" (Luke 3:14), he did not say, Fight no more, abandon your calling, but gave them directions how they should conduct themselves. When the centurion came to the Savior and drew arguments from his military calling, our Lord did not condemn his profession or rebuke him for holding such an office. Instead, He highly commended his faith (Luke 7:8, 9). There are accidental deaths which are not considered murder (Duet 19:5) God appointed cities of refuges for this person’s safety. But what about suicide is this murder? I believe it is self murder when a person by his or her own hand takes there life and a moment later enters into the presence of God who gave it, not regarding their soul or eternal salvation paid for through Jesus. Those who are accessories are also guilty of murder, such as those who commission it to be done (2 Samuel 11:15; 12:9), or consent thereto (as Pilate), or conceal it (as in Deuteronomy 21:6, 7, by clear implication).

This Commandment not only forbids murder, but also everything leading up to the very act. The principal of these given in scripture is envy and anger. Anger in the heart can be equivalent to murder. Jesus said concerning murder Matt 5:21-24 That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. ²³Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; ²⁴Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

There is a righteous indignation moved with anger when Gods name, glory or honor is degraded, but an unjust anger without a cause unchecked moving from one stage to the next can send a person to an eternal hell. My main study help on the 10 commandments was Author Pink and I believe he gives four good principles in regard to restraining anger. The scripture says "Let not the sun go down on your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26); if it does, the scum of malice will be on your heart next morning!

(1) Labor and pray for a meek and humble spirit. Think lowly of yourself and you will not be angered if others slight you. All contention proceeds from pride (Proverbs 13:10). The more you despise yourself the easier it will be to bear the contempt of your fellows.

(2) Think often of the infinite patience and forbearance of God. How many affronts does He bear with from us. How often we give Him occasion to be angry with us, yet "He hath not dealt with us after our sins." Let this great example be ours.

(3) Beware of prejudice against any, for it is sure to misinterpret their actions. Fight against the first risings of envy and anger; when injured put it down to ignorance or unintentional.

7. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Adultery is the very thing that destroys homes and life. So there is no wander it follows the command which declares the sacredness of human life, which says thou shalt not kill. Nothing is more important than social order and protecting the foundations of the home. The command is simply thou shalt not commit adultery. Most of this wickedness is practiced in secret and escapes the judgment of man but not the judgment of God. Hebrews 13:4 says whoremongers and adulterers God shall judge. In 1 Cor 6:9-10 it says be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers shall inherit the kingdom of God. For the Christian this is sacrilege "The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.... Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid.... glorify God in your body, and in your spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:13, 15, 20). Also 1 Cor 6:19 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?

The apostle James spoke of friendship with the world meaning spiritual adultery. Jer 3:20 says Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. Israel was married to the Lord and to turn from his ways was to commit spiritual adultery. Just as the church today is called the bride of Christ we must be faithful to him and his word. James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the frienship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Like a husband, he will not tolerate a wife who is unfaithful (see Jer. 31:32). The world system includes evil desires, “quarrels and fights” (4:1), hate and greed (4:2), and all selfish pleasures (4:3). These are God’s enemies, and he won’t stand for any of them coming between himself and a Christian. 1 John 2:15 says Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. There is more enough in God to satisfy. We must guard against the old carnal nature, convenience, comfort and contentment’s that would draw us away from God. God is a jealous God and we are not stronger than him. To provoke him in preferring based things or to give our love and affection to any other than him brings his wrath. Leave not your "first love" (Revelation 2:4), nor forsake Him to whom you are "espoused" (2 Corinthians 11:2).

As the One with whom we have to do is ineffably pure and holy, therefore does He require us to depart from all uncleanness. This commandment respects more especially the government of the affections and passions, the keeping of our minds and bodies in such a chaste frame that nothing impure or immodest may defile us. Pink

Let no man flatter himself with the idea that he cannot be charged with unchastity because he has abstained from the actual deed while his heart is a cesspool of defiling imaginations and desires. Because God’s Law is "spiritual" (Romans 7:14), it not only forbids the gross outward acts of filthiness, but it prohibits and condemns unchastity of heart as well—all unlawful imaginations and contemplations. "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). As there is such a thing as heart murder, so there is heart adultery, and he who commits speculative uncleanness and prostitutes his thoughts and imaginations to the impure embraces of lust is guilty of transgressing this commandment. Pink

This commandment forbids all degrees or approaches to the sin prohibited, as looking in order to lust. Its force is, Thou shalt in no way injure thy neighbor’s chastity or tempt to uncleanness. It requires that we abstain from immodest apparel, indelicate speech, intemperance in food and drink which excites the passions, and everything that has any tendency to induce unchastity in ourselves or others. Let young people especially fix it in mind that all unclean conduct before marriage on the part of man or woman is a wrong done against the marriage to be. Though this commandment is expressed in the form of a negative prohibition, yet positively it enjoins all the opposite duties, such as cleanliness of the body, filling the mind with holy objects, setting our affection on things above, and spending our time in profitable occupations. Pink

