-Please Read this FIRST- On this site we prefer to use the actual
Name of our loving Heavenly Father as it was written in the Word, and thus you will note that we will use the Four Letter “Memorial Name”
of 
- YHVH, which is pronounced as YaHVaH or YaHWaH. In addition we will also use our Heavenly Father’s
attribute/title, which is Elohim rather than “God,” which sadly is the name of a pagan god.
In addition we also love to use the actual and real Name of our beloved Messiah
which is 
- Yahushua for this is our Saviours original Hebrew Name as given to Him at birth in
“Teach me Your way, O YHVH. I will walk in Your truth. Unite my
heart to fear Your Name!”
Psalm 86:1.
Please Note: In this study, the original Name of our Messiah and Saviour is used, which is “Yahushua”, His Name be praised! Other Hebrew and Greek names may also appear, but they will be translated at least the first time they appear. Read the item at the very top of this page for details regarding the Name of Our Heavenly Father, and our blessed Redeemer!
As this study deals with the Ten Commandments,
thus an Old Covenant Law, many will say even before commencing reading;
“But did Paul not dismiss the law and say that it has been completely
been replaced?” The truth is NO he certainly did not, in fact he encouraged
the keeping of the law, but he certainly spoke out against what is known as the
Rabbinic or Pharisaic laws, they were the countless added man-made laws
they made that enslaved the Jewish people to this day. For example there are
only three Sabbath laws, but they turned it into hundreds! What did
“… those who obey the law who
will be declared righteous.” Romans 2:13. … Then having spoken
about “faith”
Short Introduction:
It is quite tragic, but in these days we live in a world filled with lawlessness, and in most societies, murder, theft, adultery, deceit, and perversity are now just commonplace. Sadly, even in religious communities and many human behavioural specialists, scoff at the idea of moral ideologies that apply these days. One man’s morality, it is believed, is another man’s immorality. What seems unnatural and abnormal to one is considered perfectly normal and natural for another.
In recent times, but especially during the
past two decades, the Western World has witnessed an increasing acceptance
couples living together and having babies out of wedlock. In addition, it
almost is considered normal for young single women to get pregnant and then
they claim for a single mother’s pension, as is the case here in
Beloved, I am sure that you are as shocked, and I feel so sad for the state of this world, for often I think, how our blessed YaHVaH Elohim (the LORD God) must feel having to see all these evils of men, whom He created in His image, and the great evil, even in what has become the harlot churches of Satan! I know that it will be beyond our comprehension, for the time of His wrath is yet to come, and YaHVaH Elohim, blessed be His Sanctified Name, desires us to be obedient to Him, and love Him, and Yahushua the Messiah who gave His life in order that you might have life!
But we also need to realise that Elohim does not change! He made human beings in His own image and after His likeness and gave them specific instructions on how they were to relate to Him and to each other. In other words, He gave them His SANCTIFIED LAW!
The Law of Love did it originate from the Old or the New Covenant?
Elohim’s “great commandment” is summarized in a single word … “LOVE.” When asked to identify the “great commandment in the Torah (the Law),” Yahushua The Messiah replied,
“You shall love YHVH your Elohim
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the
great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love
your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments lay all of the Law and
the prophets.” Mattityahu -
I can hear you say: But that is not from the Old Covenant, you are quoting directly from the New Covenant.” The greatest problem is my friends that at the time when Yahushua our precious Saviour walked the earth, as well as His Apostles, including the faithful believers after He had ascended to Heaven, there was no New Covenant and Yahushua was in fact quoting directly from the Sanctified Scriptures, the very same one that men added the word “OLD” to. Let me say this, that the Word of YaHVaH Elohim, blessed be His Sanctified Name, NEVER gets old or out of date, for somehow it was certain early pagan inspired Roman christians who decided to rename it the Old, and then there are those who even dare to claim, that it has been done away with, and that the Brit Chadashah, the New Covenant is all we now need. Well, I have news for you, the Tanach, Hebrew for what the church calls the Old Covenant is very much up to date and it is relevant for you right NOW, for in the heart of it you will discover the “Law of LOVE” and the truth is that it was the only Scriptures that our Messiah and the Apostles EVER used, for there was NO “New Covenant!
“LOVE” is Elohim’s Law in its simplest form. The two commandments
are a binding unit, for this one law is universally binding. One cannot keep
just one of the two commandments, for to hate one’s neighbour is to fail
to love the Creator of heaven and earth, and He who has commanded us to love
one’s neighbour. Yochanan -
“If anyone says, ‘I love
Elohim,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love
his brother whom he has seen, cannot love Elohim whom he has not seen. And this
commandment we have from Him: “whoever loves Elohim must also love his
brother.’” 1 Yochanan - 1
Yochanan –
Interestingly, Yahushua was not introducing a brand new law when He named the two paramount commandments. He was simply quoting from the Tanach, the Old Covenant, thus Yahushua was quoting directly from the Mosaic Laws. The first commandment is a part of the famous “Shema” - or “Hear O Israel” – being the Hebrew “confession of faith” (Davarim - Deuteronomy 6:4), which is recited by every Hebrew twice each day; and the second commandment was taken from the book known for its exposition of the ceremonial law, the book of Vayikra - Leviticus.
“
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am YHVH.” Vayikra - Leviticus 19:18.
The law of love is also mentioned in the Brit Chadashah, New Covenant (Romans 8:28; 13:8–9; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Galatians 5:14; 1 Yochanan – 1 John 4:18–20; 5:2; Ya’akov - James 1:12; 2:5–8) thus, there can be no doubt that this law was carried forward into the Brit Chadashah, the New Covenant. Therefore it is as binding today as it ever has been at any time in the past. And yet, your priest, pastor or leader will tell you that the old laws are dead and gone! If that is the case, they are calling Messiah Yahushua a liar, for He was promoting what all christians believe to be an Old Covenant law!
To fulfil Elohim’s moral and ethical requirements, all you have to do is love Him with all your being and love your neighbour as yourself. Love, however, is not a mere sentiment or “warm fuzzy feeling.” On the contrary, love, godly love “does not insist on its own way” (1 Corinthians 13:5). This means that the person possessing this kind of love is not guided by his or her natural inclinations or things that feel good. Genuine love involves: 1. loyalty, 2. commitment, and 3. generosity. It is a way of life and not just a temporary emotional response. We should also realise that genuine love should want what is best for the other, even if it means risking the relationship. Love wants the beloved to become strong and independent, even if it means that you must withdraw from the other’s life. Real love is never used to obtain from others what they would not freely give. Love outlives a lack of response, selfishness, and mistakes, no matter who is at fault. And it cannot be taken back. If it can be, then it is not love.
Elohim’s law of love, as we have noted, consists of two general commandments: You shall love Elohim with all your being, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself. These two commandments, forming one indissoluble law, are further defined through the ten moral categories set forth in the “Decalogue,” or “Ten Commandments.”
The Decalogue: The Law of Love described:
Having read the above, by now you may be ready to ask: “Can you really prove from the Word that the law of love and the Decalogue are one and the same law?”
Let us look a little further into the
Decalogue and see if it is an indissoluble unit of divine law. We also need to
ask, is it true that to break just one of its commandments would be like to
break the entire law.
“If you really fulfil the royal law
according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as
yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are
committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever
keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not
murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a
transgressor of the law.”
Now, it is interesting if we look at the
following points: 1: The “whole law.”
Yahushua, in His reply to a wealthy young man
inquiring about what “good deed” he should do to have eternal life,
said, “If you would enter life, keep the commandments”
(Mattityahu -
When the young man asked “Which ones?” Yahushua replied by naming five of the Ten Commandments, each having to do with human relationships, and summarized these by citing the commandment, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (verses 18–19). The idea was that our Saviour Yahushua intended to equate the command to love one’s neighbour with the commandments concerning murder, adultery, stealing, bearing false witness, and honouring one’s parents. It was a summation commandment, not merely one more law in a list of laws.
The
“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:8–10.
Here, Shaul -
There are two points that really stand out in
Romans 13:8–10: First, the passage makes clear that the “word,”
“You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” is a summary of the
specific commandments (of the Decalogue) pertaining to human relationships.
Second, Shaul shows that the faithful in Yahushua have a responsibility to
fulfil the law. Therefore, if the law the
It is very clear that the law of love, consisting of ten cardinal points, was carried forward to the Brit Chadashah, the New Covenant. These ten points are ten moral categories that transcend the covenants that were obviously made just after creation, then at the time of Avraham and again many were repeated (as a reminder) as well as new priestly and agricultural ones at Mt. Sinai. But it was the Ten Commandments that was central to the Old Covenant, and they are still valid and central to the Brit Chadashah, the New Covenant.
The Decalogue is Central to all our Lives:
In Shemos - Exodus 34:28, what we tend to call “The Decalogue” or the “Ten Commandments” are actually called the “Words of the Covenant which He commanded you to perform.” In Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:13, “His covenant” is identified as the “Ten Commandments,” which Elohim wrote “on tablets of stone.” And in Davarim - Deuteronomy 9:9, the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written are called the “tablets of the covenant.”
Amazingly, it is because of these verses that a very long time ago certain theologians have argued that “the Decalogue is the Covenant.” They further argue that since the first covenant was abolished with the advent of the “New Covenant” (Hebrews 8:13), the whole law including the Ten Commandments has now been abolished. The only thing is that in the Greek the word “Covenant” is not at all written in Hebrews 8:13 and it shows as 9999 in the interlinear Strongs Concordance! Thus the word was later inserted.
Some might say that if you read it as we see
it, the passages cited above do seem to say that the Ten Commandments and the
Tanach, the Old Covenant are one and the same. However, other scriptures very
plainly reveals that the Old Covenant includes the civil and the ceremonial
laws as well (Yirmyahu
-
Why, then, do the passages cited earlier speak of the Ten Commandments as if they were the entire content of the Old Covenant? The answer is that the Ten Commandments are central, or the HEART of the Covenant. As Yahushua says, the Law and the Prophets “hang on” the commandments to love Elohim with all one’s being and love one’s neighbour as one’s self, which we have identified as a two-point summary of the Ten Commandments. The Decalogue could be described as the hub of the Covenant law. Without a central moral law, the ceremonial, sacrificial, and civil laws become meaningless. How can the bloody sacrifices serve as a reminder of the sin problem if there is no central moral law to define sin? How can transgressions be punished if there is no central moral law identifying transgressions?
The following points further underscore the pre-eminence of the Decalogue:
Elohim and not Moshe, wrote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone with His finger (Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:22; 10:1–4), symbolizing their permanency and revealing their special place among all the commandments, statutes, and judgments of the Covenant.
