Primary 67 - The Ten Commandments
After all the experiences of Israel, the law of Egypt was still governing their thoughts. The Lord was not fully in the minds and hearts of the people.
Brothers and sisters, sometimes we are eager to follow the Lord but have not put away our old ways so we have to unlearn what we have learned. Converts learn that every day thanks to the Lord's missionaries. We have to learn the correct principles. Some saints grow up learning and others have to learn daily in their conversion.
When the children of Israel finally were safe, well-fed, and watered, they needed a new law. It seems that for four hundred years the gospel had become polluted and a need for cleansing was needed.
So we started simply with ten (never mind that it grew to 613 laws). Let's review them together (Exodus 20:2-17). We are going to show the positive spin to teach what God wanted for us as. Like a gardener, he was fencing us in with law to protect us from the stones and weeds that would stand our growth and success.
1: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
This statement was asking us to put the lord first in our lives. Doctrine & Covenants 59:9-10 says...
And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;
For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;
Sure that could also work with other commandments but the Lord wants us to keep Him on our minds and hearts because stuff tries to get in our Lord's way.
2: 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.
Jesus is trying to keep us focused. Doctrine & Covenants 27:2 says...
For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.
If your eye is single to the glory of God the little things don't get in the way. Our idols and idle behaviors will melt away when we focus on the Son of God and our Heavenly Father.
3: 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.
We know so much about sacred things and keeping them sacred is important. The very name of God is such. Remember because of His name, demons were cast out and Satan was banished. When you reverence His name He will reverence yours.
4: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath (Mark 2:26-27). It was made for you so you could reflect on your blessings, pray, fast, and give your thanks for His blessings. This day is not for distractions and the world, it's so you and the Lord can become closer.
5: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
The role of Father and Mother started with Adam and Eve for us mortals. Someone said anyone can be a father but it takes a real man to be a dad.
We disagree. The role of Dad and Father (and Mom and Mother for this matter) is earned and honored. Anyone can have babies but to be the confidant to a child has earned a title that says I love and trust this person because they lead and guide me and are always there. Good leaders nurture and edify and that starts in the home. When we left our heavenly home, our Father prepared us as best He could with the maturity we had to come here. He is our Father and He loves us.
6: Thou shalt not kill.
Our Father asked us through the Savior to love one another as He loves us (John 13:34-35). Hatred has no place in His kingdom. The Star Wars movie (paraphrasing Yoda here) says Fear leads to Anger, Anger leads to Hate, & Hate leads to Suffering. It's no different in our world. Be kind and love everyone even the jerks "who despitefully use you" (Luke 6:27-28).
7: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Relationships of all kinds are sacred to God; friend to friend, parent to child, and especially husband to wife. We know you are not married now but we encourage you when that time comes to seek out someone who you cannot live without and cleave to them as Adam did to Eve.
8: Thou shalt not steal.
Stealing and Coventry go hand in hand (we'll discuss that soon enough). We admonish you to let others keep their stuff and their time. Do not carelessly take what is not yours but give freely to others so that they can see how you are blessed because you are a giver and not a taker.
9: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Tell the truth and be a light upon a hill bearing a banner of truth. Sometimes the truth is hard but only the wicked take the truth to be hard (1Nephi 16:2). Bear the truth with gladness.
Finally...
10: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
You have what God expects you to work with to accomplish what He is asking you to do. Build your faith, hope, and a charity for others. That means loving the talents and abilities of others and appreciating the hard work and blessing of others. Again share your blessings so that others can see the Lord in your countenance and your life and want Him to be with them too. Desperately wanting the Lord as your Savior and Redeemer; to be part of your life, should be the only coveting we have. We should covet to covenant as others do by following the Savior's path that He laid out for us. The temple is our temporal goal so that the kingdom can be ours. We love you. Have a great week.
Brothers Keller and Bingham
Challenges
1) Exodus 24, 31-34
2) Pick a commandment to work on and study this week. Write down what you learn, experience, and feel.
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