EXODUS 20 and also repeated in
Deuteronomy 5
Do you notice a pattern in the big ten? It’s sin committed either against God or each other. But the warning is still the same. Don’t do it. When you read it in the scriptures referenced above, they’re not just isolated commands, but a reason for why we shouldn’t, as well as the consequences are spelled out. For example the very first two read this way:
“I Am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but Me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”
Exodus 20:2-5 NLT
Rattling off the commandments without understanding the consequences for violating them makes it hollow. But knowing that God didn’t write these commands on a day He had nothing better to do, but was very clear about what He expected of us, makes them weighty. This is not a movie we watch once a year to be entertained. God knew that in keeping them, our lives would be richer and fuller. But alas, we’ve all broken at least two or more of them, and that’s being conservative.
The God who gave the commandments also knew we were incapable of keeping them. So in the fullness of time, He sent us His Son who said this:
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”
Matthew 5:17 NLT
What we couldn’t do, no matter how hard we tried, Jesus came and not only fulfilled the commandments but kept them perfectly. Then He proceeded to give us a easier way to honor God and each other. Let’s read:
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 7:12 NLT
Another translation of the same verse
“So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so do also to and for them, for this is (sums up) the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12 AMPC
Did you get that? A light went on in my
spirit when I got a revelation of what Jesus was saying here. He said the requirements of the law can be summed up this way, and will be fully satisfied in you (us) if you’ll do this one thing: Do to others what you’d like others to do to and for you. Wow! How hard could that possibly be? But are we? Are treating others as though they were us? Treating them the same as we would want to be treated? Of course not. Two thousand plus years after Jesus made that statement and even suffered the penalty for our disobedience, we still haven’t learned what He said in that verse. Just read the newspaper or watch the news, better yet, look around you, take an inventory of your home and life.
I thank God for His grace and mercy. So undeserved yet lavished on us daily. We are incapable of doing good, good that satisfies His just requirements independently of Him. Paul the apostle wrote in Romans 8: “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”
What we consider a good deeds is selfish ambition. A desire to be seen and applauded. Jesus said do good secretly, don’t blow a trumpet to bring attention to yourself. We are actually surprised when someone does something good for another. Think I’m crazy? Just read the stories that get posted. A teenager helped rake his neighbors leaves. A kid helped an elderly person with their groceries, someone leaves a larger than usual tip. Big woop 🙄that’s what we’re supposed to be doing daily, whether anyone sees or acknowledges us.
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-4
Keeping God’s commands has its rewards and benefits. But the glory is His and His alone. Jesus was the greatest example of humility I’ve ever seen. He had all power but gave glory to God. He kept the laws perfectly but gave glory to God. When someone called Him good, He said only God is good. Luke 18:19. When He was about to feed the five thousand, raise the dead, He gave glory to God. He was successful because He honored and worshipped God-The first commandment. Our responsibility was and is simpler, not trying to work at keeping the big ten, because we are guilty of breaking them all by breaking one, But by doing to and for others as we would like them to do to and for us. We can accomplish this by honoring and worshipping God. In other words, putting God first in every area of our lives like Jesus did, gives us the ability to do what we cannot accomplish on our own.
So the big ten isn’t so scary after all. Jesus has shown and taught us how to live our best lives now. Honor Him, put God first, acknowledge Him in all our ways, and His Spirit in us will help us treat others the way we want to be treated. We’re selfish by nature, but by focusing on Jesus and heeding the Holy Spirit’s promptings, we will draw on the very life of Jesus Christ in us to love others more selflessly.
It’s reflection time. Time to get alone with ourselves and God. Allowing His Holy Spirit to redirect, correct and refocus us. We need to treat each other better. The body of Christ is as guilty of this sin as the non-believers, people not professing faith in Jesus. It’s time for us to lead by example. We may not keep the commandments perfectly, but we serve the One who did. And we have been made perfect in His perfection. He’s ready to show us how....🙏
Someone wrote these truths: “you’re not holy enough or smart enough to perfect yourself, so I did it for you. All I want is for you to get to know Me.”
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
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