It is no coincidence that the greatest countries in the world to live in are those most heavily influenced by Judeo-Christian values. In mercy and judgment, God gifted His people Israel with one commandment for each of the ten plagues He severely chastised Egypt with (Exodus 7-12).
And God spoke all these words, saying,
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“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, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour’s.” – Exodus 20:1-17 ESV
These rules for living have never been improved upon, although Jesus distilled them down to just two guidelines, borrowed from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18):
“You shall love the Lord your God 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 depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37b-40
Lord, to cherish You above all else is to abide by Your first four commandments, and to love all others as much as we love ourselves will prevent us from transgressing the remaining six. Thank You Jesus that when You walked this earth You upheld the Law and the Prophets in perfection, that when we trust in You You clothe us in Your right standing before God. By Your Spirit, enable us to please You by keeping Your commands, and so stand out as a source of good in this world.
Sparks 