We come now to the last of the Ten Commandments, the prohibition of covetousness. And with this requirement, we come to the fountainhead of all our love to our neighbor — a prohibition of any sinful refusal to be glad and grateful for the blessings of others. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you …
False Witness
This commandment strikes at the heart of falsehood and lies, which in their turn are the native language of the devil. Without truth and trust, biblical culture is an impossibility. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Ex. 20:16). First, what is the context of false witness? The commandment prohibits lying against one’s …
Theft
Just as Moses assumes the permanence of marriage in His prohibition of adultery, so does he assume the legitimacy of private property in his prohibition of stealing. And as we have discovered with the other commandments, obedience is not as simple as it may appear — not all thieves break into houses at night. “You …
Adultery
We must always remember that sin muddles. Even though we live in a sex-crazed society, it does not follow from this that we understand sex, or sexual morality. The “openness” advocated by so many actually blurs the understanding. In such a situation, God’s law illumines; disobedience results not only in sexual immorality, but also sexual …
You Shall Not Commit Murder
It would be easy for Christians to assume that there is not much to say with regard to this commandment — God says not to murder people. But as is true with so many other things, we are most prone to error in the things we think we know. The Word of God says that …
Honoring Parents
Although the message of the Fifth Commandment is clearly a message which is important for children to hear and heed, it is not a message just for children. Everyone who reads this has parents, and everyone who hears has a duty to honor them in the way the Bible describes. “Honor your father and your …
An Unnecessary Sabbath?
In our previous discussion, we noted that the fourth commandment has been controversial for Christians over the years. These controversies have not been manufactured out of whole cloth; an exegetical basis exists for the questions which arise around observance of the fourth commandment. There are two basic assumptions we must decide between first. One very …
Sabbath Rest
The Puritan John Owen once remarked that through various controversies the Sabbath itself had been given very little rest. We should pray that this will not be the case in our treatment of it. In this installment, we will outline some of the basic principles concerning the Lord’s Day, and in the next we will …
Walking Oaths
In the Lord’s Prayer, Christ teaches us to hallow God’s name. This duty is a great one, but in our era it is not recognized as such. Some of the other commandments are generally recognized as important. As we shall see, this is not the case with this commandment, and repentance is in order. Countless …
Sabbath Authority
As God has shown His kindness to us, one of the most important cultural developments in Moscow over the last several years is the growing observance of the Sabbath feast. The practice, as it has been developing in many homes, marks the Lord’s Day as beginning Saturday night at 6pm with the Sabbath dinner, or …