Ex. 19:1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
Ex. 19:2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
This chapter starts with the information that it has now been three months since they left Egypt to arrive in the Desert of Sinai. Israel camped there in front of the mountain. This is obvious referencing the mountain of God, Mt. Sinai, aka Mt. Horeb.
Exodus 3:1 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.”
It also brings to mind God’s words to Moses at that time.
Exodus 3:11–12 “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”
Ex. 19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
Ex. 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
Ex. 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
We are told that Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain. It makes me think that he went back to the area where God had spoken to him from the burning bush. Evidently, he went up the mountain expecting to hear from the LORD. The LORD did speak to him and instructed him what to tell the people of Israel. He was to remind them that they had witnessed what God had done to Egypt and how He had carried them out of Egypt and brought them to Himself. I think He chose to use terminology that they understood. The eagle is a bird of strength and power, and they had been carried out of Egypt by the strength and power of Almighty God. Moses is to tell the nation as a whole that if they would obey God and keep His covenant, Israel would be His treasured possession out of all the nations. God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were unconditional; but His promise to this group of people is conditional. God emphasizes that the whole earth is His, but they would be special and holy, a kingdom of priests. It was their choice to make.
The question becomes, how does this conditional promise affect God’s unconditional covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It doesn’t! It affects God’s relationship with their descendants. God is very clear throughout scripture that ALL His covenant promises will be fulfilled. He is always preserving a remnant through whom those covenant promises will eventually be completely fulfilled.
Zechariah 8:6–15 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness….For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not: So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.”
Ex. 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.
Not only would the obedience of the people of Israel make them God’s special treasure among the nations, it would give them the privilege of serving as priests as a holy nation. The priests were the leaders of the people, recognized for their character and integrity. As is true throughout scripture, God’s promises are for all of His people. Yes, there are certain promises regarding the inheritance of the land and the privileged position of the nation among the other nations that are specifically for the people of Israel descended from Abraham. However, God’s promises to His children are to ALL His children. Peter affirms the extension of this promise to the church.
1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light….”
As priests, we have the privilege of sharing God’s love and truth to the lost world around us—just as was intended for Israel to do from their beginning.
These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Ex. 19:7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
Ex. 19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
Moses returned and gathered the elders of the people to deliver God’s message. Whether the people were also gathered around the elders or given the message after the fact, I don’t know. But we are told that “the people answered together” (or did the elders have the power to express the will of the people)—their response was “ALL that the LORD hath spoken, we will do.” So, Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. The next verse explains the reasons for this recognizable exchange of information between God and Moses—it is not for God’s benefit; it is for the people.
Ex. 19:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
Ex. 19:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
Ex. 19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Ex. 19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
Ex. 19:13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
The LORD told Moses that He was going to come to Moses in a thick/dense cloud so that the people could hear Him talking to Moses. This would further strengthen their trust in him as God’s representative to them. So, the LORD gave Moses instructions on how to prepare or consecrate the people for God’s presence. They were to wash their clothes and be ready by the third day—the day the LORD would come down on Sinai in the sight of all the people. He was to put limits—boundary lines—around the mountain and warn them not to cross the boundaries to go up the mountain or even touch the foot of it. Whoever touched the mountain would surely be put to death. They were not to even touch it with their hand; if they did, they were to be stoned or shot through (I assume with an arrow). This applied to animals as well as to men. Any creature that went past the boundary in any way was to be killed. When they heard the long sound of the trumpet, they were to come to the mount.
God is emphasizing His holiness and our complete unworthiness before Him.
How blessed we are today to be able to boldly come before the presence of God, knowing that Jesus is our great high priest, and we are clothed in His righteousness.
Hebrews 4:14–16 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
In my study of prophecy, I found verse 10 referenced as a type regarding Jesus’ second coming. After providing for our deliverance at His first coming, He will allow two days for us to prepare for His return as King. (Using a day equals a thousand years.) This also is hinted at in Hosea.
2Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
Hosea 6:1–2 “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
Ex. 19:14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
Ex. 19:15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
Moses went down the mountain to consecrate the people. They washed their clothes, and he told them to prepare for the third day. Then, we are told of the added instruction to abstain from sexual relations. Purity and cleanness before a holy God is again being emphasized.
