Keep The Commandments
A rich man asked Jesus what good thing must he do to live eternally. Jesus replied, "Keep the commandments", and the young man responded that he had kept them from his youth days. He asked, "What lack I yet?" And he was told, "If you want to be perfect, sell your possessions, give to the poor...and come and follow me", Matthew 19:16-22. We have looked at what it means to follow Jesus to perfection when we considered the "Beatitudes". There are other beatitudes which we have not discussed. At this time we will look at the "commandments" which Jesus said, "leads to eternal life". Jesus quickly rattled off THE TEN COMMANDMENTS to which the young man replied, "...Which?" should he keep. All the commandments written in this account come under the sub-title of the Second Great Commandment...one's duty toward his neighbor. Entwined in the 5th Command Jesus mentioned, one's duty toward his parents, is all the first four commandments....now that we know God is every man's Father, Matthew 23:9. So the first five commandments are sub-titled the First Great commandment, our loving of God. So when Jesus said further, "On these two hang all the law and prophets", Matthew 22:35-40, you are to understand that those TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS are super-titles which do subdivide into the TEN.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
DIVISION I: "THE FIRST GREAT COMMANDMENT" (1-5)
1st Commandment: "Thou shalt have no other god before me"!
Let me stun you by saying it is impossible for man to break this commandment in the absolute sense. First consider what we all mean by "GOD" regardless of culture or religion. GOD is the creator of all things. He is the only power, and the doer of good (and evil). All things are under His control. He is the JUDGE, Teacher, the punisher and benefactor of man. In this absolute sense nothing and no one else "qualifies" or fits this description except God alone. Satan knows this very well! Enlightened men know this. But ignorant men do not know this, and they are "patsies" for deceptions which teach otherwise. Being deceived into believing there are "other gods" does not make them real or exist. Therefore even a deceived man cannot break this first command!!
1. Is there any other god or gods other than our Father? Deuteronomy 32:39-40; Isaiah 43:10-13, 44:6-8.
2. Who created everything that "IS"? Genesis 1:1,31; Isaiah 45:12.
3. Did God have help? Isaiah 2:10-11, 40:12-14, 44:24-25.
4. Is there ANY power except GOD? Psalm 62:11; Matthew 6:13; Revelation 19:6. Omnipotent means ALL-POWER SOURCE. God taught Nebuchadnezzar that lesson very well, Daniel 4:34-35.
5. Is Satan an "original" power-source who should be feared, or does he also receive "borrowed-power" from God? Job 1:9-12; Revelation 13:4-7. So Satan is "given power" by God just like everything else with it, John 19:11.
6. Is Satan a "god"? Ezekiel 28:2-6,12-15. He is a created thing, a "tool", but not a "god"! He wants to be like the Most High, and that shows he is different and inferior. Isaiah 14:12-15. Instead he is "the Beast who was, and is not, and yet is" still a NOBODY, Revelation 17:8.
7. In absolute reality who is ultimately "responsible" for evil? Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 45:4-7; Amos 3:6.
8. Without God can man do anything? Isaiah 42:5, 45:5; John 15:5.
CONCLUSION
There is only one GOD, our Father. This truth makes it absolutely impossible for anyone deceived or otherwise to break the 1st Command.
2nd Commandment: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy upon thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments", Exodus 20:4-6.
We have proven that no man can break the first commandment, because there is no other "god", except our Father. Now let us look at the introduction of graven images upon the earth and their purpose of being. Recall that Satan coveted God's power, position, and throne. He said he would rise above God's stars (children); he would ascend back to heaven from which he was cast down; he would sit on Mount Zion; he would be like the Most High. Such is the nature of envy and jealousy. Part of being like the Most High is to reign and exercise control, and to receive worship (adoration, respect, love, and obedience). A few of these things Satan could do, but to receive worship presented a problem. God made Satan and his forces invisible to human eyes and man would more than likely resist worshipping them outright it they knew devils were desiring their homage. To solve this problem devils chose animals as their symbols or presented pictures to the minds of artisans and craftsmen, often of the most gruesome and fierce appearance to instill fear as the "force" needed to coerce and insure man's allegiance. It is this vainglorious lust for worship by devils that gave rise to the making of graven images by the hands of men under Satanic control. Each devil or group of devils identified with his own symbol once it was made.
