Honor Parents, Live Long

Honoring our father and mother was one of the Ten Commandment that came with a promise. The promise was that our days may be long (Exodus 20:12). This is such an important commandment that Paul repeated it in Ephesians 6:1-3, that is may be well with us and we may live long on the earth. What would happen to a society where parents are dishonored, taken for granted, mistreated and spat upon? Would we have a vicious and hateful society much like ours? Jesus introduced us to a relationship with parents that was very different (John 15:9-17). He loved his Father in heaven and obeyed his commandments. Love is something that we normally first experience at home in a mother’s care and in a father’s provision, and if we didn’t, we can still learn it from God.

Purpose of the Law

Imagine someone who loved us more than anyone, yet we turned our backs on him. Not only that, but we bad-mouthed that person, ruined his reputation and used his name as a swear word. Yet, despite all that, he died to save us. Even after he did so, we continued to abuse his name. That is what the law teaches us (Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5), that all human efforts fail. The gospel teaches us that God still sent his Son to do what we cannot. That is why Jesus is called the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18). He knows that his sheep are weak and cannot follow the rules. Those who use the law to puff themselves up do not yet understood the law. The purpose of the law is to humble us and prepare us for the gospel.

Our Best Friend’s Name

Imagine that we had a best friend who loved us more than any other. Suppose that best friend sacrificed everything for our welfare including dying to save our lives. Would we want to bad-mouth that person? Would we like it if others started bad-mouthing that person’s reputation? Would we feel uncomfortable if others used his name as a swear word? As a part of his covenant with ancient Israel, God asked them not to abuse his name (Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5). The shepherds of this world (politicians, industry leaders and yes, even church leaders) can not care for us in the same way as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18). Jesus loves us as no human being possibly can. How do we treat the name of the Good Shepherd? Ought not his name be revered more than any other?

Your Name, God's Name

Your name is a mark of identification. It labels who you are. The mention of your name carries the honor and reputation you may have in the community, good or bad. How would you like it if your name became a swear word. When something bad or surprising happened, would you like it if people cursed your name? Would you like your name being used for abuse, swearing and generally considered to be a worthless or dirty word? In Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 one of the Ten Commandments asks us not to use God’s name in vain. That means that we respect his name and not use it for evil, lying and similar vain and useless purposes. How should we treat the name of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18), the one who lay down his life for us?

Dead Idols, Living Savior

Whether made from molten metal or carved from wood, an idol is a death thing (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). Even the idols of our minds are fabrications in our hearts. We are people who cannot live beyond the grave on our own. The great difference between and idol and Jesus is that Jesus is alive. An idol is dead. Jesus rose from the grave. An idol is useless to save. Jesus lives to save. In Luke 24:36-49 he addressed his disciples after his resurrection and promised a power that no idol can provide. It is a power that all of us can have. It is not a power that is from within us or that we can create. It is a power from completely outside of our human ability. It is a power from on high, from heaven alone.

Worthless Idols

Idols are variously described as vile, disgusting, detestable, vain, worthless and useless in the Bible. When we worship a fashion, a gadget or a drug, we are worshiping a dead thing, an idol (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). Anciently, idols were cast, or sculpted by human hands and worshiped as if they could help. Idols can be set up in the heart (Ezekiel 14:7-8). In 1 Samuel 15:23 arrogance and stubbornness are tied into idolatry. It describes idolatry of the ego. When we are arrogant and stubborn we are worshiping ourselves. An idol is something that cannot help at all when disaster strikes (Jeremiah 11:12). An idol cannot release us from failure, which is what remission of sins means (Luke 24:36-49). Ultimately, only God can save us from our human problems. Everything else is a worthless idol.

The Idol of the Prosperity Gospel

The idol of the prosperity gospel is a heretical counterfeit (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). It denies our calling to suffer. That does not mean that God does not give health or wealth. However, this false gospel perpetuates the idea that true believers ought not suffer, or that poverty and sickness are results of our personal sins, when the exact opposite is often true. This bogus gospel which claims to be spirit filled, is in reality idolatrous and materialistic. Part of the Christian life is willingness to suffer with Christ (Romans 8:17), to follow his steps in sacrificing our lives for others (1 Peter 2:21). Jesus did not sin, yet suffered for us, rising again on the third day and promising power for us from on high (Luke 24:36-49). Simply reading what Jesus taught helps avoid this deception.

The Golden Calf of Impatience

While Moses was on Mount Sinai alone with God, Israel built an idol (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5), a golden calf (Exodus 32). The people grew impatient with Moses’ absence. They wanted leadership that they could see. Aaron weakly bowed to the people’s wishes, built an idol and threw a party. The people ran wild and thousands died. Jesus too had informed his disciples of what must take place at the cross (Luke 24:36-49) but they still scattered. Rather than patience with God’s plan, they had built up an idol in their minds of immediate salvation from Roman oppression. We too are impatient with God. When we don’t see immediate results from God or church leadership, we too take matters into our own hands. We create the golden calf of impatience. Let us wait in patience for God to provide.

