- Today, we're gonna take
a look at a recent decision
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from the state of Louisiana
regarding the 10 Commandments.
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And we're gonna ask ourselves
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what in the world we
should be thinking about this?
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[upbeat music]
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[upbeat music continues]
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I'm guessing you've already
heard about the commotion
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in Louisiana because
by the time this show
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actually goes to air, it's
already going to be old news.
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And for all I know,
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it might already be
at the Supreme Court,
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at least if the ACLU has
anything to say about it.
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But just in case you've
been living under a rock,
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let me get you up to speed.
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Back in June of 2024, Louisiana
passed this new law stating
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that all public
schools from kindergarten
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through state funded college,
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well every single classroom
is now apparently required
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to display a copy
of the 10 Commandments.
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That display has got
to be 11 by 14 at minimum,
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and it also has to be
printed in an easy to read font
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so every kid in
the room can see it.
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And of course, a lot of
people found this new regulation
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to be a little triggering
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because it appears to cross
that all important dividing line
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between church and state.
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As you're likely aware,
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when the United States
was originally created,
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the founders established
to use the words of Jefferson,
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a wall of separation
between church and state.
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The church is not
supposed to run the government
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and the government is not
supposed to run the church.
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It was originally
a reaction to the way
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that Christianity had
developed back in the old world
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where church and state blended
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and started to
work hand in hand.
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Not that there weren't
some exceptions to that practice
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because there were some
shining examples of places
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where religious
tolerance was official policy,
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like the Dutch
Republic of the 1600
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or the city of Cordoba
in Spain under Muslim rule
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back in the 1000s.
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Now, that one probably
surprises a lot of you,
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but the Islamic state
of Spain back in the day
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we're talking 1000 ago
was actually more tolerant
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of other faiths than
the inquisition proved to be
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just a few centuries later.
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Now, all exceptions aside,
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the history of
European Christianity
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is still largely
a story of church
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and state getting combined.
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Now, there were
times when various kings
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and queens disputed the
authority of the church over
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them, but overall there
were a lot of blurred lines.
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So, as you know, when
Europeans eventually got here
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to the new world, a lot
of them came for the sake
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of religious liberty.
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They wanted the right to worship
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as they saw fit the
way they read the Bible.
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And of course,
people being what they are,
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they did it rather imperfectly
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because some of the colonies
up and down the East coast
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actually practiced a lot
of intolerance toward people
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who didn't share
their particular theology,
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like the widely revered puritans
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who actually strung up the
Quaker Mary Dyer for the crime
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of presenting
herself in a Puritan colony
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with the wrong opinion.
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But of course, over time
the American religious liberty
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experiment actually
proved a huge success.
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I mean, just look at the fruits
of what the founders built.
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Many of you don't share
my religious perspectives,
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but here we are
coexisting and getting along.
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I'm free to say what I please,
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and of course
you're free to turn it off.
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So, now let's think about
that Louisiana law that says
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that the 10 Commandments have
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to be posted in every classroom.
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Of course, it's
probably important to note
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that the law doesn't mandate
keeping the 10 Commandments,
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which would be
an obvious attempt
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to regulate religious morality
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through the power of the state.
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And that would be a big
no-no, you must never go there,
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but is merely
posting a copy of those laws,
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of violation of the
separation of church and state.
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Well, I'm certainly
not the Supreme Court
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and I'm no legal expert,
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but let me unpack
this a little bit anyway.
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From a preacher's perspective,
if you're a Christian
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who cheered for that decision,
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maybe ask yourself one
really important question,
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would you find it acceptable if
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instead of the 10 Commandments,
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the law actually required
the teacher to put up a copy
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of the five pillars of Islam
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or maybe a series of posters
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with the eightfold
path of the Buddha?
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If you're a Christian parent,
I'm guessing your answer's no.
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And of course the
objection some people raised
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when protesters wanted
this new law overturned,
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had to do with the celebration
of alternate expressions
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of sexuality that are
explained in the classroom.
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And I've got to say, I
can sympathize with that.