Devils also "deified" certain honored men when they died so that those demons who controlled or dwelt on those persons could indirectly continue to receive homage from those honoring the images of those men. Devils on kings and rulers caused images to be made of them in their cities and nations and demanded that men bow down to them as they did in their presence. Thus on living kings and rulers devils received worship both directly and indirectly.
From the time Satan first used the serpent which was visible to Adam and Eve until the advent of the "law", Satan showed God and Heaven all the tricky ways used to his advantage to get man's worship. The most powerful of these demons had images made of their chosen symbols, or they received more direct worship by controlling and dwelling in or on a king or ruler. The second commandment came to frustrate and break-up such schemes. So when men were bowing before kings and magistrates, devils considered it indirect homage to them. In many nations those who refused to do obeisance to a "god" or a king were put to death. So devils caused men to call their chosen symbols and images "a god". After the "law" came devils fought hard to keep men blind and respectful to their idols.
1. How did the Song of Moses reveal that men were worshipping devils when they bowed down to and served "other gods"? Deuteronomy 32:16-17.
2. Is Satan really serious about having men worship him? Matthew 4:8-10.
3. Review Satan's desires that God read in his heart: Isaiah 14:12-14.
4. Just as man is God's image or offspring, Satan has reproduced his own "images", demons as his offsprings. Do these newborn demons also lust for man's worship? Revelation 13:11-17.
5. Do devils dwell in and control men? Matthew 12:43-45; John 8:33-36. How did God teach this with Moses? Exodus 26:1,14. Man's body is the "tabernacle" and a "badger" is an unclean animal ("beast") under the law of Moses, 1 Corinthians 6:19.
6. What words show us that Jesus sometimes addressed the very demons standing in and on the bodies of his audience? Mark 9:1, the people: John 8:33,37, and the demons on them: John 8:39,44-47. Be careful of honoring men!!
7. Recall the story of the three Hebrew boys, Daniel 3, and king Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the huge tree, Daniel 4. It took all this for God to teach him that images are worthless and He alone is GOD.
8. What did Paul teach the Athenians? Acts 17:16-32.
9. Since earth is Satan's grave and devils are his "images", who are the real "grave-in-images"?....They are Satan's images who are in the grave with him!
CONCLUSION
Men do not know God as Jesus testified in Matthew 11:25-27. But devils know God and hate Him, especially those originally kicked out of heaven. Therefore the punitive part of the commandment is for them, where God visits their iniquity on their 3rd and 4th generations. This is not the case with men!!
10. What scriptures show that the last part of the 2nd Commandment is not for man? Ezekiel 18:19-22; Mark 3:28.
3rd Commandment: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain", Exodus 20:7.
VAIN by definition means (1) Having no real value: idle, worthless, (2) fruitless, unsuccessful (3) foolish, silly. Persons who take God's name in vain consider Him to be worthless and without real value, or they feel God is unsuccessful and incapable of results. Some feel that believing in God is silly. Many devils who were born down here and not originally cast out with their older brethren say that there is no God, or attempt do deceive men by saying God is dead. These words have caused some men to become atheists and agnostics. They fit our 1st and 3rd meanings of "vain". Others who have called upon God without perceived results may begin to doubt and lose faith. They feel that dealing with God is fruitless as in the 2nd meaning of "vain". Use of God's name in cursing, profanity, and blasphemy which attempts to slander, demean, belittle, and hurt God and/or is just as bad as taking His name in vain. Transgressing this command requires faithlessness, a lack of trust, impatience, and non-belief in the goodness of God. One also breaks the 5th Commandment which teaches us to honor our Father by taking His name in vain.
1. What did the fool say in his heart? Psalm 53:1.
2. Did God hold the Jews guiltless who attributed the destruction of their nation to a failure to serve other gods especially those of ancient Egypt? Jeremiah 44:13-23.
