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7th Commandment
Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery”.
Matthew 5:27-30.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Notes on the text

Matthew 5:27-30
• Adultery – moicheuō – 1) to commit adultery
o 1a) to be an adulterer
o 1b) to commit adultery with, have unlawful intercourse with another’s wife
o 1c) of the wife: to suffer adultery, be debauched
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Why do you suppose that Jesus “clarified” the 7th Commandment this way? Why was it necessary to ‘expound’ or ‘expand upon’ the 7th Commandment?

Albert Barnes “Notes on the Bible”: It is probable that the Pharisees had explained this commandment, as they had the sixth, as extending only to the external act; and that they regarded evil thoughts and a wanton imagination as of little consequence, or as not forbidden by the law. Our Saviour assures them that the commandment did not regard the external act merely, but the secrets of the heart, and the movements of the eye. He declares that they who indulge a wanton desire, that they who look on a woman to increase their lust, have already, in the sight of God, violated the commandment, and committed adultery in the heart.

OK, speaking of “imagination”, who is the best example in the Bible where his “imagination” led to big time problems & eventual adultery?
• David.. whose deep and awful crime fully shows the danger of indulging in
evil desires, and in the roving of a wanton eye.

Matthew Henry is quoted as saying “The eye is both the inlet and outlet of a great deal of wickedness”
Someone read for me:
Genesis 39:7 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

Judge 16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.

2 Samuel 11:2 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful

Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.

Now, let’s move from the imagination to the “eye” and “hand” discussion. …..Obviously here Jesus does not want us to mutilate the body, so what is he doing here?
• Showing the importance of how the eye can lead you to eternal damnation.

When Jesus talks about plucking out the eye, some commentators discuss the IMPORTANCE of preaching “hell and damnation” (BY THE WAY, WHAT DO I MEAN BY PREACHING HELL AND DAMNATION?)…..what are your thoughts about this?
(Discuss how people feel about the Lord, bible thumping preachers/evangelist).

Matthew Henry Complete commentary on the Bible: Note,
• [1.] It is not unbecoming a minister of the gospel to preach of hell and damnation; nay, he must do it, for Christ himself did it; and we are unfaithful to our trust, if we give not warning of the wrath to come.
• [2.] There are some sins from which we need to be saved with fear, particularly fleshly lusts, which are such natural brute beasts as cannot be checked, but by being frightened; cannot be kept from a forbidden tree, but by cherubim, with a flaming sword.
• [3.] When we are tempted to think it hard to deny ourselves, and to crucify fleshly lusts, we ought to consider how much harder it will be to lie for ever in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; those do not know or do not believe what hell is, that will rather venture their eternal ruin in those flames, than deny themselves the gratification of a base and brutish lust.
o QUESTION: Do you think that the secular world really thinks or really believes in “Hell” and “Hellfire”…. Eternity of pain and suffering?
o QUESTION: Do you think that Christians really think about it?
• [4.] In hell there will be torments for the body; the whole body will be cast into hell, and there will be torment in every part of it; so that if we have a care of our own bodies, we shall possess them in sanctification and honour, and not in the lusts of uncleanness.
• [5.] Even those duties that are most unpleasant to flesh and blood, are profitable for us; and our Master requires nothing from us but what he knows to be for our advantage.

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DISCUSS: Does this commandment also include flirting?

Basic Christianity, John Stott: This commandment has a far wider application than just to unfaithfulness in marriage.
• It includes any sort of sex outside the marriage relationship for which it was designed.
• It includes flirting .
• It also includes all sexual perversions, for although men and women are not responsible for a perverted instinct, they are for its indulgence.
• It includes selfish demands within wedlock. …. ????
• It includes the deliberate reading of pornographic literature and giving in to impure fantasies.

Jesus made this clear when he said “everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Just as to entertain murderous thoughts in the heart is to commit murder, so to entertain adulterous thoughts in the heart is to commit adultery. This commandment in fact embraces every abuse of a sacred and beautiful gift of God.

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QUESTIONS:
• Where are “most” marriages performed? (Answer: In Church).
• For marriages inside a church, the marriage ceremony is almost always performed by “whom”? (Answer: Preacher).
• Why do you think that “marriage” is such a sacred union to God? Why did God demand all the rules and regulations about “marriage”?
From “The Uncompromised Word of God” web site:
• Marriage is primarily designed so that a man and woman become one flesh. God said in Genesis 2:24,25
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Genesis pointedly explains the creation of the help mate for Adam that would be one with Adam. The explanation in Genesis 2:21-23 says,
“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
This explains that the creation of woman from man demands their union. They were created from the same flesh to be the same flesh.
When the Pharisees asked our Lord a controversial question on divorce, He not only quoted what He had said in Genesis, but, added commentary on the law and the provision of divorce. First consider His answer. He starts by defining marriage from His Word in Genesis. In Matthew 19:3-6, we read
“The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?’ And he answered and said unto them,
‘Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh’. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh.’ What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.’ ”
So, first Jesus answers with the Word given in Genesis 2:25. He defines marriage from the Word. As Jesus is God, and is named as “The Word” in John 1:1, His explanation and interpretation of the Word given in the Old Testament is the ABSOLUTE basis for our understanding and interpretation of the Old Testament and law anywhere He explains it or quotes it. Therefore, marriage is defined by God as union of a man and a woman. The statement of “They shall be one flesh” is established as the statement made by God and not a second statement by Adam. Jesus, the Christ, quotes “and they shall be one flesh” as the very statement of God and not man.

