Devotional Verses from Deuteronomy and Exodus

O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!     Deuteronomy 5:29

When God gave the law to his ancient people it was intended to be something that would be a blessing to them. If they would keep God’s commandments things would be well with them, their lives would be good, for them and for their children’s future. The law is a positive and wonderful thing. Obedience brings blessing, and what God’s people then and now need is blessing, in fact, the whole world needs blessing. One of the amazing things when looking at God’s law is the realization that if everyone in the world would, no matter their various faiths, would adopt  the laws God in  the 10 Commandments all the conflicts that cause so many of humanity’s problems would essentially cease. That’s an idealistic expectation, because humans are sinners and do not like to obey God’s law, but if they did the world would change overnight.

The 10 Commandments as given in Exodus 20:1-17:

And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven 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. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.

The 10 Commandments have throughout much of the world become a part of the laws governing nations, and have been a stabilizing factor among men. They were given in part, I think, for that very purpose. No matter the different religious points of view extant in the world, the essential social law contained here fully implemented in the hearts of men and women and children throughout the world could stop war. Don’t murder anybody, don’t kill; be faithful to your wife and family; don’t take what belongs to others unlawfully; don’t lie about other people no matter how you feel about them; and don’t let the desire for what others possess possess you to the point of making you a criminal.

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart, from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy son’s sons;     Deuteronomy 4:9

Letting the law of God depart from our hearts always sends mankind on a downward spiral.