The tablets of stone were kept inside the Ark of the Covenant (Deuteronomy 10:5), symbolizing their pre-eminence and centrality of the Covenant.
It must be obvious to all believers that the Ten Commandments are placed far above all other commandments, statutes, and judgments of the law. As a unit of the law and central to the Covenant, the Decalogue consists of ten moral categories that are foundational to all the other components of the law. For instance, all the sexual abominations named in Vayikra - Leviticus 18, such as; adultery, incest, bestiality and homosexuality, etc, are covered under the general moral category established by the Seventh Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery.” The Ninth Commandment; “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour” specifically forbids a false testimony that might lead to harm for one’s neighbour. But the broad principle established by this moral category precludes all dishonesty and falsehood, whether expressed by voice or through one’s actions.
The annual Sanctified days the “Feasts
of YHVH,” that have High Sabbath Days as commanded in Vayikra - Leviticus
23 are fully covered through the Fourth Commandment: “Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it Sanctified.” For we need to remember that the
Seventh Day is the real and only Sabbath that Yahushua and the Apostles always
upheld, it was abolished by pagan Rome and in 321 AD the evil sun worshipping
emperor Constantine on March 7, he officially made the blue law, that stated:
“On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people
residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.” (Codex
Justinianus 3.12.3).
However, returning to the “Feasts of YHVH,” these feasts also have Sabbath days, but they are known as high Sabbath days and therefore these are also included in the Fourth Commandment!
Therefore the Ten Commandments as a
fundamental moral law is also vitally central to the Brit Chadashah, the New
Covenant, for
“Behold, the days are coming, declares
YHVH, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of
Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I
took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant that
they broke, though I was their Husband, declares YHVH. But this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of
How does
the church comment on this Scripture in relation to the law and the “Ten
Commandments.”
It is very important that we notice the following three points that the church generally believes to mean a change has occurred between the time of Israel and the laws as found in the Tanach, the Old Covenant and the time after Yahushua the Messiah with the New Covenant, and why everything for “christians” is now so different in Messiah: Below is their main Scripture to stand by and their commentary.
“For they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” … “To know God is to experience spiritual regeneration through the power of the Sanctified (Holy) Spirit. Membership in the Old Covenant community did not require spiritual regeneration. One cannot be a member of the New Covenant community without spiritual regeneration.”
“For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no
more.” … “As the writer of the book of Hebrews tells us, the
Old Covenant sacrifices, offered continually year after year, could never
“make perfect those who draw near” by permanently removing the
people’s sins (Hebrews 10:1–4). Every year, the sin-offering
ceremony on the Day of Atonement reminded the people that the sin problem was
ever present and pictured a time when something would be done about it. The New
Covenant differs in that “by a single offering he (
“I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” … “There can be no doubt that the “law” spoken of here is the Decalogue. God’s promise to “write it on their hearts” obviously alludes to His writing the commandments on tablets of stone when the previous covenant was established. The people who first received this prophecy must have immediately connected God’s action of writing the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone with His future action of writing His law on the people’s hearts.”
It always amazes me how these so-called
theologians, priests, ministers, pastors and teachers can get the whole
Scripture so totally out of its context! I sometimes wonder, have they really
read it in full, or do they have a selective reading skill and only see what
they want to. If that is the case, I certainly believe that HaSatan is behind
their partial blindness, just as it was for so many of
However, if we carefully read Yirmyahu -
1… Who
was
2… When would the new covenant commence? – “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHVH.” Verse 33. Again, Elohim reaffirms that He is speaking directly to THE House of Israel and NOT to the church, or even the believers! Secondly He states “After those days, and we need to ask ourselves what is meant by that, point three will answer that question!
3… At
what time would
The truth is however that the law of the
Tanach, the Old Covenant and Brit Chadashah, the New Covenant has the very same
law but written in different places. In the Tanach, the Ten Commandments were
written on tablets of stone, but the Ten Commandments should now be part of our
lives and a way of living, and that must include the Fourth Commandments, for
as Ya’akov - James so clearly stated, “For whoever keeps the whole
law (the Decalogue) but fails in one point has become accountable for
all of it.”
There is no doubt as we have so clearly read above that the Ten Commandments are as vital to our lives in faith today as they ever were and we should really take them rather seriously. But, if we uphold the law of love, especially the LOVE of Elohim, then you would automatically desire to please Him and do everything and anything to please our Heavenly Father and Yahushua The Messiah, who are truly “ECHAD” - “ONE”!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. He was with Elohim in the
beginning, Through Him all things were made.” Yochanan –
Thus, He who would later become Yahushua, being “the Word” and “the Word was Elohim” that means that He who was “the Word” also gave us the “Ten Commandments” and in the Brit Chadashah He very clearly mentioned these same Commandments in great detail and commanded us to keep them!
The Ten
Commandments as found in the …
Brit Chadashah - The New
Covenant
Yahushua said it plainly Indeed:
“Do not think that I have come to
abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil
them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota,
nor a dot, will pass from the Law until ALL is accomplished. Therefore
whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do
the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them
and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Mattityahu -
Now surely, this is not too difficult to understand,
for it is very clear! The Law and the Prophets, Elohim’s revelation of the
law will remain in full effect until the consummation of the ages, when
the old creation is replaced by the new heaven and new earth. And that
friend is what Yahushua meant with the word “Until ALL is accomplished.”
Sadly, christians in general tend to think that the crucifixion, resurrection
and ascension of our blessed Saviour was meant by those words, but no, Yahushua
was looking much further into the future, for the plans of Elohim had not as
yet been completed, for redemption would be for both Israel and the world,
certainly prior to the Tribulation there would be only a very small number of
true believers in Messiah Yahushua, they would be from Hebrew and Gentile backgrounds.
However, during the Tribulation there will be a massive explosion of people who
will turn to the true faith in Yahushua, mostly due to the ministries of the
two witnesses, and at the sight of their resurrection after their three and a
half year ministry, and then the great and mighty ministry of the
“Remnant of the House of Israel.” Amazingly there are christians in
the world today who actually believe that they are the new
Yahushua fulfils the Law and the Prophets, not by abolishing them, but …
1… By fulfilling the Messianic prophecies that are contained in both the Law (Tanach) and the Prophets.
2… By perfectly modelling the moral requirements of Scripture, and …
3… By
expounding the original intent of
Yahushua clearly declared that He had not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil; he goes on to bring out the original intent of several Tanach (OT) precepts. He does not abolish or even radically revise any of the laws; He simply corrects erroneous teachings about the laws. Murder and adultery were always matters of the heart as much as physical actions. Marriage as we know it did not actually exist as we know it as a ceremony, for it was a matter of a man to take a lady to “wife.” And once this had been announced, there would be a great feast, etc, but no ceremony as we know it today, their life together as husband and wife would be binding when the couple would leave the feast and were finally alone, and slept together for the very first time, and then they would be officially “husband and wife” in YaHVaH Elohim, or “man and wife,” having “become as one!” This type of marriage did not become sacred and binding at the advent of the Brit Chadashah, the New Covenant for it was sacred and binding from the very beginning. But later new laws based on the Tanach, including oaths were rewritten to encourage faithfulness, but they had been so corrupted by the priests and Pharisees that Yahushua advised to avoid oaths altogether.
Our beloved Messiah as well as the writers of
the original Gospels, which were originally written in Hebrew and much later
translated into Greek, and this has now been 100% proven, there is a link at
the bottom of the page that proves that the Name of YaHVaH was written in
Hebrew in the original Gospels and other books. Our Saviour emphasized the
spiritual intent of the law and the fact that the law identifies the sinful
condition of the unregenerate heart. Each specific transgression of
Elohim’s commandments emanates from the old self. For this reason, the
“For I know that nothing good dwells in me that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Romans 7:18–20.
It is the sinful condition of the heart that produces acts of sin, and Shaul identifies that condition as “sin that dwells within me.” But it is obvious that without a law that identifies sinful acts, the sinful condition of the heart goes unrecognized. Therefore Shaul says, “So the law is Sanctified, and the commandment is Sanctified and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12), and, “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14).
Several Brit Chadashah, New Covenant passages show clearly that the Ten Commandments remain in force today and continue their function of identifying sin and sinners.
As I have previously clearly stated both our
precious Saviour Yahushua and Shaul – Paul of Tarsus identified the
commandment, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,”
with several commandments of the Decalogue (Mattityahu - Matthew
19:16–19; Romans 13:8–10), showing that the Ten Commandments are
still in force.
A
particularly interesting passage is in Shaul -
“Children should obey your parents in YHVH, for this is right. Honour your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Thus here we have seen Shaul –
“Honour your father and you mother, that your days may be long upon the land which YHVH your Elohim is giving you.” Shemos - Exodus 20:12.
Therefore Shaul was urging the Ephesian youth
to obey the Fifth Commandment and reminding them that the promise accompanying
the commandment would also apply to them. The original promise was aimed at
Israelites living in the Promised Land, but Shaul understands that both the
commandment and the promise may apply to those Gentile’s who have come
out of darkness and have come into faith, having accepted the Elohim of Israel,
and the Messiah Yahushua as their Redeemer. We need to remember that the name
“
With Yahushua and Shaul obviously having established that the Ten Commandments remained in force as the moral law for all the believers in Messiah, let us look more closely at each of these commandments.
“I
am YHVH your Elohim … You shall have no other Elohim’s before Me”
Shemos
-Exodus 20:2–3 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:6–7
The First Commandment identifies the Author of
the Decalogue and forbids worship of anyone or anything apart from, or in
addition to, YaHVaH. The expression “before Me” means not
only “ahead of Me” but also “besides Me.”
YHVH Elohim Alone is Worthy of
Worship
Our blessed Scripture reveals clearly that there is only One true Elohim, the
Creator of the universe; we know this to be both a fact of divine revelation and the
conclusion of sound
scientific investigation and uncorrupted reason. Creation reveals the existence
of a Creator. There is no doubt for if we look at the design, it clearly
reveals the existence of a Designer. Even many of the ancient philosophers were
able to observe nature and, through logic, conclude that Elohim exists, though
some of their ideas about Him may have been rather flawed.
It certainly does not make any sense to
worship anything who is not
Just for Interest: “Gehenna” is described as “hell” and an
eternal pit of fire. However the truth may be quite otherwise, for it does not speak of “the place of
the eternal torments of the damned.” Instead, it refers to an
actual place on earth, namely, the valley (or “ravine”) of
Hinnom (Nechemyah – Nehemiah.11:30)
in the
But for all who know and love
As noted earlier, Yahushua our blessed Messiah
models moral perfection, thus setting the example for the faithful in Him! When
the
“Be gone
While most people would instantly recoil at
the very thought of worshiping
“… filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of Elohim, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” Romans 1:29–31.