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I wouldn't want my
child exposed to that subject
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at a young age either,
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because I happen to believe
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that sensitive
subjects like sexuality
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really are the
domain of parents.
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And of course, human
sexuality is a massive part
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of almost every
religious belief system.
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So, from a
religious point of view,
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introducing those ideas
into the classroom kinda seems
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like a violation of
that church state separation
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because well can be so
problematic for families who
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hold to a traditional
religious point of view.
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And that point of
view almost always includes
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things like sex.
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I myself would not
want a public school teacher
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raising questions or promoting
a religious point of view
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that openly
contradicts my family's beliefs.
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Now it's going to happen
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because no two people
can agree on everything.
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But from where I sit,
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a lot of the activism I'm seeing
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has a distinctly
religious tone to it.
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In fact, a lot of it really
does look like an open attack
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on Judeo-Christian principles.
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But still, I really do
get it, people who happen
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to hold a secular
point of view wouldn't agree
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with me on the topic
of sex in the classroom.
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And they wouldn't see it
as a religious issue at all
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because to them it
just looks like an attempt
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to create an
inclusive atmosphere.
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I think there might be
a limit to that objective
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because again, we're dealing
with a lot of really young kids
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and I'm not convinced that the
public schools have the right
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to turn them against
the deeply held religious
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beliefs of their parents.
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But again, I'm
certainly not a legal expert,
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and if they
haven't already done it,
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I'll let the courts work
out the details on this one
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as I'm pretty sure they will.
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So, back to the 10 Commandments.
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I suppose you could argue
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that they are such a
fundamental part of who we are
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in the West, that everybody
should be familiar with them,
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and I tend to agree with that.
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As a lot of really good
historians have noticed,
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it's hard to explain
who we are as a civilization
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without acknowledging the
massive role that the Bible
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played in creating this place.
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So, should kids
learn about that,
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I think they probably should,
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but maybe at least
in the public schools,
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it should have been a suggestion
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or part of the
history curriculum
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and not a mandatory
insertion into the classroom.
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I mean, let's
just think about this.
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It's just a poster on the
wall without any historical
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context or comment.
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And these are little kids.
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What impression does
posting them on the wall create?
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Now, as a Christian, you're
probably excited by that idea
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because you value
those commandments like I do.
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They make good sense to you
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and you know the power they have
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to help you create
an authentic human life.
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But if I was a member
of a non-Abrahamic faith,
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I'm not sure I'd be happy
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because the public
school system was supposed
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to be for everybody.
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Which leads me to
another kind of related issue,
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it's really not a very good
look when some activists try
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to claim that private
schools should never be allowed
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or that homeschooling
should be forbidden
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because well then
it really does start
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to look like there
isn't room for everybody.
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And it does look like
public schools are supposed
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to indoctrinate your kids.
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But let's put the
politics aside for a moment
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and think about the 10
Commandments themselves
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because well, I
happen to be a fan.
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In fact, I
think if you read them
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and really consider
what they're saying,
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you will not find
a better moral code.
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Now, you might not believe
that they're divinely inspired,
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written by the finger of God,
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but I really doubt you'll
find a whole lot to argue with
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in terms of using those
commandments as a moral code.
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They're good.
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I mean, who's really gonna argue
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that refraining
from murder or stealing
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or cheating on your
spouse, those are bad ideas?
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What would this world be
like if everybody just actually
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lived that way?
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And I get it, the
first table of commandments
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has a distinctly religious tone.
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It's a set of laws governing
how people relate to God.
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And if you don't believe in God,
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you might not see
the sense in that.
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But even then, I'd
encourage you to look
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because those first
commandments still make sense.
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For example, when it tells you
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to have no other gods before me.
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Even if you don't
believe in the God of the Bible,
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there's still some
common sense there.
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I mean, all of us
appear to be wired
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for religious
behavior for whatever reason.
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You might not
actually call it worship,
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but you will worship something.
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I promise you, you will.
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And if you make a God out
of things like money or power
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or political ideology,
you can still do a lot of harm
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because you're worshiping
something that is not a God.
