“And God spoke all these words, saying” (Exodus 20:1 ESV).
Did you know that God actually spoke the Ten Commandments aloud from Mount Sinai for all the Israelites to hear? Before God wrote the Decalogue down onto stone tablets, He actually spoke them aloud from Mount Sinai for all the Israelites to hear. A literal translation is that God spoke “the words” (Hebrew: הַדְּבָרִ֥ים, “ha-dabarim”). The Jews therefore refer to the Ten Commandments as the Ten Words.
These ten words are beautifully organized into two tablets, the first tablet of words being about how we should love and relate to the Lord God and the second tablet of words are about how we should love and treat our fellow man. This is why Jesus could summarize all the commands with “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”
There are around 613 commandments given to the Israelites by God. Yet, all of them are found within the “ten words,” which appear like chapter headings in a table of contents in the beginning of a book. For instance, all the commandments concerning feasts and holidays, might be considered under the “Keep the Sabbath” heading. And all the laws concerning human sexuality might be implied under the word, “You shall not commit adultery.”
The wisdom and righteousness of God is revealed in these Ten Words. Yet the only way to satisfy them is to have them written on our hearts by believing in the “Word” made flesh, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Living Word. He is the Word that satisfies the Ten Words. For Jesus kept the Ten Words for us. Jesus is the only name, the only Word, by which we may be saved (Acts 4:12).
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank your for giving us the Ten Words. They show us Your standard for righteousness. Even more, we thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who has kept the law and offered Himself as payment for our sins. We now have the Ten Words written on our hearts through faith in Jesus. Help us to live today according to Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25 ESV).
Jesus accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy. For they emphasized outward expressions of holiness without any true heart change. The Pharisees had added dozens of rules on cleanliness in their interpretation of the Torah. They even had instructions on how to do dishes. Yet, their eyes were blind and their ears deaf to Christ’s message. The disciples of Jesus may not have washed their hands according to the Pharisaic tradition, but their hearts were humble and open to Christ’s teachings.
As God told the prophet Samuel, “man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart” (1 Sam.16:7). What does God see in your heart? Have you believed in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead and confessed Him as Lord and Savior? If so, then your hearts have been “cleansed by faith” in Jesus. (Acts 15:9).
PRAYER: Dear Father, only You can cleanse and change the human heart. Therefore we pray as David did, create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me (Psa. 51:10). For we want our hearts to be fully devoted to You, so that Your Spirit is at home in our hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me” (Matthew 23:37 NLT).
Jesus grieved over Jerusalem and its people’s rejection of Him. How He wanted to gather them unto Himself to care for them as a hen cares for her chicks. But they were not willing. This is perhaps one of the clearest pictures of Christ’s heart of love and care for humanity revealed, and of man’s unwillingness to respond to His call.
Notice what Christ wants. He wants to gather us and protect us. He calls to us, but He does not force Himself upon us. He knocks, but He doesn’t kick the door down. He warns us of the coming judgment and He pays the price for our redemption with His own blood, but He doesn’t overrule our wills.
Yet He does offer to give us a new heart that wants what He wants, a new will that is in easy alignment with His. Why not let Him have what He wants? Christ wants you.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are in awe that You have loved us so much that You gave us Your Son. We are loved. We are wanted. We are blessed. And we are thankful. Now we give ourselves fully to Jesus, every area and care, we surrender to His will. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Did you know that God actually spoke the Ten Commandments aloud from Mount Sinai for all the Israelites to hear? Before God wrote the Decalogue down onto stone tablets, He actually spoke them aloud from Mount Sinai for all the Israelites to hear. A literal translation of the NLT’s “instructions” is “words” (Hebrew: הַדְּבָרִ֥ים ha-dabarim “the words”). The Jews therefore refer to them as the Ten Words.
These ten words are beautifully organized into two tablets, the first tablet of words being about how we should love and relate to the Lord God and the second tablet of words are about how we should love and treat our fellow man. This is why Jesus could summarize all the commands with “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”
There are around 613 commandments given to the Israelites by God. Yet, all of them are found within the “ten words,” which appear like chapter headings in a table of contents in the beginning of a book. For instance, all the commandments concerning feasts and holidays, might be considered under the “Keep the Sabbath” heading. And all the laws concerning human sexuality might be implied under the “You shall not commit adultery” word.
The wisdom and righteousness of God is revealed in these Ten Words. Yet the only way to satisfy them is to have them written on our hearts by believing in the “Word” made flesh, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Living Word. He is the Word that satisfies the Ten Words. For Jesus kept the Ten Words for us. Jesus is the only name, the only Word, by which we may be saved (Acts 4:12).
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank your for giving us the Ten Words. They show us Your standard for righteousness. Even more, we thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who has kept the law and offered Himself as payment for our sins. We now have the Ten Words written on our hearts through faith in Jesus. Help us to live today according to Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Solomon wrote these words to his son, advising him to keep his commands and live. This is good advice for all as it applies to God’s Word. How many ways are named that one might keep God’s Word?
1) Treasure God’s commands within you.