(1) Cultivate a habitual sense of the Divine presence, realizing that "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

(2) Keep a strict watch over the senses, for these are the avenues which instead of letting in pleasant streams to refresh, only too often let in mud and mire to pollute the soul. Make a covenant with your eyes (Job 31:1). Stop your ears against all filthy conversation. Read nothing which defiles. Watch your thoughts, and labor promptly to expel evil ones

(3) Practice sobriety and temperance (1 Corinthians 9:27). Those who indulge in gluttony and drunkenness generally find that their excesses froth and foam into lust.

(4) Exercise yourself in honest and lawful employment; idleness proves as fatal to many as intemperance to others. Avoid the company of the wicked.

(5) Be much in earnest prayer, begging God to cleanse your heart (Psalm 119:37). Pink

8. "Thou shalt not steal" (Exodus 20:15). This is a sin that has its roots in our heart. You can cut the hands off of a thief, but he is still a thief at heart. This commandment is designed to protect others property, and also to keep our desires within the bounds of God's sovereign will and providence for our lives. We find a prayer in the book of Proverbs of submission, reverence and godly fear which says "Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full and deny Thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain" (Proverbs 30:8, 9). This calls for us to be diligent and work with our hands laboring to provide all things honest before men Romans 12: 17. The golden rule in Matthew 7:12 says "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them".

Thus this commandment places a sacred enclosure around property which none can lawfully enter without the proprietor’s consent. The solemn and striking fact deserves pointing out that the first sin committed by the human species entailed theft: Eve took of (stole) the

forbidden fruit. So, too, the first recorded sin against Israel after they entered the land of Canaan was that of theft: Achan stole from among the spoils (Joshua 7:21). In like manner the first sin which defiled the primitive Christian church was theft: Ananias and Sapphira "kept back part

of the price" (Acts 5:2) How often this is the first sin committed outwardly by children! And therefore this Divine precept should be taught to them from earliest infancy. Pink

The highest form of stealing is when we are robbing God. "Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation" (Malachi 3:8,9). We see tithing in the Old Testament before the law was ever given. By tithing we honor God and show our dependence upon him. Israel was under a curse charged with being a thief. It's one thing to rob man but to rob God is even more foolish. The tithe spoken of here was for the priests in the temple and things were so bad at that time the priests could not support themselves therefore the worship of God was neglected. I believe we rob God of his glory, honor and power through unbelief when we do not pay our tithes. God desires to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, truly robbing God of his glory we rob ourselves. I do not mean to say we are under the law concerning tithing, if that were the case we would be condemned to hell, because to tithe perfectly we would have to go all the way back to the 1st dollar we ever earned.

Another way in which we rob God is by an unfaithful discharge of our stewardship. That which God has entrusted to us may be just as really outraged by our mismanagement as if we interfered with another’s trust or plundered our neighbor’s goods. This commandment then requires from us that we administer our worldly estate, be it large or small, with such industry as to provide for ourselves and those dependent upon us. Idleness is a species of theft. God has ordained that men should earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, and with that portion which we thus honestly obtain, we must be satisfied. But some are slothful and refuse to labor, while others are covetous and crave a larger portion. Hence many are led to resort to the use of force or fraud in order to gain possession of that to which they have no right. Theft, in general, is an unjust taking or keeping to ourselves what is lawfully another’s. He is a thief who withholds what ought to be in his neighbor’s possession just as much as one who takes his neighbor’s property from him. Hence this commandment is grossly violated both by management and labor. If in the past the poor have been wronged by inadequate wages, the scales have now turned in the opposite direction, when employees often demand a wage that industry cannot afford to pay them. If on the one hand it is right that a fair day’s work should receive a fair day’s pay, it holds equally true that a fair day’s pay is entitled to a fair day’s work. But where loafing obtains it does not receive it. "Thou shalt not steal." Lying advertisements are a breach of this commandment. Tradesmen are guilty when they adulterate or misrepresent their goods, and also when they deliberately give short weight or short change to their customers. Profiteering is another form of theft. The Apostle Paul admonishes "that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter" (1 Thessalonians 4:6). Pink

(1) Engage in honest labor, or if a person of means, in some honorable calling, seeking to promote the public good. It is idle people who are most tempted to mischief.

(2) Strive against the spirit of selfishness by seeking the welfare of others.

