Making Good Choices – Ten Words

Scriptures: Exodus 20:2, John 10:10, John 8:32, James 1:25, 1 John 5:3

In this reading plan, we will be looking at a code to help us make good choices, both personally and for our family, business, and society.

One of the most famous sections in the Bible, indeed, one of the most important pieces of religious literature in the whole world, can be found in Exodus 20, often called the Ten Commandments. Interestingly, history does not call them ’The Ten Commandments,’ but ‘The Ten Words.’

These ‘Ten Words’ that God gave the Israelites at Mount Sinai, form the basis for making right choices. They form the foundation on which we can make right practical, moral, and ethical decisions.

These ‘Ten Words’ are the only utterances of God which were actually written personally with His own fingers! They reflect divine ideals for all human behaviour. They serve to point out the major areas in which we fall short. Want to know pitfalls along the way? The Ten Words are markers near the harbour, or buoys in a sea, to help us navigate around the dangerous rocks and bring us safely home. They serve to point us to Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

Before listing the ‘ought-to-dos,’ we have to address the ‘already-dones.’ In the introduction to the Ten Words, we hear how deliverance by the mighty hand of God provided freedom for more than two million souls. In freedom, they were called to live holy, righteous, and obedient lives.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2)

We have been set free by Jesus Christ, to love and serve Him and our neighbours. Our freedom as disciples will be maintained by following His Words.

“If you abide in my word, you aretruly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(John 8:32) 

I was astounded last week to hear of a former aide to the US president talk about ‘alternative truth.’ In other words, she meant that her truth was just as valid as your truth. This is anarchy, the absence of authority. This leads us into the first of the Ten Words, which establishes the source of truth and authority – 

“You shall have no other gods but me.’ 

Next time: Word #1: Focus.

Scriptures: Ephesians 6:12, Luke 16:13, Exodus 20:3, Hebrews 13:5

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 1: Focus

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

A god is, according to the dictionary, ‘a superhuman being or spirit worshipped as having power over nature or human fortunes.’ 

This first of Ten Words reminds us that everything we choose should flow from the love we have for God as well as thankfulness for setting us free, just as Israel was ‘delivered from the house of slavery’ in Egypt. This means that we are not to let any choice we make displace God as our most important concern and never to allow anything to threaten God’s central place in our life.

The main god in our world today is very well known. It is Me, it is You. We worship the ‘Unholy Trinity’ of Me, I, and Myself. This new religion’s creed is summed up in the belief that each person should attain maximum ‘godhood’ without hindrance. We claim to be the supreme authority of life and have the final call on what we should do and the choices we make. 

Our capacity for being our own god is compounded by the temptations from ‘the gods of this world.’ Paul writes, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) 

These powers are constantly tempting us to make our own choices independently from God. 

Managing money is not just a technical exercise of adding up, calculating risk, percentage growth etc. It is, at the heart of the matter, a spiritual discipline. Jesus unmasked the spiritual power behind money which he called “Mammon.” He challenges us to examine our choices. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (mammon).” (Luke 16:13)

Mammon is the god behind our economy and the consumer mindset we have today. Mammon gladly receives our offerings made with plastic cards in its shopping temples and websites, promising fulfilment, status, and well-being. Its promises are empty. You can buy medicine, but not health; books, but not wisdom; a house, but not a home; sex, but not love. 

This first Word is a challenge to remain loyal to God, loving Him and serving only Him. Mammon wants us to love it and serve it.

The Bible is clear. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5)

Scriptures: Exodus 20:4, Psalms 115:4-8

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 2 No idols! 

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” (Exodus 20:4)

The first two commands that Israel received were clearly in connection with the unique supremacy of God. Israel was given the unquestionable command to never entertain any other deities by participating in idolatry or placing images and idols before the true and living God. The entire Bible gives witness to this abominable question of idolatry which is a fundamental tool of the enemy to dethrone God and dehumanise mankind. 

This second Word is a strong protest against idolatry and materialism through which we can become enslaved. The god behind money, which Jesus revealed as mammon, likes to work through material things, our possessions, which can become idols. We think we control them, but they actually have the potential to control us. 

The writer of the psalms very graphically described the nature of idols. “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” (Psalm 115:4-8) 

Idols promise much, but they are empty promises. They do not deliver. 

An idol is whatever you look at and say in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning; then I’ll know I have value; then I’ll feel significant and secure.”

Idols are the things that distract you from God. They capture your affection and distract your passion away from Him. Idols are what consume you instead of  being preoccupied with God.

