This world has sunk to it's some of it's
lowest levels of immorality. I believe that this is due to the fact that the
children are not educated concerning God's moral laws. To say don't kill, steal,
or have premarital sex is not enough. They need to know why God does not want
them to sin: for their own physical, mental, and spiritual protection. God wrote
the commandments with His own hand. He went out of His way to give us direction.
Let's take a look are what this world would be like if we kept the 10
commandments:
Exodus 20:1 “And God spake all these
words, saying ...”
Exodus 20:2 “I am the LORD thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
1... Exodus 20:3 “Thou shalt have no
other gods before me.”
God does not want us to trust in any other being but Him. People make money,
sex, drugs, alcohol and even themselves their gods. They put their trust in the
material items and find themselves disappointed. Solomon was the wisest and one
of the richest men in the world. He had land, money, servants, food, drink and
1000 wives and concubines. In all that he had, he found no satisfaction. In the
end he determined this: “Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is
the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes
12:13).
I do not believe that there is such a thing as an atheist. I believe that every
person is aware that God exists. They try to deny God in an attempt to remain
unaccountable for their actions and behaviour on earth. Fortunately, God knows
our hearts and He will hold every person accountable justly.
How could this commandment bring a change to this world? We would not be self-centred,
we would be God-centred. God would take first place in our life and the result
would be more giving of ourselves to others. There would be no anger, and there
would be no hatred; but there would be more giving and forgiving.
2... Exodus 20:4-6. “Thou shalt not make
unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto
thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
The false idol has been a problem with humanity since the beginning. The word
used for idol in this verse is pecel which means carved image. The Lord went on
to include molten or cast idols in Exodus 34:17. Today people worship trees,
animals, men, women, and false deities. “Christian” churches allow the
worship and veneration of carved, and cast idols. People kneel and pray to the
false idols. They burn candles and incense to the false idols. They chant
repetitious prayers in hopes that the can get something from the false idol that
God will not give them, or they never asked God for.
Jesus said “God is a Spirit: and they
that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
(John 4:24). People want something tangible or real to behold. Their
communication with God is not there because they don't know Jesus. They cannot
hear His whisper so they go to a man made idol.
What God addresses here is worship. There is nothing wrong with a variety of
churches. God likes to be worshipped in different ways. (Psalm 150) However,
there are hundreds of thousands of false temples and churches in this world.
Many of them are empty and the cost to maintain them is high. If the world got
rid of the false idols and worshipped the One true God, then the tithe could be
applied for greater purposes than maintaining empty church buildings.
3... Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not take
the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless
that taketh his name in vain.”
The name of the One true God is to be honoured. King David said that the enemies
of God take His name in vain. (Psalm 139:20) If you take the name of God in vain
then you must be His enemy. If you are an enemy of God then you are against Him.
If you are against God then you are also an enemy of His children. If you are an
enemy of God's children then your values will be a stumbling block for them. You
may be used to lead them into temptation and cause them to sin.
The name of God not to be used in chants, magic or to curse someone. I heard an
ad on the radio about a “religious Christian” woman who claimed to be a
witch doctor. She claimed her ties to God and religion gave her special powers.
She claimed that she could cast spells and bring love into your life. The woman
even offered a money back guarantee. It is obvious that this woman did not have
God in her life. She was self-centred and not God-centred. She used God's name
for gain and to mislead people. She claimed to practice witchcraft and that is
forbidden in the Bible.
It is nothing for a person in today's society to take God's name in vain. We
hear it in the home, at work, school, on the streets, at professional sporting
events by the players, coaches, and fans. We hear it on the radio, on TV, and in
the films. Sad to say it doesn't even affect most of us. Using God's name has
been slowly indoctrinated back into society, just as the violation of the other
commandments have been accepted.
We are blessed to live in this age of grace. To take God's name in vain could
have brought the wrath of God on an individual in the past. God is patient and
hopes that many will change and accept His free gift of grace. This world would
be a much better place to live in if we would honour the One true God. Placing
God first in our lives, worshipping Him only and honouring Him with our lips. By
honouring God, we could be blessed by Him with graces that are unknown to
society. Unfortunately, we will probably miss out as a world because of our
disobedience.
4... Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the
sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do
any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy
maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in
six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and
rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed
it.”
How could keeping the Sabbath change this world? We could get into the debate on
what day the Sabbath really should be observed. A recent e-mail that I received
told me that the world was going to be judged on what day they worshipped.
Seemed odd to me because Jesus said that those who believed in Him would not be
judged.
