[This Reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 10/Sep/2017]
Some of you may recall that I used to work in traffic management in central London, first in the design and implementation of the Primary Red Routes and subsequently as one of the team developing procedures for bus lane enforcement. I am sure that did not endear my team to many drivers in London, who have a mass of rules and regulations to contend with, many of them apparently contradictory. Nevertheless, the overall achievement was in improvement in the common good, albeit at the expense of denying some individuals the liberty to do what they wanted.
Is this how you picture the Christian life? Do you see a list of commandments and expectations that are impossible to satisfy in their entirety, designed by a God who delights in making life difficult?
Recently I heard someone explaining the Ten Commandments somewhat differently. Instead of “Thou shalt not …” being a negative prohibition it can be read as a positive prediction – “You won’t …” because your devotion to God makes that particular action unnecessary. Today, instead of roasting the preacher over lunch, why not try a simple Bible meditation? Here are ten responses from Scripture; the list is not exhaustive and you will surely come up with your own suggestions.
The Ten Encouragements:
| You shall have no other gods before me. | Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? Ex 15: 11 |
| 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. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. | But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them and so will all who trust in them. Psalm 115: 4-8 |
| You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. | But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matt 5: 34-37 |
| Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. | Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest Matt 11:28 I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD’. Psalm 122: 1 |
| Honour your father and your mother | Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them Luke 2: 51 |
| You shall not murder. | If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1Pet 4: 15-16 |
| You shall not commit adultery. | No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1Cor 10: 15 |
| You shall not steal. | The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Psalm 23: 1 |
| You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour. | For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Gal 5: 14 |
| You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour. |
How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you. Psalm 31: 19 But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 1Tim 6: 6-8 |
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
