COMMANDMENT # 10 EXODUS 20: 17

COMMANDMENT # 10

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house.  You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or ANYTHING that belongs to your neighbor."     Exodus 20:17 (NIV)

LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE COMMENTARY:

   To covet is to wish to have the possessions of others.  It goes beyond simply admiring someone else's possessions or thinking, "I'd like one of those."  Coveting includes envy--resenting the fact that others have what you don't.  God knows however, that possessions never make anyone happy for long.  Since only God can supply all our needs, true contentment is found only in Him.  When you begin to covet, try to determine if a more basic need is leading you to envy.  For example, you may covet someone's success, not because you want to take it away from him, but because you would like to feel as appreciated by others as he is.  If this is the case, pray that God will help you deal with your resentment and meet your basic needs.

MY THOUGHTS

   To covet is to obsessively, excessively desire that which belongs to another.  It is to lie awake at night obsessing over why they have it when you should be the one who owns it.  It really should be yours.  You need it.  They don't know how to handle owning it.  Etc.   It is not just a desire to obtain it for yourself, but to deny another of having it so you can own it.
   I googled "define covet".  I found a site called, "bible.org", which went into deep detail of what coveting is.  It was truly amazing.  I invite you to go to their site.  The post is titled, "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Coveting--And A Whole Lot More.
   Coveting is a sin of the heart, not a sin of an action.  If I murder, it is known.  If I steal, it is known.  If I covet, no one knows until it leads me to one of the other sins.  King David coveted Bathsheba.  She belonged to another.  He obsessed about her.  Then he acted, committing adultery, murder, lies, etc.  He took his eyes off of God and onto a possession of another. 
   It is easy to say to keep your eyes on God, but it is not always so easy to do.
History is full of people who coveted, including Adolf Hitler.  He coveted to be God.
   We need to take stock of our own thoughts and desires.  Desire is a good thing.  It can motivate us to work hard to achieve goals.  Let us examine our hearts and place God on the throne of our hearts.  Pray for God to show us where we might be harboring covetousness.

   But I have good news if you desire to spend eternity in Heaven with God.  He has prepared a place for you and a Way to get there:  Jesus.  Please visit our "Path to Salvation" page and accept His gift to you. Have you accepted Jesus's gift of salvation?     https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html. 

You are encouraged to leave a comment with your thoughts,

   Also, if this ministry is a blessing to you, please share this post on your favorite social media.  Thank you.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaslife.blogspot.com and http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com.

KING HEROD'S MASSACRE

KING HEROD'S MASSACRE

   After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

   When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.  "In Bethlehem in Judea, "they replied, "for this is what the prophets has written:

     "'but you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

          are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

       for out of you will come a ruler

          who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child.  As soon as you find him,  report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

   After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

   When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.  "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you, FOR HEROD IS GOING TO SEARCH FOR THE CHILD TO KILL HIM."

   So he got up, took, the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.  And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet:  "Out of Egypt I called my son."

   WHEN HEROD REALIZED THAT HE HAD BEEN OUTWITTED BY THE MAGI, HE WAS FURIOUS, AND HE GAVE ORDERS TO KILL ALL THE BOYS IN BETHLEHEM AND ITS VICINITY WHO WERE TWO YEARS OLD AND UNDER, in accordance with the time he learned from the Magi.  Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

       "a voice is heard in Ramah,

             weeping and great mourning,

        Rachel weeping for her children

             and refusing to be comforted,

        because they are no more."                      Matthew 2:  1 - 18   (NIV)

There are two things I want to point out to you tonight from these passages:  1) ...Herod is going to search for the child...  God knows all things past, present, and future.

2)  All the boy children two years old and younger were sentenced to death by their government.  God knew this before it happened.  God allowed it to happen to accomplish His plan.

   God knew about the young man in Connecticut from the time before he was born.  He knew what he would do before he was allowed to do it. 

   God knew about Columbine, where Rachael Scott attended.

  

   Let us get on our knees and worship God for His love and mercy.  Let us pray for comfort for the families of the children and the adults. Let us give thanks for the relationships in our lives that bring us so much joy.  Let us pray for a major revival in this nation to honor God.

 Do you know God's love?  Have you accepted His forgiveness for your own sins?  Please visit the "plan to salvation" page.  God doesn't want any to perish, but to have everlasting life.

You are also invited to visit with Oma at http://omaslife.blogspot.com and http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com.

COMMANDMENT # 9 EXODUS 20: 15

COMMANDMENT #9

   You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.  Exodus 20: 15

   Exodus has a whole paragraph on lying: 
Do not spread false reports.  Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. 
Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. 
When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.  Exodus 23:  1-3  (NIV)
Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. 
Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty. 
Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.    Exodus 23" 6-8   (NIV)

Do not lie

 Do not deceive one another.

