There are a lot more commandment than just the first ten that we all know and love. In these next posts, I will be expounding on them.
This verse, “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold", seems to mirror the verses in Exodus 20:4-5, God's law #2.
However, upon closer inspection, I believe (I say "I believe" because it is not clearly stated in the Bible and I could be wrong, but I am believing that the Holy Spirit is guiding me here) that this is a warning to believers to keep in mind that God does not need help to be God.
There is nothing you can want, need or ask for that God cannot do by Himself, if He so chooses.
I believe this verse is telling us to trust God entirely.
If we decide to give God "help" by creating "things" to pray to or with, rather than going to the Most High and trusting Him alone with a one on one conversation through Christ Jesus, then we err. It is a sin, and we will be judged accordingly.
The definition of "covet" is to yearn to possess or have (something). It is not a sin to covet. It is a sin to covet something that belongs to someone else. If we did not covet at all, we would have no need to petition God for anything.
You can't want a woman or a man in your life that is already committed to someone else.
You can't want a job that is assigned to someone else.
You can't want someone else's car, home, or anything else.
If you don't have much money, and you meet a rich man, you should not covet his money.
God wants us to appreciate and be content with what God gives us. The more we prove ourselves as good stewards in little, God gives us more. (Luke 16:10) If we can not learn to appreciate what we already have, how can we be trusted to have more?
Exodus 20:16 tells us that we should not bear false witness against our neighbor.
This means, whether you like someone or not, if they have not done you wrong in any way, and someone asks you for a reference of them, then that is what you should tell them. If they were a little late in paying you for a debt owed, but you think they are an awesome person, you should not let your feelings for them dictate your truthful answer.
Too many times, events are dictated by cliquish behavior. When people voice opinions based upon other people they are involved with, the truth gets clouded and the results can be disastrous.
A good example of this is in the political realm. People will vote for their party line regardless of the actions of the individual they are voting for. When you vote for someone, you are bearing witness of what you know about them. The Bible says to be a truthful witness.
Yesterday I was having a discussion with a friend about the Sabbath and I felt a conviction that I have not felt in quite a while.
It was actually refreshing. It was akin to hearing your mother chastise you for leaving your dirty clothes in the hallway.
Some of us actually wish we could hear our mothers chastise us like that again.
I thought God was done talking to me. He hadn't done it in so long. Then, suddenly, I feel this wave of...relief and joy and conviction -- the kind that makes you want to drop to your knees and say, "Thy will be done, Lord. I, your servant, am listening!" that I haven't felt in so long.
My friend asked me, "Are you preaching to me?", to which I answered, "Not since I figured out that that is what I was doing!"
I was in the process of explaining why I honored the Sabbath on Saturdays, even though - in my line of work - the busiest days are on the weekends. But, the conversation took a whole new turn. It was possibly something that both of us needed to hear.
I started talking about how God listens to those who obey Him, and takes care of them. I explained how God has always answered all of my prayers, even when the answer was "No", or "Not right now". Concerning something I had been praying for I told him, "I don't know if the answer is "No", or "Not right now." I just know that the answer is "No" right now, and I should act accordingly.
BAM. There is was. I realized I should listen to myself speak.
I went on to say, "And I am not perfect, and nor do I pretend to be so. I am still stumbling and learning. And what I know and what I do sometimes do not meet." I realized at that moment that I was starting to sound like Paul, when he was speaking in Romans Chapter 7. I finished with, "But I am not going to throw out all of it just because I am not perfect at all of it."
No. God wants me to keep trying. It is in trying that our true intentions of the heart are made manifest.
It was refreshing.
I heard God, at that point say, "Welcome home, Child."
When I was about three years old, I was attending a family reunion at a place that had a swimming pool.
The family gathering was upstairs. The building was made nearly all of glass.
The swimming area had a store in it where anyone could buy snack foods.
My cousin and I were running around chasing each other and we saw the candy bars. My cousin and I both took a few.
The attendent, who was not seen nearby, went and told our parents what we had done.
My mother spanked me right there in front of everyone and made it perfectly clear that stealing would not be tolerated.
I was ashamed. I didn't know I was stealing. I was three years old. And, I was forced to apologize to the attendent in front of everyone and give back the candy, which, thankfully, I hadn't eaten yet.
It was a lesson I learned well.
When we steal, God takes something from us. It might be our peace of mind, or our security, or our relationships...something goes missing from our lives. When we steal, we are robbing someone else of their livelihood. We are robbing someone else of their blessings, and God won't tolerate that.
But, more than that, Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death". When we sin, we are committing a slow painful suicide. The good news is that Jesus addressed this in John 10:10 when He said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
So, if you are a thief, there is hope. Turn to Jesus as Lord of your life and, as Jesus told the prostitute, "Go and sin no more".
If you are not married to someone, you must practice abstinence. To have sex outside of marriage clouds your decision-making and gives you soul-ties that are not meant for your good. If you have been sinning in this manner, it is never too late to reclaim the purity that God intends for you to have.
Practicing abstinence outside of marriage protects you from a myriad of problems that you do not see coming. When you practice abstinence with intention, it makes you stronger, more focused on the things that are important to God, and helps you grow as a person.
Sex produces endorphins in your brain chemistry, much like drugs do, that lead to addiction of certain behaviors and poor decision making processes.
Any psychologist will tell you that drug addiction causes a stunt in emotional growth, and that when drug addicts stop taking the drugs for a length of time, their emotional growth begins again.
Anyone who has been abstinent for a long period of time who has experienced life on both sides of the sexual behavior barrier will tell you that abstinence has enabled them to see people for who they really are in a much clearer light; that dealing with problem people becomes much easier over time, and that you begin to practice much wiser discernment.