As noted earlier, the Ten Commandments are a
unified whole. For rejecting
Tragically, we can see this ugly phenomenon taking place every single day, be it locally, around our own countries, or around the world. Atheistic philosophers speak of “moral atheism,” claiming that “morality is not rooted in a belief in God.” But the “morality” they speak of is a “morality” of their own making. They decide whether abortion and homosexual practice are morally acceptable. They decide whether marriage is between one man and one woman or between persons of the same sex, or whether sex outside marriage is right or wrong. They decide what is right and wrong, good and evil. For them, morality is a relative term. They will even tell you that there is “not one single verse in the Bible that forbids a Homosexual relationship.” Well there are various verses that forbid it! “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” Vayikra – Leviticus 18:22 and “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Vayikra – Leviticus 20:13. Although, now thankfully there is the HOPE of forgiveness for sin and thus in and through Yahushua having come into faith, having repented and fully abandoned your sinful life all your sins are forgiven by the shed blood of the Lamb of Elohim … “For Messiah, our Passover was sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7.
However, it is not just atheism that puts Elohim out of the picture, but, we need to understand that there are many who believe that “God exists” and they may even say that they “believe the Bible is His inspired Word.” However, the Almighty is certainly NOT FIRST in their lives, and sadly He comes second if not a little further down the line! So, they believe that “God” exists, but they do not retain Him in their lives, nor in their hearts or understanding, for most would rarely ever read the Word and thus have no other knowledge, apart from that they have been taught wherever they may go to church. Most have put him out of their minds as they go about fulfilling the lusts of their own flesh doing the things of life. You may have noted that we do not use the term and title “God” for it is in reality the name of a pagan “god” as spoken about in the Tanach, the Old Covenant and there is a study on this subject, see our index! YaHVaH’s attribute, or title is Elohim, which is Hebrew and we believe that it should not be translated as there is no suitable word in any language that it translates to!
Loving Elohim is equated with keeping His
commandments in Davarim - Deuteronomy 20:6. Yochanan -
“We know that we have come to know Him,
if we keep His commandments. Whoever says ‘I know Him’ but does not
keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps
His Word, in him truly the love of Elohim is perfected.” 1 Yochanan
– 1
Therefore just believing in Elohim is simply
not enough. For as
His Covenant is forever!
A special note regarding my very last
statement that said … “the Word of
I do believe that these three points are most
relevant to our understanding, for … 1. What the Almighty is
saying at the time - 2. As well as what it means to us today - and 3. Indeed to you and me right now!
“
However in Hebrew the word “forever” is “olam”, which also translates as “eternity,” “eternal,” “Universe,” “without end.” And there is more, but I should think we get the picture. However, many have asked me; “But brother, why does it state in the second part that it is ‘for a thousand generations.’ Does that not mean it has a time limit?” On the face of it that is certainly a very good question, but we must now go back to the three points I mentioned above.
We need to remember that Elohim was speaking
to the Children of Israel through the Psalmist and they at the time of hearing
had a certain understanding, which was obviously very different to ours today.
I mean, if you could transport yourself back to
As I have already stated the Hebrew alphabet
is numerical, and at the time this Word was given the highest numerical
denominator was 1,000, and thus, what Elohim was saying to
Therefore, this Tehillim - Psalm 105:8 clearly proves that the Commandments are indeed FOREVER, just as Messiah Yahushua said!
“Do not think that I have come to
abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil
them (the New Heaven and New Earth). For truly, I say to you, until heaven and
earth pass away, not an iota, nor a dot, will pass from the Law until ALL is
accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these
commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great
in the kingdom of heaven.” Mattityahu -
The Second Commandment
“You shall not make for
yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,
or that is in the
earth beneath, or that is in the
water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.”
Shemos - Exodus
20:4–5 / Deuteronomy 5:8
The Second of the Commandments is obviously
very closely connected with the First Commandment. It always amazes me that in
some churches, following
The truth is friends that “Elohim is
spirit,” and our Saviour Yahushua said, “and those who worship
Him (
There other well known past idolaters:
It is a well-known fact that carved pagan
idols were readably available throughout the ancient world. Even the Israelites
were exposed to idolatry whilst they were in
I am amazed that the many who practice
idolatry today, dare to claim that they use these images as reminders of the
“god” that those images represent, “but, we are not really
worshiping the image itself.” I am sure that the pagan idolaters of the
ancient world made the very same claim when accused. While the ancients
probably believed special benefits were imparted through these images because
the various deities were supposed to have special powers, etc! They believed
the “god’s” they worshiped dwelt in an other world, and a far
away realm. In some cases, these so-called god’s were real beings; but
they were from
Idolatry existed long before Moshe. Laban, who
was
The tragic Idolatry of the wayward Israelites:
We know from the Word, that idolatry was a problem
throughout the history of many within ancient
Instead of waiting for Moshe to return from
the mountain with Elohim’s instructions, the children of
The Israelites could not have retained a
proper understanding of Elohim and how they were to relate to Him had they been
permitted to worship Him through the calf image. In time, their use of the gold
calf would so alter their concept of Elohim that they would see Him as merely
one of many god’s. The calf image would reduce Him to creaturely status
and inevitably have spiritual and moral repercussions. Soon, prostitution,
adultery, and sexual perversity would be a “normal” part of
religious practice, just like it was in all the pagan cultures surrounding
Now, let’s get the fact straight: The
First Commandment rules out polytheism completely! The Second Commandment
strengthens the First mightily by excluding any image (no matter how it was
made) as an object of worship. Here, again, we see the logical order of the
Decalogue. The Second Commandment naturally follows the First, and these two,
along with the Third and Fourth, are without a doubt the most essential and
important Principles of the great edict, “Hear, O
What about Idolatry and the New Covenant:
Idolatry posed a threat in the New Covenant
period as well. Shaul -
After citing the problem with idolatry being about, the Apostle urges, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” (1 Corinthians 10:14). Anything that smacks of idolatry must be avoided, not because an idol is anything, but because “what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to Elohim” and any participation in idolatrous practice means being “participants with demons” (verse 20).
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lords table (speaking of the annual Passover meal) and the table of demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:21.
The
Friends, in the book of Revelation, our
blessed Messiah sternly warns the churches that tolerate false teachers
who teach their parishioners “to practice sexual immorality and to eat
food sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20). In this case, eating things
sacrificed to idols was actual participation in idolatrous practice. New
Covenant scholar
“One apocalyptic expectation looked for antichrist to set himself up as an object of worship … John saw this partially fulfilled in the imperial cult, as enforced in pro consular Asia in the last decade of the first century, with its priests, counterfeit miracles, ventriloquist use of statues and economic or capital punishment of Christians who would not offer incense or decorate their doors for civic processions.” (Rev 13:11–17)” (P.A. Rainbow, Dictionary of the Later New Covenant & Its Developments, InterVarsity Press, p. 530).
To refuse participation in the idolatrous practices associated with emperor worship and trade-guild festivities was to risk economic privation or even capital punishment. To avoid these dreadful consequences, the false teachers, including advocates of the “teaching of Balaam” and “teaching of the Nicolaitans” (Revelation 2:14–15) and “that woman Jezebel” (verse 20) — apparently adopted and advocated a philosophy that “justified” christian participation in these customs.
Ongoing Idolatry to this day:
It is quite obvious that many forms of
idolatry still exist today. It is very common in polytheistic religions, and
sadly it is found within so many churches. Religious art is wrong, for it
creates a false concept of Elohim and Yahushua The Messiah, who always tends to
look like a Gentile, yet He was very much a Hebrew, but it also distorts the
true Gospel and it is certainly not acceptable, especially when such an object
is perceived to have mystical, magical, or sacramental value. One professing
christian “visionary,” for example, claimed that “his pocket
icon of
It is true that great spiritual benefits are imparted to the faithful from Messiah Yahushua, and I DO MEAN “Yahushua” and not anyone with any other Name, but to claim that icons or statues serve as “sacraments” through which those benefits are imparted to a ‘believer’ is completely foreign to the revelation of Scripture. Such a claim is reminiscent of the pagan practice of worshiping any “god’” through moulded or hand-carved images. It is simply evil!
The use of idolatry is more than an outward act or practice of disobedience. Like other sins, the outward expression reflects a condition of the heart. Even false concepts about the Almighty can be idolatrous. If our mental portrait of Elohim is based on what we want Him to be rather than what Scripture reveals Him to be, we harbour a false spirit of idolatry, which means, you are being led by satanic influences!
In Ephesians 5:5, Shaul identifies one who is
“covetous” as an “idolater,” declaring that no such
person “has any inheritance in the
“This attitude is identified with idolatry because it puts self-interest and things in the place of Elohim” From - Expositor’s Bible Commentary.
Again Shaul names “idolatry” in
his list of “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19–20). Whilst
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelations 21:8.
Idolatry has no place in the life of a christian or a believer in Messiah Yahushua!
“Little children,” urges
Yochanan -
The Third
Commandment
“You shall not take the Name
of YHVH your Elohim in vain.”
Shemos - Exodus 20:7 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:11
We need to understand that the “Name” of Elohim is more than just an expression we use to identify our Heavenly Father. His Name is “YaHVaH” and His Name is Elohim’s reputation and who and what our Elohim is. It is for this very reason that the Third Commandment forbids the misuse of His blessed Name to identify Him. A stern warning accompanies the commandment:
“You shall not take the Name of YHVH your Elohim in vain, for YHVH will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.” Shemos – Exodus 20:7.
We need to remember that there is also a
positive side related to the Third Commandment, which is a directive to praise
and honour
Therefore those who do not respect Elohim’s Name, proves that they do not respect the Creator of Heaven and Earth and thus that person will be guilty of breaking the First Commandment as well! Their disregard for the sacred indicates; he or she puts their self-interests in the place of Elohim, so they are also guilty of breaking the Second Commandment. Again, we see how the Decalogue forms a unit wherein each point is somehow related to the other points of the law!