From “bibletruths.net”
God is the author of marriage (a couple joined for life in a special spiritual and physical relationship). God said, “it is not good that the man should be alone…” (Gen. 2: 18). It is a common fact that man is a social being. His life is enhanced and increased by having a proper companion. God then said, “…I will make an help meet for him.” The Hebrew word translated “help meet” suggests a counter-part.
God made woman for man. It has been remarked that God made Eve, not Steve for Adam. The woman was created for man! (Gen. 2: 18-22, 23). The apostle Paul later wrote, “Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man” (I Cor. 11: 9). “…Man is not of the woman,” he further argues to illustrate man’s headship, “but the woman of the man” (vs. 8). Man is in “the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man” (vs. 7). Since God made woman for man, she is ideally suited both emotionally, anatomically, and psychologically to meet the needs of man.
The exclusivity of marriage. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother…,” God says regarding the priority of marriage (Gen. 2: 24). A son/parent relationship is wonderful and demanding, but the marriage relationship is more demanding! Marriage, as ordained by God, involves one man and one woman. Eve, not multiple women, was made for Adam (Gen. 2). “They twain (two) shall be one flesh,” Jesus later said (Matt. 19: 5). The play and emphasis is on the numerical “two” and “one.” Marriage is monogamous and God was not pleased with polygamy, practiced subsequent to Genesis 2).
What constitutes marriage which is joined by God. The Bible speaks of God being “witness between thee and the wife of thy youth.” Also, “…the wife of thy covenant” (Mal. 2: 14).
Mal 2:14 (NIV) You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
One commentator wrote regarding Bible marriages: “The actual marriage seems to have been accompanied by certain solemn promises and blessings (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 14, on Malachi 2: 14). The totality of the teaching of the Bible shows what we call the “exchanging of vows.” I stress this facet of marriage to say there is a manifest difference between marriage and just living together in fornication.
We are taught to obey civil laws when they do not collide with God’s laws, as such (Rom. 13: 1-7, Acts 5: 29). As a rule, all counties, States, and municipalities have laws relative to marriage – issuance of marriage license, filing of license, etc. Such civil practice is good because it creates order, intent, and record.
The purpose of marriage. The ideal marriage is both physical and spiritual. “…To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and every woman have her own husband,” the Bible says (I Cor. 7: 2). The conjugal aspects of marriage are clearly and unashamedly taught (I Cor. 7: 3-6, Heb. 13: 4).
Marriage is also for the producing and education of children (Gen. 1: 28). Paul wrote of the woman, “notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety” (I Tim. 2: 15).
Many are conversant with the physical considerations of marriage – the conjugal, children, etc. – but not enough are aware of the spiritual. The biblically ideal marriage involves an acknowledgment of God and his word at the beginning and throughout the marriage. Men and women entering marriage should be as compatible as possible. Moreover, spiritual compatibility should be a requisite. In short, both should be Christians (I Pet. 3: 7, see also Eph. 5: 22-33). Many conflicts and problems occur because neither or just one is a Christian (Acts 26: 28). The expression “one flesh” I am convinced refers to more than the sexual. While they remain two entities, they unite in purpose. The spiritual is also seen concerning the nurturing of children. Children are to be brought “up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6: 4). Children are also to “obey your parents in the Lord…” (vs. 1).
Headship in marriage. All relationships must have structure in order to properly function, marriage is no exception. The truth stated in the Bible is the husband is the head, the wife is to be in subjection, and the children are to obey their parents in the Lord (Eph. 5: 22-6: 4). The too common American family is in direct opposition to God’s teaching regarding marriage. Marriage is not a democracy with all ruling, including the children! Alas, many men lack leadership abilities. They are growing up in homes where biblical headship is not practiced – even members of the Lord’s church. More and more preachers and elders (role models) do not rule their own houses (I Tim. 3: 4, 5, Tit. 1: 6). In the case of elders, some local churches have become mutually ruled! (See Hebrews 13: 17.)
The longevity of marriage. God ordained marriage is manifestly permanent (Gen. 1, 2). In alluding to and reinstating the original marriage law, Jesus said: “…what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19: 6). “For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth…,” Paul wrote (Rom. 7: 2). The only exception or contingency to the continuance of the marriage bond, other than death, is adultery. The innocent mate may elect to sever the marriage bond (his tie) based on the fornication of their mate (Matt. 5: 32, 19: 9).
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From http://infidelityfacts.com/infidelity-statistics.html

Below are compiled statistics on infidelity and marriage:
Percentage of marriages that end in divorce in America: 53%
Percentage of “arranged marriages” (where parents pick their sons or daughters spouses) that end in divorce: 3%
Hmmmmm. Why 53 voluntary, and 3% arranged?
Medical field(s) with the highest divorce rate: psychiatrists and marriage counselors
Why?
Percentage of marriages where one or both spouses admit to infidelity, either physical or emotional: 41%
Percentage of men who admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they’ve had: 57%
Percentage of women who admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they’ve had: 54%
Percentage of men and women who admit to having an affair with a co-worker: 36%
Percentage of men and women who admit to infidelity on business trips: 36%
Percentage of men and women who admit to infidelity (emotional or physical) with a brother-in-law or sister-in-law: 17%
Average length of an affair: 2 years
Percentage of marriages that last after an affair has been admitted to or discovered: 31%
Percentage of men who say they would have an affair if they knew they would never get caught: 74%
Percentage of women who say they would have an affair if they knew they would never get caught: 68%

