Confidence 4

Exodus 20:12-14

I may have mentioned this before, but sometimes when our children ask us why they must do this chore or that small task we tell them, “So you can live in our house.” Being part of a family requires that you take part in the activities of that family, and sometimes those requirements are chores or work.

The Ten Commandments continue with some more rules to follow in life. What is our attitude to be toward our parents? What will be the result of this? What other restrictions are placed on us?

Now that God has established His place in our lives and set forth the laws regarding our approach to all things holy, He moves on with the Ten Commandments. The fifth, sixth and seventh commandments are regulations on how to function in a working society. We are to give due respect to our elders, specifically, we should honor our parents. These are the people who have brought us into this world. They are the ones who have provided for us, kept us safe, and given us a place to live. They are deserving of respect.

And more than just respect they are to be honored. That is, they should be obeyed and treated as special. This is part of being a human being in a workable, functioning community.

Likewise, we are not to take the life of another person. Nor should we violate the sanctity of marriage.

All of these regulations should not be that much of a challenge for us to obey. By following the Ten Commandments we are contributing to the stability of our culture and also, in an indirect way, giving honor to God who has set up our society.

This may have been a change for the Israelites at the time of Moses. They may have been accustomed to a culture where life was easily disposed of and where the sanctity of family was not respected.

We can also encounter differing attitudes in our modern culture. Life seems to be devalued by many and marriage is seen as a convenient union that may be ignored if we choose.

Like the Israelites under Moses we must have the confidence in God’s wisdom to obey the basic rules of God. In this way we give honor to life and to the ways of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What must you do to obey these commandments of God?