The Ten Commandments - 9&10

Exodus 20:1-17

We have reached the end. The last two commandments in the moral law of God. I hope you have enjoyed studying this with me and have gained some insight into how God would have us to live. These commandments are not for God's benefit. They are for ours. His ways are always best in our lives. When we follow what He says, we will always be happier. And yes, I think God wants us to be happy!

The Ninth Commandment: "You shall not give false testimony."

This command has two indications. First, "testimony" is a legal term, therefore it is wrong to perjur oneself in a court of law. But, we know that God desires "truth in the inner parts" (Psalm 51:6) and therefore this command also tells us to be truthful in every aspect of our lives. This is extremely difficult. What about in circumstances where telling the truth would hurt someone or in situation where we are unsure what the truth is? Again, as with all the commands, there is no way to keep this commandment aside from the Holy Spirit truly living in us and through us. We must fill ourselves with truth and the only real truth is God's Word. Let's allow this commandment to serve as a reminder to stay in the truth's of God's Word and to meditate on it. Only then will we be able to speak the truth in love.

The Tenth Commandment: "You shall not covet."

This commandment is probably the most convicting and revealing for anyone living in the materialistic culture that we live in. Millions of dollars are spent daily on marketing to convince us that what we have is not good enough and that if we have more, we will be satisfied. This is a big lie that I'm sure we have all bought into in one way or another. While it is not wrong to want to better our lives, (such as a child that grew up poor, but as adult worked extremely hard to provide a better life for himself and his family), it is wrong to want things or a certain life just because another person has it. This sin also leads to other sins, such as adultery or stealing.

If you have not enjoyed taking a deep look at these commandments, you are not alone. It is hard to truly look at God's standard and then look in the mirror and see how far we fall short. The Israelites heard these commandments and were terrified. They did not even want to hear the voice of God and asked Moses to speak to them instead. It is difficult to listen to the voice of God at times, but what has God revealed to you about yourself? And more importantly, what will you do about it?

Before we end, I want to encourage you that the law cannot save us and was never meant to. It shows us how much we fall short in order to drive us to a Savior. Will you approach Him today in humility and ask Him for forgiveness? Fall on your knees before Him. He is already waiting for you.