(4) If your Savior was crucified between two thieves that the gift of salvation might be yours, bring no reproach upon His name by any act of dishonesty.

(5) Cultivate the grace of contentment. In order thereto, consider frequently the vanity of all things temporal, practice submission to Divine providence, meditate much on the Divine promises (such as Hebrews 13:5, 6), be temperate in all things, set your affections on things above, and remind yourself daily of the earthly lot of Christ

9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). If we take this commandment at face value strictly speaking it would only have to do with bearing witness in court. But just as stealing has to do with more than our hands but also our heart even sold this commandment speaks of much more. Anything that would hurt the reputation whether in private or public would be a breach of this commandment. Scripture tells us that "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21), that "a wholesome tongue is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4), and that an unbridled one is "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8). That our words are not to be uttered lightly or thoughtlessly is made clear by that unspeakably solemn utterance of our Lord’s: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:36, 37). O how we need to pray, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).

Eph 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love. Negatively this commandment forbids harming our neighbor with speech in any way. Positively we are to speak the truth in love. "The end of this Precept is that because God, who is Truth itself, execrates a lie, we ought to preserve the truth without the least disguise" (Calvin). What Calvin is saying is that because God hates a lie we ought to preserve the truth without the least disguise. We need to be honest before God and man in all or communications.

The positive form of this ninth commandment is found in these words: "Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor" (Zechariah 8:16). Thus the first sin prohibited therein is that of lying. Now a lie, properly speaking, consists of three elements or ingredients: speaking what is not true; deliberately doing so; and doing so with an intent to deceive. Every falsehood is not a lie; we may be misinformed or deceived and sincerely think we are stating facts, and consequently have no design of misleading others. On the other hand, we may speak that which is true and yet lie in so doing, as in the following examples: we might report what is true, yet believe it to be false and utter it with an intention to deceive; or we might report the figurative words of another and pretend he meant them literally, as was the case with those who bore false witness against Christ

(Matthew 26:60). The worst form of lying (between men) is when we maliciously invent a falsehood for the purpose of damaging the reputation of our neighbor, which is what is more especially in view in the terms of the ninth commandment. Pink

How vile and abominable this sin is appears from the following considerations. It is a sin which makes a person most like the Devil. The Devil is a spirit, and therefore gross carnal sins do not correspond to his nature. His sins are more refined and intellectual, such as pride and malice, deception and falsehood. "He is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44), and the more malice enters into one composition of any lie, the more nearly one resembles him. It is therefore a sin most contrary to the nature and character of God, for He is "the Lord God of truth" (Psalm 31:5), and therefore we are told that "lying lips are an abomination unto the Lord" (Proverbs 12:22). Pink

Isa 59:14 judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

We are living in a time when truth is fallen in the street. A time when truth is no longer preached in many pulpits, when evolution is taught in our schools and the conscience of many have been seared with a hot iron. Our word between our fellow man is something we can no longer count on. Truth is something that needs to be pressed upon our young people and lived by example before them. We need to be truthful about ourselves our spirituality anything less is a false witness to our neighbor and family. Be slow to make unconditional promises but after doing so keep them. We must also examine our motives because a false witness can occur even while telling the truth. I believe flattery is also a form of this sin when only trying to please or gratify another person's vanity.

"We injure the character of our neighbor when we retail his real faults without any call to divulge them, when we relate them to those who have no right to know them, and when we tell them not to promote any good end but to make him lose his estimation in society.... Nay, we transgress this precept when we do not speak at all, for by holding our peace when something injurious is said of another we tacitly give our assent, and by concealing what we know to the contrary" (John Dick).

(1) Be not swayed by party spirit if you would be kept from slandering others. The spirit of sectarianism begets prejudice, and prejudice makes us unwilling to receive and to acknowledge good in those who walk not with us, and ready to believe the worst of them.

(2) Be not busy in other men’s affairs; attend to your own business and leave others for God to attend to.

(3) Reflect much upon your own sinfulness and weakness. Instead of being so ready to behold the sliver in your brother’s eye, consider the plank in your own.

(4) Shun the company of talebearers and tattlers; idle gossip is injurious to the soul.

(5) If others slander you, see to it that you have a conscience void of offense toward God and man, and then it matters not what others think or say about you.

10. "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 anything that is thy neighbour’s" (Exodus 20:17). As we have seen in the first nine commandments they had a far more spreading out reach than the command itself. God's 10 commandments deal with the inner person, the very heart and spirit of each of us, and now God emphasizes this very fact. This is a general safeguard against many other sins, particularly commandments six through nine. Israelites were not to long for, desire earnestly, or lust after what legitimately belonged to others. This commandment forbids unlawful desires, but there are lawful desires according to God's will and his word. In Psalms 37:4 we read Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. But it should be remembered that even good things must be submitted to God for his glory and use. In 1 John 2:15 we read Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

This 10th Commandment brings out all the laws purpose. Which is to expose the true nature of the sons of Adam who have fallen in him, and through him have a corrupt and depraved nature.

