By Dawn Weimar
“These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly…then he wrote them on two stone tablets… ”
Deuteronomy 5:22
The Lord proclaimed the Ten Commandments in a loud voice; parents, take heart! Not only that…God wrote them on stone, so that they would be preserved and endure! The first four relate to honoring God; the remainder governs our relationships with others.
- “You shall have no other Gods before me.”
- “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…”
- “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
- “Observe 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.”
- “Honor your father and your mother…so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land…”
- “You shall not murder.”
- “You shall not commit adultery.”
- “You shall not steal.”
- “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
- “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife…or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Deuteronomy 5:7-21)
Jesus speaks about God’s laws, too. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law…I tell you the truth…not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).
Obeying these commandments ensures that it will “…go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you” (Deuteronomy 6:3). Our success and prosperity begins with obeying the Lord on these foundational principles. They are not suggestions. They are not just ideas fit for “olden” times...or people far less advanced and enlightened than our generation. They are relevant commandments birthed out of God’s perfect, unconditional love for us…and lived from the inside out through the Holy Spirit’s enabling power. They are a gift from our Heavenly Father!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Now look away, can you recite all of the Ten Commandments? Make this a mealtime conversation to see how many everyone can recall! Talk about what they mean and why they are important.
2. What commandment are you struggling with today? Take your battle to God.
FURTHER READING:
Deuteronomy 5 & 6; Matthew 5-7
Dawn is a wife and mother of three daughters, and is active in Oakwood's worship ministries. She's a pediatric nurse, currently working as VP of Business Development in Population Health Improvement.