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Now, you might not
believe in the God,
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but now you're behaving
like you believe in another God
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and it's still behavior
that leads to negative outcomes.
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And speaking of negative
outcomes, I need to shut up
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because it's time for a break
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and I don't want you to
miss what the good people
00:09:46.98\00:09:48.88
who produce this
program want to share with you.
00:09:48.88\00:09:51.42
I'll be right back.
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[gentle music]
00:09:52.72\00:09:55.36
[upbeat music]
00:09:55.36\00:09:56.69
- [Narrator 1] Here
at The Voice of Prophecy,
00:09:56.69\00:09:58.09
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:09:58.09\00:09:59.86
for the whole family like
our audio adventure series,
00:09:59.86\00:10:02.66
"Discovery Mountain."
00:10:02.66\00:10:04.37
"Discovery Mountain" is a
bible based program for kids
00:10:04.37\00:10:07.34
of all ages and backgrounds.
00:10:07.34\00:10:09.27
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
00:10:09.27\00:10:12.04
from this small
mountain summer camp
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and town with 24
seasonal episodes every year
00:10:13.74\00:10:17.38
and fresh content every week.
00:10:17.38\00:10:19.55
There's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:10:19.55\00:10:22.78
- Today we're talking
about the 10 Commandments,
00:10:25.52\00:10:27.82
and we started with
that recent Louisiana law
00:10:27.82\00:10:30.23
that mandated
posting the commandments
00:10:30.23\00:10:32.43
in every public
school classroom.
00:10:32.43\00:10:34.83
Now though, I
wanna move past that
00:10:34.83\00:10:37.27
and look at the 10
commandments themselves.
00:10:37.27\00:10:39.90
According to the Bible, when
Moses met with God on the top
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of Mount Sinai, he was given
a hard copy of God's moral law
00:10:42.57\00:10:46.34
that God had
engraved on tables of stone.
00:10:46.34\00:10:49.08
It's not a long document.
00:10:49.08\00:10:50.51
You can read the whole
thing in a minute or two,
00:10:50.51\00:10:52.85
and there's
actually a pretty good chance
00:10:52.85\00:10:54.25
they would've all fit on
one table, but they don't.
00:10:54.25\00:10:57.69
They're on two,
which tells me there's got
00:10:57.69\00:10:59.75
to be a reason for that.
00:10:59.75\00:11:01.42
Students of the Bible have
noticed that one of the tables
00:11:01.42\00:11:04.26
deals with our duty to God,
00:11:04.26\00:11:06.03
and the other one deals
with our duty to each other.
00:11:06.03\00:11:08.60
You might remember that's
the way Jesus summarized it
00:11:08.60\00:11:11.60
when someone asked him
which of the 10 commandments
00:11:11.60\00:11:14.40
would be the most important,
00:11:14.40\00:11:16.07
here's what he
said in Matthew 22.
00:11:16.07\00:11:18.51
But when the Pharisees
heard that he, speaking of Jesus
00:11:18.51\00:11:21.64
had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together
00:11:21.64\00:11:24.81
and one of them, a lawyer, asked
him a question to test him,
00:11:24.81\00:11:27.98
"Teacher, which is the
great commandment in the law."
00:11:27.98\00:11:31.49
And he said to him, "You
shall love the Lord your God
00:11:31.49\00:11:33.92
with all your heart
and with all your soul
00:11:33.92\00:11:35.86
and with all your mind.
00:11:35.86\00:11:37.16
This is the great
and first commandment."
00:11:37.16\00:11:39.23
And a second is like it,
00:11:39.23\00:11:40.96
"You shall love your
neighbor as yourself."
00:11:40.96\00:11:44.07
So, there you have it.
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Jesus summary of what
you find on the two tables
00:11:45.50\00:11:48.17
of God's moral law.
00:11:48.17\00:11:50.24
One of those tables
deals with loving God
00:11:50.24\00:11:52.31
and the other one
deals loving your neighbor.
00:11:52.31\00:11:54.31
And of course, the
key word there is love.