Ask: If you do research on infidelity, what reasons do you think you will find on “why” men cheat:
Why Men Cheat

Statistically speaking, men cheat for a single primary reason: sex.
Many men experience the natural urge to “spread their seed”.
Now to be sure, in the case of marriages or committed relationships, there is far more than just biology at work. Many men report a loss of sexual desire for their wives after children are born…or even after witnessing their wives give birth. Their wives, to them, no longer appear as sex objects, but rather maternal figures.
Another widely reported cause is the breakdown of fun or spontaneity in the relationship. For example, to men in long-term relationships sex will become routine or mechanical. Not an adventure as it once was, but simply as a means to an end. And so they seek that adventure, that adrenaline rush, with another woman (or women).
Yet another cause is more biology related…the need to conquer. Think ego. It’s reported that many men will seek sex outside of a relationship simply to see if they can do it. To see if they can convince a woman they are attracted to…to sleep with them. It’s the “notch in the belt” phenomenon that while frowned upon in America, is surprisingly widely accepted in many parts of the world.

Ask: If you do research on infidelity, what reasons do you think you will find on “why” women cheat:
Why Women Cheat

Statistically, women don’t cheat for the sake of sex. It’s of secondary concern for them. The #1 reason why they cheat is for an emotional connection. And this is particularly true of women over the age of 30.
In more than a few instances, women won’t even cheat physically. They will carry on emotional affairs…where they’ll fall in love and experience emotional intimacy with a men, while never taking it to the physical level. It’s these type of affairs that can continue on for years, without ever being detected, and often leaving a wake of destruction in their path.
Studies have found that in long-term relationships, women, whether they work outside of the house or not, often find themselves “shut out” emotionally. Over 70% of women are still the primary caregivers for their children while also being the cook and the maid…whether or not they have a full or part-time job. This leaves them precious little time for themselves to foster a woman’s natural urge to grow emotionally. An urge typical ignored by men whose primary interest is physical contact.
Thus the longing for a man who can “see who they really are” begins. And in the weeks, months or even years that follow, they will usually find such a man – or think they’ve found one. An interesting point to takeaway of this female need for an “emotional bond” : affairs initiated by women generally last 3 times long than those initiated by men.
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© Bill Mitchell, 7-Day Detective 2005
Since 1971 William F. Mitchell, Jr. has documented the activities of those who commit adultery. As an investigator proving thousands of adultery, Mr. Mitchell has compiled these statistics:

About Marriages and Divorce:
• 50-70 percent of all American marriages end in divorce.
• Within the last decade, incidents of adultery have risen to this alarming rate of 50-70 percent in America.

About the Adulterers:
• 100 percent of adulterers violate the trust they shared and enjoyed with their spouse.
• 10-20 percent of spouse’s cheating begins as Internet affairs in chat rooms or at game websites.
• 75 percent of adulterers are middle-class wage earners.
• 1-5 percent of adulterers are pastors or clergy.
• 90 percent of clergy divide churches and cause spiritual upheaval within their sphere of influence. Many congregants become skeptical, bitter and resentful.
• 60-70 percent of adultery victims are women.
• 30-40 percent of adultery victims are men. This number has increased dramatically over the past decade and a half, due in part to the increased presence of women in the workplace.
• 10-15 percent of female victims are between the ages of 20-25 years old.
• 50-75 percent of female victims are between the ages of 25-50 years old.
• 1-2 percent of female victims are married more than 25 years to the same spouse.
• 10-20 percent of adultery victims claim to be Christians, and the cheating spouse usually is a regular attendant of church or religious activities.
• 15-20 percent are repeat offenders.
• 99.9 percent deny they are having an affair and hide the truth! The exception is when they confess without being forced into it.
• 70-80 percent who willing confess to infidelity recovery and enjoy a stronger marriage in time.

About the Affair:• 50-75 percent of extramarital affairs take place with someone from the workplace.
• 70-80 percent of the time, extramarital activity lasts six months to a year but not longer.
• 20-25 percent of adulterers frequent motels or hotels.
• 75 percent of sexual activity occurs in a residence, apartment, or office location.
• 80-85 percent of domestic relations investigations reveal evidence of adultery when one spouse questions the other’s devotion and loyalty.
• 30-50 percent of affairs involve alcohol during their indiscretions.
• 50 percent of extramarital affairs take place under cover of darkness or in the shadow of the night.
• 50-65 percent of extramarital affairs occur on weekends.
• 10-15 percent of marriages survive affairs after professional or non-professional (clergy) counseling where the act of forgiveness occurs.
• 10-25 percent of spouses having affairs bring financial ruin to their marital home.
• 10 percent of affairs result in physical abuse with their spouse at some stage of the affair.
• 100 percent of extramarital affairs take their toll on biological and stepchildren.
Don’t make any sudden moves!
Confronting your partner too soon will only help him or her hide their tracks and go deeper into denial and hiding. Author Bill Mitchell, a licensed private investigator, has helped thousands of individuals successfully find out if their partners are cheating and catch them! Use his smart, proven steps to immediately take charge of your situation and your life.
Do your relationship this one favor…before things go any further
If you’re living with the pain of not knowing, it’s OK to do something about it. You at least owe it to yourself to know what you could do. Written in a friendly, caring style, this book is first and foremost about caring for yourself and doing what’s right for you.

