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The Way the Law Works – The Eighth Commandment

paleohuguenot — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:01:10 +0000

The Way the Law Works

Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19

“You shall not steal.”

Launched on a trajectory

Read Exodus 22.6

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.”

Show of hands: How many of you would have ever applied Exodus 22.6 to the way you use your tongue? Or to your relationship with your wife? Thanks, put your hands down. Now how many of you are willing to let this statute – and the eighth commandment as a whole – lead you into the liberty of love and growth in grace? Good. This is the way the Law works. The commandment serves as a kind of launch pad. It aims us in a direction and fires us up for action: “Don’t steal!” OK, got it. Then, as we launch out into our everyday lives, the statutes accompanying the commandments mark out a kind of course or trajectory, carrying the intent of the commandment beyond the letter into the spirit of it. You won’t steal from your neighbor. No way. And you’re not worried about any fires you start burning up his grain or house. But can you see now that this commandment and this statute guide you into a larger trajectory still, and equip you to deal with specific things the Scripture doesn’t address, but the Spirit can bring to mind? It’s the same with all the holy, righteous, good, and loving Law of God.

Pray

Help me to love Your Law, O Lord! Speak to me of its liberating power, or its ability to form me into someone who loves You more and more, and who loves my neighbor as myself. Disabuse me of every false idea I’ve ever held about Your Law, O Lord, and lead me fully into its glorious truth.

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

More than Mere Words – The Eighth Commandment

paleohuguenot — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:01:37 +0000

More than Mere Words

Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19

“You shall not steal.”

Full restitution

Read Exodus 22.6

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.”

How many times have I done or said something that hurt Susie deeply? Too many to count, I’m sure. Not that I ever intend to hurt her. I’m nuts about this woman, and I wouldn’t lift a finger to hurt her if it meant my life. But I’ve done it anyway, over and over. Then, as it begins to come out that I’ve done it again, a strange thing happens. I start trying to minimize the damage and get it over with. So I say, “Sorry.” OK. I did a bad thing. Sorry. Now can we please get on with it? Not so fast. Full restitution is what the Law requires whenever my actions harm the property or wellbeing of my neighbor. I need to learn what I can do to restore peace, re-establish trust, strengthen the bonds of love, and build our relationship back to the same level – and higher – that it was prior to the goof-up. Making full restitution can take time. But it is the responsibility of those wronged and those who have done the wrong – even if unintentionally – to work together to chart a course that will lead to renewal, strengthening, and full restitution.

Are there any areas in your life waiting to be fully restored from some slip-up or neglect on your part? Is this a good time to get started making full restitution?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

Take it Like a Man! – The Eighth Commandment

paleohuguenot — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:01:58 +0000

Take it Like a Man!

Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19

“You shall not steal.”

Mess up, ‘fess up, clean up – grow up

Read Exodus 22.6

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.”

“It’s not my fault!” “I didn’t do it!” “Not me – him!” These are the words of children who, caught red-handed for some misdeed, will always look for someone else to blame. The roots of this blame-laying go deep. Recall Adam in his confrontation with God immediately after the fall: “The woman You gave me, she…” Blame it on the woman. Blame it on God. The Law of God teaches us to take responsibility for our actions. More than that, it provides ways for us to redeem ourselves for wrong actions. We don’t have to live with the guilt and shame that wrong-doing can produce. If we mess up, we need to ‘fess up, then we can get busy to clean up the mess we’ve made and restore relations with our neighbor. This is how love grows in us – love for God, Whose Law protects us and our neighbors, and love for our neighbor, who, though we have harmed him, even if unintentionally, will be able to receive us with love again if only we follow the straightforward teaching of this statute. The Law of God, contrary to what many think, actually liberates us from the burden of guilt by guiding us in the way of goodness. Mess up? No problem: ‘fess up, clean up, and grow up!

Why is it so hard for us to ‘fess up to having harmed others or their property? Why is it so much better to ‘fess up and try to clean up the mess we’ve made?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

Think: Edify – The Eighth Commandment

paleohuguenot — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:01:19 +0000

Think: Edify

Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19

“You shall not steal.”

Building-up or patching-up?

Read Exodus 22.6

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.”

The commandment prohibiting stealing sanctifies the property and wellbeing of each person. God alone bestows the good things of life, where and to whom He will, and in what measure. We have no right, either willfully or by neglect, to usurp the prerogative of God and steal – in any fashion – the property or wellbeing of our neighbor. If we do, and we are found out, we have a responsibility to restore what was taken. If our neglect – say, in careless driving – causes an accident, we must make restitution. That’s why we’re required to have insurance. But what if the way we drive only causes our fellow passengers discomfort? Or leads them to think that fudging the speed limit is, hey, no big deal? How do we make restitution for that? Or if by our constant complaining and carping we lead others to join us and thereby “steal” the virtuous use of their tongues? How do we restore that? These things can be complicated. It’s better to practice prayerful forethought and diligent attention to righteousness in all we do. That way, if we concentrate our words and deeds on building-up, we won’t have to fret and fuss so much about patching-up.

Have you got any patching-up to do for any “stealing” from your neighbor?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

Watch that Thieving Tongue! – The Eighth Commandment

paleohuguenot — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:00:09 +0000

Watch that Thieving Tongue!

Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19

“You shall not steal.”

The fire of the tongue

Read Exodus 22.6

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.”