Ex. 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Ex. 19:17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
Ex. 19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Ex. 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
On the morning of the third day a thick cloud covered the mountain; it was accompanied by lightning and thunder and a very loud trumpet blast. Obviously, this trumpet blast was originating from the heavens. It scared everyonein the camp. Moses led them out of the camp to meet God at the foot of the mountain. As they got close to the mountain, the cloud was revealed to be smoke because the LORD had descended in fire. There was lots of smoke, the mountain was shaking and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke, and the voice of God answered Him.
The writer of Hebrews gives us an interesting insight. It put the fear of God in Moses too.
Hebrews 12:20–21 “(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)”
I’m trying to imagine being part of that crowd. They have already witnessed some pretty amazing miracles. It hasn’t stopped them from complaining yet. Now they are seeing a whole mountain on fire and shaking and hearing an extremely loud trumpet. Yet, when Moses speaks, God hears him and answers him. Would I not be afraid of doing anything that might incur the wrath of such a being with such awesome presence and power? Would that not put the fear of God in me?
Ex. 19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Ex. 19:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
Ex. 19:22 And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
Ex. 19:23 And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
Ex. 19:24 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.
Ex. 19:25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
The LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain and told him to go down and warn the people again not to force their way through to see the LORD or they would perish—including the priests (the chief rulers). Moses tried to explain that that was not necessary since He had already told them to put limits around the mountain to designate the area that was holy. (I don’t know how Moses is so comfortable with “talking back” to God. How could he dare to think that he could tell God anything He did not already know? I’m sure there is much that we aren’t being told about the development of their relationship. Moses obviously considers God his friend and vice versa.)
The LORD sent him back anyway and told him to bring Aaron back with him. We are told that he went back and warned the people again—but we assume that he obeyed the rest and brought Aaron back because the next thing we read is that God speaks the commandments in the hearing of the people.
I don’t think that assuming Moses’ complete obedience is wrong since we have yet to see him disobey. It has never stood out to me before that Aaron was with Moses when God gave the commands and laws the first time.
Ex. 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
It's important to note that God spoke ALL of these words. These laws will establish principles for living and make us able to identify sin. Obedience to these laws will provide "protection" from the consequences of making uninformed, sinful choices before God.
I had never noticed before, but Courson points out that God is speaking for all the people to hear. Moses has come back down the mountain and joined the people.
Ex. 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Ex. 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
This is the first of God’s ten commandments that form the foundation for all other laws. If the people do not accept God as their LORD and Deliverer, there is really no motivation for obedience to any of the other commandments. He is the one and only GOD. We are to have no other gods before Him. He is to have the most important position, be the highest priority, and be the point of reference upon which every area of one’s life is focused and guided. If we truly recognize God as LORD, the one and only, the other commands will become much easier to obey. The problem is that we all have a problem with giving anyone the position of authority in our lives above self. I've often heard reference made to other things that we make gods in our lives, but I think the key truth is that we constantly struggle with dethroning self. Your “Lord” determines your actions. More often than not, even the "best" Christians struggle with taking self off the throne.
It also reminds us that God is everywhere present. Any “god” we choose to follow in our life—be it self or fame or money, etc.—we do it “before” God, in His presence. The psalmist words it well.
Psalms 139:7–12 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”
This again emphasizes that YHWH is the one and only true God. We may choose to follow the leading of false gods (demon, flesh or mammon), but there is no other true God. God affirms this truth through the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 45:5 “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me….”
Ex. 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. 20:5 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;
Ex. 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
The second command forbids the making of any graven or carved image (idol) of anything in heaven above, or earth below, or in the waters under the earth. Our propensity is to want to be able to visualize, to see to believe. Then, once we have a focal point, the obvious next step would be to show honor and respect—bow down. God knows us inside out. Even if one were to try to justify an image as representative of God, the act of bowing in worship to reverence that object demeans God as a divine being that is totally outside our comprehension and understanding. If we picture Him through an object that fits our frame of understanding, it actually inhibits our ability to reverence Him with the wonder and adoration He deserves! He is a Being far beyond our ability to truly understand.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
"I the LORD thy God am a jealous God." — More often than not, we think of jealousy with a negative connotation. This, however, is a statement of God's great love for His people. He is jealous for the love and obedience of His people because He loves them. He knows that if they will love and obey Him, they will experience His perfect plan for their lives. Such love and obedience provide safe parameters that protect us from the consequences of sin. Every parent should be able to identify with this truth in connection to that same type of “jealousy” for their own children.