© Bill Mitchell, 7-Day Detective
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Message
Sunday’s sermon will include the following main points:
1. Cultural Considerations – how sinful man corrupts the sexual relationship
2. Scriptural Considerations – what God has revealed about sex and adultery
3. Pragmatic Considerations – the damage caused by adultery
Spiritual Preparation – Bible Reading for Families
Pray daily that you would be faithful to God in worship of Him alone and in your relationships with others.
Consider fasting from one meal this week.
Read every day: Romans 1:16-17; 2 Peter 1:1-12; Psalm 6
HAVE SOMEONE READ THIS ENTIRE SCRIPTURE
Read every day Romans 1:16-17
New International Version (NIV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[a] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[b]
ASK: HOW DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE 7TH COMMANDMENT?
HAVE SOMEONE READ THIS ENTIRE SCRIPTURE: Read every day 2 Peter 1:1-12
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Prophecy of Scripture
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

AFTER THIS SCRIPTURE IS READ, DISCUSS HOW THIS RELATES TO THE 7TH COMMANDMENT. ALSO, VERSE 12, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT “REMIND YOU OF THESE THINGS”, ASK HOW WOULD CHURCH, ABF, SMALL GROUPS, OR DAILY BIBLE READING AND PRAYER BENEFIT.

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Contact Adam

Commandment # 6
Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”

Notes on the text
Exodus 20:13
• Murder – raw-tsakh’ – A primitive root; properly to dash in pieces, that is, kill (a human being), especially to murder: – put to death, kill, (man-) slay (-er), murder (-er).

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Icebreaker

Is there a time when killing another person is right?
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OK, let’s start off like we always do. Let’s discuss how many ways this verse applies, and then let’s discuss what the commentators have to say along the way.
(Discuss at length)

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Adam Clarke’s commentary

Exo 20:13
Thou shalt not kill – This commandment, which is general, prohibits murder of every kind.
1. All actions by which the lives of our fellow creatures may be abridged (defined as “shortening” or “condensing”).
2. All wars for extending empire, commerce, etc.
• Think back to the books of Joshua, when the Israelites moved in to the promise land, and God told Joshua and the Israelites to KILL all of the Canaanites, how do we deal with that in our minds? Why does God say “Thou shalt not kill” in Exodus, but then orders war and killing later?
o God knows the hearts of men. The Canaanites were evil, foreign god worshippers. They had been given the chances to repent, but continued to do evil.
o We do not question the Creator, he is the Potter, we are just the clay.
3. All sanguinary laws (Involving or causing much bloodshed), by the operation of which the lives of men may be taken away for offenses of comparatively trifling demerit.
4. All bad dispositions which lead men to wish evil to, or meditate mischief against, one another; for, says the Scripture, He that hateth his brother in his heart is a murderer.
5. All want of charity to the helpless and distressed; for he who has it in his power to save the life of another by a timely application of succor (assistance and support in times of hardship and distress), food, raiment, etc., and does not do it, and the life of the person either falls or is abridged on this account, is in the sight of God a murderer. He who neglects to save life is, according to an incontrovertible maxim in law, the same as he who takes it away.
• Someone read Luke 12:48 from “any” or “several” translations
Luke 12:48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
6. All riot and excess, all drunkenness and gluttony, all inactivity and slothfulness, and all superstitious mortifications (Mortification of the flesh literally means “putting the flesh to death”. The term is primarily used in religious and spiritual contexts.) and self-denials, by which life may be destroyed or shortened; all these are point-blank sins against the sixth commandment. (Adam, suicide discussion here, hunger strikes, etc…..)

What did the Old Testament bible say about people who murdered someone?

Lev 24:17 And he who kills any man shall surely be put to death.

Num 35:16 And if he strikes him with an instrument of iron, so that he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

So, let’s read now what the New Testament says about murder….

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Matthew 5:21-26
Murder
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca, is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Footnotes:
Notes on the text

Matthew 5:21-26
• V21. Judgment – kree’-sis – justice (specifically divine law): – accusation, condemnation, damnation.
• V22. Raca – rhak-ah’ – empty, i.e. a senseless, empty headed man; a term of reproach
• V22. “Fool” is the Greek word “moros”, which I would only assume we get our word moron. Strong’s Greek Number 3474 Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
So, how do we handle that? Verses 21 & 22 (reread verses 21 & 22)? How do we cope with that? I mean really, think about that, we all “laugh” at road rage, but man, what are we to think about this?
Jer 31:33 but this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days, says Jehovah, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Why did I put this scripture down, what has this to do with anything?
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on Matthew 5:21-26
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT. Matthew 5:21-26
• The Jewish teachers had taught, that nothing except actual murder was forbidden by the sixth commandment. Thus they explained away its spiritual meaning.
o Don’t we sometimes explain or “joke” away something’s spiritual meaning. We wouldn’t do it now, but if I started to talk about “road-rage”, everyone in here can remember a time when you, or someone you know, laughed about “losing-it”. Thoughts, comments?
• Christ showed the full meaning of this commandment; according to which we must be judged hereafter, and therefore ought to be ruled now.
• All rash anger is heart murder.
• By our brother, here, we are to understand any person, though ever so much below us, for we are all made of one blood.
• “Raca,” is a scornful word, and comes from pride:
• “Thou fool,” is a spiteful word, and comes from hatred.
• Malicious slanders and censures are poison that kills secretly and slowly.
o Has anyone ever seen this? Can someone give us an example of how slanders can slowly poison?
 The kids at school who commit suicide because of hateful words, bullying, etc.
• Christ told them that how light whatsoever they made of these sins, they would certainly be called into judgment for them.
• We ought carefully to preserve Christian love and peace with all our brethren; and if at any time there is a quarrel, we should confess our fault, humble ourselves to our brother, making or offering satisfaction for wrong done in word or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is done, we are unfit for communion with God in holy ordinances.
o Discuss asking for forgiveness even when it wasn’t your fault. How does that work?
Luke 6:27-31 (NIV) “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 6:35-36 (NIV) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