Modern Profanity:
There is no doubt that the Third Commandment is violated through modern common profanity. It is commonly heard in the workplace, on sports field’s, in movies and television shows and sitcoms are packed with filth and smut these days, and tragically the youth of today, even their parents tend to use the foulest of language as they walk together on the street, without even the remotest thought of it being wrong. For the vast majority it has become a habit and here in Australia a certain profane word, which I simply cannot mention, not even the very first letter, has been passed into our law as being a normal word and an “everyday expression,” thus a child teenager can use this profane word to a policeman as he or she wishes, when once even an adult would have been arrested for using it publicly, but no it is legal! Tens of thousands thoughtlessly sprinkle their speech with “O Gawd” or “Jeesus!” using these terms as fillers and exclamatory expressions without giving a second thought to the profane nature of their language, but somehow still thinking they have offended the Creator and Saviour of the christians, which is how it came about. Of course due to them not knowing the true Name and Attribute (Title), being Elohim, which is NOT a Name, or the real Name of Messiah, being Yahushua, strangely they have technically not profaned His Name, but in their intent they have done so, and thus they will still stand guilty!
Even “religious” people have been
known to abuse “God’s” Name in this habitual and thoughtless
manner, by saying “gos” or other similar abbreviated words. Then
there is “Jeez” and it is obvious what that is supposed to mean,
yet countless christians use that thinking nothing of it! Even though neither
are related to the true Attribute or Name, yet they are still guilty and will
be judged as being guilty! Thus, Elohim strongly condemns the misuse of His
Name, regardless in which form it is spoken, for He knows it is being aimed at
the Creator, thus Him! In
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29.
While any abuse of the Names and Attributes of YaHVaH Elohim and Yahushua the Messiah are certainly a violation of the Third Commandment, most people who clutter their speech with profanity probably do so as a matter of habit rather than a malevolent or premeditated motive of expressing disdain for Elohim, yet they remain guilty. However, swearing in Elohim’s Name and to deliberately mask a falsehood is yet another matter again.
Swearing Falsely:
When we read in the Third Commandment “in vain” - “You shall not take the Name of YHVH your Elohim in vain,” this is translated from the Hebrew as “LaShav”, “La” = “in”, and “Shav” = “vain”. Besides the word “vain” in Hebrew, this word can also be used as: Evil, idolatry, uselessness, deceptive, false and lying.
The point is that Third Commandment forbids
taking Elohim’s Name with deception, falsehood and lies, both being evil,
thus truly being “LaShav” in its fullest of its meaning!
This commandment, therefore, condemns swearing falsely. To testify falsely
under oath (“in Elohim’s Name”) is a direct violation of this
commandment, as is invoking Elohim’s Name in an oath, something that is
not going to be kept. Such act’s link Elohim with a lie and is therefore
an abomination in the eyes of the One who “cannot lie” (
“And you shall not swear by My Name falsely, nor shall you profane the Name of your Elohim: I am YHVH.” Vayikra - Leviticus 19:12.
We can clearly see here that this verse expands our understanding of the Third Commandment. Elohim’s Name is abused through false oaths and through vulgar use of His Name.
In Davarim - Deuteronomy 6:13,
Messiah Yahushua discouraged swearing
(Mattityahu -
Yahushua’ negative view of oaths should be understood in light of corruption of Old Covenant oath laws. Yahushua said;
“Again you have heard that it was said
to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to YHVH
what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all,
either by heaven, for it is the throne of Elohim, or by the earth, for it is
his footstool, or by
Thus, Yahushua was not overturning the oath laws
of the Tanach, the Old Covenant. On the contrary, He is upholding and
magnifying the underlying principle of the oath laws. First, the oath laws
encourage truthfulness. Yahushua requires His disciples to be truthful in all
their obligations and affirmations. Their word was to be as good as an oath.
Second, Yahushua has in view the common notion that swearing in the Name of
Elohim and swearing toward
Our beloved Messiah therefore condemns this corrupt practice in His powerful polemic against the Pharisees;
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by
the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For
which is greater the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you
say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears
by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind
men! For which is greater the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So
whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears
by the temple swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by
heaven swears by the throne of Elohim and by Him who sits upon it.”
Mattityahu -
We need to understand that all the things Yahushua mentions, the temple, the gold in the temple, the altar, the gift on the altar, and heaven itself, relate to YaHVaH Elohim; therefore swearing by any of these things is the same as swearing “by the throne of Elohim and Him who sits upon it.” The phoney oaths He condemns are a violation of the Third Commandment.
In the Name of Messiah:
“But above all, my brothers, do not
swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your
‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no, so that you may not
fall under condemnation.”
Messiah (Mashiach in Hebrew) who is the head of His body, being the faithful in His Ekklesia. He is called “Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11), “and the Name by which He is called is The Word of Elohim.” (verse 13). Therefore, reckless oaths on the part by members of Messiah’s body do not concur with the Head of the body, so oaths, especially in a world where oaths are suspect, should be avoided as much as it is possible. They can lead to dishonouring the Head and resulting in condemnation.
Ya’akov - James points out that when the rich oppress the poor faithful in Messiah Yahushua and dragged them into court, they “blaspheme the honourable Name by which you were called” (Ya’akov - James 2:7). Since the poor saints belong to Messiah, to treat them badly is to blaspheme the Name of the One who owns them. Just as swearing by the temple is swearing by Him who dwells in it, so mistreating those indwelt by the Spirit of Messiah is to blaspheme the Name of Messiah – “In the beginning was the Word.” ….
“… and the Word was with Elohim,
and the Word was Elohim. He was with Elohim in the beginning. Through Him all
things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.””
Yochanan -
Thus having understood that believers need to be careful when placing any kind of oath, especially when that person identifies themselves as a christian, or a believer in Messiah Yahushua, but does not live according to their faith, for they will dishonour the blessed Name by which they are called and thus is guilty of breaking the Third Commandment!
Living inconsistently with one’s confession of faith can also lead unbelievers to blaspheme Elohim’s Sanctified Name. It is written;
“You who boast in the law dishonour Elohim by breaking the law. For, as it is written; ‘The Name of Elohim is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” Romans 2:23–24).
It is the same for those who openly claim
“Jesus Christ” as their Redeemer but are seen abusing alcohol
or known for immoral behaviour, including divorces and remarriages, which is
common in so many churches these days and no one thinks twice in the
Pentecostal churches, as long as they give their money! But it is the same
everywhere and all that causes unbelievers to joke and laugh and speak
despairingly about the Name of “Christ” and of
“christianity” and I understand full well that the TV evangelists
have become an out right joke and have at large disgraced our Heavenly Father,
with their ongoing sexual abuses, and their healing TV shows that are a farce
that are in reality massive money collections, for they proclaim ‘The
Lord has told me that every one here are to give a thousand dollars
each.” – “If you do not have the cash, credit cards will be
accepted; our collectors will come down the aisle soon.” That was
Now we come to the positive side, the faithful
in Yahushua who let their lights shine by expressing their love for others
through good works and loving behaviour may lead others to “… give
glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Mattityahu -
This principle goes to the heart of the Third Commandment. Rather than abuse Elohim’s most Sanctified Name or allow our words or actions to lead others to blaspheme the Name of Elohim, Elohim’s people are to worship and honour Him in all they say, think, and do. As noted previously, this is the positive side of the Third Commandment.
“YHVH is great in
The
Fourth Commandment
“Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it Sanctified”
Shemos - Exodus 20:8 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:12
At this point there is a total change of direction, yet the connection remains somehow! The first three commandments of the Decalogue clearly forbids the worshiping other god’s, as well as corrupting worship through idolatry and abusing the most Sanctified Name of Elohim’s Name. As noted, the First Commandment tells us very clearly Who we are to worship, and the Second Commandment tells us how we are to worship Him. The Third and Fourth Commandments provide further instructions on how we are to worship Him.
It is simply beyond belief that the
‘christian’ world at large believes that ONLY NINE out of
the TEN of YaHVaH’s most Sanctified and everlasting Commandments
were brought forward into the New Covenant. But then to believe that the Fourth
Commandment was the only one no longer needed! I wonder who thought of that
great idea. Was it our blessed Messiah, or was it the Apostles, including Shaul
-
There is no doubt that we are to honour
“Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Mattityahu -
However, Elohim created the earth in six days and He rested on the seventh day and He commanded that we devote that one-day, the Seventh as the day of rest, to keep it SANCTIFIED, and a time for special worship. Thus the Seventh Day is “a Sabbath of solemn rest, a Sanctified convocation” on which “no work” is to be done (Vayikra - Leviticus 23:3; cf. Shemos - Exodus 20:9–10; Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:13–14). It is a Divinely appointed Day for Elohim’s people to assemble in worship, sing praises and offer thanks to Him, and build one another up in faith, love, and hope!
The Sabbath is rooted in Elohim’s
creative and redemptive acts. In Shemos - Exodus 20, the Sabbath is linked with
Elohim’s work of creation (verse 11). In Davarim - Deuteronomy 5, the
Sabbath is linked with Elohim’s work of delivering
A Covenant Sign for Israel
If we look at Shemos - Exodus 31, we see that YaHVaH Elohim, blessed be His Sanctified Name, links the Sabbath with His creative acts and the redemption of Israel, and in this light He emphasizes the critical importance of keeping the Sabbath!
And YaHVaH said to Moshe;
“You are to speak to the people of
The words “Above all”
emphasizes the importance of keeping the Seventh Day Sanctified, and the
sentence of death for breaking the Sabbath underscores the gravity of this sin.
The day is to serve as a perpetual sign of the Covenant, reminding the people
of
As is so clearly written by the prophet Yechehel - Ezekiel, so many of Israel “desecrated My Sabbaths” even whilst they were still “in the desert”;
“Yet the people of
Even once they were in the land of milk and
honey, sadly, amongst many of
The truth is that the Sabbath was given to the
people of Israel as a reminder, for whilst in Egypt they had forgotten this and
other laws that Elohim had given as far back as the creation, for we know that
animal sacrifices were already part of the law at the time of Adam and
Eve’s children, which brought about the slaying of Abel, the first
murder, which obviously was also a “Do not” law! Noach, knew about
animals that were “clean and unclean” even before eating meat, but
they were prepared for after landing on solid ground, meat could be eaten, and
they already knew that it was “fit to eat: (Kosher)! We know that the
Sabbath was kept during those days also, for we read about it as well as
sacrifices, again during Avraham’s and Yitzchak -
However, when the Sabbath was being reaffirmed to Israel, as well as other points because many had lived in a pagan land for some 400 years and had lived mostly a pagan lifestyle and lost their heritage, except for those who had remained faithful, for remember, the Word tells us clearly that there would always be a “remnant” in Elohim and He blessed them with His Law to be written down for all time!