The Puritan Ezekiel Hopkinshas pointed out that there are four degrees of this sinful unlawful desire or coveting.

1. There is the first film or shadow of an evil thought, the imperfect embryo of a sin before it is shaped in us or has any lineaments or features. This is what the Scripture refers to as "every imagination of the thoughts" of the human heart. Such imaginations are expressly declared to be "evil" (Genesis 6:5). Such are the first risings of our corrupt nature toward those sins which are pleasing to our sensual inclinations. They are to be steadfastly watched, hated, and resisted. They are to be stamped upon as the sparks of a dangerous fire, for as soon as they begin to stir within us they pollute our souls. Just as the breathing upon a mirror sullies it, leaving a dimness there, so the very first breathings of an evil desire or thought within one’s breast defile the soul.

2. A further degree of this concupiscence is reached when these evil motions of our corrupt nature are entertained in the mind with some degree of complacency. When a sinful object presents itself before a carnal heart there is an inward response that affects that heart with delight and begets a sympathy between it and the object. As in an instance of natural sympathy a man is often pleased with an object before he knows the reason why he is, so in an instance of sinful sympathy or response the heart is taken with the object before it has time to consider what there is in that object which so moves and affects it. At the very first sight of a person we many times find that we are more drawn to him than to a whole crowd of others, though all may be equally unknown to us. So the very first glimpse of a sinful thought in our minds reveals that there is that in us which works a regard for the same before we have leisure to examine why it is so. This second form or degree of concupiscence is harder to eject than the former.

3. If such evil motions are entertained by us, then an assent and an approbation to sin follow in ones practical judgment, which, being blinded and carried away by the strength of corrupt and carnal affections, commends the sin to the executive faculty. The understanding is the trier of every deliberate action so that nothing passes into action which has not first passed trial there. Whether this or that action is to be done is the great question canvassed in this court, and all the faculties of the soul await what definite sentence will be here pronounced and thus carried out. Normally two witnesses appear and put in their plea to the understanding or judgment about sin: God’s Law and God’s vicegerent the conscience. The Law condemns and the conscience cites the Law. But then the affections step in and bribe the judge with promises of pleasure or profit, thereby corrupting the judgment to give its vote and assent to sin. Note how all of this receives illustration in the discussion between Eve and the Serpent before she partook of the forbidden fruit.

4. When any sinful motion has thus secured an allowance from the judgment, then it betakes itself to the will for a decree. The understanding having approved it, the will must now resolve to commit it; and then the sin is fully formed within and lacks nothing but opportunity to bring it forth into open action.

"But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed; then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth (open) sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:14, 15).

Thus we have endeavored to show what concupiscence or coveting is, and the several degrees of it: the first bubblings up of evil thoughts in our hearts; our delighting in the same (and it is altogether against corrupt nature not to love these firstborn of our own souls); the assent and allowance of our judgment; and the resolution of our wills. Each of these is expressly forbidden by the tenth commandment. And if the sin proceeds any further, then it exceeds the bounds of this commandment and falls under the prohibition of some of the former ones, which more specifically forbid the outward acts of sin.

Truth must go farther than the outward obedience to God's law because God sees the hidden realm of our desires. His authority reaches our soul, conscience and even every thought of our imagination. It sees the outward appearance while God sees the heart. How can we ever be satisfied with the outward conformity to God's law. If so we are only as the Pharisees hypocrites who wash merely the outside of the cup while within we are still full of unclean lusts. So many believe that on the day of judgment they will be okay because of a outward standard and never judging their heart. We cannot fool God he sees all and will not be mocked you and I will reap what we sow.

See the wisdom of God in putting this commandment last as to fence and guard all the rest. It is from inward defilements of the soul that all our visible sins of word and deed have their rise. "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries" etc. (Matthew 15:19).

An objector may say, "It is impossible to prevent the desire for what we admire." Very true, yet in that fact is revealed the fallen condition of man and the desperate wickedness of his heart. That such desire is sinful and damning is only discovered in the light of this commandment. He who honestly faces this final precept in the Decalogue must be convicted of his sinfulness and brought to realize his helplessness, for this is its ultimate design. God has given His Holy Law to us in order that we might see the utter hopelessness of our case if we are left to ourselves. This He has done in order to shut us up to Christ and the magnitude of His grace toward repentant sinners who will believe on His beloved Son, Who perfectly obeyed the Law and in Whom the Father is well pleased! Pink