It should be noted that, in context, the subject is the worship of God. This is not a command that forbids artistic expression of the beauty of God’s creation. It forbids the making of anything that is the physical focal point of our worship.
Clarke: “To countenance its image worship, the Roman Catholic Church has left the whole of this second commandment out of the decalogue, and thus lost one whole commandment out of the ten; but to keep up the number they have divided the tenth into two.”
The LORD wants us to understand that He wants what is best for us. When we look to anyone or anything else for answers, we are going to be disappointed to say the least. He doesn't want us to put ourselves in a position to receive less than all that can be ours by accepting Him as LORD. One who chooses to follow other gods (really self) positions himself as one who hates God. He builds his life on a lie that will in turn impact the lives of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (the 4th generation). This is the normal generations of a man's lifespan upon whom he could have direct impact.
When God said He would “visit” the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, He was saying that He would “oversee” or ”look at” (from the Hebrew) that iniquity and its effect upon their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In other words, it was He could expect to see, based on the example and teaching of the fathers.
On the other hand, those who love God and keep His commandments can also expect to have an impact on their children for generations. The more submissive and obedient we are, the stronger the foundation for our progeny. God shows over and over again in the scripture that He is willing to be merciful and temper judgment in response to the desires of those who love and obey Him. I am reminded of the principle recorded in the Proverbs.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Ex. 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.
The third commandment forbids misusing or "taking in vain" the name of the LORD. This again relates to the core truth of the first command. The LORD God is the One and Only, including all the attributes that accompany His name—holy, loving, righteous, faithful, protector, provider, judge, etc. One who is willing to "make light" in using God's name is reflecting the attitude of his heart—his unbelief and unwillingness to give God the position of LORD in his/her life. One who uses God's name as a curse word is basically declaring that he is lord of his own life and could care less what is important to God—i.e., that His name be reverenced, respected, honored, feared, etc. The LORD warns that the misuse of His name will not be overlooked; He does not consider this a minor infraction.
Today’s culture is saturated with the irreverent use of God’s name. The name of God is used in so many ways that aren’t actually cursing, yet don’t reverence Him or even acknowledge Him as God. The phrase “O my god” is carelessly used by many professing believers. It is definitely using His name in vain (falsely, empty of meaning; worthless).
Courson: “Satan is behind blasphemy and profanity because they trivialize both salvation and damnation. This commandment is not about God being offended, but about people being lost, desensitized to the reality of the name that will save them and the reality of where they will be if they don’t receive him.”
Guzik: “There are at least three ways this command is commonly disobeyed.
Profanity: Using the name of God in blasphemy and cursing.
Frivolity: Using the name of God in a superficial, stupid way.
Hypocrisy: Claiming the name of God but acting in a way that disgraces Him.”
Ex. 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Ex. 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Ex. 20:10 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:
Ex. 20:11 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.
The fourth command is to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The key word here is remember. This would seem to refer to Genesis 2:3: “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
This principle is not new. The Sabbath was set apart by God long before He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. Making the observance of the Sabbath a command for His people is what is new.
I think verse 11 is also a strong affirmation that creation occurred in six literal days. God is saying that He worked for six days in the creation process and rested on the seventh day. After six days of work each week, His people were to rest (they and their animals and servants and any foreigners in their midst) in remembrance of God's week of creation. It was important that they not forget the reason for their existence and take time to rest and meditate on just who the LORD their God is and on all He had done for them. This is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day as holy; it was to be set apart and devoted to Him, the truest expression of worship.
I know we are no longer under the law, but I think we have truly harmed ourselves by not heeding this commandment. We have allowed our "holy days" to become full of so many distractions that we never have a whole day to truly focus on the LORD. This, in turn, directly impacts our spiritual growth and effectiveness in serving Him. This is especially true of those in the “ministry” or employ of the church. Every child of God would benefit greatly by establishing a day that is totally devoted to the LORD.