00:11:54.31\00:11:57.05
And this is not just
an arbitrary set of rules,
00:11:57.05\00:11:59.55
it's not a matter of
God trying to ruin your fun.
00:11:59.55\00:12:02.02
He's telling you the best way,
the most loving way to live.
00:12:02.02\00:12:06.32
And of course most of us
get it wrong a lot of the time,
00:12:06.32\00:12:10.43
but still if you look at it,
00:12:10.43\00:12:12.43
it's pretty much
the perfect guide
00:12:12.43\00:12:14.30
to living a successful life.
00:12:14.30\00:12:16.40
If everybody just
lived by the commandments,
00:12:16.40\00:12:18.50
I think the world might quickly
become a much better place.
00:12:18.50\00:12:22.74
Now, historically
speaking, people have struggled
00:12:22.74\00:12:25.41
to figure out
which of the commandments
00:12:25.41\00:12:27.14
belongs on which
table because well,
00:12:27.14\00:12:29.68
the Bible
doesn't actually specify.
00:12:29.68\00:12:32.31
I grew up believing that the
first four commandments went on
00:12:32.31\00:12:35.35
the first table because
they deal explicitly with God
00:12:35.35\00:12:38.45
and the next six commandments
belong on the second table
00:12:38.45\00:12:41.42
because they deal with
interpersonal relationships.
00:12:41.42\00:12:44.53
You might say that
the first table deals
00:12:44.53\00:12:46.80
with vertical relationships
00:12:46.80\00:12:48.80
and the second
one with horizontal,
00:12:48.80\00:12:51.70
but wouldn't you know it?
00:12:51.70\00:12:53.44
Not everybody sees it that way.
00:12:53.44\00:12:55.50
Over the centuries,
00:12:55.50\00:12:57.14
a lot of really good scholars
have put the fifth commandment
00:12:57.14\00:13:00.08
on the first
table, like this model
00:13:00.08\00:13:02.18
that I've got here in studio.
00:13:02.18\00:13:04.45
And that's the
commandment that deals
00:13:04.45\00:13:06.88
with honoring your parents.
00:13:06.88\00:13:09.22
So why did they do that?
00:13:09.22\00:13:10.75
Because your parents are
just human beings, aren't they?
00:13:10.75\00:13:13.96
But they're not
just any human beings
00:13:13.96\00:13:15.99
because well, they created you.
00:13:15.99\00:13:18.93
In your earliest years,
00:13:18.93\00:13:20.50
your parents really
kinda stood in God's place.
00:13:20.50\00:13:23.43
They were the way that
you were supposed to learn
00:13:23.43\00:13:25.50
about what God is like.
00:13:25.50\00:13:27.34
No, I'm not convinced that
I did an excellent job of that
00:13:27.34\00:13:30.41
as a dad because I'm a
rather flawed human being.
00:13:30.41\00:13:33.17
But I was aware that
Gene and I kind of served
00:13:33.17\00:13:36.11
as intermediaries
between our kids and God,
00:13:36.11\00:13:39.55
at least to the
point where they grew up
00:13:39.55\00:13:41.28
and acquired the ability to
exercise their own free will.
00:13:41.28\00:13:45.22
From that point forward,
00:13:45.22\00:13:47.22
our job shifted from regulating
our kids to praying for them
00:13:47.22\00:13:51.66
and continuing to point
them toward the creator.
00:13:51.66\00:13:54.36
But in the very beginning,
00:13:55.50\00:13:57.23
parents hold a
place in a child's life
00:13:57.23\00:13:59.03
that is somewhat
analogous to the role
00:13:59.03\00:14:01.37
that God plays in my life.
00:14:01.37\00:14:03.67
That's why some
medieval rabbis rightfully said
00:14:03.67\00:14:06.41
that the fifth commandment
could fit on the first table
00:14:06.41\00:14:08.74
because well, it's a
vertical relationship.
00:14:08.74\00:14:11.75
And when you do that,
00:14:11.75\00:14:12.88
some people have
noticed you suddenly
00:14:12.88\00:14:14.28
get a very interesting pattern.
