The diligence of the eighth commandment
[[Exo 20:15]] KJV Thou shalt not steal.
[[Eph 4:28]] KJV Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
The teaching of the eights command is simple; do not take that which is not yours. The Israelites were to understand that God alone was their provider and as such to take what he had provided for another was to disregard his sovereignty and accuse him of causing you to lack.
In the grace and truth given by Jesus we see that this teaching goes far beyond material substance.
[[Mar 12:17]] KJV And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.
In one short sentence Jesus preached a message that goes to the very core of anyone who claims to know God.
Caesar had created a coin to serve His purposes and have a worth that he has determined; to seal and proclaim this worth and purpose he had stamped it with his image.
In the same way God created man with both a purpose and the worth; He stamped them with his image as such men must render themselves unto God.
In the self existence inherited from Adam men gather for there own purpose.
Jesus has given his own life at no cost to us that we might have life. As such God is our possession...all else we have and receive is for his purpose and will.
What is his will? That all men would be saved...from death of self dependence and worth...sin of self worship...darkness of blindness to his glory...and all that is offensive to God being sovereign.
If you have trusted Jesus as Messiah,redeemer and Lord then he has placed his Spirit in you giving you the life of God. As such you are not your own...anything you hold back for yourself; whether material, spiritual, or of your mind, will, and emotions is stolen property. For when we do such we steal from God.
The reverence of God's sovereignty: the ninth commandment
[[Exo 20:16]] KJV Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
The specific nature of English draws a diagram of a thing; while languages such as Hebrew and Greek paint a picture. I find that it is beneficial to try to see the full picture of words to help understand what is being said.With this in mind:
to bear- while it is to speak..it is also to respond,heed,look at or consider
false- vain(of no substance) or wrongful testimony
neighbor-anyone with whom you have association i.e. brother, companion, friend, husband, ruler
Two other points of consideration; one to know a true witness of something or someone and say nothing is the same as giving a false testimony...second whatever one hoped to inflict on another by false witness was to come to the bearer.
It is not only men that one can bear false witness against but the scripture is filled with men who said God says when God had not spoke...or those who had made traditions that negated Gods law...or those who preach another gospel or another Jesus...
Jesus said from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks...and again out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies...so if our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart...can you be minded after Gods Spirit and judge all things you say and do.
If you find what is not good will you hide it from God and men with vanity, hypocrisy, and religion...or will you repent of your Adamic heart and trust his word that he will give you a new heart with his Law written in it. If you chose to deceive..deception will come on you which is apostasy.
May we bear only the true testimony of Jesus Christ laying aside every false witness of self and others...loving one another...helping and showing kindness...strengthening and establishing the faith of our brethren...
The providence of God in the tenth commandment.
[[Exo 20:17]] KJV Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
My earthly father was a simple man,given to hard work and dependability, but not so much to Spiritual things. I honor him for the providence he gave. I start with this because I don't want anyone have a bad impression of what I am about to say.
My father was not a thief or one to take charity though we were by American standards poor. He was covetous though.
He had a saying that I must have heard a thousand times. " I wish I had that ___ and he had a feather up his butt!" it was applied to cars, trucks, land, livestock, guns etc.
For this is what to covet is...to desire what another has. On one hand it desires for your brother to lack for your gain...on the other it is accuses God of not providing what is good for you.
It was this commandment that was the catalyst for Paul's revelation of the grace given to us. The Pharisee in him could by blindness of flesh believe that what he did was obedience without considering the true desire of his heart. This is common in the modern church to in the heart have sin but act as expected we call it crucifying the flesh.
The tenth command deals directly with the heart...Jesus shows us that all the commands are kept or broken in the heart.
Paul and many men before and after when he had looked and heard the law with uncircumcised eyes, ears, and heart thought it was something to be done instead of something only God can make us into. Yet for that pesky tenth command...it dove past the actions that could be seen to who we are. The law shows him his sin is everywhere and cant be stopped...his will is to be right but within him all he finds is sin and death....which leads him to the grace of the Spirit given us...and that as we let our self remain crucified in Christ his Spirit makes us alive.
This was not new Moses said in Duet 6: 4-9 if we love him(not self) with all of us he puts his law in our heart.