But because they were in the wilderness
(Shemos - Exodus 16) and the Sabbath served as a sign of the Covenant that
Elohim made with
But as I
have already indicated, the Sabbath long predates the Covenant made at Sinai:
A Closer Look into the Creation Ordinance:
There are many who claim that the Sabbath was
first instituted at the time of Moshe, however we know for sure that the
commandment itself points to a much earlier origin. Thus the question is;
“When did
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day Elohim finished His work that He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. So Elohim blessed the seventh day and made it Sanctified, because on it Elohim rested from all His work that He had done in creation.” Bereshis - Genesis 2:1–3.
The Sabbath and the covenant between “
Yet many continue to say, but these laws,
especially the fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath was only for the
Children of Israel! We need to understand that the entire creation narrative
focuses on the arrival of man and the Sabbath was already instituted, long
before
Therefore, as we can read in the Word, in Bereshis – Genesis, Elohim prepared an environment suitable for humans and He then creates man and puts him in a place specially prepared for him. On the seventh day the day after man’s creation, Elohim “rests” from all His work and makes the seventh day Sanctified. This is the first recorded example of Elohim making a thing Sanctified. Obviously, the Sabbath was not created in a vacuum, as if Elohim’s making the seventh day Sanctified was unrelated to the origin of man. Obviously Elohim could not be exhausted; He certainly did not need to rest. When He “rested” on this day He made the seventh day Sanctified, and thus He had man in mind. “The Sabbath was made for man.” It signifies communion between the Creator and the creature who bears the Creator’s image.
The Sabbath was instituted long before there
were any Israelites. Therefore it predates the Covenant at
Some argue that there is no evidence that the patriarchs who lived before Moshe kept the Sabbath. This, they claim, is evidence that the Sabbath was unknown before the time of Moshe and that the Sabbath rest of the creation narrative simply reflects a Mosaic interpretation.
Indeed, while we could show from the book of Genesis that worshiping false god’s, idolatry, blasphemy, dishonouring parents, murder, adultery, theft, lying, and covetousness were all sins long before the time of Moshe, there is no passage stating that any one of the patriarchs kept the Sabbath. There’s no mention of the righteous men and women who lived before Moshe resting on the Sabbath. But we do find some bits of information that may suggest an awareness of the Sabbath before the time of Moshe. But, what does this verse mean in Bereshis – Genesis chapter 8, where Elohim Says …
“Avraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Bereshis – Genesis 26:5.
Obviously the very mention of “commandments, statutes and laws” suggests that there was various laws in place at the time of Avraham. We do know that there were commandments included against serving false god’s, idolatry, blasphemy, adultery, and more, and also sacrifices, for these go back to the time of Abel and Cain as we well know. Also, Avraham when he arrived at Bethel he built an Altar to Elohim, thus we see so many things that are familiar of the laws that we know about as given at Sinai. However, the Sabbath, which was the very first law Elohim made, must have been part of these laws and I believe it was the most observed one, for it was a weekly event and a day of rest!
Bereshis - Genesis 29:27–28 shows that they knew about a “week” and it was well known in the days of the patriarchs that it was seven days in duration. Why, am I so sure of this, well there was an awareness of the weekly cycle of seven days in the days of Noach, who sent out a dove from the ark every seven days until the dove did not return (Bereshis - Genesis 8:10–12).
Since the seven-day week instituted at creation concludes with the Sabbath day, it is obvious that the week was known to the patriarchs was the seven-day week and that they kept the Sabbath.
Please Note:
The item below, entitled “The Test Commandment” has been pulled
from the author’s previous study “Which
The Test Commandment:
With Israel having seen YaHVaH Elohim’s great
power and might, the Ten Plagues, their miraculous escape from Egypt, the next
miracle at the Red Sea as the waters parted, yet here they were on the other
side of the Red Sea having sung their words of praise, full of joy and before
you knew it the Israelites “grumbled” against Moshe and
Aaron due to the lack of tasty and spicy food;
“… on the fifteenth day of the
second month after they had come out of
Elohim having heard this - said, “I will ... TEST them, whether they will walk in My LAW or not”
(verse 4). Now this verse is very interesting, because it provides more proof
that His law was already in full effect
even BEFORE the giving of the Old Covenant Law was given at
In His everlasting love, Elohim explained that
He would perform the following miracle, and that on every day of the week,
except on the Seventh Day - Yes friends on the Sabbath. He would provide
special food from heaven called “manna (or better translated - ‘what
is it’) and it would fall to the ground in the morning like dew. The
people were to gather it up each morning and they were to eat it on that
very same day. They were clearly told not to keep any of it overnight,
because it would breed worms and stink.
Now remember that by providing the food which
was a blessing, it also came as a test for Israel and that was a “TEST”
to see whether they would follow YaHVaH Elohim’s law or not. So what did the people
do? Let’s go back to the Scriptures;
“Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much two omers for each person and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moshe. He said to them, ‘This is what YHVH commanded (past tense): ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a Sanctified Sabbath to YHVH. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’” Verses 21-23 NIV.
Sadly as human beings often do, they just did
not take the Almighty seriously and they went out on the Sabbath and tried to
find manna.
“And YHVH said to Moshe, ‘How
long do you (people) refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See!
For YHVH has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day
bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his
place on the Seventh Day.' So the people rested on the Seventh Day.”
Verses 28-30.
Therefore we have learned something very
special here, the Sabbath had been in practice during the entire 400 years the
Hebrews were in
Yahushua and the Sabbath:
We know from the Scriptures that Yahushua the
Messiah was an observant Hebrew and he went to the Synagogue every Sabbath as
was His and His families “custom” to do. But, then again all the
faithful of
“He (Yahushua) went to
Yahushua also called the temple “My
Father’s house” (in Yochanan -
Although whilst He respected the
“Hebraic” (Jewish) customs and institutions, such as the temple and
priesthood, He did speak of the termination of the temple and its services
(Mattityahu -
Obviously, Yahushua recognized the distinction
between the moral law (the Ten Commandments) and the ceremonial law. In His
“Sermon on the Mount,” He cites several laws from the Old Covenant
and brings to light their true meaning. As noted earlier, Yahushua takes issue,
not with the law, but with erroneous interpretations of the law by the
priests and Pharisees past and present when Yahushua was there. The point
was they had expanded the original laws to the point of total absurdity and had
in fact enslaved the Hebrew/Jewish people with so many new man made laws, that
slowly they would almost forget, which where the laws that Elohim had
originally given. Such as the Sabbath, there are only three laws, 1 -
Love and honour Elohim, 2 - do no servile work, 3 – kindle / light
no fire, end of story. However, that was not good enough for the rabbinic kind;
they added hundreds more and complicated it so much that there is even a law
for the Sabbath that states … “You are permitted to kill lice on
the person, but not fleas. You might ask, “But why?” These
obviously simple-minded rabbis thought, well, you may not catch the lice again,
so you can kill it, but you can catch the flea again the next day, so suffer!
Yes friends that is human madness and Yahushua opposed all man made laws and He
even became embroiled in it when he was in the field and His disciples took
some grains from the field and ate it and He was accused of breaking the
Sabbath by the Pharisees. But, the only law that was broken was a man made one,
for there was no servile work going on, or the lighting of any fire!
As we have already read in Davarim -
Deuteronomy 5:14–15, Moshe linked the Sabbath rest with
However on every occasion the Pharisees
accused Yahushua of breaking the Sabbath. It was the Pharisees, certainly not
Yahushua the Anointed one of
As I stated before, Yahushua’s disciples
plucked heads a little grain and began to eat it as they passed through a field
on the Sabbath. The Pharisees accused them of breaking the Sabbath (Mattityahu
-
Yahushua used this occasion to show that the One who permitted the disciples to pluck heads of grain and eat on the Sabbath is greater than the temple (verse 6). The Pharisees must have been stunned when He declared, “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (verse 8). In making this statement, He was affirming His Messiah-ship and declaring His dominion over creation and redemption, both of which are pictured in the Sabbath day. Therefore, far from abolishing the Sabbath, Yahushua confirmed it, declaring His lordship over it, and restoring its true meaning and intent.
The Sabbath and the Early Faithful:
The earliest believers were obviously first
entirely Hebraic/Jewish and they observed the Sabbath and the annual festivals.
As we know the Ekklesia of the faithful was born on the Day of
“Sukkot,” or the “Feast of Weeks”, being fifty days
after the Feast of “Bikkurim” – “Firstfruits.”
And the “Feast of Weeks” is an annual Sanctified day (Acts 2; cf.
Vayikra - Leviticus 23:4–7, 15–16). On that very day, being
prophetic of the outpouring of the
We know from the Word that
“From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” Acts 13:14-15.
“On the Sabbath we went outside the city
gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and
began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was
a woman named
“When they had passed through Amphipolis
and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue. As his
custom was, Shaul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he
reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah
had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Yahushua I am proclaiming to
you is the Messiah," he said. Some of the Judeans were persuaded and
joined Shaul and Silas, as did a large number of Elohim fearing Greeks and not
a few prominent women.” Acts 17:1-4.
“Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Judean’s and Greeks.” Acts 18:4.
The thousands of Hebrew - Jewish believers at
Stern writes, “The word (assembly) in Greek is ‘synagogue’; it appears 57 times in the New Covenant. Fifty-six times it refers to a Jewish place of congregational assembly and is translated ‘synagogue’ in virtually all English versions.” (David Stern, Jewish New Covenant Commentary, p. 728).
Thus, we have seen just a few verses from many that the New Covenant community is made up of “those who keep the commandments of YaHVaH Elohim and hold to the testimony of Yahushua” (Revelation 12:17). The commandments of Elohim include the Fourth Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath, to keep it Sanctified.”
May I ask, “Are you keeping Elohim’s APPOINTED Seventh Day Sabbath SANCTIFIED?” Beloved I pray you are, if not, please start now, for our Saviour is coming SOON!
The Fifth
Commandment
“Honour your
father and your mother”
Shemos
- Exodus 20:12 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:16
The Fifth Commandment is directly associated to a promise for the commandment clearly states …
“Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land that YHVH your Elohim has given you.” Shemos - Exodus 20:12.
Proper respect for legitimate authority is essential for an orderly society, and of course it begins in the home. Children who grow to maturity in a solid happy family environment are more likely to become productive members of society than those who grow up in an environment filled with anger, resentment, hatred, and disrespect for authority and those who are without Elohim and Messiah as their Lord and Saviour, for they will not be able to understand the boundaries that are required in life.
