EXODUS 20: 16 “You shall not bear false witness.”

I lived in a very small town for about six years and if you wanted to catch up on what was going on in town you went to the local café. There was always someone there who was sharing some gossip. As they used to say, “I don’t say anything about my neighbor unless it is good. And boy of boy is this good.” We would then be treated to some juicy story which was never verified. “Bearing false witness,” lying, fibbing, a white lie, the truth is that these are just other ways to break commandment eight. I don’t like gossip. I don’t like lying. I knew a man who said he never told lies. And he was right he never did, he just got other people to lie for him. He was a married man and was seeing another woman. But he got a friend to tell other people she was just a friend. Later he admitted they were in love. He never lied. He just got others to do it for him.   Amen.

EXODUS 20: 15 “YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.”

Quite simply “stealing” is taking anything that does not belong to you without the consent of the owner. That which does not belong to you could be a person, place of thing. You might “steal” another man’s wife. Of course that is also breaking the “adultery commandment.” You might steal a “place in line,” or a piece of property. You might “steal” an answer off a test or “steal” an idea and pass it off as your own. Refusing to work and figuring someone else will give you money is “stealing.” A person can cheat, embezzle, pick pocket, shop lift, plunder, abscond, swindle. Call it what you will, it is still stealing. You have no right take something that is not yours. In fact Mart Luther said, “We should help our neighbors protect their property.” Most stealing is caused by coveting, which we will cover a little later in these devotions.   Amen.

EXODUS 20: 14 “You shall not commit adultery.”

Several years ago I over heard a young child ask his VBS teacher, “What’s adultery?” There was a long pause. I waited to see what the teacher would say and how deep she was going to go in her explanation. After a long pause she gave a great answer. “It means, don’t kiss your neighbor.” Adultery is quite simply violating the marriage covenant. Jesus said, “If a man thinks about being with (kissing) another woman he has committed adultery. In our confession of sin we confess that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. According to the Word of God there is no closer bond than that of husband and wife. We can commit adultery in our thoughts, by verbally betraying your spouse, by trusting others more than you trust your spouse, and by letting some earthly thing become more important in your life than your spouse. Amen

EXODUS 20: 13 “You shall not murder.”

The commandment does not say, “You shall not kill.”

Murdering and killing are two different things, neither one is good but one is justifiable. Murder is the cold blooded, heartless act of taking another person’s life for no reasons at all, except to take their lives. Killing on the other had is justifiable. We have the right to protect ourselves our family, our property. If someone is attempting to take our lives, we can use as much for as much force as necessary to quell the threat. God calls on us to bring justice and sometimes that calls for war to end oppression, slavery, murder, and injustice. In Romans 13 we are told that the government does not bear the sword in vain. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life, is replaced by the government taking the life of the murderer. We are called upon not to murder, but we are allowed to defend ourselves. Amen.

EXODUS 20: 12 “Honor your father and mother and your days will be long in the land.”

From my father I learned the value of hard work and sacrificing for your family. From my mom I learned compassion and forgiveness. They are valuable lessons which I have tried to put into practice all the days of my life. As Mark Twain once said, “When I went to college at the age of seventeen I though my father was the dumbest person the face of the earth. When I came home four years later I was surprise at how much the old boy had learned.” Our parents are a valuable resource. They have faced everything you children face and they have the battle scars to prove it. They have something more valuable than mere knowledge, they have wisdom. The promise is, if we honor (listen, follow) our parents our days will be long in the land. So, when they tell you not to play in the street it would be a good idea to listen to them so your days are long in the land. Amen 

EXODUS 20: 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.”

The word “holy” means, “special, set apart, unique.” What makes the Sabbath holy is because that is the day that God has asked us to set aside for God. It is a day to rest and relax. It is a day for us to recharge our physical batteries and to recharge our spiritual batteries. God calls on us to set aside some time just for us and him alone. A time for us to be reassured that God does indeed forgive for you sins. A time for us to hear God’s Word and learn how to incorporate into our daily lives. A time for us to thank God for the many blessings that he showers down upon us each and every day. I have heard people say, “I don’t have to go to church, I can worship on the golf course or out fishing.” God said you need to worship at his house. I’ve heard people say, “I’m just too busy to go to church.” If you are too busy to go to church, then you are just too busy. The reality is, they are excuses that fool no one but the one making the excuse. See you in church. Amen.

EXODUS 20: 7 “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God,…”

Names are sacred. They define us, they identify us. Back in 2,000 b.c. it was a capital offense to misuse anyone’s name. Names were special and to misuse them was a crime. Here God forbids us to misuse his name. We have no right at all to use God’s name in condemning some other person, let alone asking God to condemn a golf ball because you missed that three foot putt. God wants us to use his name in prayer, in praises, and thanksgiving. God gives us his name not only so we can call upon him when we need him, but he gives us his name so we can use his name to bless other people. God told Abraham that he wanted Abraham to bless others. Let us make sure we use God’s name correctly. Amen