Should the Ten Commandments be displayed on government property? While we believe in keeping the Ten Commandments we also should point out that we are referring to the Ten Commandments as we find them written in Exodus 20 of the Old Testament Bible. Some commandment displays are not true to the biblical blue print. Basically in modern times 3 versions emerged:

The Protestant
The Catholic and
The Jewish

How does the government know which of these versions to display? Some commandment displays have been edited which results in serious theological alterations. Some commandments have been edited and shortened.

The Biblical display of the 10 commandments was inside the ark of the covenant also known as the mercy seat. The commandments condemn sin but the mercy seat provides an escape for the sinner from the consequence of the second death if he chooses to obey God's Word. That is quite a different theological context than displaying them in American government buildings. Worldly governments cannot and do not dispence mercy like God can.

We also should recognise that the only commandments showing some parallels with earthly laws are 3 out of the 10: 6th, `thou shalt not kill', 8th, `thou shalt not steal' and 9th, `don't lie'. Our court system has no parallels to the 1-3, 6th and 10th. At times misguided church people want to enforce the 4th commandment by erroneously making Sabbath into Sunday and enforce Sunday keeping. That is plainly wrong. Can't they read?

The Bible also teaches tolerance to our fellow men and the example of the three friends of Daniel in Babylon prohibits the state to interfere in the religious beliefs of its people. The Bible also prohibits religious institutions to use the power of the state to influence people's beliefs, a function only properly accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Before a religion can assume it is called of God to influence the conscience of people who are not among its followers, they need to examine if they themselves are obeying the Word of God. The truth is, that most of Christianity does not obey God in all of His precepts. Today nominal Christians claim to obey God's law and yet go to church on a day not ordained by God. This day is, and increasingly so, will become the test of faith on our Creator God. Laws establishing a false day of worship, are unbiblical and will usher in the end time events. These events are painful but will culminate in the glorious appearing of Jesus and the holy angels returning as he has promised. (This in response to increased radio chatter on such topics as heard in the evening of 8-21-05.)

The people of this country have transgressed God's Ten Commandment laws so obviously for so many years that upholding it as a tradition is merely a wink and not a serious conversion to obey the Words spoken by our Creator God. And so we find that God didn't display His set of tablets for all to see. Why? He wanted them written in our heart, mind and physical being. While we cannot put up memorial stones in city halls, we can post the Law of God in our own homes.

The Biblical Account of Writing the Law: Moses, having been raised in all the wisdom and skills of Pharaonic Egypt meaning that he could read and write Hieroglyphics, lead armies and knew Egyptian law, was chosen to lead Israel out of Egypt and became their first `Supreme Court' judge. [Exodus 18:13-27; Deuteronomy 16:18] The Bible says that God gave to Moses two tables of testimony on which he wrote the law with his own finger, Exodus 31:18. On these God wrote the 10 devarim (words, commandments (dabar). That we read here "two tables of testimony, two tables of stone' is no mere repetition but underscores the nature of the law.

The first set of tablets Moses broke [50] after seeing his people worshipping like the ancient Egyptians did. God instructed him to produce a second set of stone tablets on which he once more wrote the 10 laws. Later, upon arriving at the River Jordan, Israel prepared a large stone on which the law was written also. This stone he was not to smooth with iron tools but he applied a layer of chalk as the writing surface. [Exodus 20:4; 34:4, 28; Deuteronomy 27:2, 3; Joshua 8:31-32] We can therefore assume that the letters of the law were engraved on the tablets while the chalk was still wet. Because of the prohibition to make `any graven image' the faithful Israelites never produced any stone surface with writing on it and that is why such artifacts are, generally, not being found in Israel. One may speculate that the Israelites interpreted this prohibition in their typical stringent way when the original prohibition may have been against Egyptian style pagan imagery and not simple Hebrew letters. However, some seem to claim that at least one Hebrew letter has a questionable origin.

Two facts seem to be certain:

a) The Decalogue was written in old Hebrew,
b) The tablets had to fit inside the Ark of the Covenant

whose dimensions are known to us [80] laying side by side. These limiting factors we can work with to consider the original appearance of the Tables of the Law of Yahweh.

Since the first 4 commandments contain so many more letters than the following laws, the 4th commandment ends up on the second tablet and the often used adage that the first tablet of the law talks about for us to `love God' and the second for us to `love our neighbour' should we regard the `two tablet theme idea' as a later construction? Therefore, when Jesus refers to these two divisions in Matthew 22:37-40, does he picture these divisions on two separate tablets or just subject wise?

