The Ten Commandments ~ continued
1.
You
must not testify falsely against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16
2.
You
must not covet your neighbor's house. You must not covet your neighbor's wife,
male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your
neighbor. Exodus 20:17
No lying. No wanting what other have.
That seems like a pretty simple thing to follow and to teach your children.
Testifying falsely is lying…in court that is considered perjury. Perjury is
punishable by law. That is serious business. If it is not right in the judicial
system, it is not right to speak that way over the fence with another neighbor.
Mildly, it may be considered slanderous gossip. The Lord God gave Moses specific
instructions for the Israelites.
The
LORD also said to Moses, "Give the following instructions to the entire
community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy."
..."Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. Do not stand idly
by when your neighbor's life is threatened. I am the LORD." Leviticus
19:1-2, 16
That is pretty specific teaching. There
is additional guidance in Psalms and Proverbs.
Who
may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy
hill? ... Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of
their friends. Psalm 15:1, 3
A
gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.
Proverbs 11:13
A
gossip goes around telling secrets, so don't hang around with chatterers. Proverbs
20:19
Paul gives insight into the law, sin
and covetous feelings.
Now,
dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that
the law applies only while a person is living? ... So, my dear brothers and
sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with
Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a
result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. When we were controlled
by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused
these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.
But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer
captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the
letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. ... At one time
I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to
covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. So I discovered
that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual
death instead. Romans 7:1, 4-6, 9-10
Sin is part of everyone’s life. Paul
really nails the whole law and sin issue.
And
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to
do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't
want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to
do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I
have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I
inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is
another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a
slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who
will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The
answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really
want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans
7:18-25
Jesus Himself addresses the issue of lust.
Lust—wanting something that isn’t yours could include coveting something that
belongs to a neighbor.
So
if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it
away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole
body to be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:29
So there we go…no lying and no
coveting. Through Moses, God told the Israelites to be holy…and He wants the
same for us today. Jesus is the answer. Without Him we are just held captive by
sin.
You
must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. Leviticus
19:2
How are your tongue and eyes? No lying
or covetous gazing here and now. Seek to be holy—and to have good relationships
with other people. With Jesus, it is possible.
Prayer ~ Lord Jesus...I
want to be like You…holy before our Heavenly Father. Help me to make good
choices…not choosing to tell even little white lies or to let my eye want what
isn’t mine.
Daily
Bible Reading: February 15 – Leviticus 8-10
Memory Scripture of the Week –
You must not have any other god but me.
You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in
the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or
worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate
your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their
children; the entire family is affected--even children in the third and fourth
generations of those who reject me. ...You must not misuse the name of the LORD
your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. Remember
to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ... Honor your father and
mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is
giving you. You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not
steal. You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. You must not covet
your neighbor's house. You must not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female
servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor. Exodus 20:3-5, 7-8, 12-17
Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table
Healthy Foods Menu
Since February is National Heart Month,
it is a good time to consider eating good foods and exercising. Exercise at
least 20 minutes every day and then feast—within reason—on the bounty God has
provided for us.
Here are some healthy heart foods to
consider in your menu planning:
Chick
peas – hummus, minestrone soup
Sardines
and salmon – high in omega 3’s
Leafy
greens – contain magnesium essential to a healthy heart – includes spinach,
kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, romaine lettuce
Milk
– even nut, almond or coconut milk – high in calcium and Vitamin D
Almonds
Oats
and barley
Fresh
vegetables and fruits – in the colors of the rainbow
What can you do with these food items?
How about a spinach salad with salmon, almonds, chick peas and a wine and olive
oil dressing? A little oatmeal with fresh blueberries, cinnamon, honey, and
milk for dessert rounds out the food list. And you thought there couldn’t be
just one dish/meal that would have all these foods!
So choose some healthy
foods and feast on them, not just today or during February, but include good
fresh foods at every meal all year around. Of course, you can eat some other foods--a moderate amounts red meat, as well as chicken. Shop the outside aisles of your
supermarket—that’s where the fresh foods are located. Enjoy a Banquet at the
King’s Table.
.
© 2019 Text and
Photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
www.blueletterbible.org/dailyreading
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