Ten Commandments 2026, 9 & 10

 "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, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Welcome back. Today, we will wrap up our in-depth study of the Ten Commandments. These are the all-but-forgotten Laws of God. They are not something little Johnny and Suzy should learn how to say in Sunday School. They are not a nice Biblical story. When someone asks you, What are the Ten Commandments, you should not say something like, "Have no other God but God, uh, don't kill, uh, don't cheat on your Wife. Yeah, that's a bad one. Uh, oh yeah, don't steal." You need to KNOW what these are. As a child of God, these are given to you, not to make your life more difficult, but easier, and to keep you from the snares of the Devil.

Today, we will be talking about Commandments 9 and 10

"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, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Then we will wrap it up as Jesus did at the end. Let's get to it.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord God, we come before you with thanksgiving and praise today, all the praise and glory be to you, God. We are wrapping up our in-depth study of your Word as it applies to the Ten Commandments. Today, we examine nine and ten. Please, Father, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to understand what you wish us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Now first, as we talked about before, with Commandment 6, if you bear false witness against someone, not only can you hurt them, but you can also cause them to be put to death. Look at what they did to Jesus.

Let's look at Deuteronomy 19

"A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses shall a charge be established. If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you." Deuteronomy 19:15-20

We can see this throughout the Word, where those falsely accuse innocent people. Adam accused Eve. Satan accused Job. The Jews accused Jesus. ETC. However, false accusations are not the only way you can bear false witness.

Let's say you overhear someone talking about someone. They say this or that. Now, without knowing if it's true, repeat what you heard about that person. It's not true. Yet, now that person is hurt or has to deal with the consequences of the lie you took part in.

"Did you hear Sally is sleeping with the Boss?" What you don't know is that Sally isn't. You see, the Boss has a medical issue, and Sally has a relative with the same issue, and is very educated in ways to help. They became friends, and Sally helps the "Boss" from time to time with his condition. There is nothing wrong or seedy about their relationship.

Now, the rumor reaches the "corporate office," and both are fired. Or the rumor reaches Sally's husband or the "Boss's" wife, and it wrecks their families and their lives.

Never gossip. Even if Sally is sleeping with the "Boss," it's none of your concern. Deal with each other with love. Would you want others walking around talking about you? Treat others as you would like to be treated.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." Exodus 20:17

So why is this important? Isn't "keeping up with the Joneses" normal? Maybe. But why does God want you to avoid this? Because of what it can lead to. Turn to 1 Kings 21:1-13

“Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. And after this, Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money."

Now, notice: yes, the King didn't do anything wrong — not yet. He saw Naboth’s vineyard and wanted it. He asked Naboth to enter into a business-like agreement to give him the vineyard.

“But Naboth said to Ahab, 'The LORD forbade that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."

Naboth said no. Now we see how much Ahab covets the vineyard.

“And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, 'I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away, refusing to eat any food.

But Jezebel, his wife, came to him and said to him, "Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?"

He goes on to tell her, and we pick up in verse 7

“And Jezebel, his wife, said to him, "Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

She told him the truth. You are king. All of this is yours. But if this is not enough. I will take care of Naboth for you.

“So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death."

And the men of his city, the elders, and the leaders who lived in his city did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones.”

Ahab coveted the vineyard, which led to bearing false witness, theft, and ultimately murder.

In 2 Samuel 11, starting in verse 1

"In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, and he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.”

Things happen. Say “Things happen.” It was not his intent to see this. Like if you are out at the mall with your family and a beautiful woman barely dressed walks by you. It was not your intent to look at her. Say “Things happen.” Did King David look away? No. He kept looking. He started to covet and lust. Read on.

“And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

He was told she was married. This should have been it. Was it?

“So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."

David coveted Bathsheba, which led to adultery.

“So David sent word to Joab, 'Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing, how the people were doing, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.”

Of course, David was hoping for Uriah to sleep with his wife, in which case, his wife Bathsheba would lie and say it was his, covering up her and David’s sin of adultery. But he didn’t.

“When they told David, 'Uriah did not go down to his house,' David said to Uriah, 'Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing." Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.”

Plan two failed. Get Uriah drunk and hope he goes home. However, Uriah was an honorable and faithful servant of David, so he would never do such a thing.

“In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die." As Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died." 2 Samuel 11:1-17

So David coveted Bathsheba, which led to adultery and murder. It also cost David the life of his son. You see, when you start coveting something, it then leads to other sins. This is why God told us

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:18

Jesus put it to us this way.

