The 10 Commandments… A good way to live well

They are the basis of all western law. Putting aside any spiritual or religious meaning, the 10 Commandments are what most of western law is based upon. The 10 commandments are carved in stone on the walls of the United States Supreme Court. Taking a closer look, four of the commandments deal with man’s relationship to God, while the other six deal with man’s relationship to man. For this discussion we will focus on commandments 5-10.

The Supreme Court and the 10 Commandments

A group of people were having dinner outdoors at a small cafe. The conversation got around to a grievance one of the people had concerning the United States Supreme Court.

A man expressed his displeasure, disgust and outright anger over the fact that the 10 Commandments are carved in stone on the walls of the court. He viewed this as a serious violation of his freedom from religion. He went on to say that the very fact that someone would put them on the court’s walls was immoral.

When he was reminded that our laws were based on the commandments, he became combative and and refused to listen to the alternate point of view. Another man, a close friend, spoke up and told him that the 10 Commandments were in fact, the basis of our laws, as we understand it in the West. This troubled him and he did not argue the point further, as he saw the evidence was substantial.

Commandments are logical

Think of it this way, the 10 Commandments make sense. They are logical. According to the Bible, the 10 Commandments were given to the Israelites by God (Exodus 20). There were over two million Israelites and at the time God give the commandments, they had only been out of captivity in Egypt for three weeks. It was necessary to structure an orderly society and, logically, there needed to be rules.

The first four commandments deal with man’s relationship to God. We will not discuss those in this article. The last six deal with man’s relationship to man, so we will stick to that for now.

Honoring our parents

We begin with the fifth commandment: Honor your father and your mother. One of the ties that holds societies together is the family unit. In modern society the value of family is not as strong as it was in past generations. But the common sense directive clearly advances the value of family. Honoring can mean showing respect, or obeying your parents’. It can also mean loving your parents as they age and need your help. Or it can simply mean being respectful to your elders. Western societies tend to discount experience that comes with age, as everything is geared for youth.

Don’t kill

The sixth commandment means exactly what it says. Do not kill. Courts of law will argue what is acceptable taking of life, such as self defense, war. But for everyday life, having respect for someone else’s right to live goes a long way in achieving order and harmony. It’s difficult to justify any other position.

Do not commit adultery

The seventh is also straight forward: Do not commit adultery. Men and women are meant to be joined in marriage, for life. This means not going with someone else. When taken a little deeper, it would include not wanting to be with someone else.

Don’t steal

The eight commandment prohibits stealing. People may think they follow the commandments, but they still have to lock up their house, their car and take preventative measures to insure that no one takes their property.

Don’t lie about your neighbor

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor is the ninth in our list. Don’t lie. Some versions of the Bible use the word witness instead of testimony.

Don’t covet

The last one is very, very difficult. Do not covet. That means do not wish you had something that belongs to someone else. Everyone wants food, clothing and shelter. People get jealous of other people’s possessions, or their spouse or their children. They want a bigger and better home, and they want more money and better social standing. They want, they want, they want. That can lead to killing, stealing, false witness, lies, deception, fraud and the like.

We all should review and try to live by these ancient rules

Here is a complete list of the commandments that God has given us. If we do our best to follow these our lives are likely to be lived well.

1 “You shall have no other gods before me.

2 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

3 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

4 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping 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, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

5 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

6 “You shall not murder.

7 “You shall not commit adultery.

8 “You shall not steal.

9 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

10 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

In the beginning was the Word…

The Bible

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The Most Important Book

The Bible is an amazing book. It’s the most important book in human history. It defines existence. It is our story, regardless of race, gender or national origin. It’s God’s revelation of Himself to His creation.

No other book in human history has had the kind of scrutiny, has been debated more, or has been the cause of as much social upheaval.

The Bible represents ABSOLUTE TRUTH about how we were created, why we exist and how we should live. Although parts of it were written more than 3400 years ago, it is completely relevant for today.

The Bible represents COMPLETE LOVE, because God is willing to communicate to us through His word. He shows us how to live through His Law, and because of His mercy, He sends His only Son to us so that we can live forever with Him.

The Bible represents UNAVOIDABLE JUSTICE for all. He rights the wrongs that have been committed by the world, delivering the perfect penalty to those who deserve it.

The Bible represents an INFINITE RESOURCE that we can study our entire lives and still find new and exciting revelations in, every day.

Bible Verse

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1

Description

The Bible is the manual for human life. It gives insight and clarity into human behavior by examining man’s psychological makeup, and like no other book ever written, explains why we are the way we are. It is the story of how we came into being, but more importantly, WHY we came into being.

The Bible is not a history book, yet its history is accurate and at times strikingly detailed. It is not a science book, yet its scientific information is solid. It is the story of the relationship between God and man, written over a 1400 year period by over 40 different authors.

The Good Book

By some, the Bible is considered “the good book,” while others consider it to be the inspired word of God. Some consider every word to be the literal truth, while others view it as truths contained in stories of people. Its wisdom is undeniable, and its commandments are the basis of all Western Law.

For some, the Bible may seem too difficult to understand and therefore not useful for practical, every day matters. Still others consider it vital to those mundane aspects of human life and rely on its guidance and directives to avoid calamity.

For some it’s all about religion, rules and regulations, and how to act. Some others view it as the gentle teachings of a loving parent. It was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, but translated into nearly every written language on the globe.

To set one important fact in place before you go any further, we not trying to prove the existence of God. For the followers of the Bible, namely Jews and Christians, it is a matter of faith more than fact, despite the overwhelming evidence it presents.

The Bible Chronicles Israel and the Life of Christ

The Hebrew texts of the Old Testament chronicle the amazing development of Israel, and the land that God promised to His people. For Christians, the story in the New Testament continues with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, written about by the Prophets.

The books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, are one continuous story. Old Testament writings are considered by many Christians to be the very foundation of Christianity, essential to the faith and of equal importance to the New Testament writings. More specifically, Christians see the entire Bible as being the story of Jesus and God’s plan for mankind. It is God’s unfolding plan that can be seen beginning in the opening chapters of Genesis. As the history unfolds, so does insight into the nature and character of God, as he uses human events to shape the future of the world.

God Does Not Change

Human nature never changes. Science and technology certainly do, as does culture, but human nature is the constant. This is important to know because what was true of men and women 6000 years ago, is true today. The emotions are the same, the aspirations the same and the motivations are the same. It’s like the old saying, “the more things change the more they stay the same.”

The accounts of the Israelites in the desert can be easily applied to the motivations of people today, no matter what country they live in. That’s what makes the Bible amazing. It’s amazing because God was the inspiration and God does not change. He is the same—yesterday, today and tomorrow. The people he created are likewise the same and will be tomorrow.

We will try to give you reliable information and at times direct you to authoritative places to gain more knowledge and insight. We do not claim to be apologists (defenders of the faith), nor do we want you to consider our point of view as non-negotiable.

Read The Bible

We invite you to read the Bible for yourself and make up your own mind about what it means. God gave us free will and invited us to use reason to understand the relevance of His word. We just want to meet you where you are at and help your along your spiritual journey.

This site is a brief summary of an enormous topic, and will give you an introduction into the Bible. It is very likely to become the most important and enduring book of your life.