Ex. 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
The fifth command is to honor your father and mother. God is the Master Creator, though He accomplishes the creation of each person through the physical union of a man and a woman. God intended that this be the fruit of a couple joined in marriage. Parents should provide the love, protection, guidance, etc. necessary for a child to grow into a responsible adult. They should invest of themselves unselfishly and sacrificially for the child’s benefit. They are the earthly guardians of a child as designated by God and deserve one’s respect as such. When you obey and honor your parents, you honor the LORD.
God is giving these commands with the expectation that parents will obey God's commands and decrees and will train their children accordingly. Such obedience is conducive to a long and healthy life.
This command ends with a reminder that the land they would inherit would be a gift from God.
The question arises—What if your parent(s) are bad parents that do not honor God? Obviously, only an older child that has been made aware of the truth of God’s word would face such a dilemma. As a child under God’s appointed authority, you should honor your parents with respect and obedience unless they tell you to go against God’s word. I am convinced that this is only possible through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to enable one to rise above the natural response of the flesh.
Acts 5:29 “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Sometimes this command calls for you to endure “unfair” treatment. Never, however, would God expect you to endure physical abuse that would threaten your physical well-being. God is sovereign, and He will bless you for submitting to His command. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. We are all in need of God’s grace and mercy. Pray for such parents. It could be that the LORD will give you the privilege of leading them to saving faith.
Our obedience to this command does not end when we become adults. Many cultures throughout the world instill a great respect for one’s parents. I’m afraid, however, that America is leading the way in showing lack of respect for our parents. More often than not, as parents get older and need the care of their children, they are resented and ignored. Visit any nursing home, and you will find ample proof of this truth. They are often considered a burden rather than cared for and honored with love and gratitude. Sadly, there are far too many instances of parent abuse reported in the news. I can’t help but make a connection to how scripture declared things would be in the last days.
Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
2 Timothy 3:1–3 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…unthankful, unholy, without natural affection….”
Ex. 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
The sixth command forbids murder, the intentional taking of a life, pre-meditated murder. God is the giver of life and the only One with the authority to end a life. God breathed life into Adam and Eve. Each breath we take should remind us of our Creator. Only He has the authority to remove the breath of life. If we choose to disobey, it is a direct rejection of God's authority. By the way, you can be a murderer without being the actual perpetrator of the act—e.g., David and Uriah (2Samuel 11).
It should be noted that this commandment is not forbidding self-defense or the death penalty for one convicted of murder.
Ex. 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
You shall not commit adultery is the seventh command. God's perfect plan is one man for one woman. Adultery is having intimate relations with one who is not your husband or wife. I guess the idea of having more than one wife was a way of justifying one's self in the light of this command. But then we have Solomon and all his concubines, etc. It's obvious all through the Old Testament scriptures that the consequences of disobedience to this command are serious and unavoidable. But that doesn't seem to stop "godly" men from yielding to their lust rather than obeying God.
The word adulterate means “to make inferior or impure by adding a harmful or prohibited substance.” That is just what adultery does to a marriage—it infects a relationship and begins to destroy it. Frankly, that's exactly what happens in our spiritual relationship to the Father when we choose to add things that are harmful and forbidden to our lives. Again, the core truth of the command is focused on our relationship to God. We will either accept His authority because of who He is, knowing that He will only command us in light of His attributes for our own benefit; OR we will reject that authority and disobey. Again, it's a matter of the heart.
Ex. 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Do not steal is the eighth command. The Hebrew includes the idea of taking what is not yours through the use of deceit (e.g., Jacob). God, who numbers the hairs on our head, is our provider. He will give us ALL that we need (and much of what we want) if we will simply "trust and obey." When we steal, we are essentially saying that God is not sufficient or able to provide for us. Again, it goes back to the attitude of our heart concerning our relationship with the LORD--the root of every command given so far in my opinion.
It is interesting to note that the Hebrew for the word “steal” also includes the idea of kidnapping. I had never thought of this commandment in that light before.
Ex. 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
The ninth commandment—“You shall not bear false witness (give false testimony) against your neighbor." Why would someone lie about someone else? Because of selfishness, pride, resentment, fear or the opportunity for personal benefit—all of which reflect a heart attitude that rejects God's sovereignty.
I think this commandment also applies to gossiping. Just because you heard whatever from someone “trustworthy” doesn’t make it true. I can think back over many instances in which I wish I had had the wisdom just to stop someone from sharing things with me that were hearsay or that I had no reason to know. Sadly, I know there were also times that I was “the gossip."