1 Thess 5:15 (NIV) Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

• And when we are preparing for any religious exercises, it is good for us to make that an occasion of serious reflection and self-examination.
o When do we hear this OFTEN?
 Lord’s Supper
• What is here said is very applicable to our being reconciled to God through Christ. While we are alive, we are in the way to his judgement-seat; after death, it will be too late.
• When we consider the importance of the case, and the uncertainty of life, how needful it is to seek peace with God, without delay!

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Message
Sunday’s sermon will include the following main points:
1. Etymology of the Hebrew word for murder.
2. Ethical considerations for different examples of killing
a. Suicide
b. Euthanasia
c. Abortion
d. Capital Punishment
e. War
Spiritual Preparation – Bible Reading for Families
Pray daily that God would give you a contrite spirit, full of compassion, mercy, and love.

Consider fasting from at least one meal this week.

For Teachers
Context and Commentary
In the sixth commandment God instructs His people that they are not to murder. Many are familiar with the King James translation which says “kill.” However, the proper usage of the Hebrew râtsach is of killing in malice or premeditation. If it meant merely to kill in a general sense, the Holy Scriptures would be chock full of contradictions!
Jesus, in his Sermons on the Mount (Matthew) and the Plain (Luke), brought forth a much more demanding adherence to the Law. Throughout the sermons he emphasized an internalizing of God’s law. What God demanded was not merely on the outside, but a reformation on the inside. A person must be changed, re-born, with the Law written on their heart and a love for obedience (Jer. 31:33). This standard, preached Jesus, extended even to calling unjust anger the equivalent of murder or lust the equivalent of adultery.

From John Calvin’s Commentary on Matthew (1563):
Christ assigns three degrees of condemnation besides the violence of the hands; which implies, that this precept of the law restrains not only the hands, but all affections that are opposed to brotherly love. “Those who shall be angry with their brethren, or treat them with haughty disdain, or injure them by any reproach, are murderers.” Christ assures them that God will judge and punish even concealed anger.

Bible Fellowship Time
Discussion questions:
Going Deeper – Matthew 5:21-26
1. If we know somebody has ill feelings towards us, what are we to do?
2. According to Jesus, how are we to handle lawsuits and matters involving the courts?
3. What does this teaching show us about Christians who are enraged easily or are insulting or hold others contempt? Are they even Christians (Matt. 7:17-19)?

Mat 7:17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that produces bad fruit will be chopped down and burned.
Application:

The sixth commandment prohibits any kind of selfish or unnecessary killing of another human: murder. But Jesus took things further. He taught that to be enraged at someone or to hold them in contempt was an evil thing and just as much a sin. Is this the behavior of the sons and daughters of God? By no means! Jesus taught blessed are the peacemakers and Paul wrote that “as far as it is possible with you, live at peace with all.”

Are you nurturing a grudge or unjust anger against another person?

It is a sin.

Are you holding another brother or sister in Christ in contempt or reproach or looking down on them?

It is a sin.

Are you consistently stirring up contention or anger amongst the brethren by your attitudes or speech?

It is a sin.

Jesus taught that Christians are to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Eph. 5, Gal. 5, Rom. 7). Repentance means turning away from the old sinful ways of the heart and to the Spirit of peace which dwells in us and leads us to paths filled with mercy, compassion, and love. This is impossible for a person to do on their own. We need the grace that comes from abiding in Jesus and of Him living in us (John 15). Pray to the Lord that He would bring the fruit of repentance and reformation into the innermost parts of your heart. Let your days be filled with His grace and the love only He can supply.

Joh 15:1 Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
Joh 15:2 He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit. But he trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit.
Joh 15:3 You are already clean because of what I have said to you.
Joh 15:4 Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.
Joh 15:6 If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be thrown away. You will be like dry branches that are gathered up and burned in a fire.
Joh 15:7 Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. Then you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered.
Joh 15:8 When you become fruitful disciples of mine, my Father will be honored.
Joh 15:9 I have loved you, just as my Father has loved me. So remain faithful to my love for you.
Joh 15:10 If you obey me, I will keep loving you, just as my Father keeps loving me, because I have obeyed him.
Joh 15:11 I have told you this to make you as completely happy as I am.
Joh 15:12 Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.
Joh 15:14 And you are my friends, if you obey me.
Joh 15:15 Servants don’t know what their master is doing, and so I don’t speak to you as my servants. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything that my Father has told me.
Joh 15:16 You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.
Joh 15:17 So I command you to love each other.
Joh 15:18 If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated me first.
Joh 15:19 If you belonged to the world, its people would love you. But you don’t belong to the world. I have chosen you to leave the world behind, and that is why its people hate you.
Joh 15:20 Remember how I told you that servants are not greater than their master. So if people mistreat me, they will mistreat you. If they do what I say, they will do what you say.
Joh 15:21 People will do to you exactly what they did to me. They will do it because you belong to me, and they don’t know the one who sent me.
Joh 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
Joh 15:23 Everyone who hates me also hates my Father.
Joh 15:24 I have done things that no one else has ever done. If they had not seen me do these things, they would not be guilty. But they did see me do these things, and they still hate me and my Father too.
Joh 15:25 That is why the Scriptures are true when they say, “People hated me for no reason.”
Joh 15:26 I will send you the Spirit who comes from the Father and shows what is true. The Spirit will help you and will tell you about me.
Joh 15:27 Then you will also tell others about me, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Closing Devotion