3. How quickly did Israel take God's name in vain while Moses was upon the mountain? Exodus 32:1-10.
4. By denying that God is God, did Israel and Ahab take God's name in vain? 1 Kings 18:17-24.
5. How did some that Paul encountered fall into the 3rd meaning "vain" in attempts to belittle him? Acts 17:18-21,32.
6.With what words did God reprove the priests in Malachi's time? Malachi 1:6-12, 3:13-16.
7. If you think obeying God's laws is not worth it; if you think God is weak or that He cannot help you; if you think faith in God is foolish....then you are breaking the 3rd Commandment. Is serving God a "vain" exercise without seeable benefits in YOUR opinion?
4th Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work: 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: for in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the 7th day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and hallowed it", Exodus 20:8-11.
1. What did Jesus say and do to show us he was doing away with the Jew's concept of "Sabbath Day"? John 5:16-20. We find that the "Father was working" on what the Jews thought was the Sabbath! Evidently what they thought was "God's rest" day is not what God meant!
2. How many earthly years comprise one "heavenly day"? Psalm 90:5; II Peter 3:8. So a 24 hour period every 7th earthly day is not the "real thing" it symbolized in the Mosetic priestly code. GOD'S REST DAY CONTAINS 1000 EARTHLY YEARS!!
3. Should you be concerned about criticism from serious "would-be" teachers who do not understand what GOD'S SABBATH really is? Romans 14:5-6; Colossians 2:15-16.
4. God rested on the 7th day in heaven which was man's first 1000 years on earth. Adam died during this long day at 930 years of age, not quite completing one heavenly day on earth. Because God was "resting" can be construed as part of the reason why Adam fell! It is obvious that a man cannot keep THIS DAY holy during all his tenure on the earth stage. It is a BIG 1000 earthly-year DAY with 6000 earthly years between Sabbaths. Wow! Is there a day of rest remaining for us to "keep"? Hebrews 4:4-9.
5. What prophecy shows that all flesh will keep the true Sabbath Day in heaven at the time when it does come? Isaiah 66:22-23.
6. What can we say to those trying to teach us the Mosetical "natural-minded" concept of a 24-hour Sabbath rest? Galatians 3:23-25. We can tell them it was a "school-master" teaching concept, an allegory that only symbolized the true BIG DAY yet to come.
7. In the meantime what do we do about this commandment?....We can REMEMBER TO KEEP IT....so when the next (2nd) one comes we may rest on it!
THE TRANSITION OR "BRIDGE-LINK" COMMAND
5th Commandment: "Honor thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee". Exodus 20:12.
To honor parents is to love, respect, obey, and revere them. Parents hold a high place in God's heir-archy of "values". They symbolize Him as "stand-ins" in His place. We are first taught to honor earthly parents because we must eventually transfer the depth of parental love up higher when we learn that God is the true one and only "FATHER". "Stand-ins" must be recognized for what they really are: OUR "REAL" BROTHERS AND SISTERS ACTING IN A ROLE AND PLACE FOR GOD. ALL human beings are "spirits" temporarily bound in flesh for education purposes. ALL OF US are brothers and sister in the truest sense of "spirit". Therefore the 5th commandment is a transitional BRIDGE linking the First and Second Great Commandments. We have shown earlier that Commandments 1 through 5 of the big Ten are subdivisions of the First Great Commandment concerning one's duties toward God. And because of the "bridge" effect Commandment 5 and 6 through 10 are subdivisions of the Second Great Commandment, our duties toward GOD'S IMAGES, OUR OWN FELLOWMEN!! Therefore in this section we will discuss both "bridge" aspects of the 5th Command: (1) honor of earthly parents who are really our own brothers and sisters spirit-wise, and (2) honor of God and Mother Wisdom, God's Wife and YOUR MOTHER WHO PROCREATED US ALL before God rested and finished His works! Oh, yes!! Your "spirit" is as old as God! It is a small "piece of Him"!!
1. What does Proverbs teach regarding reverence for our first teachers, our earthly parents? Proverbs 1:8-9. Loving parents only want what is best for their children. Their "good instruction" is goal-directed toward that objective.