The Idol of Exclusivity

Bowing to the idol of exclusivity is a form of self-worship (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). This happens when patriotism becomes jingoism or denominational loyalty becomes bigotry. It is easy to idolize our opinions and exclude those who believe differently. Jesus welcomed thousands and fed them, ate with prostitutes and other sinners. Even after all his disciples had abandoned him, when he arose from the dead, he rejoined them blessing them with peace (Luke 24:36-49). The idol of exclusivity blinds us to the reality of Jesus and his inclusiveness. On both sides of modern debates over gender, sexual orientation and social justice we can easily exclude those who Jesus would not. Inclusion does not mean that we have to agree on everything, but that we welcome even those with whom we disagree on some things to mutual fellowship in Jesus.

Modern Idolatry

Idolatry is worshiping an image of anything in heaven above or here below (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). An image is something made by human hands. In spirit it means that in today’s world we have hundreds of idols which we worship. The list could include such things as cars, homes, skyscrapers, boats, airplanes, electronic gadgets, racial or gender superiority, real estate, property, science, education, medicine, constitutions, legal systems, nationalism, celebrities, drugs, brand names, political parties, capitalism, government, free enterprise, unionism, the economy, consumer goods, status, titles, position, money, gold, oil, stocks, bonds, central banks, materialism, leisure, religious traditions, religious doctrines and so on. Is there anything wrong with these things? Just as there was nothing wrong with a bronze snake on a pole, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with these modern man-made images. The idolatry is in worshiping these things.

Pictures, Statues & Idols

Some people think that any picture or statue is an idol (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5) and so refuse to allow statues of biblical heroes or pictures of Jesus in their churches. Is that the case? What does the commandment against idolatry really mean? It does say not to make an image of anything in heaven, on earth or in the water. However, it also says not to bow down to them. Can we look elsewhere for an answer? Yes we can. We may notice that the mercy seat was covered by two statues of cherubs, images of things in heaven. We may also notice that the tent covering the tabernacle contained pomegranates embroidered into its fine tapestry. Those are images of things on earth. The difference is that those statues and pictures were not worshiped. Nobody bowed down to them.

The God of Legalism

When crime escalates and dishonest business practices are widespread, we turn to the god of legalism (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). Can more laws save us? There are so many laws nowadays that recent news reports claim that we all break the law at some point. Our laws have made us a nation of criminals. Ancient Israel had the most perfect law ever devised, without corruption, given by God. However, it became a god that was worshiped more than the God who gave it. It became ineffective and burdensome because it was applied in the letter and not the spirit. It also failed because the people failed. Just as our laws make us all criminals, so too did the Old Testament law make us all sinners. There is a solution to law, but for that we must go to the Gospels.

The God of Status

What would a nation look like where status was not worshiped as a god (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5)? Would people be less valued for their celebrity, clothes, jewelry, cars, yachts, private jets and mansions that they own than the character that clothes them? Would the cars we drive be less important than the integrity that drives us? Would ordinary people be celebrated because they live honest and upright lives? Would fame and fortune be less important than morality and personal sacrifice? Would the genuine love of a family be more important than the hollow cheers of an adoring crowd? Would respect and decency be more important than flashy jewelry and exposed flesh? There is a place where fame and fortune are totally irrelevant. It is a place where righteousness and faith are highly honored. That place is everywhere where God reigns.

The God of Money

What would a nation look like that does not worship Mammon (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5)? If we used money as a tool instead of worshiping it as a god, how would lives look? Would banks eliminate bloodthirsty fees? Would CEO’s take modest salaries instead of gross excess? Would the pricing of goods and services be fair from the farm to the table? Would politicians focus on doing what’s right instead of money? Would predatory and deceptive pricing be gone? Would employee pay improve because employers are no longer greedy for big money? Would a work week be less stressful, because our needs are satisfied without working overtime or two jobs? Would lawyers and doctors and drug companies charge affordable fees instead of plundering our purses? Would people’s needs come before money? There is such a regime, the kingdom of God.

National Gods

Using the Protestant and Orthodox counting of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5) the first contains the words, “You shall have no other gods before me.” This counting separates the first two commandments into bans on gods and idols. The word for gods is Elohim, which is much broader in meaning than our English word. It includes gods, angels, judges and other great and mighty ones. The words do not therefore ban angels, judges or other heroes of our society. They do forbid placing any such individual before the God of heaven. What gods have we placed before the Lord of the Universe? Our politics puts money before God. Our education puts science before God. We put self before God. We put our way of life before God’s way. We have elevated many gods before the God of heaven.

Counting 10 Commandments

Most people don’t realize that there are at least four different ways of counting the ten commandments from Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Eastern Orthodox and Protestant reckonings are similar, except that Orthodox Christians count the prologue in with the first commandment. Jews separate out the prologue as the first word or commandment. Catholics and Jews both combine the ban on other gods and idolatry into one commandment. Catholics then divide the ban on coveting into two. We must also remember that these passages do not use the term Ten Commandments, but the words. Even other places where our translation reads Ten Commandments, the original language is just the ten words. However we count them, they are wonderful principles which would go a long way to solving any society’s problems. Politics largely discounts these remarkable solutions to fixing our country.