00:14:14.28\00:14:16.32
It's almost like the
commandments on the two separate
00:14:16.32\00:14:19.09
tables kind of start to
line up with each other.
00:14:19.09\00:14:21.72
They show the
same principles applied
00:14:21.72\00:14:23.96
in different directions.
00:14:23.96\00:14:25.83
On the first
table, you get a principle
00:14:25.83\00:14:27.50
for how to relate to God.
00:14:27.50\00:14:29.33
And then on the second table,
00:14:29.33\00:14:30.80
you get that
same principle applied
00:14:30.80\00:14:33.03
to interpersonal relationships.
00:14:33.03\00:14:35.30
Now, I've gotta admit, this
is not an original idea with me
00:14:35.30\00:14:38.41
because I learned it
from a well-known teacher
00:14:38.41\00:14:40.38
of the Torah, Dr. Foreman.
00:14:40.38\00:14:43.08
But you know, the
more I look at it,
00:14:43.08\00:14:44.48
the more it
begins to make sense.
00:14:44.48\00:14:46.65
Now, unfortunately,
we're not gonna have time
00:14:46.65\00:14:48.25
to unpack this in
a lot of detail today
00:14:48.25\00:14:50.15
because I'm already more
than halfway through this show,
00:14:50.15\00:14:52.72
but maybe I can get you
studying this for yourself.
00:14:52.72\00:14:55.82
What is the very
first commandments?
00:14:56.83\00:14:58.39
Here's what it says in Exodus
20, I am the Lord your God,
00:14:58.39\00:15:01.86
who brought you out
of the land of Egypt
00:15:01.86\00:15:03.50
outta the house of slavery.
00:15:03.50\00:15:05.03
You shall have no
other gods before me.
00:15:05.03\00:15:08.44
So what's that
telling you to do?
00:15:08.44\00:15:10.27
Well, it's telling
you not to ignore God.
00:15:10.27\00:15:12.54
Your relationship to the one
who made you is too important
00:15:12.54\00:15:16.21
to compromise by
rejecting your creator.
00:15:16.21\00:15:20.15
So, assuming that the
fifth commandment fits
00:15:20.15\00:15:22.22
on the first table, what
would the first commandment on
00:15:22.22\00:15:25.05
the second table be?
00:15:25.05\00:15:26.39
Well, it would be
you shall not murder.
00:15:26.39\00:15:29.06
And what's that
telling us to do?
00:15:29.06\00:15:31.03
It's telling us to
value other people.
00:15:31.03\00:15:33.50
You don't get to
terminate another member
00:15:33.50\00:15:35.26
of the human race just
because you don't like them
00:15:35.26\00:15:37.37
or because they're standing
in the way of your ambitions.
00:15:37.37\00:15:40.44
So on one table we
have a command telling you,
00:15:40.44\00:15:43.07
you don't get to toss God aside
00:15:43.07\00:15:44.97
when you think his presence
is standing in your way.
00:15:44.97\00:15:47.48
And then on the other table,
00:15:47.48\00:15:48.98
you have a parallel commandment
telling you the same thing
00:15:48.98\00:15:51.51
about your horizontal
relationships with other people.
00:15:51.51\00:15:55.02
We're being told to
value the existence of God
00:15:55.02\00:15:58.35
and our fellow human
beings and wouldn't you know it?
00:15:58.35\00:16:01.72
You find the
same kind of parallel
00:16:01.72\00:16:03.19
with the second commandment,
which reads like this.
00:16:03.19\00:16:05.99
You shall not make for
yourself a carved image
00:16:05.99\00:16:08.76
or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above
00:16:08.76\00:16:11.50
or that is in the earth beneath
00:16:11.50\00:16:13.20
or that is in the
water under the earth.
00:16:13.20\00:16:15.37
You shall not bow down to them
00:16:15.37\00:16:16.87
or serve them for
I the Lord your God,
00:16:16.87\00:16:19.11
am a jealous God
visiting the iniquity
00:16:19.11\00:16:21.54
of the fathers on
the children to the third
00:16:21.54\00:16:23.75
and fourth
generation of those who hate me,
00:16:23.75\00:16:26.31
but showing steadfast love to
thousands of those who love me
00:16:26.31\00:16:30.45
and keep my commandments.