From Thomas Watson

If God be our Father, we will have a peaceful spirits. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ (Matt 5: 9). Grace infuses a sweet, pleasant disposition; it files off the ruggedness of men’s spirits; it turns the lion-like fierceness into a lamb-like gentleness (Isa 11: 7). They who have God to be their Father follow peace as well as holiness. God the Father is called the ‘God of peace,’ (Heb 13: 20): God the Son, the ‘Prince of Peace,’ (Isa 9: 6): God the Holy Ghost, a Spirit of peace; ‘the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ (Eph 4: 3). The more a person is peaceable, the more they are like God. God is not the Father of those who are fierce and cruel. Those who are born of God, are makers of peace. Surely, God will never father them who are not sons of peace.

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A bible study by Adam Osborne, JR.

5th Commandment
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Notes on the text
Exodus 20:12
• Honor – kâbad / kâbêd – to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.

Let’s brainstorm a little bit. Let’s see how many ways WE can think of to honor our parents, then we will see how we did compared to some of the research I did. (Discuss answers: discuss as long as needed, prod further clarification. This discussion can really help younger couples whose parents are still with us.)

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OZ NOTES: In my research, I found two well known writers that disagree over which “half” of the 10 commandments this 5TH Commandment belongs to:
• JOHN STOTT says “This 5th commandment still belongs to the first half of the law, which concerns our duty to God. For your parents, at least while we are children, stand toward us in : the represent God’s authority.”
• MATTHEW HENRY says “We have here the laws of the second table, as they are commonly called, the last six of the ten commandments, comprehending our duty to ourselves and to one another”.
Which one do you agree with? (Discuss)

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JOHN STOTT: BASIC CHRISTIANITY:
• (Already discussed above) This 5th commandment still belongs to the first half of the law, which concerns our duty to God. For your parents, at least while we are children, stand toward us in : the represent God’s authority.
• ASK “Why do you think that while people are in their own homes that people, especially young people, are at their most selfish?
o Yet often it is in their own homes that people, young people especially, are at their most selfish and inconsiderate.
• Ask: Why is it all too easy to be ungrateful and neglectful, and to fail to show our parents due respect and affection?
o It is all too easy to be ungrateful and neglectful, and to fail to show our parents due respect and affection.
• How often do we write to them or visit them? Or do they need our financial support, which we could give but deny them?

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MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY: (Adam’s comments & questions added)
Exo 20:12-17
We have here the laws of the second table, as they are commonly called, the last six of the ten commandments, comprehending our duty to ourselves and to one another, and constituting a comment upon the second great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
• The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations; those of children to their parents are alone specified: Honour thy father and thy mother, which includes,
• ASK: Does this commandment give “any” leeway at all as far as “how often” we are to honor our parents?
o 1. A decent respect to their persons, an inward esteem of them outwardly expressed upon all occasions in our conduct towards them.
• Let’s discuss some of our behaviors. Someone read Lev 19:3 in the King James then in the NIV. Discuss the differences between the different translations. Is this a serious difference or can we derive the same conclusion in the text?
Lev 19:3 (KJV) Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
Lev 19:3 (NIV) “‘Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
• give them reverence, Heb_12:9.
Heb 12:9 (NIV) Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
Heb 12:9 (KJV) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
How many of you, when you were younger, after getting a spanking, and/or after getting sent to your room, “mocked” your parents?
Prov 30:17 (NIV) “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.
• We are to be obedient: 2. Obedience to their lawful commands;

Eph 6:1-3 (NIV) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise– 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
NOTICE that Matthew Henry SPECIFICALLY stated children obey your parents “lawful” command. So, is he saying that every command from a parent is lawful, OR, is he saying that children do not have to obey their parents “unlawful” commands? (DISCUSS)