"And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:35-40

In Romans.

"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:8-10

"Have no other Gods but God."
"Love Thy Neighbor as yourself."

Then Jesus gave us a new Commandment. A clarification, if you will.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34

How did Jesus love us? While we were yet sinners, He laid down his very life for us.

Now you understand why. If you have no other God before God, you will not worship idols. You will not take His name in vain. You will obey His commandments. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will treat them as you want to be treated. You would not steal from yourself, and you would not lie about yourself. You would not kill yourself. You will be content with what you have.

You see, the forgotten Laws, the Ten Commandments, were truly not given to make our lives more difficult, but they were given to us to make our lives easier, and to keep us from the snares of the devil.

Have you been adopted? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be, say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 32

 Chapter 32

1 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,

    and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

2 May my teaching drop as the rain,

    My speech distilled as the dew,

like gentle rain upon the tender grass,

    and like showers upon the herb.

3 For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;

    Ascribe greatness to our God!

4 “The Rock, his work is perfect,

    For all his ways are justice.

A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,

    Just and upright is he.

5 They have dealt corruptly with him;

    they are no longer his children because they are blemished;

    They are a crooked and twisted generation.

6 Do you thus repay the Lord,

    you foolish and senseless people?

Isn't he your father, who created you,

    who made you, and established you?

7 Remember the days of old;

    consider the years of many generations;

Ask your father, and he will show you,

    your elders, and they will tell you.

8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,

    When he divided mankind,

He fixed the borders of the peoples

    According to the number of the sons of God.

9 But the Lord's portion is his people,

    Jacob had his allotted heritage.

10 “He found him in a desert land,

    and in the howling waste of the wilderness;

He encircled him, he cared for him,

    He kept him as the apple of his eye.

11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,

    that flutters over its young,

spreading out its wings, catching them,

    bearing them on its pinions,

12 the Lord alone guided him,

    No foreign god was with him.

13 He made him ride on the high places of the land,

    and he ate the produce of the field,

and he suckled him with honey out of the rock,

    and oil out of the flinty rock.

14 Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock,

    with the fat of lambs,

rams of Bashan and goats,

    with the very finest of the wheat—

    And you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.

15 “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked;

    You grew fat, stout, and sleek;

Then he forsook God who made him

    and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.

16 They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods;

    With abominations, they provoked him to anger.

17 They sacrificed to demons that were not God,

    to gods they had never known,

to new gods that had come recently,

    whom your fathers had never dreaded.

18 You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you,

    And you forgot the God who gave you birth.

19 “The Lord saw it and spurned them,

    because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.

20 And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them;

    I will see what their end will be,

for they are a perverse generation,

    children in whom there is no faithfulness.

21 They have made me jealous with what is no god.

    They have provoked me to anger with their idols.

So I will make them jealous with those who are no people.

    I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

22 For a fire is kindled by my anger,

    and it burns to the depths of Sheol,

devours the earth and its increase,

    and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

23 “‘And I will heap disasters upon them;

    I will spend my arrows on them.

24 they shall be wasted with hunger,

    and devoured by plague

    and poisonous pestilence;

I will send the teeth of beasts against them,

    with the venom of things that crawl in the dust.

25 Outdoors the sword shall bereave,

    and indoor terror,

for young men and women alike,

    The nursing child with the man of gray hairs.

26 I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces;

    I will wipe them from human memory.”

27 had I not feared provocation by the enemy,

    lest their adversaries should misunderstand,

lest they should say, “Our hand is triumphant,

    It was not the Lord who did all this.”’

28 “For they are a nation void of counsel,

    And there is no understanding in them.

29 If they were wise, they would understand this;

    They would discern their latter end!

30 How could one have chased a thousand,

    and two have put ten thousand to flight,

unless their Rock had sold them,

    And the Lord had given them up?

31 For their rock is not as our Rock;

    Our enemies are by themselves.

32 For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom

    and from the fields of Gomorrah;

Their grapes are grapes of poison;

    Their clusters are bitter.

33 their wine is the poison of serpents

    and the cruel venom of asps.

34 “‘Is not this laid up in store with me,

    sealed up in my treasuries?

35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense,

    for the time when their foot shall slip;

for the day of their calamity is at hand,

    and their doom comes swiftly.’

