The Ten Commandments - 3&4

Exodus 20:1-17


I hope that you took a second and read the scripture passage today even though it was the same as yesterday! Guess what? It will be the same tomorrow! The reason I want us to read the Ten Commandments everyday this week is because most people do not really know what the Ten Commandments are and certainly do not have them memorized. Let's begin changing that with ourselves this week.

Today we will continue our study of the Ten Commandments focusing on commandment 3 and 4.

The Third Commandment: "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God."

This commandment is, yet again, pretty obvious. Saying things such as "Oh my God!" or "Oh Lord!" are wrong and demeaning to a Most Holy God. The reason is because the names of God represent who He and His many praiseworthy attributes. Jehovah, Jehovah-Nissi, Adonai, El Elyon, the Ancient of Days, Immanuel, Our Advocate - these are all names of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. To honor these names is to honor God. Using His name as an everyday word almost like profanity is to dishonor God. For many, this is simply a habit that we must begin breaking right this minute. We must also think about what we are putting into our minds, especially for our children's sake. As they grow up and we teach them this commandment, they will not only be listening to our speech, but also of the speech of others, including what WE watch on television.

The Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."

This commandment might be the least understood in the culture that we live in. I have recently been studying the Sabbath and seeking the counsel of other Christians on this matter. This commandment is very lengthy and we cannot take it lightly. God gave us the Sabbath. It is a gift from Him, but do we despise it? Do we thank Him for His gift of rest or do we reject it? While we want to honor God through the Sabbath, we do not want to become legalistic like the Pharisees. Where is the line? I believe that is something we must settle in our own hearts.

Many believe we are to observe the Sabbath on Saturday, but most Christian Churches believe we are to observe it on Sunday. However, what are we doing to observe it? Do we do anything different on Sunday that we do not do the rest of the week? While I cannot tell you whether washing a load of clothes is okay on Sunday, I can tell you that that we must take this requirement seriously. A couple of ways we could do this is by either ceasing all work or by spending this day serving the Church and our Lord Jesus Christ. I am a nurse and for many years had to work Sunday's. While I did not enjoy missing church, I did take comfort in knowing that I was taking care of the sick and that is what God had called me to do. If you have to work some Sunday's, do not allow this commandment to offend you. Seek God as to how He would have you observe the Sabbath in your own life. Whatever we do, let's ask God to settle this issue in our hearts that we may honor Him and thank Him for His gift of the Sabbath.