Deuteronomy 5:21 - Inner Cleanness

Deuteronomy 5:21 - You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. 

Message: Inner Cleanness

Time: This book chronicles farewell messages by Moses, the 120 year old leader of the Israelite, primarily intended for the lay person. It covers about one month, at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness - 1405 BC. It is a renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.

What the Lord is Saying:

In these last several studies, I have been looking at offenses or crimes taken against other people. You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, and You shall not steal -- all of these are offenses toward the greater population, toward everyone in society. Then in the last lesson, it seems, at least by the wording, the commandments are more focused on our neighbor - not bearing false witness against your neighbor and then today, to not covet. I love what Jesus does as recorded in Matthew 15:10-20 as he mentions that it is from the heart, that defile man and out of the heart come evil thoughts. It is actually tough because we are so focused on what people can see. I often find that I am hiding sin often, doing it in secret, thinking it is only me that it is affecting. When the kids were younger, we read the book Shepherding a Child's Heart and this book focused on these type of thoughts, that out of the heart springs forth the child's heart and so we want to learn how to shape the heart. Clearly Jesus is wanting us to be aware that how we are on the inside and think impacts us and even those thoughts can be a breaking of the Law. 

Luke 6:45 - The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Matthew 12:34 - You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

Proverbs 4:23 - Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

There are many more references, but the idea is the reason we are who we are -- is because of our heart. In my reading and studying of scripture, I am training my thinking, my heart. 

In this commandment of covetousness, it needs to be clear that the issue is not to desire something or want something, but when that desire hurts another person then something is off. I see this in me often. There is something about me that actually finds pleasure when someone my age does poorly in life. I know it happens. I feel in competition with many of my peers and often I am not unhappy when they struggle. That is sin. That is this problem of coveting and thinking that I am the one that must come out ahead. Romans 12:15 says - Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. This is how I am commanded to live to rejoice with those who rejoice. Ultimately in this situation, what I desire is to come out ahead. This is where I really struggle with this commandment.

Covetousness is also wanting something and then wanting to belittle or move others out of the way so that I can get it. At the beginning of the pandemic, I watched people in the supermarket rush to get paper towels, out of the concern they would be scarce. The concern was not with other people. The concern was only self and making sure myself was under good care. I think this is covetousness. I have seen friends want their neighbor's wife for their own, even those that ended up getting the wife of a friend. Am I always wanting hard work to pay off for everyone. Not all the time. Often, I want the raise and promotion because I feel like I work harder than others. And for me to get the promotion means others cannot. Hopefully I am not pushing people out of the way to get what I want. 

I admit it is very hard to not compare and want and be happy with other's successes while at times ours are not present. As with all of these commandments, I am to recognize it and then work to put it to death. I also need to remember the way I am being trained, often to want things through marketing that I really do not need or should not have. As I mentioned, visiting Las Vegas, Nevada, recently, I was flooded with those temptations of sin luring me in to desire something I do not need. 

My goal instead is recorded in Psalm 119:11

Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.

Summary: To covet is to desire something that is not rightfully ours, to unlawfully desire something that another person has. I also see it as wanting good things to only happen to me. 

Promise: Sin is a matter of the heart. Repent for those thoughts and desires that you have that do not conform to God's law. 

Prayer: Lord, create in me a heart that more consistently and deeply loves the things that You love. Change my thinking Lord so that my mind is approaching life differently, rejoicing when others rejoice and weeping when they weep. Take me far away from this feeling in me often that I must be better than others. Thank you for showing me continually the person I am and the person You want me to be. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. 

Caring and Protecting Us

The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today. Images and Idols - Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad; but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see. Using God's Name Frivolously - Blasphemy or using God's name frivolously are examples of taking God's name in vain. Keeping the Lord's Day - It is vital that we are setting apart a day to gather for worship and fellowship, resting from our ordinary vocations. Honoring Father and Mother - Parents are to rear their children in faith, teaching them to respect authority and children are to follow. Murder, Self-Defense and Hatred - Murder is not unforgivable and yet like any other sin, even hatred, we need to avoid it. It has consequences in this life. Adultery - Breaking the covenant of marriage by replacing what God has commanded with our own choices. The Many Forms of Theft - Any time we take anything from another, a store, another person, our employer, or another owner of those goods or services, we are committing the crime of thievery. False Witness - say something about another person that is not true or accuse someone who has committed no crime. 