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets."

Reading what Jesus said seems to imply that he talks subject rather than the contents of the physical tablets. What does it mean to love the lord with `all thy soul?' It means with all thy life. The Hebrew word for `soul' means life and not some immortal entity inside human beings like later misguided philosophers try to make it out.

The beginnings of Solomon's apostasy may be traced to many seemingly slight deviations from right principles. Associations with idolatrous women was by no means the only cause of his downfall. Among the primary causes that led Solomon into extravagance and tyrannical oppression, was his course in developing and cherishing a spirit of covetousness.

The deadly sin that led to Achan's ruin had its root in covetousness, of all sins one of the most common and the most lightly regarded, Joshua 7. While other offenses meet with detection and punishment, how rarely does the violation of the tenth commandment so much as call forth censure. The enormity of this sin, and its terrible results, are the lessons of Achan's history.

Covetousness is an evil of gradual development. Achan had cherished greed of gain until it became a habit, binding him in fetters well-nigh impossible to break. While fostering this evil, he would have been filled with horror at the thought of bringing disaster upon Israel; but his perceptions were deadened by sin, and when temptation came, he fell an easy prey.

Are not similar sins still committed, in the face of warnings as solemn and explicit? We are as directly forbidden to indulge covetousness as was Achan to appropriate the spoils of Jericho. God has declared it to be idolatry. We are warned, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24. "Take heed, and beware of covetousness." Luke 12:15. "Let it not be once named among you." Ephesians 5:3. We have before us the fearful doom of Achan, of Judas, of Ananias and Sapphira. Back of all these we have that of Lucifer, the "son of the morning," who, coveting a higher state, forfeited forever the brightness and bliss of heaven. And yet, notwithstanding all these warnings, covetousness abounds. [PP, 496]

The tenth commandment strikes at the very root of all sins, prohibiting the selfish desire, from which springs the sinful act. He who in obedience to God's law refrains from indulging even a sinful desire for that which belongs to another, will not be guilty of an act of wrong toward his fellow-creatures. [SD, 65]

I have seen poor families struggling with debt, and yet the children were not trained to deny themselves in order to aid their parents. In one family where I visited, the daughters expressed a desire for an expensive piano. Gladly would the parents have gratified this wish, but they were embarrassed with debt. The daughters knew this, and had they been taught to practice self-denial, they would not have given their parents the pain of denying their wishes; but although they were told that it would be impossible to gratify their desires, the matter did not end there. The wish was expressed again and again, thus continually adding to the heavy burden of the parents.

On another visit I saw the coveted musical instrument in the house, and knew that some hundreds of dollars had been added to the burden of debt. I hardly know whom to blame most, the indulgent parents or the selfish children. Both are guilty before God. This one case will illustrate many. These young persons, although they profess to be Christians, have never taken the cross of Christ; for the very first lesson to be learned of Christ is the lesson of self-denial. Said our Saviour, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." In no way can we become disciples of Christ, except by complying with this condition. [Signs, March 31, 1887; CS 251.3]

"When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obliged to call for help of the civil power, is this a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one." - Benjamin Franklin in a letter to Richard Price, Oct. 9, 1790

"The association of religion with terror, and its ability to engender fear in the heart of America, in combination with legislation and policy changes that enable expanded powers of government surveillance have ominous implications for the nations religious traditions."

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." - Psalm 20:7

Introduction

Taking Israel into the Promised Land took place only after the generation which had come out of Egypt, because of their continual sinning, had passed away. Now it was their sons and daughters who were to exercise the kind of faith their parents did not model, but only God could show them. Before they could enter the land, however, they must be prepared.

How did God prepare this young generation?

God gave them His law.

God assured them of His blessings based on obedience. Just like today God assures people everywhere of salvation, eternal life in heaven, based on our fidelity to His government, the keeping of the commandments of God.

That is why we read in Deuteronomy chapter 28:

1. If you obey the Lord your God and faithfully keep all his commandments that I am giving you today, he will make you greater than any other nation on earth.
   
2. Obey the Lord your God and all these blessings will be yours.
   
3. The Lord will bless your towns and your fields.
   
4. The Lord will bless you with many children, with abundant crops, and with many cattle and sheep.
   
5. The Lord will bless your grain crops and the food you prepare from them.
   
6. The Lord will bless everything you do.
   
7. The Lord will defeat your enemies when they attack you. They will attack from one direction, but they will run from you in seven directions.
   
8. The Lord your God will bless your work and fill your barns with grain. He will bless you in the land that he is giving you.
   
