The Ten Commandments

1. You shall have no other gods before (or besides) me.

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol 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 fathers to the thirds 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 manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 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 manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

-- Life Application Bible - NIV

NOTES:

u Why were the Ten Commandments necessary for God's new nation? At the foot of Mount Sinai, God showed his people the true function and beauty of his laws. The commandments were designed to lead Israel to a life of practical holiness. In them, people could see the nature of God and his plan for how they should live. The commands and guidelines were intended to direct the community to meet the needs of each individual in a loving and responsible manner. By Jesus' time, however, most people looked at the law the wrong way. They saw it as a means to prosperity in both this world and the next. And they thought that to obey every law was the way to earn God's protection from foreign invasion and natural disaster. Lawkeeping became an end in itself, not the means to fulfill God's ultimate law of love.

u The Israelites had just come from Egypt, a land of many idols and many gods. Because each god represented a different aspect of life, it was common to worship many gods in order to get the maximum number of blessings. When God told his people to worship and believe in him, that wasn't so hard for them -- he was just one more god to add to the list. But when he said, "You shall have no other gods before me." that was difficult for the people to accept. But if they didn't learn that the God who led them out of Egypt was the only true God, they could not be his people -- no matter how faithfully they kept the other nine commandments. Thus, God made this his first commandment and emphasized it more than the others. Today we can allow many things to become gods to us:

Money | Fame | Work | Pleasure | Beauty | Entertainment | Sex | Possessions | Social Position | A Relationship | Power | False Spiritualities | False Religions | Emotions that overpower and control them instead of God | Anger | Jealousy | Pride | Bitterness | An Unforgiving Spirit | Materialism | Self-love |

when we concentrate too much on the above list for personal identity, meaning, and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshiping these things. But by the amount of time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods.

u God's name is special because it carries his personal identity. Using it frivolously or in a curse is so common today that we may fail to realize how serious it is. The way we use God's name conveys how we really feel about him. We should respect his name and use it appropriately, speaking it in praise or worship rather than in curse or jest. We should not take lightly the abuse or dishonor of his name.

u The Sabbath was a day set aside for rest and worship. God commanded a Sabbath because human beings need to spend unhurried time in worship and rest each week. A God who is concerned enough to provide a day each week for us to rest is indeed wonderful. To observe a regular time of rest and worship in our fast-paced world demonstrates how important God is to us, and it gives us the extra benefit of refreshing our spirits. Don't neglect God's provision.

u "Honor your father and your mother..." This is the first commandment with a promise attached. To live in peace for generations in the promised land, the Israelites would need to respect authority and build strong families. But what does it mean to "honor" parents? Partly, it means speaking well of the m and politely to them. it also means acting in a way that shows them courtesy and respect (but not to obey them if this means disobedience to God). It means following their teaching and example of putting god first. Parents have a special place in God's sight. Even those who find it difficult to get along with their parents are still commanded to honor them.

u Giving false testimony means lying in court. God knew that Israel could not survive unless its system of justice was incorruptible. We should be honest in our private dealings as well as in our public statements. In either situation, we "give false testimony" by leaving something out of a story, telling a half-truth, twisting the facts, or inventing a falsehood. God warns us against deception. Even though deception is a way of life for many people, God's people must not give in to it!

u 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 to have 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.

-- Life Application Bible - NIV

1. Trust in God only.

Trust in no one but GOD. People will disappoint you. God created you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He is too good to do wrong, and too wise to make a mistake. Let His peace abide in you. (Proverbs 3 :5-6)

2. Worship God only.

Don’t make your career, your company, or your boss a god. If you do, you will provoke Him to jealously and will end up fighting Him. In fact, He may hinder you from achieving what you want until you are broken of the idolatry. (Exodus 20:5).

3. Use God’s Name Reverently.

Don’t swear!! Clean words come out of a clean heart! If your co-workers know that you are a Christian, but they hear the Lord’s Name used in vain, or cursing and swearing from your mouth, you will give the appearance of being a hypocrite. (Matthew 15:17-19).

4. Work Six Days and Rest on the Seventh.

Before you beg for more vacation time, ask yourself a few questions, “Do you honor the Sabbath?” God has already given you 52 days of time off that equates to seven weeks. “Are your expectations for work, vacation, and retirement realistic?” By resting one day a week, you can avoid burnout. (Genesis 3:17-19).

5. Respect and Obey Your Boss.

You should respect and obey your boss, because you don’t know what it’s like to be in their shoes. Plus, your ultimate boss is the Lord. Serve Him faithfully on the job, and He will bless you. However, if your boss
commands you to do something illegal or immoral, you must make a stand and obey God rather than man. (Ephesians 6:5-8).

6. Protect and Respect Human Life.

Emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual manipulation, abuses and violence have no place in the workplace… or any place. You do not have the right to use and abuse your boss, co-workers, employees, customers, or suppliers. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2).

7. Be True to Your Spouse.

If you are not getting the kind of attention that you feel you deserve at home, it’s common to seek it with someone at work. Honor your wedding vows by avoiding company romances! They are very tempting, very real, and very common. They are also very wrong and very destructive. (Matthew 19:8-9).

8. Do Not Take What Belongs to Others.

Stealing at work can take many forms. You can choose to steal materials, money, time, productivity , and joy from your employer and others. Do not remove your integrity by stealing. (II Corinthians 7:1-2).

9. Do Not Lie About Others.

Do not fabricate stories about your boss, co-workers, and spread gossip for the sake of company politics. You are here to be the salt and the light, not the pepper and the darkness!! Truth always rises to the surface, and eventually you will be ashamed and rebuked if you lie. (II Peter 2:10-13 ).

10. Be Satisfied With What You Have.

Contentment doesn’t mean that you cannot pursue God-given goals, but it does mean that you are content with what He has provided you with, day after day. Contentment is a rare quality in today’s culture, but it is extremely liberating! Materialism, striving for rank , backstabbing, and discontent lead to emotional, mental, financial, and spiritual bondage. (I Timothy 6:6-11 ).

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