Deuteronomy 5:20 - False Witness

Deuteronomy 5:20 - You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 

Message: False Witness

Time: This book chronicles farewell messages by Moses, the 120 year old leader of the Israelite, primarily intended for the lay person. It covers about one month, at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness - 1405 BC. It is a renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.

What the Lord is Saying:

In Matthew 22 is the record of the Pharisees asking Jesus what is the greatest commandment. Jesus starts by saying - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." But then he says there is a second commandment that is like the first one and that is "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." I've always found it interesting that he puts on part with loving God, loving others. And so while the 10 commandments are numbered, it also seems like there is an equality given for all of the commandments, that not any one is greater than the other and that they all work together. 

Today I look at this commandment about "not bearing false witness against your neighbor." There are different relationships mentioned in the commandments - our relationship with God, the church, children, parents, husband and wife, others in society, and more distinctly our neighbor. Granted, everyone can thought to be our neighbor but it seems like there is some distinction between our neighbor in these last 2 commandments. 

In a simple way, telling a lie can be bearing false witness against your neighbor though I do not think these are all lies. But it is fair to say that in this commandment is the expectation that our speech needs to be truthful about others. In my life, I've noticed this being rather difficult in the workplace. At times as a manager my job is to listen to employees and one area is listening to how an employee believes or thinks or hears other employees are talking about him or her. Obviously, if the employee has been offended directly then I must take this seriously, but when an employee hears through another employee something about oneself, it reminds me that these are rumors and potentially gossip. When I am feeling wronged by a person, often the first thing that I will do is want to tell someone else. I do this because I think I want others to sympathize with me or agree with me. This is clearly a sin though. At its core this is gossip. And in this communication is often sometimes a tendency to slander the person as well - so when I share I go beyond the comment and even have a tendency to make the situation sound worse that it was. I need to be more careful with my speech for my words can have lasting results. 

From a lying standpoint, when I say something about another person that is not true, I am lying. Often I will tell people what they want to hear. It would be better for me probably to not speak. But I also see this as a problem in the workplace and at home in family relationships. 

The other side of this commandment deals with legal testimony as to bear false witness or accusing someone who has committed no crime. In other words, falsely accusing an innocent person. Deuteronomy 19:16-19 says:

6 If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, 17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. 18 The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother.

I think of the workplace as well and a desire sometimes to assume people are in the wrong. Again, there is a desire in man to be better than another person. This is a source of competition and can be a good thing, but given the situation, I think we must also recognize the other side of the coin or stand in the other person's shoes. Again, I think it is important to remember the command that we are given overall and that is to you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Even in competition we can have love. And we can consider the other person. 

Summary: To bear false witness against your neighbor is to think or say something about your neighbor that is not true. 

Promise: Gossip and slander are the calling cards of this sin. Rather than speaking to people face to face and understanding their situation, we like to place ourselves above the person through gossip and slander and lessen the worth of a person. We really need to repent and ask God to help put this sin to death. 

Prayer: O God, I need help with this sin that I often struggle with in my life. I do have this temptation to make myself look better than another person, to set myself on a pedestal, especially when I feel wronged. I've struggled with this during my life. Help me to be a person of truth and to know when not to speak. These are little momentary choices I can make each day, but give me the courage and the discipline to make those decisions so that I honor you with my words and in my heart with my thoughts. Change me. Turn my wrongs into right. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. 

Caring and Protecting Us

The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today. Images and Idols - Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad; but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see. Using God's Name Frivolously - Blasphemy or using God's name frivolously are examples of taking God's name in vain. Keeping the Lord's Day - It is vital that we are setting apart a day to gather for worship and fellowship, resting from our ordinary vocations. Honoring Father and Mother - Parents are to rear their children in faith, teaching them to respect authority and children are to follow. Murder, Self-Defense and Hatred - Murder is not unforgivable and yet like any other sin, even hatred, we need to avoid it. It has consequences in this life. Adultery - Breaking the covenant of marriage by replacing what God has commanded with our own choices. The Many Forms of Theft - Any time we take anything from another, a store, another person, our employer, or another owner of those goods or services, we are committing the crime of thievery.

