Dennis Prager – Page 2 – Reaching Hurting Women Ministries

February 4, 2022January 23, 2022

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS STUDY | Honor God

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING VARIOUS INSPIRATIONAL MEDIA.

On the first Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying the Ten Commandments; why we need to know, memorize and obey them.

Then God spoke all these words saying: “I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before or besides Me.” ~ Exodus 20:1-3

THE PREAMBLE

“I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage.” ~ Exodus 20:2

The verse above is what Jewish teaching calls the first of ten statements. Whereas, Christian teaching considers it a preamble or introduction to the Ten Commandments. For the sake of our study, and to coincide with PragerU’s related video teaching which is attached at the bottom of this post, I’ve put the preamble and the first commandment together. In the preamble, God is introducing Himself to the children of Israel in terms which were very relevant to them. It’s also important to recognize that God introduced Himself to the people as their savior. He isn’t just some arbitrary god. He heard their cries for help. He cared for them personally and wanted them freed from the bondage of slavery.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS TWO SEGMENTS

1. Commandments 1 – 4 relate to the relationship between us and God in heaven. They primarily deal with doctrine and teach us our responsibility to God; how to love and honor God.
2. Commandments 6 – 10 relate to relationships we have with people on earth. These deal with ethics; teaching us our responsibility to other people; how to respect and love them.

If you were going to draw the two segments as an image: a vertical line would represent commandments 1 – 4. And a horizontal line would represent commandments 6 – 10.

Together they form a cross. This brings to mind Jesus’ words:

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” (Matt 5:17)

In other words, when Jesus came He completed the true purpose and meaning of what the Law was all about. Later Jesus goes on to say:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.’ This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ All the law and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matt 22:37-40)

THE SUM OF ALL TEN COMMANDMENTS

By following the first four commandments we are loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind: The vertical line on the cross.

By following the sixth through the tenth commandments we are loving our neighbor as we love ourself: The horizontal line of the cross.

THE COVENANT

God is following the ancient form of making covenants or treaties; which the people at that time would have been familiar with. He is revealing His deity, power and care for the people by making a personal covenant with them. Every covenant prior to this was made between God and individuals: Adam, Noah and Abraham. In this covenant God is inviting the children of Israel into a formal relationship with Him. But this relationship has specific stipulations.

THE LAW

“You shall have no other gods before or besides Me.” ~ Exodus 20:3

When we liken our relationship with God to that of a married couple, it’s easier to grasp the concept of God being jealous. A husband or wife, in a healthy marriage, doesn’t want to share their spouse with another person. In the same way, God doesn’t want us to divide our affections which should only be directed to Him, not other gods.

In this first commandment, God is putting first things first; telling us that we must keep Him first above all. God may have enemies in this world. But He refuses to have rivals to Him in our lives. Because the Israelites had been living among the idol worshiping Egyptians for hundreds of years, they had grown indifferent in their relationship with the one true God. So it stands to reason that’s why God started His covenant with the children of Israel with this preamble and commandment.

THE LAW, GRACE AND FREEDOM

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. ~ James 1:25

It seems conflicting to say that the law sets us free. But by looking at ourselves through the reflecting mirror of the law and God’s Word we can recognize our sins that keep us from having a right relationship with God. While God’s Word brings us salvation and new life, it also requires that we be obedient to what it says. Because of the grace available to us through Jesus Christ we are now free from the control that sin once had on our lives.

We can obey God’s laws through the gift of grace and enjoy true freedom!

UPDATE YOUR MEMORY

Sadly, too many of us today have no idea what the Ten Commandments are, much less follow them seriously, or teach them to the children. As this study progresses, I encourage you to begin putting the Ten Commandments to memory. I have supplied you with a wonderful tool to help you. Please check out The Evidence Bible Memory Aid attached under the resource list below. It’s a very easy and effective way to memorize the Ten Commandments.

The memory aid for the first commandment below shows us the image of a first place ribbon, reminding us that God should be number one in our life!

Video Disclaimer: As mentioned in The Preamble section above, the Jewish teaching is a little different than what most Christians have been taught regarding the first and second commandments. This is reflected in the first and second PragerU videos I include in each commandment teaching.

