You Shall Not

Understanding the Ten Commandments

1.      Exodus 20:2-3 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
               YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.”
Who we worship is the most important matter in life, whether we realize it or not, and it is the basis for all decisions and relationships we make. God did not say there are no other “gods.” He said we are commanded not to worship them. They are demons.
The issue in this commandment number 1 is who we are to worship. We are to worship the ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD; He is unique (the only one like Him). He is both creator and redeemer. He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit in ONE ETERNAL BEING. He is the ONLY ONE worthy of our worship.

2.      Exodus 20:4 “YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF AN IMAGE in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them…”
This commandment carries a four generation curse (v. 5b) “for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me…” Children imitate and repeat the sins of their parents, and pass the same sin patterns on to their own children. Idol worship leads to heathenism. The peoples we have known as heathen; tribal peoples (African, American Indians, Eskimos) were all once civilized nations. They degenerated through idolatry.

Our unique God is Spirit. Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth, not through man made images. The most wonderful image man can make belittles he person of God (John 4:24).

Exodus 20:7 “YOU SHALL NOT MISUSE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”

3.   Don’t profane God’s name. “Name” represents character (Who He really is). “Name” represents authority (sovereignty. power). “Name “ represents person. The person of the Father, who planned the creation, salvation, and numbered the hairs on our heads and the days we will live. The person of the Son, who actually created the universe and keeps it running (Colossians 1:16-17); the one who paid the penalty for ALL our sins. The person of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and who constantly prays to the Father on our behalf, because we’re not always able to pray properly.

The King James Version of this verse warns not to take God’s name “in vain” (Hebrew: shawv) means:  Desolating – making meaningless, common, unimportant. Evil – misrepresenting God in the world. Ruin – rot, decay, shameful, dirty word. Guile- deceitful, for mercenary reasons, to impress. Idolatry – phony front. False. No faith. Religion. Good luck charm. Uslessness – to no purpose. Christian in name only. No faith in God’s Word. Lying- swearing an oath. Trying to authenticate a lie. Emptiness – Idle chatter, coarse jesting, irreverent attitude. Only rebels and fools treat God like a joke of a convenience.

4.      Exodus 20:8 “REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY BY KEEPING IT HOLY.”  Verse 11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

“Holy” means set apart unto God, for rest and remembrance of the creation. Cease from your work, concentrate on the One Who Provides. Physical illustration of spiritual truth in Hebrews 4. Faith Rest. “There remains a rest to the people of God.”

This Sabbath was the SEVENTH day. Saturday. It has not changed. Sunday is NOT the Sabbath, it is the Lord’s Day, because He arose the first day of the week.

5.      Exodus 20:12 “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

This command carries a promise of prolonged life. Home is the training ground, parents are the coaches to teach children about life. Children who dishonor parents are not only a shame to the parents, but they can’t function in the world. The most important characteristic of human behavior is humility. You learn it by obeying your parents. Jesus did.

Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (!)

6.      Exodus 20:13 “YOU SHALL NOT MURDER.”

There is no further elaboration in the Bible on this commandment, but in this time of confusion and the Devil’s “Do-Good” religion, we must explain that all killing is not murder. Joshua 6:21, 10:28, 10:39-40 “… just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.” I Samuel 15:1-3, God commanded His people to kill the enemy in battle. This was HIS decision, to protect His people and to destroy those who had reached maximum degeneration through unbelief.

Genesis 9:5-6, Numbers 35:30-31, Leviticus 20:2,9-16,27, Matthew 26:52, Romans 13:4. Capital punishment is God’s command, to remove the criminals and perverts from among His ‘holy’ people. It is HIS decision, for protection of the race.

God gave life to the human soul. Only God has authority to remove that life. In matters of warfare and capital punishment, He has delegated authority to governments, but we as individuals are forbidden to make the decision or perform the act that deliberately ends another person’s life. That’s murder.

7.      Exodus 20:14 “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.”

Sex with a person who is not your spouse. Fornication destroys intimacy in marriage. Intimacy in marriage is necessary for strength and unity in the marriage, which is a demonstration of Christ and His Church. A strong, solid marriage fortifies the home against demonic attack and infiltration; protects the children. Adultery is like “cozying up” to Satan. He’ll tell you it’s o.k. He’s a liar.

8.      Exodus 20:15 “YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.”

Individual ownership of property is a divine right. No one has the right to take property that belongs to someone else. Stealing is sin just like adultery is sin. Just because a thing is easy to get doesn’t make it o.k. to take it.

9.      Exodus 20:16 “YOU SHALL NOT GIVE FALSE TESTIMONY AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR.”

No false testimony. This involves destruction of character, like number 3. Slander. It is vicious and evil. It would be better to harm someone physically than to destroy their reputation. Physical wounds heal. Sometimes soiled reputations never recover.

10. Exodus 20:17   “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” 

Coveting is the desire to have the things, even the people, that belong to someone else. It means to envy the person who has what you want. “As a man thinks, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7). Coveting corrupts the soul. It is the basis for all overt sins. If you covet excitement and “signs,” you will place other gods before the Lord Jesus Christ. If you covet tangible evidence of God, you will set up idols to serve. If you covet a reputation as a great Christian, you will take God’s name in vain (falsely, for selfish purposes). If you covet your neighbor’s spouse or things, you will steal, cheat or commit adultery to acquire his, or something better for yourself.

How do we know what sin is? We know because God spelled it out for us, to show us our weaknesses and failures. To show us our need for a Savior.

And then He sent the Savior. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”