2) Keep God’s commands and live.
3) Keep God’s law as the apple of your eye.
4) Bind God’s law on your fingers.
5) Write God’s law on the tablet of your heart.
These five provoke certain questions for our consideration. Like … What’s within you today? You can tell by what comes out of your mouth. What are you focused on today, what’s the apple of your eye? What are your fingers finding to do? Have you meditated on and memorized God’s Word so that it is written on your heart?
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Even more, thank You for Jesus, who makes it possible for us to keep Your Word by faith in Him. Your Word is food to us and a light to guide our way. We thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Did you know that God actually spoke the Ten Commandments aloud from Mount Sinai for all the Israelites to hear? Before God wrote the Decalogue down onto stone tablets, He actually spoke them aloud from Mount Sinai for all the Israelites to hear. A literal translation of the NLT’s “instructions” is “words” (Hebrew: הַדְּבָרִ֥ים ha-Dabarim “the words”). The Jews therefore refer to them as the Ten Words or Ten Sayings (Hebrew: עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים Aseret ha-Dabarim).
These ten words are beautifully organized into two tablets, the first tablet of words being about how we should love and relate to the Lord God and the second tablet of words are about how we should love and treat our fellow man. This is why Jesus could summarize all the commands with “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” There are around 613 commandments given to the Israelites by God. Yet, all of them are found within the “ten words,” that appear like chapter headings in a table of contents in the beginning of a book. For instance, all the commandments concerning feasts and holidays, might be considered under the “Keep the Sabbath” heading. And all the laws concerning human sexuality might be implied under the “You shall not commit adultery” word.
The wisdom and righteousness of God is revealed in these Ten Words. Yet the only way to satisfy them is to have them written on our hearts by believing in the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Living Word. He is the Word that satisfies the Ten Words. Jesus is the only name, the only word, by which we may be saved (Acts 4:12).
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank your for giving us the Ten Words. They show us Your standard for righteousness. Even more, we thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who has kept the law and offered Himself as payment for our sins. We now have the Ten Words written on our hearts through faith in Jesus. Help us to live today according to Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have you heard of the “Jesus Prayer?” It goes like this, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” When you don’t know how to pray, pray the Jesus Prayer. Call on Jesus to have mercy on you and He will answer your cry. This prayer hinges on the quality of Christ’s mercy, not our worthiness. For though our sins may be as scarlet, His mercy can wash them “white as snow” (Isa. 1:18).
Jesus grieved over Jerusalem and His people’s rejection of Him. How He wanted to “gather” them unto Himself to care for them as a “hen gathers her chicks.” But they were not “willing.” This is perhaps one of the clearest pictures of God’s heart of love and care revealed for humanity, and man’s unwillingness to respond to His call. Perhaps this verse was in Will Thompson’s mind when he penned the lyrics “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me… Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!” Are you willing to answer Christ’s tender call?
Before God wrote the ten commandments down onto two stone tablets, He actually spoke them aloud from Mount Sinai before all the Israelites. The Scripture actually refers to them as “words” (Hebrew: הַדְּבָרִ֥ים ha-Dabarim “the words”). The Jews therefore refer to them as the Ten Words or Ten Sayings (Hebrew: עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים Aseret ha-Dabarim). These ten words are beautifully organized into two tablets, the first tablet of words being about how we should love and relate to the Lord God and the second tablet of words are about how we should love and treat our fellow man. This is why Jesus could summarize all the commands with “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” There are around 613 commandments given to the Israelites by God. Yet, all of them are found within the “ten words,” that appear like chapter headings in a table of contents in the beginning of a book. For instance, all the commandments concerning feasts and holidays, might be considered under the “Keep the Sabbath” heading. And all the laws concerning human sexuality might be implied under the “You shall not commit adultery” word. The wisdom and righteousness of God is revealed in these ten words. But the only way to satisfy them is to have them written on our hearts by believing in the Christ and receiving His righteousness in exchange for our sin.
Before God wrote the ten commandments down onto two stone tablets, He actually spoke them aloud from Mount Sinai before all the Israelites. The Scripture actually refers to them as “words” (Hebrew: הַדְּבָרִ֥ים ha-Dabarim “the words”). The Jews therefore refer to them as the Ten Words or Ten Sayings (Hebrew: עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים Aseret ha-Dabarim). These ten words are beautifully organized into two tablets, the first tablet of words being about how we should love and relate to the Lord God and the second tablet of words are about how we should love and treat our fellow man. This is why Jesus could summarize all the commands with “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” There are around 613 commandments given to the Israelites by God. Yet, all of them are found within the “ten words,” that appear like chapter headings in a table of contents in the beginning of a book. For instance, all the commandments concerning feasts and holidays, might be considered under the “Keep the Sabbath” heading. And all the laws concerning human sexuality might be implied under the “You shall not commit adultery” word. The wisdom and righteousness of God is revealed in these ten words. But the only way to satisfy them is to have them written on our hearts by believing in the Christ and receiving His righteousness in exchange for our sin.