9. If you obey the Lord your God and do everything he commands, he will make you his own people, as he has promised.
   
10. Then all the people on earth will see that the Lord has chosen you to be his own people, and they will be afraid of you. . . .

We are not just animals living in a materialistic, mechanistic, evolutionary world. We live in a world specially made by the Creator God, a God of love, for all life and man to provide a home. To safeguard those homes countries made laws but today many laws are being perverted and justice has fallen in the streets. Nevertheless, to be able to withstand the coming storm we must remain true to the only True God and His guidelines which are meant to keep us clean of all blame and blemishes which lead to destruction.

The book of Deuteronomy should be carefully studied by those living on the earth today. It contains a record of the instructions given to Moses to give to the children of Israel. In it the law spoken by the Lord God on Mt. Sinai is repeated. . . .

The law of God was often to be repeated to Israel. That its precepts might not be forgotten, it was to be kept before the people, and was ever to be joyfully exalted and honored for the sake of our love of the Lord and his promised blessings. Parents were to read the law to their children, teaching it to them line upon line, precept upon precept, Isa. 28:10-13. And on public occasions the law was to be read in the hearing of all the people, Dt. 31:9-13; Josh. 8:34.

Upon obedience to this law depended the prosperity of Israel. If they were obedient, it would bring them life; if disobedient, death.

We do not make enough of Deuteronomy and Exodus. These books record the dealings of God with Israel. God took the Israelites from slavery, and led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

The Lord God of heaven is our Leader too. He is a leader whom we can safely follow; for He never makes a mistake. Let us honor God and His Son Jesus Christ, through whom He communicates with the world. It was Christ who gave to Moses the instruction that He gave to the children of Israel. It was Christ who delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Moses and Aaron were the visible leaders of the people. To Moses instruction was given by their invisible Leader, to be repeated to them. {1BC 1117.6.-9}

"But you must never disobey them in any way, or worship and serve other gods.
But if you disobey the Lord your God and do not faithfully keep all his commands and laws that I am giving you today, all these evil things will happen to you." Dt. 28:14,15.

No obedience, God cannot bless. Then the . . .

"... Lord will curse everything you do. If you do evil and reject the Lord, he will bring on you disaster, confusion, and trouble in everything you do, until you are quickly and completely destroyed. . . .
The Lord will make you lose your mind, he will strike you with blindness and confusion.
You will grope about in broad daylight like someone blind, and you will not be able to find your way. You will not prosper in anything you do. You will be constantly oppressed and robbed, and there will be no one to help you." Dt. 28: 19, 20, 28, 29; TEV.

Nation, listen, pay attention to what God said about Israel - it is applicable for America too . . . .

"Foreigners who live in your land will gain more and more power, while you gradually lose yours.
They will have money to lend you, but you will have none to lend them. In the end they will be your rulers.
All these disasters will come upon you and they will be with you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and keep all the laws that he gave you.
They will be the evidence of God's judgment on you and your descendants forever.
The Lord blessed you in every way, but you would not serve him with glad and joyful hearts.
So then, you will serve the enemies that the Lord is going to send against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, and naked - in need of everything." Dt. 28:43-48.

This is the experience of ancient Israel. Ask yourself, is America experiencing some of these situations? Are we?

Check it out what else happened to Israel.

"Just as the Lord took delight in making you prosper and in making you increase in number, so he will take delight in destroying you and in bringing ruin on you. (Actually, sin destroys itself when God has to withdraw his protecting care because of stubborn disobedience to the law of God, the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20.) You will be uprooted from the land that you are about to occupy.
The Lord will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve gods made of wood and stone, gods that neither you nor your ancestors have ever worshiped before.
You will find no peace anywhere, no place to call your own; the Lord will overwhelm you with anxiety, hopelessness, and despair. (The experience of the people in all of the Middle East and Asia, Africa today.)
Your life will always be in danger. Day and night you will be filled with terror, and you will live in constant fear of death.
Your hearts will pound with fear at everything you see. Every morning you will wish for evening; every evening you will wish for morning.
The Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships, even though he said that you would never have to go there again. There you will try to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves, but no one will want to buy you." Dt. 28:63-68; TEV.

Moses reminded the fathers of Israel to read these laws to their children continually so they are written in their mind and they will not forget. We should do that too.

Is the Lord arbitrary?

"Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death.
If you obey the commands of the Lord your God, which I give you today, if you love him, obey him, and keep all his laws, then you will prosper and become a nation of many people. The Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are about to occupy.
But if you disobey and refuse to listen, and are led away to worship other gods, you will be destroyed - I warn you here and now.
You will not live long in that land across the Jordan that you are about to occupy.
I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life!
Love the Lord your God, obey him (America) and be faithful to him, and then you and your descendants will live long in the land that he promised to give your ancestors." Dt. 30:15-20; TEV.

The path of disobedience leads to eternal death. The path of obedience leads to eternal life. "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." When the redeemed from all the nations of the earth enter their heavenly home, they will have free access to the tree of life. No angel with flaming sword will stand guard, as it was necessary for an angel to do after Adam and Eve sinned. {2SAT 223.6}

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Revelation 22:14; KJV.

[050] The first set of tablets may have been made of precious blue Sapphire (aluminum oxide) stone according to Exodus 24:10. If so, certain prophetic connections become relevant, i.e. From Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1 we learn that the throne of God is described that way and from Numbers 15:38-39 we know that the color blue represents the truth of God, the `commandments of the Lord'. The institution which changed God's law (Dan. 7:25) uses symbolic colors to underscore their power, except the color blue. That is when the prophecy of 2.Thess. 2:3,7 (NIV, "man of lawlessness") becomes relevant for they cannot face up to the truth of God.
[080] The dimensions of the ark of the covenant are given as a rectangular box measuring 2 1/2 cubits long, 1 1/2 cubits wide and high. Assuming the Egyptian royal cubit (1 royal cubit = 20.623 inches, 52.4 cm) was used, the ark measured 131 cm long (4 feet 3 5/8 inches), 78.5 cm wide and high (the height of the Mercy Seat lid not included) and wide. Assuming the thickness of the wood was calculated to be sturdy for long use, we assume it measured around 10 cm in thickness. That leaves us with ca. 110 cm in length and ca. 59 cm in width and height. Since the stone tablets require at least a tiny bit of space for insertion and since they were never meant to be removed and looked at after having been placed inside, and, furthermore, since they were laid side by side, each tablet could have measured ca. 55 cm long by ca. 29 cm wide. Since the Tables of the Ten Commandments were never meant to be removed from the ark, we postulate now that all the writing was incised on the visible surface, none on the edges and reverse side.
[100] What does it mean for God to be jealous? A jealous God shows in a most expressive manner the love of God for his people. He feels for them as the most affectionate husband could for his spouse; who is `jealous' not in a violent or vindictive way but in a good way for fidelity, because He wishes their invariable happiness.
What does it mean when it says, `Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children?' This seems to imply - if the children walk in the steps of their fathers; for no man can be condemned by divine justice for a crime of which he was never guilty, Ezekiel 18. Idolatry, however, is particularly intended, and visiting sins of this kind refers principally to national judgments. By withdrawing the divine protection the idolatrous Israelites were delivered up into the hands of their enemies, from whom the gods in whom they had trusted could not deliver them. This God did to the third and fourth generation, i.e. successively, as may be seen in every part of Jewish history, and particularly in the Book of Judges. And this, at last, became the grand and the only effectual and lasting means in His hand of their final deliverance from idolatry; for it is well known that after the Babylonian captivity the Israelites were so completely saved from idolatry as nevermore to have disgraced themselves by it as they had formerly done. These national judgments, thus continued from generation to generation, appear to be what is designated by the words in the text, Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children.
What does it mean to be vindictive? When the protective care of God is withdrawn because people do not seek Him the vindictive power of Satan can rage without reigns over people.
King Saul, the first king of Israel, had a mind and influence capable of governing a kingdom, if his powers and intelligence had been submitted to the control of God, but the very endowments that qualified him for doing good could be used by Satan, when surrendered to his power, and would enable him to exert widespread influence for evil. He could be more sternly vindictive, more injurious and determined in prosecuting his unholy designs, than could others, because of the superior powers of mind and heart that had been given him by God.
As a last resource, God sent His Son, saying, "They will reverence My Son." But their resistance had made them vindictive, and they said among themselves, "This is the heir; come, let us kill Him, and let us seize on His inheritance." We shall then be left to enjoy the vineyard, and to do as we please with the fruit, Matthew 21:33-46.
While men can be cruel and vindictive, or criminally negligent of the solemn responsibilities placed upon them, God does not forget to be gracious to His people. All heaven was interested in the men who were suffering for Christ's sake, and angels were sent to visit the prison. At their tread the earth trembled. The heavily bolted prison doors were thrown open; the chains and fetters fell from the hands and feet of the prisoners; and a bright light flooded the prison, Acts 16:19-40.
A single vindictive feeling indulged may open the way to a train of feelings which will end in murder.