2. "Correcting" a child often requires punishment or chastisement. What should our attitude be toward this? Proverbs 10:1-2, 13:1, 15:10, 23:13-14, 29:1,15,17.
3. Which scriptures teach us that God is our real "Father" whom we must learn to honor? Psalm 82:6-8,87; Isaiah 45:9-12; Matthew 23:9.
4. Does God have a counter-part, a Wife who bore our spirits in Her womb? Psalm 87; Proverbs 8:12-32; Isaiah 49:14-17, 54:5, 66:8; Matthew 11:19; Galatians 4:26.
5. What should we do to "honor" Mother Wisdom? Proverbs 4:5-13, 8:1-11,25,36.
6. What must we do to honor God? Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 22:37.
7. What did King Saul do to break this Commandment? 1 Samuel 15:22-23.
8. How did Eli, the high priest, trip over this commandment? 1 Samuel 2:12-17,22-25,27-30.
What things do you frequently do to "dishonor" your earthly parents and your real parents, God and Wisdom?
DIVISION II: "THE SECOND GREAT COMMAND" (5-10)
6th Commandment: "Thou shalt not kill"! Exodus 20:13.
In this section we will consider a very important duty toward our fellow man. Consider that GOD SAID the last five divisions of the of Ten Commandments which constitute the SECOND GREAT COMMANDMENT are par with our duties toward Him. In other words the 2 Great Commandments are EQUAL! It is because ALL MEN'S SPIRITS are little fragments of His own great BODY. Thus to dishonor any man is to dishonor Him!...no matter how small that piece is! "Inasmuch as you do this to the least of the brethren, you do it unto me (Jesus) Him"!
Killing means destroying the body. But God does not want men to destroy one another or to desire it even in the heart. It is God who made each man His image and likeness and crowning him with glory and honor. It is wise and expedient not to dishonor God and our brother by destroying him knowing that with great care God created him for His pleasure!
1. How is the 6th Commandment extended in the "gospel"? 1 John 3:15. How many of you have ever hated or disliked a person and were shown mental pictures or scenes in the mind where you are beating or killing that person, or something "bad" is seen happening to him? Such "scenes of revenge" are conjured up by devils on us to give us "evil pleasure" and a measure of vain comfort. If we enjoy such thoughts, it amounts to what the Bible calls an "agreement with hell and a covenant with death", Isaiah 28:14-15; Matthew 12:43-45. We must fight off such thoughts, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6. Those who do not fight off these thoughts and succumb to them become slaves to the Dragon, for it is his avowed purpose to destroy every image and likeness of God, that is all God's children.
2. What scriptures show that all men whether saint or sinner are objects of Satan's wrath for being God's images? 1 Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 12:4-5,12, 13:4-7.
3. How can we fight off "feelings" of hatred and vindictiveness and those brutal murder scenes we see in the mind? Psalm 37:1-9; Proverbs 16:3.
4. Mental cruelty destroys man's peace, happiness, and mental health, and often a man's will to live resulting in suicides. Bullets, guns,knives and clubs are not the only weapons used in killings. What other weapon is useful to Satan as a means of killing the spirit? James 3:2-9.
5. Who ALONE has power to kill? Deuteronomy 32:39; Revelation 1:18. We conclude that God uses men and devils as instruments of destruction to "smite clay vessels and break them into shivers" (break up man's fleshy body), Psalm 2:8-9; Revelation 2:26-27.
6. What is God really doing when He takes a man's life? Ecclesiastes 4:1-2, 12:7; Matthew 13:24-25,38; John 12:25,32; Revelation 14:13-15. Death is the means by which God reaps men into His "barn" (heaven).
7. Every man has a set time to be reaped, and only the Father knows the day and hour when He will return a son back to glory or "redeem them from among men", Luke 17:34-37; 1 Corinthians 15:15-16,42-44,50-52; Revelation 5:9-10, 7:9-15.
7th Commandment:"Thou shalt not commit adultery", Exodus 20:14.