Do not swear falsely by my Name and so profane the Name of your God.  I am the Lord.   Leviticus 19: 11,12        (NIV)

   Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.   Ephesians 4: 25  (NIV)

   In Matthew, Jesus said, 18)"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, FALSE WITNESS, blasphemies:"

It appears that the bottom line for those called by His Name are to have morals above those "of the world".  Even the wicked know how we are instructed to act; just ask a politician.  We are to reflect God's nature.  Remember that "Satan is the father of lies".  John 8: 44  (NIV)  Where would we be if God lied?

Have you accepted God's gift of eternal life?  We are born into sin due to the choices of Adam and Eve.  God gave us a way out of that sin.  Please visit the "Path to Salvation" page to learn more about His love.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaslife.blogspot.com and http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com.

COMMANDMENT # 8 EXODUS 20: 14

COMMANDMENT # 8

   You shall not steal.    Exodus 20: 14   (NIV)



   Really, that says it all.  Do not take from anyone what is not yours.  If you want something, work for it.  At the very least, ask for it.  Personally, if you ask me for what you need, it will be given to you if I have it.  If I don't have it and you really need it, I will do everything in my power to help you get it.  Why would you steal?
 
Then there is that famous passage in Malachi:

"I the Lord do not change.  So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.  Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them.  Return to me, and I will return to you."  says the Lord Almighty.
"But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
"Will a man rob from God?  Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this", says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.    Malachi 3: 6-10 (NIV)

If you do steal, surely you would not want to steal from God, Himself! 

You see, God does not look in favor on us when we make for ourselves another god....even in the form of government.  God will care for those who cannot care for themselves when we tithe as we are instructed to do.  He does not feed the lazy.

Let us all return to our first love, The Lord, and revere Him and receive His blessings.  Have you accepted God's love through Jesus Christ?  Please visit the "Pathway to Salvation" page and accept Jesus today, while there is still time.

If this post is a blessing to you, please feel free to share it on your favorite social media.  Thank you.


You are also invited to visit with Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

COMMANDMENT #7 EXODUS 20: 14

COMMANDMENT #7

   You shall not commit adultery.    Exodus 20: 14  (NIV)

                                                            

                                                          

   The definition of adultery according to thefreedictionary.com is "voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man or woman and a partner other than the legal spouse". 
   There are so many ramifications connected to adultery.  One is that you lie and steal when you commit adultery.  You lie to the same one you promised to cherish and love forever.  You lie to your children.  You lie to family and friends to cover your sin.  You steal happiness, trust, and security from your spouse and your children.  You brand yourself as one who is not to be trusted, so you loose respect from anyone who knows about your adultery. 

The Bible has so much more to say about sexual sins, but adultery made it to the top of the list:

   If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.
   If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father.  Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
  If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death.  What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.
   If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.  They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.   Leviticus 20:  10-13  (NIV)

The list in Leviticus goes on.............God wants the best for us and He knows that sexual sin may shatter the lives of His children.

   In today's society, you also put your spouse at risk of contracting diseases which can be debilitating and even fatal.  If your spouse is pregnant when you choose to commit adultery, you are also putting your pre-born child at risk of contracting a fatal disease.  That is labeled as murder.
   So, you bear false witness, steal, and commit murder as well as committing adultery.  I would say this one is a commandment you would want to steer clear of.  How do you ask for forgiveness for adultery when you failed to observe so many of the commandments all wrapped up in one?
   Since I am no longer "politically correct", I never call adultery by any of the acceptable terms such as "an affair" or "an indiscretion" or whatever we are told to smooth it over with in today's society.  I call a duck a duck.

What are your thoughts?  Do you know Jesus?  Please visit the "Path to Salvation" page to learn how to be saved from the sins you have committed.

You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.

COMMANDMENT # 6 EXODUS 20: 13

COMMANDMENT # 6

  

   You shall not commit murder.  Exodus 20: 13 (NIV)

   Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death.  However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate.  But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death.  Exodus 20: 12-14.

  

   You have heard it said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.  Matthew 5:  21, 22.  (NIV)

   Life begins at conception.  Facts are facts: 

Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

If God knew us before we were born, how can we murder any baby who is living within his mother's womb?

"Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground".  Genesis 4: 10b  (NIV)  This is what God said to Cain after he had killed his brother, Abel.  How much more the blood of 47,000,000 babies has cried out to my Father in Heaven from America, a "Christian nation"!

Do not call yourself a Christian and condone abortion.  What's more, how can you trust a doctor to practice medicine in your best interest when he/she can cold-bloodedly commit murder? 

You are encouraged to leave your thoughts in a comment on this site. 

If this ministry is a blessing to you, you are invited to share this post on your favorite social media.  Thank you.

You are invited to visit with Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.