However, the entire video series, like all things on PragerU, is excellent. I will be attaching one of PragerU’s Ten Commandment videos to each of our Ten Commandment lessons which post on the first Friday of each month in 2022. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

The Evidence Bible

Thompson Chain Reference Bible

New Living Parallel Study Bible

Spirit-Filled Life Bible

The Rational Bible: Genesis by Dennis Prager

The Rational Bible: Exodus by Dennis Prager

The 10 Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why we Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung

Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives by Alistair Begg

The Ten Commandments: Reasonable Rules for Life by Dwight L. Moody

The Evidence Bible: Ten Commandments Memory Aid

January 7, 2022December 25, 2021

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS STUDY | Introduction

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TopicS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR.

EACH Topic IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING VARIOUS INSPIRATIONAL MEDIA.

On the first Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying The Ten Commandments. Join me as we take a fresh look at some of the most important Scripture in the Bible. We will learn why we need to study, put to memory and obey them. We start today with our Introduction to The Ten Commandments Study. Enjoy…

With our world in an abounding state of lawlessness and immorality what better time to take a serious look at, what are widely considered to be, the best moral code for humanity. Over the next twelve months we will study each of the Ten Commandments individually in depth.

Rebellious People

The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” ~ Genesis 2:15-17

Worldly and Christian people alike are opposed to moral laws being imposed on their lives. Humanity from the beginning of time, rebelled against rules. Even Adam and Eve, with basically only one rule to follow, couldn’t keep it. Today’s modern culture tries to tell us what’s right or wrong. What in the past was always right is now being taught in schools and media to be wrong and vice versa. Without God as the Highest Source and Authority behind them The Ten Commandments would be powerless and subjective to individual beliefs.

The Father Knows Best

And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. ~ Deuteronomy 6:24

Without a set of rules to guide them, people will eventually perish. The sad and frustrating thing is we have been given the best moral code handwritten by the divine Creator of all humanity. If God created us, doesn’t He have the right to make the laws? Like a Good Father, God lovingly gave us ten basic and really simple rules to follow. If we all could just do that, our world would be a much happier and better place.

Why Study The Ten Commandments

Pay attention: I’m teaching you the rules and regulations that God commanded me, so that you may live by them in the land you are entering to take up ownership. Keep them. Practice them. You’ll become wise and understanding. When people hear and see what’s going on, they’ll say, “What a great nation! So wise, so understanding! We’ve never seen anything like it.” ~ Deuteronomy 4:5-6 (MSG)

There was a time in the early 20th Century when most people at least were aware of The Ten Commandments. They might not have been able to recite them from memory. But at least they knew the basics. Sadly, today the majority of people are completely ignorant when it comes to God’s Top Ten Rules for life. Most mainstream churches, even evangelical churches, shy away from teaching God’s Law. If we as Christians, and as a nation, want to see life change for the better, we must begin by going back to the basics. The Ten Commandments are central to not only New Testament ethics but for civilian ethics alike. The most important reason why we should study The Ten Commandments… God’s Law is good for us. We should want to know it!

Why Obey The Ten Commandments

Be strong and brave. Be sure to obey all the teachings my servant Moses gave you. If you follow them exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. ~ Joshua 1:7

It’s not only important that we study and learn The Ten Commandments, we need to put them into practice by obeying them in our everyday life. As Christians we are God’s people. And to be His people we must be set apart and follow His ways. When He gave the Israelites His Law, God was sharing His Father’s heart with us. He is telling us what is important to Him. We must honor that. Most importantly, God loves us and wants the best for us. We need to trust He know what is best and obey Him!

The Ten Commandments Can Turn Our Life Around

The Lord’s teachings are perfect.
    They give new strength.
The Lord’s rules can be trusted.
    They make plain people wise.
The Lord’s orders are right.
    They make people happy.
The Lord’s commands are pure.
    They light up the way.
It is good to respect the Lord.
    That respect will last forever.
The Lord’s judgments are true.
    They are completely right.
They are worth more than gold,
    even the purest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even the finest honey.
They tell your servant what to do.
    Keeping them brings great reward. ~ Psalm 19:7-11

In essence, by following The Ten Commandments, one can almost be guaranteed an enjoyable life. If we as a human race would but embrace, put to memory and walk out these basic life rules our individual, family, and work life; local, national and international communities; would all be so much more productive and happy.

Join me over the next year as we dig in and study each of The Ten Commandments. We will learn how to easily put them to memory and apply them to our daily lives so we can be happy and healthy citizens of our world!