This commandment specifies one of our duties toward one another. Ideally marriage brings two people together in a bond of love. The pair function or should function together as a single unit. As the scriptures put it, the "two become one flesh" for the purpose of fulfilling mutual needs and for parenting. Marriage in this sense is the absolute pattern of God's own marriage to His Wife and our Mother Wisdom. Together they made a FAMILY, namely the billions of us who are really spirits housed in clay and sent down from heaven to form the generations of humanity and to experience a negative learning exercise on earth. There is but one Father and one Mother for ALL of US in one FAMILY. We are to learn this pattern of things on earth through our own examples in that we are the image and likeness of God even to this extent. God put into flesh the pleasurable reward of union and its consequence of multiplication. This is so that man would be willing to supply the "clay ingredients" (sperm) necessary for creation of bodies into which He would plant His baby "spirits". Recall also that Satan was created to be a negative opponent to reverse God's "order" and to destroy all that is called God. He was given power over the flesh, that is man's brain and central nervous system, to literally force men into contrary modes of conduct in violation of various aspects of the 7th Commandment. Thus the pleasurable reward of the conjugal act is turned into a noose around man's neck by the conniving of the powers of darkness. Promiscuity and adultery has resulted in jealousy, fights, killings, broken homes and families from man's earliest days on earth. Devils have attempted to reverse the "order in the creation" by joining men with men and women with women and by promoting sexual perversion even with animals. The "law" introduced to humanity by Moses was given to make men act civilly toward one another in their relationships and to break the pattern of evil known as "sodomy". The 7th Command is a law of peace which promotes respect from man to man and from woman to woman.
1. What scriptures show that Satan has used his sex-stimulating powers to control breakage of the 7th Commandment? Revelation 17:1-7, 18:2-3.
2. Satan also has power to impute mental pictures and scenes of desire to make us lust and "fantasize" in sex-related errors. How did Jesus warn us against this technic? Matthew 5:27-29. Since it is possible to agree to mental adultery, can this act be grounds for a divorce according to the words of Jesus? Matthew 5:31-32. To divorce a man because he "girl-watches" and lusts for other women seems to be a very rigid move with precipitous and inherent difficulties. All sin in many ways. Forgiving and forgetting and seeking a change of behavior in a sin-sick spouse seems to be a more practical alternative. However a man given to "reckless eyeballing of women" and verbally expressing his interest in someone other than his mate may be committing mental cruelty to his wife. Such behavior does not contribute to love and peace in a marriage.
3. David drank a full cup of the "wine of fornication" from devils who momentarily ensnared him. What happened? 2 Samuel 11:1-5,14-17,27.
4. Samson was also overcome with lust for women. How did it lead to his downfall? Judges 16:3-21.
5. What advice is given to men who might be enticed by the beauty and sex-appeal of women? Proverbs 7:4-23.
6. What scriptures show that (Pharaoh) Satan uses his sex-arousing power as a "force" against men? Ezekiel 29:2-3,6-7; Matthew 11:12. "Loins" is an old English reference to the male sex organ (Hebrews 7:5).
7. What righteous young man refused to drink "Babylon's wine of fornication"? Genesis 39:7-20.
8. Women have power over men and the powers of darkness can use them to help stimulate lust by their dress or lack of dress, adornments, and alluring "come-on's". This is called lasciviousness. What does Peter say about lasciviousness? 1 Peter 4:1-6. Whom shall a man desire? Proverbs 5:15-21.
9. What does the "spirit" speaking through Paul have to say about
those ensnared in all forms of "sodomy"? Romans 1:24-28. How does Jesus describe our days today? Luke 17:26-30.
CONCLUSION
Satan's atomic bomb is his power over our sensory mechanism in our mind and body to stimulate "sex-drive" as an overwhelming FORCE. Rapes, sodomy, killings, and even wars are some of his works because of sex. Let us keep the 7th Command and live in peace.
8th Commandment: "Thou shalt not steal", Exodus 20:15.