Jesus said “The
sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath”
Mark 2:27. He broke the Sabbath in John chapter 9 by healing and mixing mud. The
Sabbath is a perfect example of God looking out for the good of His children. He
wanted us to take a day of rest so we wouldn't burn out. People brag about being
workaholics. A salaried person is expected to put in 12-15 hour days. The more
they give, the more the company wants. Then they hit a point when they can't
give anymore. There is not enough time in the day. They start to burn out and
they are terminated.
It would be almost impossible for us to keep a Sabbath. Hospitals, nursing
homes, utility companies, police, firemen, etc., all have to have scheduled
staff, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, it is important to set aside one
day a week to relax. There would be a lot less anger, stress, burnout, broken
family and work relationships if people learned to take advantage of what God
planned for them with a Sabbath.
5... Exodus 20:12 “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long
upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
How could the world be changed by children honouring their parents? It is
important that the family stay together as a unit. Parents that instil God's
moral law into their children's hearts and minds will be honoured. So the first
step in the honour process is the parents responsibility to “train
up” their children. Successfully
instilling the Law of God into their children's hearts brings a promise that the
children will not depart from those Laws. (Proverbs 22:6) The result is honour
and dedication to the parents. To not honour a parent in the Old Testament could
lead to the death penalty. The key for a child is to learn from the mistakes
that the parents make and avoid making the same mistakes in raising their own
children.
6... Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill.”
Imagine if there were no murders. There would be no groups that were for or
against gun control. They would not be used against humans so they would do no
harm. There would be no life sentences in prison, so the jails would be more
empty. There would be no capital punishment, no debates, no demonstrations.
There would be no armed police or bullet proof vests. Time could be spent on
other forms of law enforcement. There would be no lengthy court trials.
Attorneys and Judges could focus on other issues.
The best thing about no murders would be the lack of heartache. Loved ones would
still be home, families would still be together, children in the arms of their
parents. The shock, pain, and prolonged sorrow over the loss of a loved one is
devastating. Even Jesus, Himself, wept openly when He saw the sorrow expressed
over the loss of a loved one. The grief doesn't end once the casket is closed
and the person is buried. Many sleepless nights will be spent. Many lonely days
will come and go. Holidays and special occasions will only be dreaded. Sure will
all die, but to have your life taken early is devastating for a family.
If there were no murders then the killing of our unborn children would be
stopped. The millions of babies that have been executed for no crime committed
is astonishing. Sweet innocent children, growing in their mothers womb, have
their life taken before they get a breath of air. Victims of lust, greed,
adultery, self-centred parents, they taste Satan's grip on the minds of godless
people. Then the mother of the child will possibly go through a life time of
spiritual, physical, and mental anguish over what she did. God had our best
intentions in mind when He wrote the 10 commandments.
7... Exodus 20:14 “Thou shalt not commit
adultery.”
Just think of the endless possibilities if adultery was avoided. There would be
no AIDS, no STD'S. The word abortion would never be used or an issue. There
would be no gay pride--there is no pride in sin. There would no longer be any
prostitutes. There would be no divorce because Jesus said that divorce is OK
only for the case of adultery (Matthew 5:32) There would be no pregnant unwed
teens, no maternity homes and no single parents. There would be no dead beat
dads, and the word alimony would not exist.
With the stop of murder, divorce, and prostitution, the court system has even
more room to concentrate on other issues. Social services and social workers are
not needed. The children who honoured their parents will be trained to be good
parents when they marry. The abuse or neglect of a child would not exist.
Pornography would not exist. Jesus said “But
I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
(Matthew 5:28). So out go the magazines, centrefolds, pornographic movies,
massage parlours, and peep shows. Women and men would be a little more careful
how they dressed in an effort to not cause another to sin. With the stop of
pornography will come an appreciation for the spouse. A man or woman will not
compare their spouse to the centrefold of the month. They will accept each other
with the physical attraction that brought them together. Out goes plastic
surgery like breast enlargements, tummy tucks, liposuction and face lifts.
The stop of pornography would put an end to child molestation and child
pornography. The enticement available to sick minds only makes the innocent
child more vulnerable to attack. .
8... Exodus 20:15 “Thou shalt not steal.”
If people stop stealing, along with murder, then we would see our police force
dwindle. The jails would be empty and our taxes could be spent on more crucial
things like feeding the hungry and taking care of the sick.
9... Exodus 20:16 “Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neighbour.”