36 For the Lord will vindicate his people

    and have compassion on his servants,

When he sees that their power is gone

    And there is none remaining, bond or free.

37 Then he will say, ‘Where are their gods,

    the rock in which they took refuge,

38 who ate the fat of their sacrifices

    and drank the wine of their drink offering?

Let them rise up and help you.

    let them be your protection!

39 “‘See now that I, even I, am he,

    and there is no god beside me;

I kill and I make alive;

    I wound and I heal;

    And there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

40 For I lift up my hand to heaven

    and swear, as I live forever,

41 If I sharpen my flashing sword

    and my hand takes hold of judgment,

I will take vengeance on my adversaries

    and will repay those who hate me.

42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,

    and my sword shall devour flesh—

with the blood of the slain and the captives,

    from the long-haired heads of the enemy.’

43 “Rejoice with him, O heavens;

    bow down to him, all gods,

for he avenges the blood of his children

    and takes vengeance on his adversaries.

He repays those who hate him

    and cleanses his people's land.”

44 Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun. 45 And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. 47 For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Moses' Death Foretold

48 That very day the Lord spoke to Moses, 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. 50 And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. 52 For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.”

Ten Commandments 2026, 7 & 8

"You shall not commit adultery.”

"You shall not steal”.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, Lord God, we come before you with thanksgiving. All the praise and glory be to you, and we thank you for all of our blessings, always. God, as you know, we are doing an in-depth study of your Word of the Ten Commandments. Today, we examine seven and eight. Please, Father, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to understand what you wish us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

"You shalt not commit adultery."

The concept is simple. The God Family Plan is easy to understand. One man, one woman, come together as one flesh.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24

Marriage is now and has always been, and I'm sorry if it offends you, but it will always be one man and one woman. It doesn't matter what we say about it. That is God's plan for marriage—one man and one woman, for life.

"My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
Incline your ear to my understanding,
that you may keep discretion,

And your lips may guard knowledge.
For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,

But in the end, she is as bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol;

She does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it." Proverbs 5:1-6

If you are married, you have a wife, a best friend, and a life partner. You need not look elsewhere. A little bit later, it says this.

"For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
to preserve you from the evil woman,
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;
for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,

But a married woman hunts down a precious life.
Can a man carry fire next to his chest
And his clothes will not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?

So is he who goes into his neighbor's wife;
None who touches her will go unpunished.
People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,

But if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold.
He will give all the goods of his house.
He who commits adultery lacks sense.
He who does it destroys himself.

He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
Jealousy makes a man furious,
and he will not spare when he takes revenge.

He will accept no compensation.
He will refuse, though you multiply gifts." Proverbs 6:23-35

"But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul." When you find the one you love, your soulmate, the one you love more than anything else on earth, they become, and are, part of you. You are one. To go out and give yourself to another, in the most intimate way, that should be reserved for only your spouse, is not just playing some kind of game; it is the most hurtful and evil thing you can do to your other half. It's not just sex. It's not just fooling around. It is the deepest hurt you can cause to the one you claim to love the most.

How about if I told you that you do not even have to commit that actual act to be guilty of adultery in God's eyes?

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body goes into hell.

It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Matthew 5:27-32

What is Jesus saying here? Sin always begins in the heart and mind before it manifests in our actions. He is warning that if you start looking at others and undressing them in your mind or fantasizing about them, this is not harmless or normal behavior. Instead, it plants a seed that can be harvested later, and in doing so, you have already committed adultery.

Now, let's talk about divorce. Is divorce considered legal in God's eyes? Jesus tells us there is only one reason God would recognize a divorce: adultery. There are three ways in which your obligation to another person can be nullified, as outlined in the Word.

Death. Obviously.
Fornication. Adultery.

And then you have this.

"To the rest, I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.

For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases, the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace." 1 Corinthians 7:12-15

Notice the first thing I want you to understand is this: "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord." This is what Paul said, and it makes sense. I understand it. If you are a child of God in your home, even if your spouse doesn't believe, you cover them. They become "clean" because of you. However, if they leave, Paul tells us to let them go so that they do not corrupt the whole house.

Accept what you will when it comes to divorce. Jesus said, Adultery? No problem. Anything else is a sin, regardless of what man says. Or you can cling to what Paul says about a non-believer leaving. This is why the Word tells us we should never be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers." 2 Corinthians 6:14 Most of the time, it does not end well.