Stealing is removing and possessing something belonging to someone else without that persons knowledge and/or consent. It is a trespass which hurts and frustrates the victim. To deprive one's brother of his blessing from God in this manner is not an act of love. Satan is the first thief. He tried to take what did not belong to him by force and war while in Heaven. He coveted the Throne of God and wanted to be a God. But he was kicked out of heaven for attempted theft among other crimes. Once he got himself into the Garden of Eden he began to steal men's souls and enslave them in captivity to sin so that only God can free them! Captured men do "SIN WORKS" and steal at the devil's command. Brother trespasses against brother in a sneaky way to avoid detection and/or punishment.
1. What boast was heard coming from the "master-thief" after he conquered the world of human beings? Isaiah 10:5-6,12-14; Revelation 13:4-7.
2. What did Jesus say about evil spirits who possess and control men? Matthew 12:43-45.
3. With what words did Jesus announce his plans to free men from demonic control? Luke 4:16-19; John 10:7-11.
4. Robbery is the reverse side of the "stealing coin". It differs from stealing in that robbery is bold and open and possessions are taken by force under threat of bodily harm or even death. Can a man rob God? Matthew 25:40.
5. How did Jacob "steal" Esau's blessing which Esau "sold" to him at an earlier time? Genesis 25:34-39, 27:1-29. This was not really stealing. God had planned all along to give the greater blessing to Jacob anyway, but the custom of the time reserved it for the firstborn son. Deception of Isaac was necessary for God's will to be done and for Jacob to receive rightfully what Esau had previously "sold" to him.
6. Do men feel as strongly against stealing when the poor steal food to satisfy their hunger? Proverbs 6:30-31.
7. Since stealing is a trespass against one's neighbor, what advice is given to money-grubbing preachers and to all? Matthew 21:12-13; Romans 2:21; Ephesians 4:28.
9th Commandment: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor", Exodus 20:16.
Put simply this commandment says, "do not lie". Satan's nature is the direct opposite of God's nature and he is the first liar. For him lying served as a hopeful means of throwing God off and preventing Him from discovering his unsavory intentions and deeds. But God not only reads minds but He also made Satan as a "teaching tool" for His education program and programmed him to be the direct opposite of His own nature. Satan's denial of his negative purposes failed to convince God that he is honest and truthful. By lying Satan attempted to do hurt and to get revenge against God's sons around him while in heaven. God made man as His sons "in His image and likeness" and pronounced man "good" like His own nature. He also made man weak and vulnerable to Satan's power and force. Therefore when Satan saw that he was kicked out of Heaven and maligned by God, He sought to hurt God by reversing or attempting to reverse God's nature created in His little images. Since lying is Satan's nature, it became a major objective of his to make liars of all men. Satan was also given power by God to speak directly through the mouths of men to help with his deception of other men unaware that he has such power. He is a ventriloquist and changes his voice to sound like the visible victim he is "using". In this way he converses with men much in the same manner as Adam experienced it with a snake. Sometimes we have responded to the human being standing before us, but the voices we heard were those of controlling devils invisible to us. Because of these things God has cautioned us not to put our trust in men.
1. Who is the first liar and the father of lies? John 8:44.
2. Satan did not know God was a mind reader at first, so he thought lying was an excellent means of hiding his misdeeds and plans. What scriptures warn us that God hears every word that flutters through our heads and is aware of their original source? Psalm 139:1-4; Jeremiah 17:10; Amos 4:13.
3. Since Satan has lied through the mouths of men making men seem to be liars like him (even if men consciously agree to do it), what has God promised to do about it? Isaiah 28:14-18, 29:15-16.
4. How does God feel about lying? Proverbs 12:22.
5. What was Satan really hiding through lies? Proverbs 26:28.
6. Who made man subject to Satan's vanity? Romans 8:18-22.
7. What scripture shows that Satan has power to use men like a microphone as he did with the serpent in the "Garden"? Matthew 16:22,32. Notice that it seemed that Peter was talking to Jesus to those disciples with them. But Jesus knew it was Satan and rebuked him. Now look at John 8:33-47. Here Jesus is talking to two groups : (a) the fleshy Jews and (b) the demons riding their bodies and speaking through them, Matthew 12:43-45; Mark 9:1. Observe that in verse 37, he acknowledges to the fleshy Jews that they are Abraham's seed. Rightly dividing and directing his words, he rejects the voices of devils who said, "God is their Father" in verse 39. Verses 41-47 is directed strictly to the demons speaking through the people. But man's paternity is explicitly stated in Matthew 23:9. Since the WORD of God is a two-edge sWORD dividing between the flesh and the spirit, Hebrews 4:12, YOU as a reader need to be able to detect when it divides and to which kingdom God is addressing.