• “Children, obey your parents, come when they call you, go where they send you, do what they bid you, refrain from what they forbid you; and this, as children, cheerfully, and from a principle of love.”
• Though you have said, “We will not,” yet afterwards repent and obey, Mat_21:29.
Matt 21:29 (NIV) “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
• 3. Submission to their rebukes, instructions, and corrections; not only to the good and gentle, but also to when your parents are difficult to deal with (forward), out of conscience towards God.
o OK, let me ask you. When you were children, when you were being told to do this, or that, or obey this, or that, how many of you thought about your obedience toward God?
o So parents, what’s the secret here? How do we teach our children that obeying US is honoring toward God?
 During the discussion, make sure that the conclusion focuses around how parents themselves must set a good Christian behavior, which is always God honoring. Also, fruits of the spirit, etc.
 Is this achievable (YES). Discuss.
 How do media, TV, games, social settings try to destroy this type of thinking. Once again, as parents, how do we handle that?
• 5. Endeavouring, in every thing, to be the comfort of their parents, and to make their old age easy to them, maintaining them if they stand in need of support, which our Saviour makes to be particularly intended in this commandment.
(We will discuss this verse in detail below) Matt 15:4-6 (NIV) For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 he is not to ‘honor his father ‘ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
• The reason annexed to this commandment is a promise: That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
o Sooooo….. if you are NOT honoring your parents, this verse implies what? That thy days will NOT be long. NOTE: I looked up the Hebrew word for “long” that is used here in this verse, there are no mistranslations here. This word actually means to lengthen, to tarry long.
• Having mentioned, in the preface to the commandments, has bringing them out of Egypt as a reason for their obedience, he here, in the beginning of the second table, mentions his bringing them into Canaan, as another reason; that good land they must have upon their thoughts and in their eye, now that they were in the wilderness. They must also remember, when they came to that land, that they were upon their good behaviour, and that, if they did not conduct themselves well, their days should be shortened in that land, both the days of particular persons who should be cut off from it, and the days of their nation which should be removed out of it.
• But here a long life in that good land is promised particularly to obedient children. Those that do their duty to their parents are most likely to have the comfort of that which their parents gather for them and leave to them; those that support their parents shall find that God, the common Father, will support them.
• This promise is expounded (Eph_6:3), That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Those who, in conscience towards God, keep this and the rest of God’s commandments, may be sure that it shall be well with them, and that they shall live as long on earth as Infinite Wisdom sees good for them, and that what they may seem to be cut short of on earth shall be abundantly made up in eternal life, the heavenly Canaan which God will give them.

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NOTES from my bible study entitled “Caring for Family Members, 12.07.2009

• 1 Tim 5:4 (NIV) But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
• 1 Tim 5:8 (NIV) If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
• 1 Tim 5:16 (NIV) If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

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ADAM CLARKE’S COMMENTARY:
• Honor thy father and thy mother – There is a degree of affectionate respect which is owing to parents, that no person else can properly claim. For a considerable time parents stand as it were in the place of God to their children, and therefore rebellion against their lawful commands has been considered as rebellion against God.
• This precept therefore prohibits, not only all injurious acts, irreverent and unkind speeches to parents, but enjoins all necessary acts of kindness, parental respect, and obedience. We can scarcely suppose that a man honors his parents who, when they fall weak, blind, or sick, does not exert himself to the uttermost in their support.
• In such cases God as truly requires the children to provide for their parents, as he required the parents to feed, nourish, support, instruct, and defend the children when they were in the lowest state of helpless in fancy.
• That thy days may be long – This, as the apostle observes, Eph_6:2, is the first commandment to which God has annexed a promise; and therefore we may learn in some measure how important the duty is in the sight of God. In Deu_5:16 it is said, And that it may go well with thee; we may therefore conclude that it will go ill with the disobedient; and there is no doubt that the untimely deaths of many young persons are the judicial consequence of their disobedience to their parents.
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Mark 7:9-13 (similar to Matthew 15:4-6 above)
9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[a] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[b] and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[c] 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
Notes on the text
• Honor – timaō – 1) to estimate, fix the value 2) to honour, to have in honour, to revere, venerate
• Curse – kakologeō – 1) to speak evil of, revile, abuse, one
• Help you might have received – ōpheleō – to be useful, that is, to benefit: – advantage, better, prevail, profit.
• Corban – korban – Of Hebrew and Chaldee origin respectively; a votive offering and the offering; a consecrated present (to the Temple fund); by extension (the latter term) the Treasury itself, that is, the room where the contribution boxes stood: – Corban, treasury.

SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS SCRIPTURE:

Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary: Jesus then went on to explain how some of the Pharisees had found a way to completely sidestep God’s command to honor parents: “But you say, ‘You don’t need to honor your parents by caring for their needs if you give the money to God instead.’” Jesus was referring to the vow of “Corban” which allowed a person to dedicate money or property for God’s exclusive use, but it could still be used by the donor. This vow was grossly misused. A man could use an article vowed to God indefinitely, but could not transfer it to anyone else. The Pharisees had allowed men to dedicate money to God’s Temple that otherwise would have gone to support their parents. But some found a way to keep from doing so and still use their money or property as they chose. A man could simply take the vow of Corban, saying that all his money was dedicated to God. Although the action—dedicating money to God—seemed worthy and no doubt conferred prestige on the giver, these people were ignoring God’s clear command to honor their parents. Even worse, this was an irrevocable vow. If a son were to later decide that he needed to help his parents, the Pharisees would not permit it. Jesus rightly said that the Pharisees nullified the direct commandment of God by allowing their tradition to violate the fifth commandment.

ADAM CLARKE’S COMMENTS: It is sacrilege to dedicate that to God which is taken away from the necessities of our parents and children; and the good that this pretends to will doubtless be found in the catalogue of that unnatural man’s crimes, in the judgment of the great day, who has thus deprived his own family of its due. To assist our poor relatives, is our first duty; and this is a work infinitely preferable to all pious legacies and endowments.

TYNDALE CONCISE BIBLE COMMENTARY: Jesus used the sixth commandment (Exod. 20:12), which was the first one that applied to man’s relationships with his fellow men, because it exposed one of the Pharisees’ sins.—Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary
Message
Sunday’s sermon will include the following main points:
1. Responsibility of the child in honoring the parents.
2. Reciprocation of the parent in caring and nurturing the child.
Spiritual Preparation – Bible Reading for Families
Prayer:
For parents: that you would faithfully train your children up in the Lord, growing in them the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

For children: that God would help you to honor and respect your parents always and to care for them as they become older.

Consider fasting from at least one meal this week.