Satan understands that this is a very destructive sin among God’s people. One of his titles is the “father of lies.”
John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Courson: Before speaking—“The best way to keep from bearing false witness is to simply say less, pray more, and think again.”
Ex. 20:17 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.
The tenth commandment—“You shall not covet." To covet is to want for yourself something which belongs to someone else. This again is a direct response to feeling that God hasn't provided for you sufficiently.
I think it all boils down to the fact that there is one root sin—PRIDE—rejecting God as LORD and giving Him all authority and sovereignty in our lives, wanting to rule our own lives. If we will choose to live in obedience to and trusting in Him, we will be happier and healthier. His commands are for our benefit and protection.
As I come to the end of this famous list of commandments, I am reminded of my study of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was very clear in teaching that obedience requires more than just keeping the letter of the law, it is rooted in the attitude and intents of the heart. (See journal for Matthew 5-7, the “Sermon on the Mount.)
Jesus summarized these ten commandments into two.
Mark 12:29–31 “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
Wiersbe: “The commandment not to covet centers on the need to control desires….Covetous people will break all of God’s commandments in order to satisfy their desires, because at the heart of sin is the sin in the heart. To covet is to feed inward desires for anything that God says is sinful.”
Wiersbe: “While all the Ten Commandments deal with our responsibilities toward God, the first four are particularly God-ward while the last six are man-ward. How we relate to others depends on how we relate to God, for if we love God and obey Him, we’ll also love our neighbors and serve them.”
With the ten commandments, God established the moral code for humanity. As our Creator, He is the only one with the authority to do this. No man has the ability to identify moral from immoral, right from wrong, good from bad apart from God’s law. Any such attempt by man will always be flawed because it will always stem from the root of self interest.
Ex. 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Ex. 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
Ex. 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
Ex. 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
Evidently, the mountain continued to display the physical evidences of God’s presence, keeping the people in fear. They kept their distance and asked Moses to relay God’s message to them. They did not want to have God speak directly to them any more because of their fear.
Moses explained that they did not need to be afraid. God’s motive in displaying such a powerful presence was to make such an impact on them that they would not want to disobey Him. So, while the people stayed at a distance, Moses went back into the thick darkness of God’s presence.
Usually, when I think of God’s presence, I think of light. God descended in fire so intense that it produced a thick dark cloud. To me, darkness pictures gloom and fear and lack of direction. I think it is interesting that when God gave the law, the means by which we can identify sin, it was presented in such an atmosphere as to picture the consequences that would follow if one chose to disobey. He was inspiring a healthy “fear” to deter those He loved from disobedience.
Ex. 20:22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
Ex. 20:23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
Ex. 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
Ex. 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
Ex. 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
God proceeded to give Moses further instructions for the people. They are to remember that they witnessed God speaking to them from heaven. He is to remind them again that they are not to make any gods of silver or gold. They are to make an altar of earth upon which to sacrifice their offerings of sheep or cattle to God. These offerings are to be made at the places where God makes Himself known to them through special acts of provision and protection. They are warned to use only natural stones (not those touched with tools; the ones in the natural state that God made them) when building an altar with stone in order to keep it undefiled. They are also warned not to approach the altar using steps since this might cause them to expose nakedness. Every detail surrounding the worship of Almighty God was to represent purity, holiness, righteousness and reverence.
A sacrifice represents very visibly that sin cannot be forgiven without the shedding of innocent blood. They are to use only things made by God (in its natural state) and not contaminated by sinful man’s attempts to improve on what God has provided. God’s provision is always best, always sufficient. I think the matter of nakedness is important since this was the state in which man first experienced shame and guilt before their Creator.
I know it is our heart attitude that matters the most when we worship God, but I think we have missed out in the area of worship by becoming so lax in how we present ourselves. When we go to God’s house for worship, we should be preparing ourself in both mind and heart to reflect proper respect and reverence for the One being worshipped.
The last part of verse 24 is intriguing. I think God is telling them that any place in which He reveals His presence to His people and they respond with obedience will be accompanied by His blessing. I like the way the NLT expressed it: “Build altars in the places where I remind you who I am, and I will come and bless you there.”