8. Give a concrete example showing that God has given devils this kind of power for their use and advantage: 1 Kings 22:19-23. Should we trust in men? Psalm 31:19-20.
9. Since "truth" is God's nature and our nature, "after His likeness", what must we do about "little white lies", "big whoppers", half-truths, and "dirty black lies"? Psalm 119:29-30; 2 Corinthians 4:1-2; Ephesians 4:21-25.
10. How should we conduct ourselves while devils are about us? Psalm 39:1-7; Habakkuk 1:4.
10th Commandment: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's", Exodus 20:17.
Coveting is having a strong desire to obtain or possess something, which may become uncontrollable. Such a reckless desire may cause one to break all of the preceding commandments just to procure that which is coveted. Satan was the first to covet and he violated all the other areas covered by the Ten Commandments while catering to his desires. He wanted to be like God. He instructed man in the making of graven images by which he receives indirect worship. He blasphemed and took God's name in vain while considering God's kindness and patience to be "weakness". Adam fell during God's long 1000 yr. Sabbath Day "rest". Satan dishonored God whom he thought was his "Father" (Creator...yes!..but father ...NO!) by opposing and warring against God and his sons. Hatred of God and man without a just cause made him the first murderer, 1 John 3:15. Since the first killing of Abel, devils have been the invisible hands slaughtering the generations of men out of envy and jealousy, Revelation 18:24. Devils have possessed and stolen our bodies without our knowledge of it nor our consent. They have been false witnesses in heaven and on earth accusing men before God of every crime they as slavemasters forced men to "work". All these things are a result of Satan's covetousness and his attempts to take God's creations by force. The Ten Commandments were decrees issued to thwart Satan's ten major crimes he has continued to exercise among men. These "laws" have never been put away or "blotted out". Those teachers who say man is "not under the law" and include the Ten Commandments in that statement do err not having a clear knowledge of the priestly codes under Moses. Those codes as practiced "naturally" by the Jews were dispensed when the Heavenly priesthood replaced them and when Christ initiated it. The Ten Commandments were never "put away". Therefore we find Jesus Christ, the High Priest, telling the young rich man to "keep the commandments" in order to have eternal life, Matthew 19:16-17.
1. Recall how Satan made Aaron and the people sin by breaking the first two commandments. They had another god before the Lord in the form of a golden calf, Exodus 32:1-4. Satan was speaking through the people and putting the "force" on Aaron. Satan coveted Israel and wanted to possess and destroy them to prevent God from using them as a "model people", Ezekiel 35:10-11.
2. Ignorance plays a big part in crimes where God's name is taken in vain by men. Observe how Satan coveted and controlled Israel in Elijah's days while he fought to free them, 1 Kings 17:17-40.
3. Devils consider our bodies their house. Jesus exposed them for this sneak-thievery and covetousness, Matthew 12:43-45; John 8:34-36.
4. In coveting Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, what other crime did Satan do using David to procure Bathsheba as a wife? 2 Samuel 11:14-17,26-27.
5. Coveting menservants, maidservants, cattle, and properties of Lot and the kings he lived among resulted in a war for possession and captivity. Recall this incident and how Abraham fought and freed Lot and the kings with him: Genesis 14:8-16.
CONCLUSION
We can go on with other biblical incidents to illustrate covetousness. The bottom line is that we should not entertain wicked desires in our minds! Then we will not be guilty of covetousness and in danger of breaking other commandments just to obtain that which belongs to our neighbor. Covetousness and greed is behind many lawsuits today. Man's laws and system of "justice" is often at odds with the laws of God. But let us fulfill the Royal Law: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and "love your neighbor as yourself". In doing so we can avoid covetousness.