Bible
Study: Exodus 20:1-17. / Matthew 13:18-23.
Having miraculously
crossed the Red Sea, having been fed by manna and quails in the wilderness, the
people of Israel had now finally come to develop love and devotion for God.
Given their 430 years in the Land of Egypt, they had imbibed a lot of Egyptian
culture and morality. It was therefore very important for God to give them a
new set of rules; rules that would not only guide them to achieve the best life
had to offer, but rules that would essentially make them different from other
nations in the world.
Have you
been lost before? Imagine you are lost and you need to get to a particular
location within a certain time frame otherwise you would drop down and die. You
try asking people for directions but no one around you understands English. What
do you do? Under this circumstance, how would you feel when you suddenly
stumble upon a map? I bet you would jump up and down in joy and quickly apply
yourself to the directions. I am sure you wouldn’t need a pastor or priest to
preach to you about the importance of keeping to the map.
Like one
lost in strange land, the Israelites were really lost when they found themselves
in the middle of nowhere in the desert. When God gave these commandments, he
actually provided them with a map.
The Ten Commandments
represent Divine Wisdom guiding the affairs of mankind. Obedience to these
commandments translates to living life as God desires and not just as people
think fit. As our Responsorial Psalm sings, there is great wisdom in keeping
these commandments. “The law of the Lord is perfect, REFRESHING THE SOUL; the
decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving WISDOM TO THE SIMPLE. The precepts of
the Lord are right, REJOICING THE HEART; the command of the LORD is clear, ENLIGHTENING
THE EYE… They are MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD, than a heap of purest gold. Do you
notice how the Psalmist draws analogies from the most important parts of the
body?
The world
we live in today is very much lost as far as morality and religion is
concerned. There has never been a better time than now for the keeping of God’s
commandments. In fact, all the problems that people face today all over the
world are deeply rooted in the fact that God’s instructions are ignored,
disobeyed and legislated against.
The funny
thing is that these commandments are not secrets. They are well known by
Christians and none Christians alike. But people are not always the same. Some know
these commandments as funny things God demands but impossible to keep. Some understand
them and make efforts to keep them but quickly disobey whenever there is a
slight sacrifice involved. Some even see the commandments as obstacles to
progress and success in life. Some try to bribe their way through such that
they try to get the benefits of the commandments without actually keeping them.
We all are like seeds planted in different soils. Whether or not we would
sprout and bear fruits depends on the kind of soil we have, that is, the way we
receive God in our hearts.
Let us
pray: Lord Jesus, give me wisdom to love, appreciate and keep everyone of your
commandments that I may one day reach my true destination in heaven. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.
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