However, if neither of you was a child of God when you married, and now you accept Christ after, and they choose to reject Him, you, as a new creature, are no longer guilty or responsible for your old self. I get that. But I would not go out and find someone who is not of God and decide to marry that person. You do so at your peril, and God will require YOU to follow His plan for marriage, even if you do not wish to. Be careful.

Marriage, if done the right way, is a blessing from God. The wrong way could become a nightmare. It is not to be taken lightly. Next, to salvation, marriage is the holiest and most honorable thing you can do. Two in it as one. A lifelong friend, helper, comforter, playmate, ETC. Why do you think marriage is under such attack? Think about it.

What if I told you there is a third way to commit Adultery?

Spiritual adultery. These all, idolatry, covetousness, and apostasy, are spoken of as spiritual adultery. Some examples include Jeremiah 3:6, 8-9, and Ezekiel 16:32, as well as Hosea 1:2-3 and Revelation 2:22. 

An Apostate church is an adulterous church according to Isaiah 1:21, Ezekiel 23:4, 7, 37, and the Jews are described as “an adulterous generation” in Matthew 12:39, and in Revelation 12.

Is God concerned about adultery? I think so.

"You shall not steal."

Do you steal? Are you certain about it? There are three primary ways to steal:

1. Outright Theft- This involves taking something that doesn't belong to you, such as money or property.

2. Theft of Services- This occurs when you take advantage of a service that is offered for a fee but choose not to pay for it.

3. Destruction- This involves damaging or destroying property that belongs to someone else.

It's important to understand these definitions clearly.

Outright.

It doesn't matter to God whether you use the term "borrow." If something is not your property and you do not have permission to take it, you are stealing it. Regardless of your intentions to return it. Consider the pens you took home from work. What about the food you consumed at the end of your shift at a restaurant when company policy dictates that it should be disposed of and not eaten? Or the ten dollars you took from someone who has millions? In all these situations, you are stealing. It doesn't matter how you perceive it, what society thinks, or what justifications you might have. Ultimately, what matters is what God says about it.

"If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.”

Again, pretty cut and dry here. If you steal something outright, you are violating this commandment. You are a thief. You are guilty under the Law.

Theft of services

"If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.”

Ever "dine and dash"? Have you ever taken a taxi and not paid for it? Ever get "free" cable? Use someone else's phone or the internet, without their permission? You are guilty of this commandment. You are a thief. You are guilty under the Law.

Destruction

"If a fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution." Exodus 22:1-4,5,6

It does not matter why. Say you are jealous? Say you do not feel that someone who has something should have it. If you can't have it, no one will. You decide to destroy what they have. You are a thief. You are guilty under the law.

"You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. "You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning." Leviticus 19:11-13

There are many ways to steal. If you agree to buy something from someone and know that the cost is low, yet you tell them it is great just to make a profit, you are a thief. If you are in charge of protecting someone else's property and allowing it to be stolen, God calls you a thief. You are guilty under the law.

There is another way to be viewed as a thief in the eyes of the Lord. This topic has become so confusing and convoluted that many people tune out when it is brought up. They often envision a preacher with a microphone in one hand and the other hand outstretched, asking for money. However, the Scriptures tell us that if you do not tithe, you are indeed guilty of stealing from God Himself.

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Malachi 3:8-10

A Millionaire rarely serves the Lord. Most of the time, ordinary, everyday people are called to serve. A church should be concerned with teaching the gospel, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc. To do that, it needs money.

You may or may not believe me. I have no way to prove it to you. However, the laws of giving work. That ninety percent will go far further than that one hundred percent ever will. When I was first saved, I was a security guard working at a local mall. I started obeying this law and started giving as much as I could. When I walked away, as I talked about in MY Story, I was a hotel manager.

The more I gave, the more I received. As Malachi said, "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." It does work.

When I walked away, my excess became negative. Fast. Now, these things do not happen overnight. Try it. God will see where your heart is, and He will bless you. It truly does work. However, please do not get this confused with the Prosperity Gospel. God is not a lottery ticket or a Get Rich Quick scheme. You should give for others' sake, with a joyful heart. We may not be under the obligation of Tithing today; however, that local church still needs money to operate and serve others.

Did you know the Word actually says this? 

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Ephesians 4:28

Trust me, this does work. I'm living proof of it. Try it. Ask God to show you what this is all about. You will be blessed.

