FIRST COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 1 Then God said all these words: "I am יהוה (Yahweh) your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the abode of slavery."
WHO brought the Israelites out of Egypt and out of the slavery to foreign/pagan gods? It was יהוה - the Creator of the universe and everything in it! His Holy Name is comprised of the Hebrew letters יהוה (Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, which in English are represented by the letters YHWH, and also written out as Yahweh ... and most likely, but not necessarily, pronounced Yah-way, as no one knows the real pronunciation.)
It is imperative to understand that Moshe was not the first one to actually receive the Name of YHWH (as presented in Exodus 3:13-15); but that Avram (or Abram, whom God later renamed Avraham/Abraham) in Genesis 13:4 had "called on the name of YHWH!"
Also interesting to note is that YHWH's Son, Yeshua (Hebrew: ישוע - and spelled in various ways in English, including Yeshua, YaHaShua, Yehoshuah, etc.) is the ONLY heavenly entity to have Father YHWH's Name WITHIN his own Name - unlike the angels/messengers whose names contain only YHWH's title of "ELOHIM" (which means "God"). For instance: MichaEL, Rapha-EL and Gabri-EL).
That, in itself, sets Yeshua way above humans or angels. The Greek form, "Jesus," on the other hand, means absolutely nothing and therefore actually detracts from who He was. It is fruitless to argue that "his Name was changed" because of the different languages on the earth, as "Yeshua" was His given, Hebrew name and it is not that hard to pronounce. The good news is, no one has ever abused Messiah's Hebrew name by turning it into a cuss word...
SECOND COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 3 "You are to have no other gods before me. 4 You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline. 5 You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, ADONAI your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvot."
You are to have no other gods... Wow! How far has mankind, as a whole, come from that command? How many "other gods" can you name that in no way resemble YHWH? Even "money" has become a "god" to many, as they covet and/or spend it unwisely, which constantly leaves them thirsting for more. What do Catholics do when entering their sanctuaries? They make the sign of the cross and bow statues of Jesus or Mary....
And think about this: What is on your credit card but a "carved image" that you "worship" because they offer you money? And what must you do once you've used their "credit"? You must serve them (by paying often huge interest rates that can keep you indebted for many years)! And when you incur huge debt because you "bowed" to them and used their "credit", aren't you and your children now punished for generations because you squandered any chance of leaving your descendants an inheritance? "A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous" (Proverbs 13:22).
You are not to make a carved image or any kind of representation ... No one has ever actually seen YHWH, because humans cannot look upon God's Face and live (Exodus 20:4-5), direct encounters can be overwhelming or even fatal if unshielded (Isaiah 6). People were able to see the Divine Messiah Yeshua, but the ones who actually saw him were those with whom he came into contact 2,000 years ago, when there were no cameras or voice recorders! Therefore, every "picture of Jesus" is a lie!
We, at The Refiner's Fire used to have one Christian woman writing to us, boasting about sending pictures of Jesus to the world for free, claiming those pictures have special powers and have worked miracles. What utter nonsense! What she is/was doing goes directly against Exodus 20:3-6! If something does not perfectly line up with Scripture, it isn't of God - period!
THIRD COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 7 "You are not to use lightly the name of ADONAI your God, because ADONAI will not leave unpunished someone who uses his name lightly."
Using His Name lightly (in vain) refers to falsely "prophesying in His Name" or trying to tell someone, "God told me to tell you..." etc. There are so many who dare to "use His Name lightly" and veer from Scripture by inserting their own interpretation or opinion, or coming up with "conspiracy theories" etc. "Using His Name lightly" also refers to the use of His name as a bad word. (How many times have you heard someone say, "Jesus Christ!" - using it as a cuss word? Thank God our Savior's Name is YESHUA which has never been used for evil speech!)
FOURTH COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 8 "Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for ADONAI your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work -not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, ADONAI made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why ADONAI blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself."
Please read Sabbath Day and also notice YHWH said we have have six days to labor and do all our work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat for YHWH our God. Some insist that the Seventh Day Shabbat is according to the moon cycles, but nothing could be further from the Truth.
FIFTH COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 12 "Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which ADONAI your God is giving you."
This command is self-explanatory, but here is a word for those who were abused by their parents, and find it hard to "honor" them: The commandment is to honor your mother and father; it does not say you have to "love" them or even "like" them! It means, "honor" them, for they gave birth to you and provided for you while you were growing up. (For more on this issue, please check out our blog post.)
SIXTH COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 13 "Do not murder."
We have no right to take another's life intentionally, regardless as to the reason. This includes the life of an unborn baby! Yes, in "Old Testament" times, YHWH ordered the killing of pagans and entire cities - but this was because He did not want HIS people infected with pagan customs and ideals. Since the death of Yeshua He no longer asks us to kill unbelievers, as HE will deal with them on Judgment Day; but He still expects us to keep ourselves holy/set apart from "the world!"
SEVENTH COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 14 "Do not commit adultery."
In Matthew 5:27-28 Yeshua says, You have heard that it has been said that you should not commit adultery (see Exodus 20:13, 14; Deuteronomy 5:18) 28. But I say to you that all who that looks at a woman as lustfully at once has committed adultery in his heart.
In other words, thinking can lead to doing, and doing the act moves the sin to a new level that hurts not only the perpetrators but also their families. Not to mention, it results in intentional sin, for which there is no sacrifice!
EIGHTH COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 15 "Do not steal."
In our society, many have justified the ideal of "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor"; or just taking what they want, even if it means murdering those from whom they are stealing.
NINTH COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 16 "Do not give false evidence against your neighbor."
In other words, don't lie; period. Our court systems still include raising our right hands and swearing to "Tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me, God" although there are some major battles by atheists to have "so help me God" removed....
TENTH COMMANDMENT: Exodus 20: 17 "Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Nearly every advertisement we see today, whether in print or electronic media, suggests we "keep up with the Joneses." Buy, buy, buy! If your neighbors drive a Lexus, get out your credit card and buy yourself a Lamborghini - or at the very least, a Rolls Royce. If your neighbor's wife had a face-lift and looks 20 years younger, perhaps it's time to look for a woman who actually is 20 years younger.
Our society is built on credit and greed and instant gratification - and those are just a FEW of the reasons why we are on the verge of collapse!
Most have simply not put YHWH first in their lives and that is why they constantly strive to fill that "little hole in their soul" with "stuff"...
