The Ten Commandments – Ten

God ends the Ten Commandments where they began, in the heart. This commandment does not tell us how to act, but how to feel. God created us and knows we are tempted to look across the fence at our neighbor's house and wish we had what he has. God, in his wisdom, forbids this. He tells us not to covet what belongs to others. Exodus 20:17 (NIV): You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Covet means to wish you had something that belongs to someone else. It also involves being envious of others because of what they have. We are God's children and he wants us to be content, but he knows we never will be if we are continually wishing we had what others have. There will always be something better to possess. There will always be more success to grasp. There will always be a better job or spouse. Contentment will never come. God knows that the key to contentment is being happy with what we have, not longing for what others have. Coveting will completely steal our joy.

The Ten Commandments are not only spiritual, but practical. Does this commandment mean we shouldn't try to better ourselves or strive to become more successful? Not at all, but God wants us to focus on the blessings he has given us instead of wishing our lives away, wanting more. And believe me, God has blessed each of us.

Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments like this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-38). In this way, Jesus summed up the first commandments, which deal with our relationship with God, and the last commandments, which deal with our relationship with each other. As we see today, it is not only how we treat God and each other that matters, but how we feel as well. If we will obey these commandments, we will find ourselves joyful and contented, and we will please God.

The Ten Commandments – Nine

How many of us have been hurt by someone telling a lie about us? Someone can devastate your reputation by telling – or posting – a single falsehood about you. Even if it is not true and you can prove it, the word goes into people's minds and they may always associate you with that falsehood. Some may wonder if there isn't some truth in it. God addresses this in the ninth commandment. It says: Exodus 20: 16 (NIV): You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Notice God didn't say you shall not lie. This commandment is more specific than that. This commandment deals with harming someone's reputation. Is it okay to lie, then? The reason we don't lie is because God never lies and our aim is to be like him. Satan is the father of lies and we don't want to be like him. Half-truths have been called whole-lies, too, so we don't want to go there either. Those who “love and practice falsehood” will not be in heaven, according to Revelation 22:15, but this commandment is talking specifically about harming someone's reputation with a lie.

These commandments build the foundation of civil society. If our culture would only follow these ten rules, we would live in utopia. And the only path to civilized human interaction is an honest and level playing field. The word testimony reminds us of words spoken on the witness stand in a court room. This means we are not to lie about someone who is on trial. It is a standard for fairness and honesty.

Jesus said we would answer for every careless word we speak (Matthew 12:36). The context of his saying this was when the religious leaders were accusing him of getting his power from Satan. Jesus said our words show what's in our hearts.

Paul says in Galatians 5 to be careful not to bite and devour each other or we may destroy each other. Paul knew then what you and I know today, that sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can really hurt us. God knows it too and strictly forbids it.

The Ten Commandments – Eight

When I was a child, we never locked the door to our house when we left. We would go on vacation and not lock it. We would park the car downtown with the windows down. That was just 40 years ago. I remember what a shock it was when someone stole the money from my wallet in the locker room in high school. Now, we keep our doors and windows locked at all times, and keep our car locked, even to run into a store for a few minutes. Many of us live behind bars on our doors and windows. These days, thieves from around the world can wipe out our checking accounts in a matter of seconds. Thieves are trying to get to our money and possessions from all sides, twenty-four hours a day.

Imagine a world where no one takes anything that doesn't belong to him. All business dealings are completely honest. Imagine a world without locks, car-jackings, robberies or burglaries. A world where a handshake is as good as a signature. The truth is, all we can do is imagine such a world. It will never exist this side of heaven. But it could be reality if people would simply obey the eighth commandment: Exodus 20:15 (NIV):You shall not steal.

If people would obey all of the commandments, it would be heaven. And, in heaven, everyone will obey all of them. I guess that's why Jesus said to store up treasures there, where they are safe from thieves (Matthew 6:19-21). It is interesting that Jesus also said to be generous to others, giving more than they ask (Matthew 5:40-42). If we, as his church, would do a better job giving and helping others, there wouldn't be as much theft. If we did a good enough job, there might not be any.

Paul reminds us not to steal because of our witness in the community (Ephesians 4:28). He says we should work so we can help take care of those in need. There is no place for greed and selfishness in God's Kingdom. And in God's economy, there is no room for theft.

The Ten Commandments - Seven

And now, God shows his concern for the family. Exodus 20:14 (NIV): You shall not commit adultery. God's commandments are not only ahead of their time, but they apply to every culture and will apply to every culture in the history of mankind. We must remember that the deck was stacked against women in the culture in which these commandments were given. Women had no rights at all. They were considered as property. They could not sue for divorce and had no legal recourse if their husbands cheated on them.

God brought about balance. He said, in effect, he wanted families strong and healthy. He wanted the men to be faithful to their wives just as women had to be faithful to their husbands. This commandment was given thirty-four-hundred years ago in the Middle East! Women in that area of the world are still oppressed to this day (except in Israel where these commandments are honored). No world religion has brought about equality for women like the Judeo-Christian faith and legal system. The men of God in the Old Testament didn't always follow God's ideal and we can read about some of the consequences, but it has always been God's plan for one man and one woman to mate for life, as we see in the Garden of Eden. God created the family and he wants it strong.

God demands that we keep our vows. He demands that we treat others as we would be treated. Jesus made this commandment a matter of the heart (Matthew 5:27-30), and Paul reminds us that our bodies are not our own – we were bought at a price and we belong to God (1 Corinthians 6: 18-20). God will forgive us when we sin, but if we will follow his commandments, we will spare ourselves and our loved-ones from a world of pain and sorrow.