An idol is that thing in your life that you look at and say, “If I can only obtain that, thenmy life will be fulfilled and I will have peace and happiness.” That is a demonic lie because the only way we can find true purpose and happiness in life is through a relationship with God. The Creator, not creation, is the only One that can fulfill our deep longings in life. 

Scriptures: Exodus 20:7, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 7:9-11

Making the right choices – Ten Words 

Word # 3: A Good Name!

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7) 

It’s not about you. It’s all about God and especially His name, His reputation, and His honour. The literal translation of this third Word is, “Do not carry the name of the Lord your God in a worthless way.” 

When we call ourselves Christians, we are carrying the name of Christ (and God) into everyday life. Are our choices uplifting God’s name, His reputation? Are the choices we make honouring God and who He is? When people look at the way we live and the decisions we make, can they relate this to the God we serve?

We violate this Word when we lie, steal, and cheat. When we consider money more important than people, whom God has created, we violate this Word.

“What’s in a name?”, wrote William Shakespeare. A name is so much more than words to recognize a person. Our name marks us and identifies us. 

Over time, as people get to know us, our name embodies who we are. God has many names. One of my favourite names for God is “Jehovah Jireh”, meaning ‘The God Who Provides.’ When making our choices, we can count on the name of the Lord, Jehovah Jireh, to provide all we need to do everything He is asking us to do. In fact, if I know that God wants me to do something and I say, “I cannot afford it,” then I am taking His name in vain. He promised to provide, so we can cry out with Paul, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus!”(Philippians 4:19) God always pays for what He orders!

Whatever the circumstance we may find ourselves in, we can trust in the name of the Lord who is called “El-Sahaddai”—the Almighty! He is in control of all circumstances and does not allow anything to happen to His children without His permission. In tough times, Jesus is with us and suffering alongside those who suffer. He lifts up and takes down; He gives and takes away. 

He is the Sovereign Lord. Even in troubling times, our priority must be to hold high His honour, reputation, His dignity and name. 

Scriptures: Exodus 20:7, Mark 2:27

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 4 Rest! 

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:7)

The Sabbath is all about celebrating who God is and His provision for us. The idea of a sabbath was first introduced to Israel in the desert after their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The provision of God was confirmed by the provision of manna, just enough for each day. Manna could not be saved; it appeared each morning and disappeared when the sun came up. If hoarded, it spoiled.

Each day, the Israelites gathered exactly what was needed. I like to think that they could make a variety of dishes: manna pancakes, manna pizza, manna pies and manna pasta—all my favourites!

On the sixth day of the week, they were told to gather a double amount, because the Lord instructed them not to work at gathering manna on the seventh day. It was to be a ‘sabbath’ unto the Lord. 

Sabbath is based on creation and following God’s own example when He rested on the seventh day to stop and enjoy creation. On our Sabbath we, too, can stop and enjoy God and all he has provided for us. By not working on the Sabbath we show we trust God and His provision for us, showing thankfulness for all he has given to us. It is a time of rest, recreation, and renewal. 

Whether or not the Sabbath should be on the western Sunday is missing the real point. Listening to devoted Christians in a nation whose Sabbath is on a Saturday, I heard, “Lord, we serve you every day. If the one day of rest happens to be on the sixth or seventh, or third, or fourth, it’s of no consequence. We will take a day as a gift from you and use it for your glory.”

Jesus stated that, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) The Sabbath was intended to help people, not burden them. In contrast with the grueling daily work as slaves in Egypt, the Israelites were commanded to take a full day of rest each week on which they could celebrate their new freedom! 

Making the right choices?

This Word #4 encourages us to work hard together with the God of creation, and then, one day a week, to sit back, thank Him for His provision, and enjoy all He has given!

Scriptures: Exodus 20:12, 1 Peter 2:13, Malachi 1:6

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 5 Honour!  

“Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

The first four Words define how God wants us to show love for Him. This Fifth Word begins a series of six words that show us how to love other people, starting from our earliest years in the family.

In a way, this Word connects the two sections since God reveals Himself as our loving Father and no father deserves honour as much as our Heavenly Father! However, this does not always happen! God pointed out this much-too-common problem in Malachi 1:6. “A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honour? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?”

This Fifth Word helps us see how learning respect and honour in the family setting helps prepare us to show honour to our ultimate Father. It all starts at home and the family is the first place to practice making right choices and managing our resources well. Our parents resemble the Creator in as much as they were partners with God in the creation of the child. Honouring father and mother opens a channel for God’s continued blessing.