The Fifth Commandment calls for children and
adults to honour their parents, but it also calls on parents to conduct
themselves honourably. To be and remain respectable, law-abiding parents
are more likely to produce law-abiding children, and parents who live lawlessly
are more likely to produce lawless children. Righteousness begets
righteousness. Iniquity begets iniquity. It is so sad that in these days we see
that there are more and more un-married parents who just live together and
usually break up within a few years, thus these children end living with a
single parent and with a broken family, usually filled with pain and hatred!
Tragically here in
Tragically, we are seeing the answer being the
result to the problem of the above, and the children that have come out of
these sinful situations are sadly running wild around our streets and alleys,
robbing houses and attacking the elderly, both men and women stealing their
little money for the vast majority of these kid’s are already on drugs at
a very young age! A boy who was just eight years of age murdered an elderly
lady in her home here in
The warning accompanying the Second Commandment refers to the pattern of iniquity begetting iniquity’
“For I, YHVH your Elohim, am a jealous Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Shemos - Exodus 20:5–6.
Some have supposed that the curse brought on by sinful fathers is automatically passed on to the children regardless the behaviour of the children. Personally I believe that this is not the case. Although the curse is passed on to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Elohim, but, if the children turn from the iniquity of the fathers and choose to love Elohim and keep His commandments, they will reap the benefits of Elohim’s steadfast love. However, tragically so frequently this is often not the case.
Throughout the Scriptures, we have seen the
pattern of iniquity begetting iniquity again and again throughout
We do have to point out that “honouring your parents” does not mean following their ungodly ways, if they live a life not befitting a good and honourable parent. It means rather respecting them as parents and recognizing the legitimacy of their parental authority. But parents have no legitimate authority to teach their children to disobey the Almighty, the Creator and Messiah Yahushua, from whom all legitimate authority ultimately arises. In fact, a person may honour his parents through refusing to follow them in ungodly behaviour. In so doing, he is honouring his Spiritual Father and setting a proper example for his or her parents and other members of his family.
Crucial to Israel
Amazingly, we should also understand that
obedience to the Fifth Commandment was crucial to
“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious
son, who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and
that, when they have disciplined him, will not obey them: Then shall his father
and his mother shall take hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his
city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his
city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he
is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with
stones, that he die, so shall you put evil away from among you; and all
Obviously, it is not speaking about a child
who occasionally has a “temper tantrum” or displays stubbornness
from time to time. Rather, it speaks of a long-standing pattern of sinful
behaviour and utter and total rebellion. If the people of
“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Davarim - Deuteronomy 6:6-7.
“Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Davarim – Deuteronomy 11:19.
“Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you, they are your life. By them you will live long in the land …” Davarim – Deuteronomy 32:46-47.
Elohim also commanded the People of Israel whilst they were still in the wilderness to have them tell their children of the wonderful works YaHVaH Elohim did for the People of Israel when He delivered them out Egypt (see Shemos - Exodus 12:26–27; 13:8, 14–15, and Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:9–10). Such teaching is reinforced in an environment of love and respect, where disciplinary measures are guided by love, not anger.
Friends, the family unit is the foundation of a stable society and the Fifth Commandment is essential to family stability.
If ALL the Children of Israel had diligently adhered to the Fifth Commandment and ALL it entails, they would not have turned to idolatry and other sins that resulted in their expulsion from the Promised Land!
Confirmed in the
New Covenant:
The
“Children, obey your parents in YHVH, for this is right. ‘Honour your father and mother’ which is the first commandment with a promise ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of YHVH.” Ephesians 6:1-4.
As I noted previously, the promise accompanying this commandment actually specified the Promised Land … “the land YHVH your Elohim is giving you.” But now Shaul is applying the commandment to Gentile converts who are far away from the land that Elohim gave to the Hebrews, and thus he recognizes the universality of the Fifth Commandment. He also sees the connection between loving parental guidance and the children’s responsibility to honour and obey their parents.
To honour your parent’s means so much more than just obeying and respecting them during one’s youth. It also means expressing love for them in their latter years, whether through financial or other forms of help or simply being there for them and taking time out to show appreciation for them.
The Hebrews at the time of Yahushua the Messiah were very clear regarding this responsibility toward parents, but the Pharisees had a tradition that would permit a person to sidestep this obligation. The tradition permitted a person to vow to reserve his possessions as a gift of Elohim, that would release him from the obligation to use his possessions to help his aging parents. Yahushua sternly rebuked them, calling them “hypocrites” and charging them with leaving the “commandment of Elohim” in favour of the “tradition of men” (Markus - Mark 7:6, 8).
“‘You have let go of the commands of Elohim and are holding on to the traditions of men’ … And He said to them: ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of Elohim in order to observe your own traditions! For Moshe said, ‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban', then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of Elohim by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” Markus - Mark 7:8-13.
Our Saviour Yahushua clearly upheld the Fifth Commandment as a “commandment of Elohim” and part of the “word of Elohim.” His strong condemnation of rejecting this commandment in favour of a man-made tradition, He confirms the timeless nature of the commandments of the Decalogue. Therefore, just as it was a sin to dishonour one’s parents in the time of Yahushua, it’s still a sin to dishonour one’s parents today.
It is a Commandment for this Time:
Our world would be vastly different if every child learned to honour his or her parents and every parent should instil the principles of Elohim in their children. Also for them to respect legitimate authority and if this is the case the rule of law would go up, and the soaring crime rate that plagues our world would dramatically drop.
The truth is that the Fifth Commandment is the first of the Ten Commandments that directly deals with human relationships. Children who are taught to esteem their parents are better equipped to learn to love and honour the Father of mankind and develop wholesome relationships with other human beings. They learn a proper respect for life, for the property, privileges, and the rights of others.
The book of Proverbs is filled with helpful advice for parents and children. A father who loves his son “is diligent to discipline him” (see the various verses in … Proverbs 13:24; cf. 19:18; 23:13–14; 29:15, 17). “A wise son makes a glad father” and “hears his father’s instruction” (Proverbs 10:1; 13:1). The “father’s instruction” and “mother’s teaching” are a “graceful garland” for a son’s head and “pendants” for his neck (Proverbs 1:8–9), strengthening him against the enticements of the wicked.
Thus the path of wisdom was the path
established by
“Train up a child in the way he should
go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
The Sixth
Commandment
“You shall not
murder”
Shemos
- Exodus 20:13 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:17
We must note that the commandment is a prohibition to “Murder.” For the commandment does not say “You shall not kill.”
There have been many who believe that this is
what the commandment actually stated, but this is not the case! The Hebrew word
is “
We now go back to the early days of human
history, when
The first four commandments, as we have seen pertain to our relationship to YaHVaH Elohim, blessed be His Sanctified Name, whilst the last six deal with our relationships with other’s and they are presented in a wonderfully logical order. The Fifth Commandment is the very foundation to all of human relationships, for the family unit is the very basis to the health of humanity! Whilst the next four commandments forbid, in descending order, the very worst acts a person can commit against his neighbour: murder, adultery, theft and bearing false witness. However, then comes what I class the clinger of this section … the very last of the commandments that states … “You shall not covet” and this commandment, believe it or not, goes to the very heart of all of the main problems of the sinfulness of all mankind! Covetousness is an internal matter, the desire for something that cannot be lawfully obtained, and it can lead to various sinful acts that are condemned by the commandments preceding the last one!
But we must never forget that murder is a
major problem throughout the world. And then there are that other great evil
throughout the world, the Islamic terrorists, murderous dictators of
Life is to be Honoured at all Costs:
The Sixth Commandment forbids murder. However, to be positive, the Sixth Commandment is also a directive for us all to respect human life. Thus the true believer will stand in strong opposition to the philosophy embraced by so many these days who tend to think that a “culture of death” should be recognised by all of society and that we all should accept “euthanasia” of the elderly who are ill. There are those who believe that “euthanasia” and “abortion” are absolute “human rights.” I am sorry but the Word of YaHVaH Elohim very clearly states that it is NOT! But, then these people are anti God, and anti Elohim!
It amazes me that anyone who is against these
horrific ideas are called “right-wing extremists” by those who
believe and propose the ideals. Mind you, remember who are calling us this,
these are those who desire to kill old and sick people and
foetuses, which is a life, a child! Believe me I have been a
nurse in my time and have worked with the elderly and I agree that we should
not prolong life artificially and allow individuals to pass away loving, but
without pain. I recall that a dear 87-year-old mother who had been in a long
coma and was being fed by tubes and was attached to life saving equipment and
her loving daughter came every single day to talk with her. The daughter was so
loving and so kind. However one day I took her apart and said, “Rosie
(not her name) would it not be best for your dear Mum, if she were taken off
all the equipment and tubes, and with suitable pain killers to ensure there is
no pain whatsoever, and allow her to lovingly and peacefully go to sleep? You
have been such a wonderful daughter and you come every day and I know you do
not want to lose your Mother, but, I believe that our loving Saviour is calling
her home.”
Abortion is legal in far too many countries, but thankfully it is still illegal in many others, may it remain so. Hundreds of thousand of abortions are conducted be it legally or illegally every single day that comes around to 46 million murders per year.
There are many who will argue the point that
there is no Scriptural law against abortion or that there is nothing in
“If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury (to the babe), the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury (a miscarriage), you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” Shemos - Exodus 21:22-25.
We need to remember that Scripturally ALL human beings bear the image and likeness of Elohim and that includes the unborn, for they were not excluded from the “human being” status. Thus the absence of a specific injunction against abortion was not needed; such an act would have been considered the taking of innocent human life and would have been viewed as a criminal act and thus by injuring a pregnant woman that she had a miscarriage, was worthy of the penalty of death!
Thus we have learned that if the woman or the
prematurely born child is injured or dies, the penalty is to be administered in
proportion to the loss. If the child emerges prematurely and dies (or emerges dead),
the striker is guilty of culpable negligence resulting in death and is to be
punished accordingly. This shows that the penalty for killing an unborn baby
and one was already born would be the same, thus in
Therefore there is no doubt that abortion is murder and a violation of the Sixth Commandment. It is beyond the scope of this study to address the various arguments regarding various exceptional cases, such as the extremely rare instance when a woman’s life is at stake, or in a case involving hideous rape cases etc! The underlying problem with the “abortion on demand” argument is a total lack of respect for life, particularly the life of the unborn. It is sad, but these same groups also tend to support the gay marriage ideology and other ultra left wing extremes.