Deuteronomy 5:19 - The Many Forms of Theft

Deuteronomy 5:19 - You shall not steal.

Message: The many forms of theft

Time: This book chronicles farewell messages by Moses, the 120 year old leader of the Israelite, primarily intended for the lay person. It covers about one month, at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness - 1405 BC. It is a renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.

What the Lord is Saying:

"Have you ever stolen anything, even if it was small and even if you were small?" - I've spent time at malls or parks with a friend asking spiritual questions and when we would approach people this was a common question we would ask. In general, when we think of theft we think of it on a large scale of breaking into a store or shoplifting items from a store, taking items that have a price tag without paying for them. When I was a kid, I remember stealing candy. There was even a time when I thought I could steal a magazine but as I grew up I did not do this again. 

And yet, there are other types of stealing or thievery. A child taking another child's toy is a form of theft. More recently, downloading music from the internet is a form of theft. In addition, using company time to do personal things. Or simply not working at your job when you are being paid to work. 

In addition, in Malachi 3:8 it says, "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings." Here is a pronouncement - we rob God by withholding our tithes and offerings. How often have I done this? 

I think one of the big reasons I have trouble with this command as well as other commands is I do not see the consequence clearly from breaking the command. So when I steal hours from my job, I still get paid. When I withhold tithes and offerings, I still expect God to bless me. And so without clear consequences sometimes I keep breaking laws. 

I think this is a reason accountability is difficult because it lays out consequences. As a manager at work, there are expectations of workers and when they are not followed, consequences follow. One item that we uphold is getting to work on time. We are supposed to write people up that are late, so even if they are 2 minutes late then we are to write them up and this could result in suspensions of various lengths. It is hard to enforce these accountability moments. 

Summary: Any time we take from another, a store, another person, our employer, or another owner of those goods or services, we are committing the crime of thievery.  

Promise: Let us not rob God by withholding our tithes, but let us carefully consider our income and budgets to make sure we are giving to the work of the Lord and the advance of His kingdom. 

Prayer: O God, remind me continually of the ways I continue to break this command. I know it happens as I am not working always in the way you ask me to work or I'm expected to work. Lord, keep me sensitive to those that break this law. The problem being sin and I need to have more compassion as I live and am alongside others. My patience with my kids sometimes has not been great. Lord, I want to honor you with my choices. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. 

Caring and Protecting Us

The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today. Images and Idols - Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad; but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see. Using God's Name Frivolously - Blasphemy or using God's name frivolously are examples of taking God's name in vain. Keeping the Lord's Day - It is vital that we are setting apart a day to gather for worship and fellowship, resting from our ordinary vocations. Honoring Father and Mother - Parents are to rear their children in faith, teaching them to respect authority and children are to follow. Murder, Self-Defense and Hatred - Murder is not unforgivable and yet like any other sin, even hatred, we need to avoid it. It has consequences in this life. Adultery - Breaking the covenant of marriage by replacing what God has commanded with our own choices. 

Deuteronomy 5:18 - Adultery

Deuteronomy 5:18 - You shall not commit adultery. 

Message: Adultery

Time: This book chronicles farewell messages by Moses, the 120 year old leader of the Israelite, primarily intended for the lay person. It covers about one month, at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness - 1405 BC. It is a renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.

What the Lord is Saying: 

The Commandments are often distinguished by those that deal with our relationship with God and then those that deal with our relationship with others. Just looking at quantity it is interesting that there are 4 toward God and then 6 toward other people. It seems fair to say that God cares greatly about how we engage in life with others. And yet it often seems like we approach God in the manner that we only need to be right with Him and then we can conduct ourselves however we want in regards to one another. And yet how we conduct our lives with one another seems to have a great significance on our way toward God.  

Thus far, there has already been a commandment about the child-parent relationship, but this one is more directly about the relationship between husband and wife. 