Interestingly, this is the first commandment which carries a promise. ‘So that you may live well, enjoying God’s provision!’ God’s blessings and well-being stem from giving honour to those in authority over us. Paul says, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority…” (1 Peter 2:13) 

God calls us explicitly to honour our parents because the family is the foundation of human society. The need to honour authorities is not a consequence of the fall; rather, the command to obey those over us reflects the way in which God has ordered His universe. If children do not honour their parents, all other earthly authorities will collapse. This happens every day in homes where children are not required to obey their parents and in homes where fathers are absent. An unbearable strain is put on local authorities and the government.

The command to honour one’s father and mother carries with it the broader implication to submit to one’s employer, governmental officials, and any other duly instituted authority.

Honouring people means to keep our word, do what we promise, and pay what we owe. It means producing an honest tax return and not cheating on our employer. 

Practising honour to all opens a window for God’s blessing, “that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” This is a land of wealth, contentment, and joy!

Making the right choices?

This Word #5 encourages us to seek ways to honour others by being honest and truthful in all our dealings, respecting and utilising the experience of those who have gone before us.

Scriptures: Exodus 20:13, 1 John 2:6, Deuteronomy 30:19, Psalms 25:21, Deuteronomy 15:11, Matthew 5:21-26

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 6 Life!  

“You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)

God values human life highly, and He wants us to value and choose life as well. God is the giver of life. He breathed into the first man the breath of life, (Genesis 2:7) and His plan is to give every human being a chance at real life—eternal life as His sons and daughters in His Kingdom. He tells us to choose life: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Because God is the God of life, and because we are His children and desire to walk in the same way in which He walks, (1 John 2:6) we want to work for the preservation, protection, and promotion of life. This command, then, is profoundly rooted in the nature of God as the God of love.

Preserving life means to make choices directed at building our physical capital. This is the time and energy we have available to invest in tasks, projects, and relationships. Jesus shows us how to do this when he teaches his disciples how to rest and abide so they can bear fruit. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Good health is something we take for granted—until we start to lose it. 
John wrote to his friend, (3 John 2) hinting that his dear friend was not well and that John was praying for restored health: “I want you to be as healthy in body as you are in soul!” The psalmist (25:21) says that living a life of integrity and righteousness will preserve my life. 

Protecting life means to make choices which will provide for the family’s needs.
(1 Timothy 5:8) Building up a buffer for emergencies, and providing necessary insurances will protect the family in changing circumstances. 

We are also called to give generously to protect the lives of those who are vulnerable and defend the poor. “For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open you hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11)

Promoting life means to make choices which enables our fellow human beings to blossom, grow and be fruitful. Investing in people through education and training, offering opportunities to use their gifts and talents will help them to flourish as human beings.  

Making the right choices?

This Word #6 shows that we are to value human life in accordance to Gods valuation of life. Financial choices should preserve, protect and promote human flourishing and healthy relationships.

Scriptures: Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 7:9, Proverbs 5:18, Matthew 5:27-30

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 7:  Loyalty!  

“You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)

A strong relationship does not come automatically and we all know it is subject to temptations and tough circumstances. It takes investment to grow a strong relationship. Investing time means to be there for one another, to actively listen to one another, share experiences and learn from each other. Investing could also mean going to a marriage conference, getting professional counsel, and spending on the other’s welfare and growth.

The English word adultery means to ‘make something weaker or of worse quality by adding something of inferior quality,’ and stems from the Latin adultere, which means ‘to corrupt.’ 

In sexuality, this leads to seriously weakening of the relationship to a breaking point. In our relationship with God, adultery means to choose the temptations from other gods or idols above the principles of the Bible.

If there is one word which stands out as a banner flying over relationships, that would be loyalty. The word loyalty brings to mind a powerful sense of belonging and solidarity coupled with unswerving devotion and duty. In the Bible, the concept of loyalty is purely relational. This means our whole being is thoroughly committed to someone. Such loyalty is expressed to us in both the divine and human realms as given to us in the great commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

God established the very essence of loyalty through His covenant relationship with His people: “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)

In our relationships with one another we are called to steadfast loyalty, not just in our marriage relationship, but also at work with our employers, employees, colleagues, customers, and suppliers.

An important verse to claim in marriage is Proverbs 5:18: “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.”

Scriptures: Exodus 20:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Ephesians 4:28, Malachi 3:10, 2 Corinthians 9:8

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 8 Give!  

“You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)

This Word is all about justice through respecting human property rights, and generosity by showing practical love to God and our neighbour.

This Word teaches us to practice justice by protecting personal property and to respect the property of others. Many human laws have been made to try to protect personal possessions and property from those who would seek to take them for themselves.

