Summary - 10 Commandments
8. Some chapters are heavenly and some focus on judgments on the earth (since the beginning to the end and finality. Rev 6?), and some are ‘stepping stones’ that guide us through Church History. Satan the Dragon, the Beast the System, the False Prophet, one who speaks or does for Satan.
Maybe in summary: after 4000 years, Jesus came for the OT Saints. After 2000 years +/-, Jesus comes for the NT saints. What does all this have to do with the 4000th year? Maybe it is like the literal 6 day creation model: there is nothing like ‘truth’ to comfort the believing saints and enhance the mission (Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.) and to give a lost world a clear and rational picture of why and what is in store at the last judgment. This is about mission focus and continuity for Christ. Some may say “the end and what is beyond is better”. Sure, but Hebrews 11 should encourage us to press on.
No sheep are lost, but ‘how should we then live’?
Maybe an example of ‘a man of lawlessness’ can be seen today in not only world governments but also the US government, particularly the executive branch, which is influencing the judicial branch to eliminate the Ten Commandments from any consideration. And surprisingly this is an elected position with many Christians buying into a ‘humanist agenda’, believing this is what we need to do. That is a ‘falling away’ from where we have been and how important the Ten Commandments are to a healthy culture that honors God.
(As of 2016 conservatives, religious and secular, began a push back against liberals, religious and conservative. Of course now we have a war to restore personal responsibility to our culture. And of course we those caught in the middle unleashing a terrorist response to the confusion. This is a spiritual problem – God’s Spirit versus the Babel spirit of mankind.)
My gut feel is that we started to ‘fall away’ when we surrendered the 6 day creation model to ‘well maybe’.
In the 1925 Scopes trial, the judge and jury were ‘in the tank’ for 6 days. Today the god of evolution reigns in the schools and in our culture.
How about the 4th commandment for starters (the other 9, like dominoes):
Exodus 20:8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
What about the 6th Commandment?
Exodus 20:
13. Thou shalt not kill. (KJV) 13. You shall not murder. (NKJ)
Maybe the KJV is a problem. I believe they meant murder, but do we say “Moses murdered an Egyptian” or do we say “Moses ‘chose’ to execute justice on a murderer”? Not sure where in history to place the beginnings of confusion on this issue, but today 1) any war is questioned (drones are ok), 2) murderers live, 3) innocent unborn die, 4) the elderly and infirm have a right to die, or not receive life support (next phase or now?), 5) anyone who questions the state’s (or judge’s) position on these issues, will be punished (next phase or now?)?
‘Gay rights’ is a hot button issue right now. How about #5:
Exodus 20: 12. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
My life experiences have shown me that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, worked rather well, in a lot of social interactions. And speaking of Sodom, ‘aggressive gaiety and special rights’ was only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ as seen in any social decay of a culture throughout history. We all got stuff to deal with:
1 Corinthians 6
9. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10. nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
12. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Commandments 1-3 and 7-10: idolatry and basic morality. As always, where is the Church, on these issues? Where is the State on these issues? I don’t see many people going to church on Sundays (maybe Saturday?). Maybe the cure for/from the Ten Commandments is the Church united in the Gospel. And the Gospel is rooted in the history of the Bible and God’s people over the last 6000 years. God gave us plenty of great examples to choose from.
9. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10. nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
12. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Commandments 1-3 and 7-10: idolatry and basic morality. As always, where is the Church, on these issues? Where is the State on these issues? I don’t see many people going to church on Sundays (maybe Saturday?). Maybe the cure for/from the Ten Commandments is the Church united in the Gospel. And the Gospel is rooted in the history of the Bible and God’s people over the last 6000 years. God gave us plenty of great examples to choose from.
