Restrained or blessed?
Darwin defined the animal kingdom by the survival of the
fittest. This raises questions about the value of protecting and supporting the
weak, and it ignores cultural norms humanity has honoured. In every society,
principles exist, but when they are flouted, war, jealousy, and
hatred bring chaos and destruction.
This past month, a Melbourne man was
murdered in his home. In a separate incident, two young men pushed a
seventy-one-year-old woman to the ground and stole her handbag.
Think about the impact when a married person ogles a person of a different sex and begins an
affair. They succumb to temptation, and the abandoned partner suffers the pain of broken trust.
Consider the guy in the grips of some dark
power who rapes a girl, the gossiper who blackens a reputation or the man who mows down a politician and maims her for life. What drives them?
We baulk at these crimes. Law courts exist to
exercise justice and set prison sentences for convicted offenders. In our societies, we expect consideration, crave peaceful lives and the opportunity to express our views, but if we harm our
neighbour or a stranger, we’ve assaulted their boundaries. Wise rules are
essential to keep us safe because they set limits that provide mutual respect.
Who originated these moral
principles against violence, murder, adultery and theft? Why are they ingrained in the human psyche?
From a Christian perspective, we
need look no further than the Bible. God forbade Adam and Eve from eating from the
fruit tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the life tree in the Garden of
Eden. They enjoyed every other fruit, a perfect marriage, and perfect peace, but
after they ate that apple, they destroyed paradise because they lost their perfect relationship with God.
This rule was designed to
keep them happy, safe and at peace with the Creator.
Centuries later, Moses gathered the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai
while God met him in a cloud of fire and smoke. The ground trembled, and the
trumpet blasted. God seized their undivided attention!
God’s message
mattered because it was life changing.
“I am the Lord
your God who brought you out of Egypt and slavery.” He’d rescued them, and
he was worthy of their worship and gratitude.
“You shall have no other gods before me, or any idols.”
Since God created and
rescued them, they owed him their life. If they worshipped God, he would
reveal his love to a thousand generations. They would deny him glory and appreciation if they worshipped wood and stone idols that could not speak or protect them.
“You shall not misuse my name.” God could hold them
guilty of blasphemy as he is holy, and blasphemy denies him worship and due
reverence.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days
you shall work, but rest on the seventh day.” God made the world in six
days and rested on the seventh, a perfect work-life balance with a day to worship and acknowledge him. God also provided commandments against murder, stealing, coveting, and lies.
Do we grasp the value of the Ten Commandments? These
principles expose our guilt, but they help us live well.
Who hasn’t blasphemed
or set God aside for something or someone else? God remains faithful when we fall short.
Do we often rest in God’s presence? Or receive his forgiveness?
Jesus summarised the Ten Commandments into two principles.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and
mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is similar: Love
your neighbour as yourself.”
Jesus’ ministry spoke volumes to these commandments. If we
love God with pure passion, we will follow Jesus’ example to honour him. He pleased God with every decision he made, living a pure existence. When people approached
him with sicknesses and problems, he considered their needs above his own,
loving them more than himself.
We admire heroes for risking personal danger while
preserving another life. Jesus died on a Roman
cross, despite the dreadful shame and agony he'd endure.
When I look around me, I could despair. Chaos exists where people ignore what God has said. People speed
past me on the roads, and they shove others aside or abuse them. Countries go to war. I call upon
everyone to discover who God is by reading the Bible and speaking with him. Everyone needs to take notice of this priceless wisdom.
Rather than just a
religious book, the Bible is a manual for living, uncovering the good, the bad and the cry of the unloved, and it is where you'll find a solution.
In its pages, God brings hope to the weary and eternal life to the dying. He
teaches us pure love, kindness and compassion. We discover how to love him and how to be his hands
and feet for our neighbour. When you understand God’s justice, his loving
kindness, and wisdom, you’ll love him and his Son, Jesus. You will worship him
because you’ll realize he loves and cares for you. You'll grow more like him and everyone will reap the benefit.
Let’s pause for a moment. How can we respect and honour God
and our neighbour today? Who is first on your agenda? Is it God, those around you or
yourself? If all could society embrace the principles behind the Ten Commandments, coupled with God's love, peace
and safety would result. Although this is not easy (because we all fail,) let's not abandon God's commandments. Or his call on our lives. Seek his forgiveness and rely on his help. Genuine love for God and love for each other will prevent us from falling victim to vice and trouble. Let's live for him with all our hearts and minds.
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