We will wrap it up next time with "You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor" and "You shall not Covet." We will also discuss how Jesus summarized all these into two, plus how the new commandment Yeshua gave us plays into all this. But if you are not a child of God, then none of this matters to you at all.

You can find this and much more over at TAG

If you wish to contact me, the email is truthbygod1@gmail.com

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 31

 Chapter 31

Joshua to Succeed Moses

1 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the Lord has spoken. 4 And the Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

The Reading of the Law

9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel

14 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

16 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then these people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.

19 “Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. 20 For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. 21 And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” 22 So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.

23 And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

24 Then Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, 25 Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, 26 “Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord. How much more after my death! 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”

The Song of Moses

30 Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel:

The Ten Commandments 2026, The Law of God, 5, 6

Honor your mother and Father.

Thou shalt not kill.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord God, we come before you with thanksgiving. All the praise and glory be to you, God, as you know, we are doing an in-depth study of your Word and of the Ten Commandments. Today, we examine five and six. Please, Father, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to understand what you wish us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12

Here is God's plan for the family: Children grow, leave their parents, join together, and become one.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24

And so the cycle goes. However, it is essential to recognize that children are a gift from God.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:3-5

Also in Psalms.

"A Song of Ascents.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
Who walks in his way!

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
You shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house.
Your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!

May you see your children's children!
Peace be upon Israel!" Psalm 128:1-6

This is why it is so outrageous whenever you hear of a parent abusing their own children. A child is the most precious gift one can have. You need to teach them all things. How you teach them is how they will go.

"Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

However, be aware of this one thing. If you lead by example, they will follow. They will do more like you DO than what you say.

Then they will grow, and they will find another. They will become one with them. In turn, in your later years, when you need help, it has always been God's plan that your children will be there for YOU. It is a man who created nursing homes. Man created ways to avoid this obligation. God's plan is that family is the most important thing here on earth, next to doing His Will.

Some read this, and they may even teach it to their children. See, God says you honor me and obey me. Men also read this and say to their wives, See, God says you submit to me and do whatever I say. That's not true. None of it.

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged." Colossians 3:18-21

So let's look at this, also in Ephesians.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "That it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:1-4

Husbands and Wives are what? Yup. One flesh. We are to love and respect each other. Is Man the head of the house? Yup. No doubt about it. But that means that MAN is responsible for all in the house. He is responsible for his wife, his children, and yes, himself. Wives? Equal to the Husband? Yup. They are. They are to raise the children and care for the house. I know, I know, some of you may not like that. But that is because you misunderstand the meaning.

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her," Ephesians 5:25

Your wife is the mother of your greatest gift—your children. Men need to understand that she deserves love and honor. She should not have to face the world and handle challenges that you, as her husband, should be addressing. You should be the one toiling, sweating, and working hard to provide for your family.

This is also why God did not create daycare. It was never His intention for children to be raised by strangers. However, I understand that we live in a 24/7 society and that money is often necessary for survival. If a man cannot earn enough, the woman may be compelled to contribute financially. But this was never God’s intent.

Then, God commands the child to honor their father and mother. To obey them because, believe it or not, they know better than you for the most part. First, they gave you life. Like with God Himself, that alone should be worthy of your honor. Second, they care about and for your every need. Perhaps not your every want, but your every need. Now that you have grown, it's your turn to care for them.

But then God commands parents to honor their children, treat them with love and kindness, and teach them how they should behave according to God's Will and Word. Then, when they grow, they will not have deep-seated anger or hatred toward you.

"And he said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."

And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban"' (that is, given to God), then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:6-13

So what does that mean? Nursing Homes, Money, Private Care. Etc. Instead of meeting our obligations according to God, we created loopholes. Jesus said that it is not good enough. We need to meet our obligations.

Just like all the rest of the Commandments given to us by God, these are not to make our lives more difficult, but to make our lives easier and to keep us from the snares of the devil. Honor your Father and Mother, for God says that is the right thing to do. But make no mistake about it, Parents, you are to honor your kids, husbands, and wives, and each other. Family is the most important thing to God. It should be to us as well.

"Thou shalt not kill." Exodus 20:13

First, the translation here is poor. It should be, "Thou shalt not commit murder." We kill things all day long—weeds, trees, mosquitoes, ants, animals for food, etc. What God is concerned about in this commandment is the taking of innocent human life. In Genesis 9:1-6

"And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man, I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."