I find it very interesting that God is wanting it to be clear that the secret to a fulfilling marriage is being true to each other and not breaking the covenant that he has set up. Last weekend, my wife and I went to a concert in Las Vegas. If there is one thing that Las Vegas focuses on is sexuality and giving the idea that in the realm of entertainment it is perfectly fine to be entertained by nudity and sensuality. When I was a kid, Las Vegas was synonymous with marriage and a place to get married easily and quickly. And yet now there is no mention of marriage at all in Las Vegas. Instead there are many billboards about gentleman clubs where nudity is prevalent, there are billboards about going to shows that celebrate sensuality and walking around the city are flamingo dancers wearing very little. It is almost like everything is being told to us in these messages that pleasing our senses is permitted and okay. Basically, the adage of "If it feels good, do it." I stared down from our hotel room and saw shops in this strip mall - tattoo's, love boutique, and computers. Just seemed interesting and their was a bar at the end of that strip. 

Clearly God knew that there would be a great temptation among married couples to break that covenant of marriage. And in my lifetime I have seen this sin become easier and easier to commit. It has gone from actually committing the act through engaging in sexual activity with someone not your mate to being able to pull up images on a phone and engage in one-sided activity with someone not your mate. This is the hallmark of sin, that it becomes easier and easier to commit and in the process it becomes less and less offensive in our thinking. 

And as a guy, I feel the temptation all of the time. We are visual creatures and there is so much on that crazy phone of mine that can lure me away from being fully focused on my wife. 

Psalm 84:11 says -- For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. Here God is making mention that walking in an upright manner or righteous manner actually yields good. In other words, if we simply trust God to live by His way we will be more fulfilled in our lives than seeking out our own unrighteous ways. 

God created marriage so that we would be vulnerable to only one person. Thankfully, I recognized in my teen and college years that if I gave in to sex in a relationship it changed the dynamic of the relationship. And instead I needed to focus on the non-sexual parts of the relationship and building those up first before letting the sexual part into the relationship. My wife and I both came to our relationship realizing this was most important. We even set a goal to not kiss the first time till our wedding day. We didn't live up to this, but we didn't kiss until weeks after we had gotten engaged. So the first 4 months of our courtship were just that and no kissing. And yet once we started kissing it became very difficult to only kiss. Once we opened up that possibility it was hard to turn it off. 

I Corinthians 7:2 says, "But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband." We are meant to be exclusive creatures: one God, one wife or husband. It speaks to vulnerability. There is definitely pleasure in the sexual union but it also moves us beyond that to a closeness that transcends the relationship. It is also in this relationship that we are shown that we mirror Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32 -- "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church." It is a mystery. It is like we don't even completely recognize the extent of what it means for two to be one. 

It is not rocket science. When I replace my wife with someone else or some other image or am lured away by someone else, our relationship becomes less fulfilling. Sin affects everything and my marriage is affected. Adultery is one of the few grounds given in Scripture for divorce (Matthew 19:9 - "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.") God is wanting to protect me. I must admit. I go back and forth with trusting Him on this. I think of James 4:4 which compares adultery to idolatry or being friends with the world or aligned with the world instead of with God. Again, unity is the issue. "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." He calls people that are joined to the world as an adulteress. So don't be joined to another. 

Summary: Adultery is sin. It is breaking God's commands. It is replacing that which is holy with unholy. 

Promise: I must always be on the guard. The world is trying to pull me away from exclusivity and God's central commands. It is most fulfilling in life when I stay exclusive. We love God's faithfulness and He wants us to be faithful in our relationships as well, most notably with our mates. 

Prayer: O God, you are Holy and your ways are perfect and good for me. Thank you for continually bringing me back to your truth and your ways and showing me how I need you to guide my life. You have set this life up in such a way as to protect me. Thank you for this past weekend and helping me understand disappointment and how it wrecks my life. And you show me the importance of simply believing in You and only You. Lord, strengthen me and keep making me strong. Even at 54 right now, I need that strength and I still struggle with temptation. But there is completeness with my wife. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. 

Caring and Protecting Us

The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today. Images and Idols - Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad; but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see. Using God's Name Frivolously - Blasphemy or using God's name frivolously are examples of taking God's name in vain. Keeping the Lord's Day - It is vital that we are setting apart a day to gather for worship and fellowship, resting from our ordinary vocations. Honoring Father and Mother - Parents are to rear their children in faith, teaching them to respect authority and children are to follow. Murder, Self-Defense and Hatred - Murder is not unforgivable and yet like any other sin, even hatred, we need to avoid it. It has consequences in this life.

