Ten Commandments 2025, 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 order 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 like Jesus did at the end. Let's get to it.

"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 all throughout the Word, of those falsely accusing innocent people. Adam accused Eve. Satan accused Job. The Jews accused Yeshua, or Jesus as translated. 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, 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 Jones" 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 did nothing wrong. Not yet. He saw Naboth’s vineyard and desired 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 or greedily desires 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 and would eat no 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 to his house. 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

Yeshua 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 Yeshua 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 Yeshua 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 before 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 how you would want to be treated. You would not steal from yourself, and you would not lie about yourself. You would not kill yourself. You would 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 Yeshua'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 Yeshua, 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 Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

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