So you see, God makes a very clear distinction between the two things here. First, the killing of anything but man is OK with God. He gave us all the things to meet our needs. He is also the one who set up the Death Penalty. "He who sheds man's blood, shall by man, his blood will be shed." That is how important God sees the life of human beings. Remember, in Genesis 1:26, God tells us this.

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

We are made in God's image. Our mind is what makes us. Our intelligence, will, emotions, desires, reasoning, etc., are fashioned after God the Father. Our flesh, after Jesus, is the flesh of God. Then, our spirit, which lives on when the flesh dies, is after the Holy Spirit. Three, yet one.

Now remember, we all sin and come short of the glory of God. We were so evil that God sought to destroy us all and start over until He found Noah faithful. He sets up this death penalty, this cost for innocent life, AFTER the flood.

There are four primary ways to end human life.

Premeditated Murder
Justified Killings
Accidental Death
Abortion, yes, Abortion is the murder of an innocent Life.

In Psalms.

"For you formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
In your book, were written,
every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
When there was yet none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts,
O God! How vast is the sum of them!

If I were to count them,
they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you." Psalm 139:13-18

God created us according to His will. You are uniquely designed for a purpose and hold great importance to God above all else.

Premeditated Murder

In Numbers.

"But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him." Numbers 35:16-21

Pretty clear-cut here. If you murder someone intentionally, for their dying, you are guilty of murder, and God says you should be put to death.

Justifiable Killing

A justifiable killing is anything commanded by God. The killing of a murderer. The killing of a sinner of other sins. In a war sanctioned by God. This sort of thing.

Accidental Death

"But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest, the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places." Numbers 35:22-29

So God understands that stuff happens. He understands that you may place yourself in a position where you cause the death of another, unintentionally, by accident. So he set up the trial by jury system.

"If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness." Numbers 35:30

So what is this City of Refuge thing? If you kill someone accidentally, the Police come, investigate, and find you innocent of any wrongdoing. You are not even arrested for anything. There was nothing you could have done to prevent the death of the person. I can not even imagine that. You are indeed innocent. However, the family of that person may not be forgiving towards you. They may indeed seek to kill you, even though it was an accident.

God set up cities, where someone in this type of situation could go to escape the wrath of the family of the lost loved ones. If they killed you, would they be guilty of murder? Of course. You are innocent. So they would be arrested and charged with murder and would indeed be guilty and worthy of death themselves. That would not change the fact that you are dead already.

God, in His wisdom, set up places that you could go, free from this, some may even say understandable, the wrath of the family of the person you killed. So you would not be murdered yourself. In today's world, you may have to take it upon yourself to move. I would. Far away from the family of the person I killed. Even though I would be guiltless.

God understands and makes a very CLEAR distinction between accidental death and murder. He also lets us know that the taking of the life of a murderer IS a justifiable killing.

Abortion.

Even though abortion is becoming illegal in many states, thank God, it is said, that for every 1,000 live births in the U.S., 219 pregnancies end with a murdered child, through abortion. Yes, abortion IS the murder of innocent life.

I understand some do not want to accept that. I understand that we had a group of people in black robes, in the sixties, say that a woman can "choose" to murder her child. That doesn't make it right. Just because something is legal in the country doesn't mean it's OK. No one has the "right" to murder an innocent child. No one. Thankfully, that has been overturned, and we are starting to win that battle.

God knows you even before you come into being. You are who you are because God ordained it. Remember the five steps of an Anointed Life? First, God foreknows you; then, He establishes a destiny, a plan, and a purpose for you. He calls you to accept this path, justifies you, and ultimately glorifies you.

You are created the way God wants you to be. You have blue eyes, brown eyes, you are this tall, you are right-handed, or left-handed. You are the way you are because God fashioned you that way, for a reason. When does life begin? I say BEFORE conception. No doubt, at conception. You are a plan. Then conception happens, and you become a physical life.

Think about this. We are all born into sin. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Now, picture that child who has not been born yet. It is murdered before they get the chance to be born. They are completely sinless. They are PURE. Completely innocent. God takes this very seriously. In Exodus.

"When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." Exodus 21:22-25

The accidental death of an unborn child is even punishable according to God. Of course, if the intent IS to harm the unborn, then one is guilty of murder. Here is one of those passages that is constantly misunderstood. In many cases, it is taught incorrectly.

"But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."