 

Deuteronomy 5:1-21
The Ten Commandments
1 Moses summoned all Israel and said:
Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was not with our ancestors[a] that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4 The LORD spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. 5 (At that time I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:
6 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
7 “You shall have no other gods before[b] me.
8 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
11 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
16 “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
17 “You shall not murder.
18 “You shall not commit adultery.
19 “You shall not steal.
20 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
21 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

For Teachers
Context and Commentary

Raising children is no small task. But the bible is clear when it comes to the marriage relationship: be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 9). Children are a gift from God, and like all gifts, they require nurturing and honing. Ephesians 6:1-4 shows us that discipline is expected to be exercised on children for their welfare, but that harshness is not.

John Wesley comments:
The fifth commandment is concerning the duties we owe to our relations; that of children to their parents is only instanced in, honour thy father and thy mother, which includes, an inward esteem of them, outwardly expressed upon all occasions in our carriage towards them; fear them, Lev.19:3, give them reverence, Heb.12:9. The contrary to this is mocking at them or despising them, Obedience to their lawful commands; so it is expounded, Eph.6:1-3. Children obey your parents; come when they call you, go where they send you, do what they bid you, do not what they forbid you; and this cheerfully, and from a principle of love. Though you have said you will not, yet afterwards repent and obey. Submission to their rebukes, instructions and corrections, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. Disposing of themselves with the advice, direction and consent of parents, not alienating their property, but with their approbation. Endeavouring in every thing to be the comfort of their parents, and to make their old age easy to them; maintaining them if they stand in need of support. That thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee – This promise, (which is often literally fulfilled) is expounded in a more general sense Eph. 6:3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayst live long on the earth – Those that in conscience towards God keep this and other of God’s commandments, may be sure it shall be well with them, and they shall live as long on the earth as infinite wisdom sees good for, them, and what they may seem to be cut short of on earth, shall be abundantly made up in eternal life, the heavenly Canaan which God will give them.

In the New Testament Gospel of Mark, Jesus confronted his contemporaries with the fact that they were hypocrites. They claimed to love and strictly follow God’s commandments, but in reality were breaking them by not caring for their aging parents. The Pharisees had supplanted God’s commandments with their own traditions. They had discovered a selfish “workaround” for God’s selfless command to honor parents.

Warren Wiersbe comments:
Tradition is not necessarily a bad thing, but when it has more authority than the Word of God, then it is wrong. Col. 2:8 warns us against man-made traditions, but we should heed the traditions given by God and handed down to His people (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Th. 2:15; 2 Tim. 2:2). Jesus pointed out that the great danger was hypocrisy: we obey the traditions with words and deeds, but we fail to serve God from the heart (Isa. 29:13). Note the steps downward: first we lay aside God’s Word (Mark 7:8), then we reject the Word (Mark 7:9), and finally we rob the Word of any power in our lives (Mark 7:13). Man’s tradition, not God’s truth, controls our lives. The Pharisees were able to rob their own parents of help by hiding behind their traditions! (“Corban” in Mark 7:11 means “a gift [to God]” and has to do with the laws in Num. 20:1-29.)

Bible Fellowship Time
Icebreakers

As a child, was there ever a time that particularly sticks out in your memory when you did not honor your parents?
Have you ever talked to them about it?
Discussion questions:

1. What does it mean in practical terms to honor your father and mother? Give real life examples.
2. What is the original purpose of this command to Israelites?
3. What was the land God was giving them?
4. What is God’s desire for the nature of our relationships with others?

Application:

Jesus used very strong language to describe the sins of those who neglect their parents. It is a sin, no matter how you slice it. Some of us may have had very negative childhood experiences and may claim “but you don’t understand.” God does understand and His command still stands. Honor your father and mother. This may be hard to do, but one of the hallmarks and expectations of the Christian walk is forgiveness. Forgiveness and honor both flow from the heart of a person. They are not merely outward signs or a keeping of the letter of the law. God desires those who are “humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2). Christians keep the spirit of the law—it is written on their hearts (Jer. 31-32)—because we love God (the greatest commandment) and we love our neighbors (the second greatest commandment).

Do you honor your parents?

Psalms 119:2 ESV
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

Closing Devotion
Thomas Manton wrote:
It is not those who hear the Word, but do it. Many have the Word in their mind and memory, but not in their lives. The truly blessed men are those that consider it a great obligation to obey it. God takes into sweet fellowship and communion those who keep his commandments. He will manifest himself in an intimate and gracious communion. The whole Trinity will come and dwell in his heart (John 14:23). We might consider two ways to keep God’s commandments: legal and evangelical. By legal, I mean keeping them in perfect, absolute obedience. If this is intended, no one would be blessed. The best of believers have failures in obedience. By evangelical obedience, I mean someone who in love and sincerity seeks to obey fully, but enjoys the gracious pardon for his failures. The apostles had many failures, yet Christ speaks of them to his Father, ‘they have kept your Word.” (John 17:6). When the heart is sincere, God will pass by our failings. So long as we bewail sin, seek remission of sin, strive after perfection, and endeavor to keep close and sensitive to his commandments, we keep the testimony of God in a gospel sense, and can be included in the compass of David’s blessed man (Psalm 1:1). If you bewail sin, seek pardon, and strive after perfection, this argues for sincerity and uprightness and honors the gospel. We have arrived at David’s blessed man if we esteem God’s testimonies and desire them to be impressed upon our hearts, and expressed in our lives.

Do you need to examine your heart today and see if you view God’s commandment as the Pharisees did?
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