00:16:30.45\00:16:32.32
What it's saying is
that we're not supposed
00:16:32.32\00:16:34.02
to insert any other
God into our relationship,
00:16:34.02\00:16:36.73
nothing between us
and the one who made us.
00:16:36.73\00:16:39.66
So what do you find
in the same position
00:16:39.66\00:16:41.13
on the second table?
00:16:41.13\00:16:42.36
Again, assuming
the fifth commandment
00:16:42.36\00:16:44.00
goes on the first table,
you shall not commit adultery.
00:16:44.00\00:16:47.44
And of course, that's reminding
us that you're not supposed
00:16:47.44\00:16:49.77
to insert a third
party into your marriage,
00:16:49.77\00:16:52.84
or if you're not
married, you're not supposed
00:16:52.84\00:16:55.04
to insert yourself into
someone else's marriage.
00:16:55.04\00:16:58.41
These are parallel concepts.
00:16:58.41\00:17:00.52
Again, it's not original with
me, I'm not all that clever.
00:17:00.52\00:17:03.18
These are the observations
00:17:03.18\00:17:04.42
of some pretty
bright medieval sages.
00:17:04.42\00:17:06.96
But they're telling us
00:17:06.96\00:17:08.52
whether it's describing our
vertical relationship with God
00:17:08.52\00:17:10.73
or our horizontal
relationship with others,
00:17:10.73\00:17:13.40
it's telling us
don't betray relationships.
00:17:13.40\00:17:17.03
And even though
we're gonna unpack each
00:17:17.03\00:17:19.00
of these commandments just a
little more in future episodes,
00:17:19.00\00:17:22.00
let me throw a
little bit of extra light
00:17:22.00\00:17:24.14
on this one just
to get you thinking.
00:17:24.14\00:17:26.51
The second and
seventh Commandments
00:17:26.51\00:17:28.44
are really a
command against cheating.
00:17:28.44\00:17:30.81
They emphasize the sacred nature
of covenant relationships,
00:17:30.81\00:17:34.48
and there's this
really fascinating link
00:17:34.48\00:17:36.79
between the sins of
idolatry and adultery
00:17:36.79\00:17:40.46
that I don't
have time to show you
00:17:40.46\00:17:41.66
before we take a break.
00:17:41.66\00:17:43.09
So hang tight,
I'll be right back.
00:17:43.09\00:17:45.06
[upbeat music]
00:17:45.06\00:17:47.66
- [Narrator 3] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:17:48.93\00:17:51.33
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:17:51.33\00:17:54.74
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:17:54.74\00:17:57.17
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:17:57.17\00:18:00.31
Here at "The Voice of Prophecy,"
00:18:00.31\00:18:01.78
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:18:01.78\00:18:03.95
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:18:03.95\00:18:05.55
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:18:05.55\00:18:08.02
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:18:08.02\00:18:11.05
and they're absolutely free.
00:18:11.05\00:18:13.12
So jump online
now or give us a call
00:18:13.12\00:18:15.42
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:18:15.42\00:18:18.39
- Alright, just
before the break,
00:18:18.39\00:18:19.93
I was talking about the
second and seventh commandments,
00:18:19.93\00:18:22.53
the second for forbids
the practice of idolatry,
00:18:22.53\00:18:25.07
which is adding other gods
00:18:25.07\00:18:26.43
to your sacred
relationship with the creator.
00:18:26.43\00:18:29.00
And the seventh commandment
prohibits adding other people
00:18:29.00\00:18:32.47
to the sacred relationship
you have with your spouse.
00:18:32.47\00:18:36.31
Now, I don't know if
you've ever noticed this,
00:18:36.31\00:18:37.71
but way back when
in ancient history,
00:18:37.71\00:18:40.42
there were religious prostitutes
00:18:40.42\00:18:42.05
that often worked
in the pagan temples.
