Wednesdays with Moses

Exodus 20:13-16

¹³ “You shall not murder.

¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

As God unfolded His standards for establishing the community of Israel, He offers these four behavioral demands for their interactions with one another. The first four commands defined their “vertical” relationship with Him, the fifth established an ethic for the home, and these four govern the decisions one makes in his “horizontal” connections with all others.

Nothing on this list surprises us, does it? After all, these directives show up in the laws of virtually every society—even among the godless. But take a look at these through the eyes of consequences—what would happen to you if these acts were committed, apart from the legal penalties. Each of these addresses trustworthiness of some level.

If you kill, no one will turn his back on you. If you commit adultery, what self-respecting spouse would be willing to trust you? If you steal or bear false witness, won’t you end up an outcast because people want nothing to do with you?

These are more than commands to be obeyed or good “Golden Rule” suggestions, they are protection from a life of distrust you would never choose. That’s the way God’s commands work. He is not simply identifying the conduct of evil ones. His commands guide us to the best life—and in this case, protect us from the worst. So, you can obey God because you fear Him (certainly a sufficient cause), but you can also obey Him because His commands seek to show you the way to real life.

– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.