WORK IN PROGRESS - projected completion date: someday
God's Commandments
“And God spoke all these words,
saying, I am the Lord your God,
which have brought me out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.
You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:1
“And God spoke all these words, saying,
I am the Lord your God,
which have brought me out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make unto me 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.
You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them:
for I the Lord your 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;
And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me,
and keep my commandments.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain;
for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that take his name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shall you labor, and do all your work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord your God:
in it you shall not do any work, nor your son, nor your daughter,
thy manservant, nor your maidservant,
nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates:
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.
Honour your father and your mother:
that your days may be long upon the land
which the Lord your God give me.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house,
you shall not covet your neighbor's wife,
nor his manservant, nor his maidservant,
nor his ox, nor his ass,
nor any thing that is your neighbor's.”
Exodus 20:1-15
Why Must I Know These Old Testament Commandments?
You must know what the Commandments are and what they mean in order to keep them. There are two Commandments that come with a promise from God if you keep it, one of which comes with a serious consequence if you do not keep it.
“Honour your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God give me.” To "honor your parents" means to obey them, acting in ways that reflect positively on them and their values, forgive their wrongs, be respectful of their traditions and feelings, treat them with love, gratitude, and kindness.
You shall not bow down to an idol or serve an idol. These idols are gods made by man, made of stone or metal or wood. God promises that these sins will be visited upon their children to the third and fourth generations. That is a pretty hefty price to pay to worship an unworthy stone.
But God promises that he will show mercy to thousands of generations of your children if you love God and keep His commandments (and don't worship inanimate objects!).
Walking the Walk
Walking in Holiness ~ Knowing God’s Commandments
Think about what moved you in this section. Or perhaps something you learned or want to know more about. What are some practical things you can ask God for in your prayers to Him?
Possible things to pray for (in case you need ideas!).
- Learning each of God’s commandments
- Courage to keep God's commandments
- Fortitude to stop listening to secular music, to stop watching secular movies, to stop reading secular books; as these are ways the enemy opens doors to your life
Note of caution: don’t pray for these opportunities all at once. Going slow is recommended, especially if you are healing from a hurt. In this case, ask God to take it slow with the opportunities, so you can ramp up to the one he created you to be, in such a time as this.