God is speaking about an unborn child here. He says that if men try to harm a woman "with child" or do so with the intention of hurting that child, they are guilty of murdering the most innocent life. If they interfere with God's plan, the penalty is clear. For example, if God designed a person to have two legs and two arms, and man interferes, causing the child to be born with only one arm, the one responsible must give up their own. This shows how highly God values the unborn. His greatest gift to us, aside from salvation, is children. Of course, abortion is murder—the murder of the most innocent of all life.

Next time we will be discussing Commandments 7 "Thou shalt not commit adultery," and 8 "Thou shalt not steal." You may be surprised to find that you may be guilty of both. 

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 30

 Chapter 30

Repentance and Forgiveness

1 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 And the Lord your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9 The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb, and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

The Choice of Life and Death

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

The Ten Commandments 2026, The Law of God, 3 & 4

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it, you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord God, we come before you with thanksgiving and praise today, all the praise and glory be to you, God. We are doing an in-depth study of your Word of the Ten Commandments. Today, we examine three and four. Please, Father, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to understand what you wish us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Last time, we discussed Commandments One and Two: Have no other Gods before God and Do not Commit Idolatry. Today, we will discuss Commandments Three and Four.

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." Exodus 20:7

There are several ways to take the Lord's name in vain. Here are the three most common methods:

To Curse
To Denounce
To Swear By

To Curse

Do you mean that if someone curses, God "will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain"? Yup. But it's just words. Or a figure of speech. What's the big deal? The big deal is that if you are a child of God and call out His name, He will be there. Whatever you say actually means something. If you do not mean it, then why say it?

"Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed.

Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death." Leviticus 24:10-16

Is God serious? Why? One, to use His name in vain is a sign of disrespect. He is God. Yet, using His name in vain, by cursing, you bring Him to nothing. You denounce His Godhead and authority. You turn Him into a figure of speech with your words.

Two, words have power. God created all that is, was, or ever will be, with words. The Word declares,

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was true at the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." Later, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Jesus told us, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Think about this. You are a child of God. You have the Spirit of God in you. You are driving in traffic, working, walking down the street, or whatever, and someone offends you in some way. What do you do? You now have a choice. Here are two possible scenarios to think about.

First, you could get mad and yell something like "God damn you." Or something like "Jesus H Christ, drop dead already." You get the point. Now that person goes on with their life. Say they are channel surfing, scanning the Internet, or walking down the street when they come upon one of those corner preachers. They hear or see, "God so loved the world, He gave his only begotten Son." "Jesus Saves," Or something to that effect. They ignore it and move on. They go the rest of their lives never accepting the truth. They die.

Consider the impact of saying something like, "God bless you" or "Jesus loves you." When that person is channel surfing, browsing the Internet, or walking down the street and encounters a street preacher, they might hear the words, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," or "Jesus saves," and those messages resonate with them.

At that moment, they might remember you. Instead of dismissing those words, your kindness may come to mind. They might think, "Oh yeah, that person I cut off or bumped into and cursed at. They remained calm while I reacted so harshly. Why did they bless me?" This could prompt them to reflect on their actions and beliefs, potentially opening their heart to the truth and leading them to salvation.

Do you know if this will happen? No. Will you ever meet that person again? No. But what you said and did in that moment made a significant difference in their life.

You are a child of God, and the Spirit of God dwells within you. You possess the same power and authority as Christ Himself. It is your responsibility to be mindful of what you say and how you express it. Words hold power, and as a child of God, your words carry even greater significance. Be cautious, for God does not take the misuse of His name lightly.

After all, Jesus told us

"Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 18:18

To Denounce

Jesus told us

"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin,” for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." Mark 3:28-30

Blaspheme? "the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God; the act of claiming the attributes of deity; irreverence toward something considered sacred." Simply put, if you reject Him, you reject Jesus. If you reject Him, He cannot save you. You will die in your sin.

To Swear By

In other words, saying something like this. "I swear to God, I will....." Or, "By God, I will...." God does not want you swearing by anything.

"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil." Matthew 5:33-37

We are talking, and you say, "Promise?" I say, "I swear to God." What if I do not fulfill my promise? What if I do not keep my word? What then? What can I possibly do to God? God wants your Yes to be Yes, and your No to be No.

