EXODUS 20
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery.15 “You shall not steal.16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraidand trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. – Exodus 20:12-21
EXODUS 20 THE REST OF GOD’S LAWS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
If you want to have a long life, respect your parents
And do not ever think of harming another human being
Stay faithful to the Lord your God and to your loved ones
Do not take what is not yours and someone else’s possessions
Make sure that you don’t utter lies against another person
If you follow God’s law, he will protect you and you’ll be treasured.
One law that has a promise of long life is to honor one’s parents. It is sad to watch many parents, especially those who do not know God, abuse or neglect their own children. The child’s development is stunted and because of an unsafe environment, that child grows up deprived of love and respect. It will be quite a challenge to honor their parents when they haven’t experienced love, care and acceptance themselves.
Notice how the laws of God have one theme: love God with everything you got and love others as yourself. They were summarized by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39. If we follow the summarized version of the law, we will definitely follow the rest of his commands. Our relationships will be focused on loving God and treating ourselves and others with love.
REFLECTION
- How are God’s commands like healthy boundaries that protect all human beings?