00:18:42.05\00:18:44.29
And a few years back I
found myself wondering,
00:18:44.29\00:18:46.29
"What did these have
to do with each other?"
00:18:46.29\00:18:48.59
I mean, these
were temples dedicated
00:18:48.59\00:18:50.29
to multiple gods
in direct violation
00:18:50.29\00:18:53.16
of the second commandment.
00:18:53.16\00:18:54.46
And when you line up
the tables of the law,
00:18:54.46\00:18:57.10
the commandment against
idolatry appears to be related
00:18:57.10\00:19:00.50
to the prohibition on adultery.
00:19:00.50\00:19:03.10
So is there an
intellectual connection?
00:19:03.10\00:19:05.24
The answer is yes.
00:19:05.24\00:19:06.81
I mean, just think about it.
00:19:06.81\00:19:08.28
Adultery is an
attempt to take a shortcut
00:19:08.28\00:19:11.08
to a genuine human relationship.
00:19:11.08\00:19:13.65
Today, the most
prominent example we have
00:19:13.65\00:19:15.78
of breaking the commandment
is probably the explosion
00:19:15.78\00:19:18.62
of porn here in the West.
00:19:18.62\00:19:21.19
What you get with a prostitute
00:19:21.19\00:19:22.82
or with pornography
is an attempt to get some
00:19:22.82\00:19:25.49
of the benefits
of a relationship
00:19:25.49\00:19:27.96
without the actual relationship,
there's no accountability,
00:19:27.96\00:19:31.17
there's no love,
there's no respect.
00:19:31.17\00:19:33.27
There's just a selfish attempt
00:19:33.27\00:19:34.84
to bypass the hard work required
00:19:34.84\00:19:37.17
of an authentic
loving relationship.
00:19:37.17\00:19:40.31
And the same thing
happens with idolatry.
00:19:40.31\00:19:42.94
What people did way back
when was create a bunch of gods
00:19:42.94\00:19:45.51
in their own image.
00:19:45.51\00:19:46.82
Gods who exhibited all
kinds of flawed behavior
00:19:46.82\00:19:49.32
ranging from
violence to sexual immorality.
00:19:49.32\00:19:52.29
I mean, just go and
read the ancient mythology,
00:19:52.29\00:19:54.12
read the stories of Zeus.
00:19:54.12\00:19:56.62
And because all of us
00:19:56.62\00:19:58.03
or at least most of us
carry some sense of guilt
00:19:58.03\00:20:00.56
over our own
shortcomings and sins,
00:20:00.56\00:20:02.93
we feel the need
to address that guilt.
00:20:02.93\00:20:05.60
So what did the ancients do?
00:20:05.60\00:20:07.14
They paid off
their imperfect gods.
00:20:07.14\00:20:09.74
All they had to do was give
a little money at the temple,
00:20:09.74\00:20:12.01
offer a quick
sacrifice, and then go on living
00:20:12.01\00:20:14.61
however they pleased.
00:20:14.61\00:20:16.14
It was another shortcut, an
attempt to reap the benefits
00:20:16.14\00:20:19.11
of a genuine
relationship with God.
00:20:19.11\00:20:21.65
But again,
without responsibility, no
00:20:21.65\00:20:25.02
accountability,
without the love and hard work
00:20:25.02\00:20:26.55
that goes into genuine
rewarding relationships.
00:20:26.55\00:20:30.36
So both idolatry and adultery
00:20:30.36\00:20:32.96
are actually
shortcuts that rob you
00:20:32.96\00:20:34.96
of an authentic human life.
00:20:34.96\00:20:36.83
They're violations of
sacred covenant relationships.
00:20:36.83\00:20:40.10
And at the end of the day,
00:20:40.10\00:20:41.44
it only makes sense
to observe these laws
00:20:41.44\00:20:43.10
because you're cheating
yourself when you break them.
00:20:43.10\00:20:47.28
Okay, maybe let's
look at one more set
00:20:47.28\00:20:49.11
of parallel commandments
before we wrap things up.