One of the principles embedded in this statute is that we should take all care and caution, before we launch out in some venture, to ensure, to the best of our ability, that any harmful effects from what we’re planning might be avoided. Counties and municipalities are good at thinking about such things for us. So, if we’re planning to build a new home, there are codes to follow, and certain measures must be taken to ensure that we don’t erode the ground, pollute the watershed, and harm the creation “downstream” as it were. If only we could learn to apply this principle in the everyday realm, for example, in how we use our tongues. I doubt we would be so critical of others, so disparaging of our employers or political office-holders, or so ready to pass on gossip, if we would just pause to consider how the words we speak have the potential to do harm to others. And when things get heated on the home front, if only we would try to remember what James said about the tongue being a raging fire, ready to consume and destroy.

Has your tongue ever set someone’s feelings ablaze, reducing them to ash? Did you take responsibility for that? What do you “steal” from a loved one when your tongue rages out of control?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

Proof of the Wisdom of God’s Law – The Eighth Commandment

paleohuguenot — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Proof of the Wisdom of God’s Law

Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19

“You shall not steal.”

The spirit of the Law lives on!

Read Exodus 22.6

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.”

Love for our neighbors requires that we be prepared to take responsibility for any of our actions that may bring harm to our neighbors or their property. Because we aren’t always as careful about this as we should be, or we don’t understand the larger consequences of some of our actions, counties and municipalities establish laws that reflect the spirit of this statute quite well. For example, when I was a kid, we always burned our trash out back, in a 50-gallon drum. Everybody did. Trash fires were always burning in someone’s back alley. Once a neighbor’s fire ejected an ember that set our yard on fire, burning up all the grass in the back, but not reaching the house. He hadn’t been watching his fire as he should have been. But, no harm, no foul: the grass, we knew, would come back. But we didn’t understand the damage we were doing to the atmosphere by all this burning. Which is why now you have to get a permit to burn a pile of brush or the leaves you rake up in the fall. The spirit of this statute lives on in the laws and statutes of many American communities, proving the enduring wisdom of God in His Law.

Can you see other ways in which local statutes reflect this principle of guarding against unintended consequences?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

The Gift of Sex – The Seventh Commandment

paleohuguenot — Sun, 31 May 2009 05:01:14 +0000

The Gift of Sex

Praise God for the beauty and mystery of sex, and for His wisdom in sanctifying it.

Read Exodus 20:14

“You shall not commit adultery.”

If we do nothing to roll back the floodtide of sexual adventurism and repair the hedge of the seventh commandment, we will never be able to realize the full beauty of this great gift as God intended it. Review all this week’s meditations on the seventh commandment. Ask the Lord to convict you of any ways you have violated or are compromising this part of His Law. Seek grace for renewal in heart, mind, and conscience, and commit yourself to doing whatever you can to rebuild this hedge.

Pray

Lord, all the world seems crazy for sex. It has become for so many people just a game, a “harmless diversion,” even a right. But You warn us that misuse of the gift of sex is a deadly corrosive to self-image, relationships, and social order. Do not let me contribute to this destructive tendency, O Lord! Use me wherever I may be used to restore the sanctity and beauty of the gift of sex.

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

Repairing the Hedge – The Seventh Commandment

paleohuguenot — Sat, 30 May 2009 05:01:38 +0000

Repairing the Hedge

We need to rebuild the hedge against sexual license.

Read Exodus 20:14

“You shall not commit adultery.”

All the laws related to the seventh commandment put up a hedge against sinful sexual inclinations, restraining the wanton and protecting the innocent while honoring the plan and purpose of God for sex. We have allowed this hedge to fall into disrepair, not just in our society, but in our homes and churches, and we have done so to our peril. We are fools to think we can break down the hedges God has established for us and still know the full and abundant life He has in store. We need to repair this hedge, beginning in our homes, and with our young people, and carrying over into every area of life in the Body of Christ where sex is flaunted or sexual compromise may have established a presence. Failure to do so will mean an increase of divine displeasure, disapproval, and discipline.

What is one thing you could begin to do at home to recover the sanctity of sex? In your church?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

A Hedge of Protection – The Seventh Commandment

paleohuguenot — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:01:22 +0000

A Hedge of Protection

The Law of God is a hedge against corruption.

Read Exodus 20:14

“You shall not commit adultery.”

Sinful people need restraints to keep them from giving vent to their most pernicious and destructive desires. Laws keep us driving on the right side of the road, and for that we are glad. Rules and codes tell us how to build safe homes, and what our children can and can’t bring to school. We’re glad about that, too. In the matter of sex, the Law of God puts up a hedge of protection around the community of the faithful, to protect them against influences and practices that demean the soul and destroy the fabric of society. The seventh commandment restrains the illicit longings of our naturally sinful hearts and teaches us how to think about sex, feel about sex, value and prioritize sex, and practice it in a way that shows love for God and neighbor. We should be glad about this, too.

What evidence do you see to indicate that this hedge has been compromised in your church?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.

Yes on Sex Ed – The Seventh Commandment

paleohuguenot — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:01:46 +0000

Yes on Sex Ed

Let’s have sex education.

Read Exodus 20:14

“You shall not commit adultery.”

I’m all for sex ed. As long, of course, as the curriculum is grounded in the seventh commandment. In the divine economy it is expected that parents will teach their children about sex, using this commandment, as well as the related civil laws, to help them understand where the path of righteousness can be found for this area of life. If we don’t teach our young people the loving use of the gift of sex, they’ll learn from the surrounding culture attitudes and practices that dishonor God and disrespect our neighbors. Churches and parents shy away from frank and firm discussion of human sexuality at their peril. Better to teach our children the truth while we can, before the culture so corrupts their minds that we appear to them to be unrealistic in our demands and out of touch with life.

How do you in your family combat the onslaught of sexual innuendo and imagery coming from the surrounding culture? How does your church help you?

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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.