Deuteronomy 5:17 - Murder, Self-Defense, and Hatred

Deuteronomy 5:17 - You shall not murder.

Message: Murder, Self Defense, and Hatred

Time: This book chronicles farewell messages by Moses, the 120 year old leader of the Israelite, primarily intended for the lay person. It covers about one month, at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness - 1405 BC. It is a renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.

What the Lord is Saying:

For the most part this remains a command that society still prohibits in line with bible believing people. Taking another human life remains an offense. In the Hebrew, to murder is to deliberately take an innocent life. But not all killing is murder. "If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account (Exodus 22:2)." In this case the innocent party is the one that has been attacked and thus, that is the life that must be preserved. This has been applied to war conflicts as well in defending ourselves against another aggressor. Yet, abortion is an area in which the killing of an innocent life is allowed, believing that a woman's feelings or choices outweigh the child. But the idea of modifying human life has become a common theme now in civilization. Personal choices are becoming a greater concern to people than the sanctity of life or how God has defined life. 

Jesus took this principle of murder a step farther in declaring that ungodly anger breaks the sixth commandment. 

21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25 Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent."

I'm not sure if Jesus is saying that hatred is murder, but he does seem to be saying that anger and hatred is also an offense to the Lord and so just as murder is an offense, hatred or anger is also an offense. If anything- what Jesus is saying is -it is not simply our outward actions that are an offense before the Lord, but our inner thoughts as well. Our words are as important as our actions.

It is an interesting thought an idea - first regarding murder and then self-defense and now hatred.  

Summary:  Murder is not unforgivable and yet like any other sin, even hatred, we need to avoid it. It has consequences in this life. Fortunately everyone still in society agrees. Self-defense is a little harder to define, but God I believe understands type time of killing. 

Promise: From Tabletalk -- Murder is not the unforgivable sin...as Christians, we are perhaps more prone to break the sixth commandment by harboring angry hearts. Ungodly anger against another person violates the sixth commandment, so let us seek to eliminate that sin in our lives.

Prayer: O Father, you are Holy. This is clear. Forgive me for my anger and hatred over the years. Forgive our society for thinking murder does not apply to unborn babies. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and help us to focus on You each day. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today. Images and Idols - Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad; but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see. Using God's Name Frivolously - Blasphemy or using God's name frivolously are examples of taking God's name in vain. Keeping the Lord's Day - It is vital that we are setting apart a day to gather for worship and fellowship, resting from our ordinary vocations. Honoring Father and Mother - Parents are to rear their children in faith, teaching them to respect authority and children are to follow.

Exodus 20:12 - Honoring Father and Mother

Exodus 20:12

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

Message: Honoring Father and Mother

Time: Most likely this book was penned by Moses. The book covers a period of approximately eighty years, from shortly before Moses’s birth (c. 1526 BC) to the events that occurred at Mount Sinai in 1446 BC. The Bible's message of redemption appears in Exodus as well: though the children of Israel were enslaved in a foreign land, God miraculously and dramatically delivered them to freedom, provided the Law, established the system of sacrifice, and gave instructions on building of His tabernacle. God began to fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What the Lord is Saying:

The promise in this verse is what for me has stood out -- that your days may be prolonged. I remember a friend saying that if we were to truly do this command, then the rest of the commands would not be necessary. And in some ways this lays the foundation for all the other commands. 

As all of us begin life, we see that God has established authority in our lives from the beginning. And our first step is to honor our father and mother. More authorities will come in life - in school, jobs, at church, our elected officials and leaders, law enforcement, but it all begins with the command to honor our father and mother and submit to them. 

This text from Romans 13:1-7 has been looked at a lot over the last few years as we think about this virus and our response to it. 

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

I think in these verses is a basic understanding that we are to be in subject to our authorities. Unless we are told to do something that is not in line with God's word. I think we as humans are struggling with this more and more. I have a person right now at work that ignores authority. He is asked to do something and he tells the person "no." It makes me wonder his home life and how he might have learned about authority growing up. 