Murder in the New Covenant:
The
“Everyone who hates his brother is a
murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
1 Yochanan - 1
He was speaking regarding the spirit of
murder. If there was no hatred, there would be no intentional homicide. The
Sixth Commandment, therefore speaks as much to the intentions of the heart as
to the acts resulting from those intentions. Yochanan -
“For out of the heart come evil
thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness and
slander.” Mattityahu -
What did Yahushua say during the Sermon on the Mount that covered this subject;
“You have heard that it was said to
those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be
liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry
with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will
be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be
liable to the hell of fire.” Mattityahu -
When Yahushua speaks of “anger” it is not about righteous indignation or the momentary feeling of outrage one may experience after being wronged; it is anger stemming from hatred. Yahushua Himself must have been indignant when He condemned the hypocritical practices of the scribes and Pharisees, calling the religious leaders “hypocrites,” “blind guides,” “blind fools,” “serpents,” and a “brood of vipers” who make a proselyte “twice as much a child of hell” as themselves (Mattityahu - Matthew 23).
We note that the
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26–27.
Thus, Yahushua does not condemn all
expressions of anger. His “But I say to you” exposition in
Mattityahu -
“in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8.
The Sixth Commandment,” You shall not murder,” was in force at the very beginning of human history for it was obvious that after Cain had murdered his brother Abel he knew that he had sinned. Yet even before he did murder his brother Elohim had spoken to him and had mentioned “sin”;
“Then YHVH said to
“Sin is crouching at your door.”
Our Heavenly Father knew the evil that was in
“If you really keep the Royal Law found
in Scripture, "Love your neighbour as yourself," you are doing right.
But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as
lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point
is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit
adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not MURDER.’ If you do not commit
adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as
those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment
without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs
over judgment!”
The Seventh
Commandment
“You shall not commit adultery”
Shemos - Exodus 20:14 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:18
It is common knowledge these days that extramarital affairs at some time or other is not unusual during many marriages these days. There are even couples who enjoy having “open marriages” thus they can go out with other partners at will. Then there are couples who enjoy weird sexual relationships that I simply will not bother to venture into. But we do know that adulterers are never truthful individuals and we can only wonder how many, when questioned in surveys on infidelity would actually tell the truth.
The “success” of the pornography industry, especially these days with the availability with Internet porn, “adult” book and video stores, and other markets available to smut peddlers, reflects the moral decay of modern societies. According to a recent online survey of around 55,000 Internet users, three in ten admitted being regular visitors to sex sites on the Internet. No doubt, this widely available pornographic material has stimulated the depraved appetites of evil, filthy men that are paedophiles and sexual predators to do their filthy work! Thankfully for our Police force who have men and women online pretending to be boys or a girl online and when a paedophile wants to meet, they will make a date in order to trap these depraved individuals and have them thrown in jail!
The “Sexual Revolution” of the 1960s opened the door to a variety of immoral behaviours, including infidelity, premarital sex, and the openness of homosexuality and other forms of perversity. The new sexual “freedom” of the 1980s brought with it a rash of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), some previously unknown and some incurable, and a lower view of the sanctity of marriage and traditional family values.
Today, many view sex outside marriage as a normal and healthy expression. Advocates of “safe sex” through the use of condoms have encouraged promiscuity and the changing attitudes toward cohabitation and premarital sexual relations. For many, the idea that sex should be reserved for marriage and that abstinence is the solution to the STD problem is “prudish,” a long-outdated notion stemming from a religious past and is only pushed by the fanatical “religious right.” Nevertheless, the views of the many cannot change the fact that the traditional family unit is the backbone of a healthy society. Moral decadence can only weaken the backbone and result in societal decay.
It was our blessed
AS I have said previously, the commandments of
the Decalogue are ten broad moral categories. The Seventh Commandment
specifically forbids adultery, or extramarital sex, but as a moral category it
forbids a broad range of sexual misconduct, including fornication (sex outside
marriage), homosexual activity, bestiality, and incest. For example see Vayikra
– Leviticus chapter 18. In ancient
“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbour, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” Vayikra - Leviticus 20:10.
What Does the Brit Chadashah, New
Covenant Say:
Shaul -
The
Adultery is not against the law in many countries. However, it will always be a direct and very serious violation of Elohim’s law. In the final judgment, the “sexually immoral” will be among those whose “portion will be in the lake of fire and sulphur, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
But, praise be to the Father, there is hope for
every sinner today. The key is repentance in and through faith and a heart
repentance in Yahushua The Messiah, and not through any other!
Matters of
the Heart:
Immoral acts are the end result of immoral thoughts. Yahushua speaks of adultery of the heart (or mind), and offers a radical solution:
“‘You have heard that it was said,
'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right
eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to
lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And
if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is
better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go
into hell (Gehenna).” Mattityahu -
Obviously a person’s eyes and hands do not cause him to sin, thus Yahushua is not recommending self-mutilation. The “hand” and the “eye” symbolize actions and intents. Yahushua simply means that a person’s intent to commit adultery is adultery. A believer must “cut off” or “tear out” “adulterous intents” and all actions associated with them. “Lust” is the desire for that which cannot be lawfully obtained. To desire sexual relations with another person’s spouse is lust; it is adultery of the heart.
“But each person is tempted when he is
lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives
birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
The faithful in Messiah Yahushua must make
every effort to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” (1
Let our matters of the heart be pure and wholesome! If there are problems with your marriage, dedicate it to Elohim and ask Him to commence a healing first within yourself, for it is within you where there will be a softening required, such patience, a stronger love to be able to continue and show more love towards that loved one you said you would love forever! Ask the Father to touch your loved one that there will be a whole new outlook and harmony! Allow a healing to take place and dedicate your lives to Yahushua The Messiah, your Redeemer!
If you are young and single, be wise and keep
your selves pure and I pray that you will wait for that special one that will
come into your life one day. Do not allow
The Eighth
Commandment
“You shall not
steal”
Shemos
- Exodus 20:15 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:19
Stealing is one of the sad realities throughout the world. It is most likely almost every one reading this study will have had at least something stolen from them at sometime in their lifetime. And possibly may even have taken or stolen something at one time or another.
Everyone has been forced to lock everything, for these days we lock all the doors and windows to our homes, even install burglar alarms, have outdoor lights that turn on at night at the side and back of the house and we tend to join the local neighbourhood watch - crime-prevention groups to prevent thieves from helping themselves to our belongings. And of course we carefully lock our cars when we leave them unattended, even though most now have security installed, but criminals have new advanced ways of getting in and starting these new electronic motors somehow?
We are well aware that theft comes in many different forms and it occurs at so many levels of society, from large corporations and in small communities. It happens just about everywhere be it the home, the car, on the person, therefore if something can be stolen be assured there is a thief around and they will find a way! The point is that a thief is a thief, and often it does not matter if you are rich or poor. All thieves, to a greater or lesser extent have absolutely no regard to the rights and property that others have, or the sentimentality they may have to the item involved. A person who steals from his neighbour certainly does not love his neighbour. Just like every other sin that is identified by the Ten Commandments, theft arises from the evil sinful condition of the heart.
“For out of the heart, (says Yahushua)
come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness,
slander.” Mattityahu -
Generally, a thief is not just a thief, but their lack of moral character usually gives rise to many other sins, be it any of these, together, or individually; adultery, bearing false witness, and slander.
Once again, let us look at the Positive Side of the Commandment:
The Eighth Commandment presupposes the right to own property. Any social structure that denies the right to own property undercuts the basic principle contained within the broad parameters of this commandment. Communism is as we know among one of the worst offenders...
This commandment also underscores the virtue of the work ethic that is a part of the apostolic tradition; (2 Thessalonians 3:6–9).
“In the Name of the
Here, Shaul -
Thus, we should take it to heart that the opposite of taking is giving. Taking the Eighth Commandment on the positive side brings to light the responsibility to help those in need.
As Shaul also states;
“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” Ephesians 4:28
“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be
blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”
The blessed Tanach, the Old Covenant and the Brit
Chadashah, the New Covenant is full with exhortations regarding helping the
poor. “For there will never cease to be poor in the land,” Moshe
said to his fellow Israelites. “Therefore I command you, ‘You shall
open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your
land’” (Davarim - Deuteronomy 15:11). Give freely, not grudgingly,
Shaul points out that;
“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for Elohim loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6–7).
Punishment for Theft:
Sadly a thief is what he is because of their
self-serving disposition, can never be truly content with life. The act of
stealing may bring some temporary momentary excitement due to a rush of
adrenalin, but the things that are stolen never seem to satisfy their deepest
needs. The thief generally lives with a certain fear of getting caught, and
knows well that the penalty for stealing can be very severe. Although sadly
these days, many Judges are so weak thus far too many criminals are just receiving
a slap on their wrists and sent out amongst the population. The truth is some
of the worst criminals in
At least in ancient
Ultimately, the consequences of a theft where there was no repentance was far greater and a more severe punishment.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous
will not inherit the
The Ninth
Commandment
“You shall not bear
false witness against your neighbour”
Shemos
- Exodus 20:16 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:20
If we look back into ancient
The first of the numerical sayings in the book
of Proverbs lists “six things that
“There are six things YHVH hates, seven
that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed
innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to
rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs
up dissension among brothers.”
Did you
notice how many of these things relate directly to the sin identified by the
Ninth Commandment!
While the Ninth Commandment directly forbids false accusations, the broad general principle forbids all falsehood and dishonesty. We see so much dishonesty these days in advertising that are touched up so much that even people are no longer real, and they can be placed in any location and even with other people, even though they have never met! Then there is the dishonesty in politics, but even more tragically in religion. The great tragedy is that since the time of the Eastern orthodox churches and pagan Rome, especially from the time of the sun god worshipping emperor Constantine, whole social structures have been built on pagan foundations of some small amounts of truth mingled with pagan religion and their traditions, which has taken over most of christendom today!
Truth and godliness Must go Hand in Hand:
I am sure that all who are reading this would
agree that truthfulness is absolutely essential to a sanctified relationship with Elohim. For relationships, if
they are to be worthy and true between individuals, must be based on total
honesty, otherwise there is no real relationship! We are clearly told in the
Word of Elohim that we were created in the image of
The Word of Elohim categorically condemns
lying as a serious sin, one that does come with most serious consequences. The
law, Shaul –
“We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unsanctified and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious Gospel of the blessed Elohim, which He entrusted to me.”