Ever play the game where you pass on a rumour? Chinese Whispers is an
illustration of how a story can get blown out of proportion. A long message is
whispered in the ear of the person next to you and you instruct them to pass it
on. The message is passed on to the whole group. Then the fun begins. Each
person gets to tell the message they received. You quickly find out, that after
the message gets passed on to a few people, it tends to get mixed up, words are
added, and the original message is not there. This can happen in the real world.
10... Exodus 20:17 “Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his
manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is
thy neighbour's.”
To covet something is to want it so badly you are obsessed with it and will do
just about anything to get it. I think the Lord spelled it out very precisely
when He wrote this commandment. Don't desire your neighbour's house, wife, help,
animals (probably a source of transportation so we can include his motor car),
pool, Jacuzzi, furniture, shed, garden, grass, etc.
Ah, keeping up with the Joneses. It used to be the wife stayed home to raise the
children and the husband went to work to make the money. Then houses got larger,
the cars got faster, and the toys are endless. A couple builds a house and they
are content. Then a neighbour, co-worker, or family member builds one bigger and
more luxurious and the race is on. You need custom cabinets, a Jacuzzi, a
bathroom in every bedroom, wall-to-wall carpeting, crystal chandeliers, etc.,
and this is just on the inside. Or maybe you saw a commercial on TV. After all,
there is a difference between commercials and Jesus. Jesus gives security, and
commercials sell insecurities. They want you to think that you need more, and
most are sold on that concept.
The cost to build and maintain the house is enormous. Add on the toys, the
second mortgage, and the credit cards and you can barely keep afloat. The wife
goes out to work and things start to go sour. Guys are work are making passes at
her, putting her in a vulnerable position. The children are coming home from
school and the home is empty. They watch programs that you would not approve of.
They are on the phone for hours or maybe the party starts when school is out.
Well, you have a nanny. The children come home and show their test results to
the nanny. Can you really trust that nanny? Are you sure she is doing her job?
Is she mentally or physically abusing your children? Hey, it's been documented
on TV.
Or maybe it's that a person just doesn't want to work for it. We had an incident
near our town where a group of punks went on a robbing and shooting spree. They
walked down a neighbourhood street and robbed and shot every person they passed.
They didn't get much and the police got them. Rather than finding a job and
earning things the old fashioned way, they tried to take easy street. My bet is
when they get out of jail, they will do it again.
If the command of coveting was kept, we could keep the Mum at home managing the
household. She would be home to care for the children and not be at risk in the
work place. Thus we would no longer have sexual harassment suits. My guess is
that banks and credit card companies would be out of business. (Exodus 22:25)
They would not be able to take advantage of others by charging outrageous
interest rates. There would be no more day cares, and this would eliminate
another concern for child abuse. The demand for bigger and better would be down
and eliminate crimes of greed.
In a brief summary, if the world were to keep the commandments or even give
their best effort to keep the commandments:
1. The world would worship the One true God. We would no longer be self-centred
but God-centred.
2. The world would serve the One true God. We would no longer put sex, drugs,
money or other thing before Him.
3. The name of God would be honoured and praised.
4. The workaholic, dual career family, burned out employees would be a thing of
the past. Quality and efficiency of production would rise.
5. Parents would assume their Biblical roles and they would be honoured. The
rest homes as we know them would be gone.
6. There would be no more murders of any kind. There would be no more wars.
7. There would be no more abortions, unwanted children, prostitutes, sexual
diseases, divorces, or pornography. The word child molestation would be a thing
of the past.
8. Stealing from stores, homes and the work place would be over. Businesses
could have an increase in profits and pass the savings onto the consumer. There
would be no jails or security guards.
9. False rumours and accusations would be stopped.
10. Keeping up with the Joneses would be over. Banks and credit cards would be
eliminated.
In the end, God would pour down His blessing upon us. (Malachi 3:10-12) Armed
and police forces would be eliminated. The money saved could be used for
treating the sick, the hungry and improving the quality of life. The child that
would have been aborted might be the one that comes up with the cure for cancer,
blindness or spinal cord damage. Family life and the work ethic would improve
drastically. The court system, lawsuits and trials would be gone. Life would be
much simpler with less anger, stress and fatigue. No one would be unemployed,
there would always be work. The Bible says this will happen someday when Jesus
returns for His 1000 year reign as ruler of the earth. (Revelation 20) God wants
to show us how things would have been if we had only listened to Him.
But there is one more thing to consider. Revelation 20:11-15 speaks of judgment.
After the 1000 year reign of Jesus, Satan will give it one last try and will go
to Hell. Many others will follow him as they do now. The problem is their name
was not found written in the book of life, is yours? Salvation can be found by
God's grace alone, through our faith alone, in Christ alone.