As I think about this command I see that Paul repeats it in Ephesians 6:1-4 and also repeats that in following it we will live long on the earth. Maybe this phrase is meant to say that our lives will be better. I think I need to look at this as well in my life. Right, I am struggling with the authority in my life at times, not agreeing with my boss, who is about 15 or more years younger than me. I want to be autonomous because of my experience and I need to do a better job of deferring to her. I can tell as I get older and the thought that I am getting wiser that I begin to think that authority is not as important. I fall out of the shadow of my parents and think I am more on my own. 

The verse in Ephesians is also a verse for me as a parent, a parent that is a disciple of Christ and that I need to be teaching my children in the way of the Lord. I think we instilled this in our home. I am concerned that at times it was fear based but hopefully my kids through the Holy Spirit caught onto the importance of this, even now as they are living on their own. 

Summary: Parents are to rear their children in faith, teaching them to respect authority and children are to follow. God orders authority and establishes it. It begins with parents but continues in many other forms throughout our lives. 

Promise: As Tabletalk says, "Teaching children to honor their parents and other authorities is not only right according to God's law, but it is also good for society." 

Prayer: O God, you are a great God. I thank you for this new day, a new day to worship and serve you and walk with You. Lord, I thank you for the parents that you gave me and learning the importance of submission and respect. I pray that you would continue to teach me what this means and you would continue to instruct my children in this even as they are no longer under our roof. Help us all to remember that submitting to authority improves our life. Your commands are there to protect us but also to improve our lives and make life more satisfying and enjoyable. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today. Images and Idols - Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad; but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see. Using God's Name Frivolously - Blasphemy or using God's name frivolously are examples of taking God's name in vain. Keeping the Lord's Day - It is vital that we are setting apart a day to gather for worship and fellowship, resting from our ordinary vocations.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 - Keeping the Lord's Day

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 

12 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.

Message: Keeping the Lord's Day

Time: This book chronicles farewell messages by Moses, the 120 year old leader of the Israelite, primarily intended for the lay person. It covers about one month, at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness - 1405 BC. It is a renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Sabbath Day has always been to me a very easy command to understand, but a very hard command to figure out how to observe. It seems clear - on the sabbath, do not do any work. Once we were lost (a slave in the land of Egypt), but God rescued us and so we set aside a day, an entire day for him. I've had a few moments in my life I think where I have in fact kept the Lord's Day but it seems rare. I remember having Sabbath days of no TV which seemed more like a punishment than a Holy Day. Sunday's lately have become often a day to help my dad and support him. Before that, they were a TV watching day. In Sunday School yesterday, we read about a Sabbath day's walk which was 6/10th's of a mile or 15 minutes and this constituted the longest one could walk on the Sabbath day. I've always wondered about those in the church as well for the Sabbath day is their busiest day of the week. 

I think the difference, as Tabletalk calls out is some people do work on the sabbath out of necessity. I simply think I need to think about my living practice and always remember the importance of resting. Lately I've struggled with this, working at every moment, either on my job or on ministry. I get burned out easily. I think some cultures might have an easier time with resting, like my friends in India because there normal practice is a 6 day work week. 

My rest though needs to look back to God and to think about what He has done through His death and resurrection. 

Summary: Rest is important. Even taking time to exercise I think is rest. Spending time with You God is rest. I need to remind myself of all that God has done for me and that I do not need to keep working, which lends itself to thinking that God is not in control, but I am. 

Promise: It is vital that we are setting apart a day to gather for worship and fellowship, resting from our ordinary vocations. 

Prayer: O God, you are great and wonderful. I need to remember this continually. Keep me focused on You and what You have done for me, but also what you have done for your people throughout time. Bring back the joy of my salvation continually. Lord, instruct me and guide me in understanding how I need to rest each week from my labor. Give me this understanding and help me prioritize this in my life. Be praised O God. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Bringing me to Christ

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him. 

Guiding our Lives

The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.

The Law is our Guide

The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today. Images and Idols - Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad; but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see. Using God's Name Frivolously - Blasphemy or using God's name frivolously are examples of taking God's name in vain.