He also said;,
“The Spirit clearly says that in later
times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things
taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose
consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 1
Sadly, friends, we need to realise, this is also what our blessed Messiah so clearly stated that there will be a great falling away from the faith, and that later there would be those who will say to Him;
“Watch out for false prophets. They
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By
their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes,
or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad
tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad
tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut
down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
It is a sad fact, but we are living very close to the end times and the coming of our blessed Messiah! And we MUST return to using His Name, being Yahushua, just like he asked of us, “Ask it in My Name.” Even Strongs Concordance confirms the truth that Messiah’s Name is the same as that of Joshua, for both were Yahushua, or as Strongs writes it as “Jehoshua”, which is slightly incorrect, but at least as you can see so close it does not matter!
Strongs NT:2424 Iesous (ee-ay-sooce'); of Hebrew origin [OT:3091];
However, friends, ultimately;
“… the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.” Revelations 21:8.
We all know that HaSatan who is the great deceiver does not know how to tell a truth;
“You belong to your father, the devil,
and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the
beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he
lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of
lies.” Yochanan -
In addition to Satan’s followers and sadly many are priests, ministers, pastors and teachers of the Word are masters of deception, just as the Apostle Shaul - Paul says they
“disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 11:15.
Lying, when compared with murder, adultery, or theft, may seem benign, a relatively slight character flaw. Often, however, lying stems from a much more serious character defect than we might imagine.
In his book, People of the Lie,
“We lie only when we are attempting to cover up something we know to be illicit. Some rudimentary form of conscience must precede the act of lying. There is no need to hide unless we first feel that something needs to be hidden.”
“We become evil by attempting to hide from ourselves. The wickedness of the evil is not committed directly, but indirectly as a part of this cover-up process. Evil originates not in the absence of guilt [as in the psychopath] but in the effort to escape it” (p. 76).
A Very Painful Confession:
Those Peck describes as “the evil” often lie, both in word and deed, in order to create an image pleasing to others and then see themselves the way others see them, thus creating and adopting a phony self-image. They are, in effect, lying to themselves. This, of course, prevents genuine repentance, which is a prerequisite to true conversion in Messiah Yahushua and a right way of living.
When Elohim forced
“For the director of music - A psalm of
Beloved, I trust as you have been reading this you will have learnt much already, and the message is all about law and it is only by having a law as Shaul said, we know that we are sinners, and it is through repentance, and I mean true repentance in and through Messiah Yahushua. But this also requires total “truth in the inward being.”
This means no more cover-ups, no more pretence, no more mental games and false self-images. It means openhearted and an often painful confession of sins, and I mean all our sins, not just those “minor flaws” that allow us to continue lying to ourselves and deceiving others. It means honestly looking into the darkened recesses of our own hearts and minds and, no matter how painful, laying our hearts bare before YaHVaH Elohim, blessed be His Sanctified Name, confessing the true nature of our own motives, admitting our “secret” sins, and resolving to put an end to all lying, both to ourselves and to others.
The Tenth
Commandment
“You shall not covet …
anything that is your neighbour’s”
Shemos - Exodus 20:17 / Davarim - Deuteronomy 5:21
The physical act of adultery is a direct
violation of Elohim’s law, but Yahushua tells us adultery is also a matter
of the heart. “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with
lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart”
(Mattityahu -
The first human act of covetousness occurred
in the Garden of Eden.
Certainly there is nothing wrong with the
normal human desire to satisfy hunger and enjoy the good taste of food. The
problem with
Do not love the world or the things in the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all
that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes
and pride in possessions is not from the Father but is from the world. And the
world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of
Elohim abides forever (1 Yochanan – 1
Inordinate and unlawful desires, covetousness, lust are at the root of every deliberate sin, every wanton act of violence, every act of idolatry, adultery, and theft. Every deliberate act of sin involves some form of covetousness. Even pride itself is a form of covetousness; it is nothing more than the inordinate desire for possessions, power, or prestige.
Elohim’s Word tells us “the
treacherous are taken captive by their lust” (
There is nothing wrong with acquiring some
possessions, increasing wealth, or laying up for the future. In fact, Scripture
reveals these are worthwhile goals. They are a problem only when one’s
priorities are out of order. Yahushua urges, “Take care, and be on your
guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the
abundance of his possessions” (
Is Covetousness the Root of Evil?
Excessive and unlawful desires always lie
behind sinful deeds and actions. Perhaps this is why the
“What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.” Romans 7:7–8.
Thus we have learned that whilst sin may be
defined as a transgression against the law of Elohim (1 Yochanan – 1
“When tempted, no one should say,
‘Elohim (God) is tempting me.’ For Elohim cannot be tempted by
evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil
desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it
gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is fully grown, it brings forth
death.”
As we look back into history we will see that it provides many examples of political leaders who began their careers with the motive of bringing urgently needed changes to their societies however, unfortunately, most became dictators once they were under various corrupting influences of power, or, more accurately said, once they were managed to increase their power to an absolute dictatorship and hold their sphere of power to corrupt all leaders and have the armies full support!
The same is true of many religious leaders. The ancient Chasidim (“Pious ones”), for example, arose from the need to keep the Jewish people mindful of their heritage and of the painful consequences of falling under the influence of pagan nations. Unfortunately, the well-intentioned Chasidim, once they assumed power within many Jewish religious affairs, they permitted their desire to maintain their prestige and sphere of influence to corrupt them. By the time of Yahushua, they had become known as scribes as well as the Pharisees and this is thus a very sad story indeed, for we all know the sad facts here!
As we all know, it is often stated that “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” We know that wealth, sex, and fame will also have a corrupting effect. Actually, this is not entirely true. For none of these things are of themselves necessarily corrupting, for corruption results only when an inordinate or unlawful desire is involved!
The problem is unrestrained and misdirected desire, or covetousness. Only when covetousness enters the picture does power, wealth, sex, and fame can become a real problem.
How can Covetousness be Conquered?
Beloved, we need to understand that overcoming covetousness may prove to be difficult, however with prayer and the help of our beloved Lord and Redeemer Yahushua the Messiah it can be done. There are a number of steps you can take to bring your desires under control.
1… Confess the sin of covetousness.
To overcome any problem, a person has to admit that he has the problem. It’s easy to enter into denial and redefine our motives; it may be tough to honestly admit our innermost motives and desires. But anyone serious about following the Messiah must do it. Truthful confession is the key to genuine repentance.
2… Ask for Elohim’s help.
Every morning upon arising Ask Elohim for His
help, do this each time a bad desire begins to arise. Also ask again before
retiring each evening. Remember what the blessed Word says … “Ask
and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be
opened to you” (Mattityahu -
3… Whatever you do, avoid evil influences as much as possible.
This may mean staying away from certain clubs, limiting social involvement with certain people, or resolving to avoid certain types of entertainment. I would like to suggest that you read - “What – Why – How”, which is a short study on repentance based on Tehillim - Psalm 1. It is a wonderful and an enlightening study and the link is below!
Finally we arrive
at the conclusion
Let me first pose the following question, “WHY did the Almighty choose to write these Ten Commandments on Stone, whilst all the other commandments, although just as important, were given verbally to His chosen servant Moshe up on the Mountain, and then Moshe wrote them (with his scribes) on the five scrolls of the “Torah,” being the first Five Books of the Tanach, the Old Covenant”
The truth is that the Ten Commandments were
and are still the very Heart of the Law, and we
know that Yahushua placed a great deal of emphasis on these commandments in all
of His teachings throughout His life
whilst He was with us, blessed be His Name! Therefore these stones with the
“Ten Words,” as they are also known - seemed to have a far greater
standing somehow. Obviously it would be for that very reason why
What have we Learned so far?
We have learned in this extensive study that the moral categories set forth in the Ten Commandments are foundational to the health and well-being of the society at large. They all reflect the blessed and the Sanctified Character of Elohim Himself and are an everlasting Code of Moral Law designed to serve mankind, who bear the image of their Creator. It is indeed unfortunate that so many are misguided in their interpretation of a few difficult passages of Scripture and have tragically come to the conclusion that the Decalogue was set aside when the New Covenant came about. The truth is that is a lie that is spread by Satan, for the Word say otherwise, thus who will you believe, YaHVaH’s Sanctified Word, or the words of men that have gone astray, that are led by the evil one?
The Commandments are far from being a curse that was nailed to the stake/cross of our blessed Messiah, for the Decalogue is a precious and a Sanctified gift of Elohim that He has given to all mankind. Messiah, who is the model of perfection, kept Elohim’s commandments and instructed all His followers to do precisely the same.
The law went forth from
Beloved, by no means am I suggesting that one can earn salvation through just by keeping the Ten Commandments or any law. Certainly not - for the law identifies the problem, but it certainly does not “fix” it. It exposes the sin but does not remove it. It will reveal the right path, but does not enable us to walk it. Remission of sins and spiritual regeneration are gifts made possible by the redemptive work of our Redeemer Yahushua. The law simply informs us of our need for a Saviour.
Yet the righteous standards set forth in Elohim’s law are timeless. For the redeemed, they are light to the path of life and reminder of what the blood of Messiah is all about.
The Psalmist says it so well:
Ya’akov
- James Makes Faith and the Law issue
rather Clear:
But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I
have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by
what I do.’
You foolish man, do you want evidence that
faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Avraham was considered
righteous for what he did when he offered his son
In the same way, was not even Rahab the
prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the
spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit
is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
As we know the two stones that the Decalogue
was written upon, was by the very hand of Elohim, was placed in the Ark of the
Covenant, which was the most Sanctified of all places in the Tabernacle! Why do
you think it was placed in such a special and a sacred box? The answer is
simple, because; 1. For the very reason that the original stones were
written by YaHVaH Elohim Himself, thus touched by the most Holy of all Holies!
Remember that even Moshe when he came down from the mountain, he glowed, shone
with the glory of
What it really said is this, YaHVaH Elohim,
blessed be His Sanctified Name, was declaring through this act of having them
placed in the Ark, was a statement of their massive importance. And that
NOTHING EVER can do away with these most blessed of all commandments! And
that is why beloved; Yahushua
our Messiah placed such great emphasis on them when He so frequently spoke
about them! I pray that having read this study, that you will also
return and have come to understand ALL TEN of these Commandments, but above all
to KEEP each and every one of them in FAITH and love of YaHVaH Elohim, in the
blessed Name of our beloved Saviour. Yahushua THE Messiah. HalleluYAH.
“Teach me Your way, O YHVH. I will
walk in Your truth.
UNITE MY HEART TO FEAR YOUR NAME!”
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Yahushua said; “No one can come to Me unless the Father who
sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in
the Prophets: They will all be taught by Elohim. Everyone who listens to the
Father and learns from Him comes to Me. No one has seen the Father except the
One who is from Elohim; only He has seen the Father. I tell you the truth he
who believes has everlasting life.” Yochanan (
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