Friday, April 15, 2011

3rd Commandment - Third Commandment Meaning

The 3rd commandment of Gods Ten Commandments recorded in Exodus 20:7 of the King James Version of the bible states.

"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."

What is God saying in the third commandment? How is he commanding us to conduct ourselves?

What does it mean to take Gods name in vain?
 
Third Commandment Meaning

According to the Strong's Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, the word vain is referring to desolate. According to the Oxford American dictionary the word desolate means make someone feel unhappy. So with this information lets arrange Gods 3rd commandment to reflect our new knowledge.

Do not use God's name in a way that will make God unhappy. For he will hold us responsible for hurting his image, making him unhappy.

So what conduct makes God happy?

Well let us look at the events that lead to God giving his ten commandments. 

God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. The Israelites acknowledged this by singing a song of praise after they crossed the Red Sea and the Egyptians that followed were killed (Read Exodus 15, The Song of Moses). These events God created brought honor to his name and now all of Egypt knows the power of God and his love for his people the Israelites. So know the Israelites are happy. They are claiming the goodness of God, which makes God happy.

Immediately after they traveled in the desert for three days with no water (Sounds like a three day fast to me). While in the land of Marah, they complained to Moses about having no water to drink. Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD provided instructions to Moses showing him a tree to put into the water to make the water good to drink. And God delivered an order and law for the Israelites to live by. To live in peace, free of the diseases God placed on Egypt, they must diligently obey the LORD thy God's orders and commandments, and do what is right in Gods eyes. This includes every order and law God gave starting from Abraham, the Father of the Israelites, and now including the recent commandment of the Lord of Feast.

They continued to travel from Marah to Elim, where the land was plenty, full of trees and water. From Elim they traveled to desert of Sin hungry for food. Where they began to complain to Moses and Aaron about being hungry and why Did God lead them out of Egypt to die in the desert. They would rather be slaves in Egypt at least there they could eat to they were full and happy (Read Exodus 16:2-3). 

Now these things said by the Israelites are hurtful. God saved them from captivity and now they are ungrateful. It has only been two months and fifteen days since they departed from Egypt. So not that long ago, and they are already complaining, Using God's name in vain.

Now God is a great God. He answered their complaining by giving them bread, manna, from heaven every day except on the seventh day, the Sabbath. They were commanded to gather twice as much on the sixth day, to store so they could eat on the seventh day. The other days they would only gather enough to eat for that day. No one could store bread from days one through five. This was God's commandment.

Unfortunately, some people didn't obey God's commandments. Some people tried to store manna on the days there were not suppose too. And on the Sabbath, seventh day, some tried to gather manna. These actions mad God unhappy as recorded in Exodus 16:28 - 31. He was upset because people did not obey the Sabbath. This is the day that God set aside to rest and for us to worship him for the good events in our life. To rest in the fruits of our labor. So God commanded Moses to create a memorial of manna for current and future generations to remember the bread God delivered when the Israelites were brought out of Egypt. Which would hopefully help us obey his commandments.

However, once again the people complained of thirst at the next land they traveled too, the land of Rephidim. There they said, "Wherefore is this that thou has brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our Cattle with thirst?" (Exodus 17:3). Therefore again using God's name in vain. Showing a lack of respect for God and what God has done, by bringing them out of captivity from Egypt and feeding them daily. They were very ungrateful towards God.

So what conduct makes God happy? Simple obey all of his ten commandments and show your gratitude for what he has done to save you. Through the blood of Jesus we are saved from our sins. But we must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and get baptized in his name to receive this gift. If you haven't been baptized then do so know. Read the book of Acts to understand why.

Are you obedient to the 3rd commandment? What can you do today to make God happy, to bring Honor to his name?



Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Second Commandment - 2nd Commandment

God's second commandment of the Ten Commandments is a continuation from the first commandment. In the first commandment God tells us to have no other gods before him. God our creator knowing us so well knows we are challenged with obedience tells us in his second commandment how to keep the first commandment. The second commandment provides detail of what God considers putting other gods before him. He gives explicit instructions on how we are to love him.

The Second Commandment of The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 4-6)

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything 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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."


As recorded in the book of Exodus, God gives further instructions to Moses what we ought not do and what he expects us to do to honor him through worship.

"Ye shall not make me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold." Exodus 20: 23
No-gods-of-Gold.jpg
 God gives specific instructions on how we should worship him in Exodus 20: 24.
"An alter of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice therein thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee."
God gives further instruction on the resources we can use to build the alter in Exodus 20: 25 "And if thou wilt make me an alter of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it."


Go also provides instruction on what not to do at the alter in Exodus 20: 26. "Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon." This makes since, it is hard to stay focused on worshipping God if you are looking up someone's dress or looking at his or her bottom.
Are you obedient to the first and second commandment? Are you bowing down to other gods. Are you worshipping things of the earth?  Hopefully you answered Yes, No and No. If you answered differently, then it is time to make a change today. Evaluate what and whom you worship. Do you fear (respect and reverence) God more than your boss, your spouse, your children, your money, your car, your parents, and your life?

When we fully respect and reverence God, we will receive his reward eternal life. Find a way to show God you respect and reverence today.