So to recap. Do not curse, denounce, or swear by God or His name. Honor Him, and respect Him. He is God, and again, He will not hold those blameless that do.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it, you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." Exodus 20:8-11

Now, this one has been completely forgotten. It has also been distorted and altered, and some cannot even comprehend its meaning due to a lack of proper teaching. First, Saturday is now and has always been the Sabbath. That is what Saturday means—Sabbath Day. Sunday is now and always has been the first day of the week. So, if you want to go by the letter of the Law, you should keep Saturday as the Sabbath.

How do you "Keep it Holy?" There are three ways you can "Keep it Holy."

1 - Pray, and spend time with God.

You should always pray to God. However, when you have more than just five minutes before going to work, school, or whatever else you are doing, take that extra time to spend with Him. Understand that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. He is the Creator of all that is, was, and ever will be. And now, He is also your Father.

Do you want to know who God is? Spend time with Him. Talk to Him. Share what is happening in your life—your hopes and dreams, and your concerns. Ask Him about anything that puzzles you and seek His guidance on His plans for you. Just engage in conversation with Him.

2 - Read the Bible.

One way you can get to know who God is is by reading His Word. Spend extra time on the Word. Don't just scan it, but digest it. Get to fully understand what it means. Talk with God while you are doing it. Ask God how this could be, or the reason for that. Allow the conversation to be a two-way conversation. You may be surprised. God can and will communicate with you.

The ideal concept of the Sabbath is to engage in nearly nothing. This is why the early church chose Sunday as a day for gathering. You rest on Saturday, the Sabbath, which is the last day of the week. Then, you begin your week on the first day, coming together to worship God.

If you do not have a choice and find yourself working on the Sabbath, is this an unforgivable sin? No. As a matter of fact. Jesus did quite a bit on the Sabbath days.

"At that time, Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him." Matthew 12:1-14

Jesus told them that He is Lord over the Sabbath, and what He does, or what those who possess His Spirit do, is not a violation of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is meant for man. Everyone present understood that it is indeed acceptable to rescue a sheep on the Sabbath. However, their traditions still deemed it against the law, which is why they were angry and sought to kill Jesus for allegedly violating their customs. Their religion was getting in the way of understanding His message.

Then in Mark.

“And he said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" Mark 7:6-9

Jesus is telling them that they should prioritize following God's teachings over adhering to their own traditions. It is much more important to do good on the Sabbath, or any day, than to blindly follow man-made customs.

Then

"Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”

It's amusing to me that the ruler of the synagogue wasn't even surprised by the woman's healing. Instead, he was angry that Jesus performed the miracle on the Sabbath. His indignation stemmed from the belief that Jesus had violated his religious rules without his approval.

“But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people,

"There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him." Luke 13:10-17

Even today, many people within organized religions believe they are the ultimate authority, viewing themselves as the highest power—the "be-all and end-all" of all things. Yet here is Jesus telling them, "No, you are not; God is."

Now, I haven't forgotten about number 3. As I mentioned earlier, there are three ways to keep the Sabbath holy. Number 3 is the simplest, yet for many, it is the hardest to uphold. Are you ready to hear it? Are you sure?

Number 3 - REST!!!

Yes, we need to take a break. Life has become a non-stop cycle—work, school, and even leisure. There’s a constant pressure to get things done immediately. In some situations, working for certain companies requires a 24/7 commitment, including overnight shifts, holidays, and weekends. Unfortunately, in these cases, you often don’t have a choice.

Do you know what happens if you go full bore 24/7? You run out of gas. You wear out your body. You can end up killing yourself. We end up training ourselves to go on four hours of sleep, overcome tiredness with caffeine and other, uh, assistance, and we go till we can't go anymore.

We must learn to REST. Just simply STOP! Just relax. You need time to spend learning the really important things, and your body needs time to recharge. Learn how to REST.

To recap a bit here. The Sabbath is made for YOU. It is a day of rest. Pray, and spend time with God. Read the Word, and spend time with God. Last? REST.

These first Four Commandments are simple to understand.

1-Have no other gods before God.
2-Do not commit Idolatry.
3-Do not take the Name of the Lord God in vain.
4-Remember the Sabbath, and keep it Holy.

Jesus Himself summed them all up with this.

"And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

God will not take a back seat to anyone or anything. He loved you so much that even though you were a sinner, Jesus came and died for you. He loves you so much that even though you still sin daily, He cleanses you with His blood. He has become your Father, and you, His child. You must put Him first, above and before all. Who do you serve? The creature, or the Creator?

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!