There are laws against larceny, embezzlement, grand theft and petty theft. Laws against robbery and armed robbery, burglary, receiving stolen property, fraud, and stealing intellectual property..

This Eighth Word goes deeper. Stealing can take many forms, including cheating someone or even delaying paying someone what you owe him or her. Companies can attempt to steal from people with misleading advertising and deliver shoddy products and services. Employees can steal from their employers by wasting time or doing personal things on company time. Using deception to make sales and gain market shares is stealing because the deception means that whatever the buyer consents to is not the actual situation. Violating patents, copyrights, and other intellectual property laws is stealing because it deprives owners of the ability to profit from their creation under the terms of civil law.

The spiritual meaning of our Word contrasts two ways of living: getting versus giving. “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:28)

It has been said that ‘you are never more like Christ than when you are giving.’ Sharing is an antidote to stealing. 

The Bible warns against stealing from God the tithes and offerings owed Him, but promises blessings to those who do give to Him. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?”

“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse —your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” (Malachi 3:10)

Making the right choices?

This Word #8 shows that we are to trust the Lord to provide all we need, to be content with what we have, and always be ready to share with those in need. We are to choose justice which is respecting other people’s property.

Scriptures: Exodus 20:16, John 14:6, John 8:32, Romans 9:1

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 9 Truth!  

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.” (Exodus 20:16)

Most people know that their actions should be guided by their conscience. Some take this to mean, “I think this is right,” or, “I think this is what I should do.” Some take it to an even easier level and say things like, “I need to follow my heart.” However, there is a problem with that. Everyone does what they think is right (or at least seems to be right to themselves), but the underlying action is not necessarily guided by the right values.

Our conscience is a powerful tool for making the right choices. If your conscience is not properly formed, then it will not lead you in the right direction. In a society in which truth is relative, we need a compass which will always refer to a fixed point which never changes. This is, of course, the Bible, which tells us that God is the ultimate standard of truth—true North! We can navigate the many choices we need to make using the Bible as a compass.

God’s Word, the Bible is the absolute standard of truth. Without recognising this, we are given over to a relative meaning of truth in which truth for one person my not be truth for another. 

Truth is not a concept or a philosophical idea. It is a Person. Jesus is the truth about God and about life. Jesus, at His trial, stood before Pilate who asked Him, “What is truth?” Pilate would have spoken Latin, “Quid est veritas?” It is surmised that Jesus replied in an anagram. “Est vir qui adest!” “He who stands before you.”  

Jesus did say, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) If Jesus is the truth, getting to know Him and His ways and following His teachings will lead us into all the truth. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

Making the right choices?

Truthtelling is the norm in the Bible and is rooted in God’s nature. That is why we can rely on His promises and build our lives on the truth of the Bible. As Christians, we have been given the Spirit of God and He will work on our conscience to guide us into making the right decisions. “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 9:1)

Conscience is a word derived from the Latin ‘con ‘, meaning together, and ‘science’, meaning to know. So, our conscience is to know, together with God, what is true.

Scriptures: Exodus 20:17, Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 6:21, Deuteronomy 7:25, Hebrews 13:5, Philippians 4:13, Psalms 37:4

Making the right choices – Ten Words

Word # 10 Content!  

“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour’s.” (Exodus 20:17)

The last Word in our series, if violated, will have a ‘domino effect’ on the previous nine and is pivotal to the rest. Interestingly, most commandments concern our actions, but this one concerns, first of all, our heart’s attitude. 

The Proverb (4:23) says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Coveting is a really strong desire for something which is not ours and bubbles up from the depths of our heart as jealousy and greed; envious at what other people have and we don’t.

Coveting means to desire excessively, disregarding the limits of ‘enough,’ and to desire, illegitimately, what belongs to another. In fact, coveting was the original sin, as Adam end Eve desired what exclusively belonged to God and took what they shouldn’t have taken.

When dealing with coveting, we need to re-direct the priorities of our heart as Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” This means that the desires of your heart will follow what you treasure most,  that which is most important to you.  

Contentedness

The writer to the Hebrews (13:5) gave us the antidote to the sin of coveting. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” This gives us three ways to implement Word # 10.

First of all, we should not focus on money as the most important resource to solve all our problems and meet all our needs and desires. Only God can do that!

Secondly, we should learn to be content with what we have in whatever situation and economic level we find ourselves. Doing this is an act of thankfulness to God and an acceptance of His leadership in our lives.

Thirdly, we need to trust that God knows what we need and will provide. Remember, God always pays for what He orders!