00:20:49.11\00:20:51.78
The third one found
in Exodus 20 says this,
00:20:51.78\00:20:55.52
you shall not take the name
of the Lord your God in vain
00:20:55.52\00:20:58.39
for the Lord will
not hold him guiltless
00:20:58.39\00:21:00.49
who takes his name in vain.
00:21:00.49\00:21:02.59
So what exactly does that mean?
00:21:02.59\00:21:04.33
Well, the way I
learned it growing up was
00:21:04.33\00:21:06.09
that it's a
prohibition against cussing.
00:21:06.09\00:21:08.60
And of course,
the Bible does condemn
00:21:08.60\00:21:11.00
what it calls foolish speech,
00:21:11.00\00:21:12.53
and it tells us to
hold the sacred name
00:21:12.53\00:21:14.74
of God in the highest regard.
00:21:14.74\00:21:17.07
But what's the
essence of the commandment?
00:21:17.07\00:21:19.74
Well, there's an
important clue over
00:21:19.74\00:21:21.24
in the Book of Revelation,
which shows us a group of people
00:21:21.24\00:21:23.88
with a profound
relationship with Christ,
00:21:23.88\00:21:25.95
and this is how
it describes them.
00:21:25.95\00:21:28.52
Then I looked and behold
on Mount Zion stood the lamb
00:21:28.52\00:21:31.49
and with them
144,000 who had his name
00:21:31.49\00:21:34.42
and his father's name
written on their foreheads.
00:21:34.42\00:21:37.76
Now, Mount Zion, of course,
is the sacred mountain of God
00:21:37.76\00:21:40.66
and the people
who get to stand there
00:21:40.66\00:21:42.30
with the Lamb or Christ, well,
they have the father's name
00:21:42.30\00:21:46.03
written on their foreheads.
00:21:46.03\00:21:48.10
And of course,
it's symbolic language.
00:21:48.10\00:21:49.77
It's not talking
about a physical mark,
00:21:49.77\00:21:51.91
it's talking
about God's character.
00:21:51.91\00:21:54.04
You may have
noticed that when we say
00:21:54.04\00:21:55.61
someone has good character,
we'll say they have a good name.
00:21:55.61\00:21:59.08
And that's because
historically speaking,
00:21:59.08\00:22:01.15
your name was
supposed to be your character.
00:22:01.15\00:22:04.32
These people have the
father's name in their foreheads
00:22:04.32\00:22:06.52
because they exhibit
the character of God.
00:22:06.52\00:22:09.36
And here's how the
description continues.
00:22:09.36\00:22:11.96
It is these who have not
defiled themselves with women
00:22:11.96\00:22:14.76
for they are virgins.
00:22:14.76\00:22:16.16
It is these who follow
the lamb wherever he goes.
00:22:16.16\00:22:19.17
These have been redeemed
from mankind as first fruits
00:22:19.17\00:22:21.97
for God and the
lamb and in their mouth,
00:22:21.97\00:22:24.27
no lie was found
for they are blameless.
00:22:24.27\00:22:27.81
So, the commandment against
taking God's name in vain
00:22:27.81\00:22:30.45
is dealing with a whole lot
more than just your language.
00:22:30.45\00:22:33.48
It's telling you if
you're going to call yourself
00:22:33.48\00:22:35.95
a believer, if you're
going to associate with God,
00:22:35.95\00:22:38.55
then make sure it counts.
00:22:38.55\00:22:40.39
Make sure your character
lines up with God's character
00:22:40.39\00:22:43.73
so that his name on you
doesn't become a public lie
00:22:43.73\00:22:47.03
about who he is.
00:22:47.03\00:22:48.90
And what would be the
corresponding parallel
00:22:48.90\00:22:51.47
commandment on the second table?
00:22:51.47\00:22:52.93
You shall not steal.
00:22:52.93\00:22:54.77
In other words, do not
take what doesn't belong to you.
00:22:56.27\00:22:58.67
If you're gonna take God's name,
00:22:58.67\00:23:00.04
make sure you have
the right to do that.
00:23:00.04\00:23:01.51
Don't run around
calling yourself a Christian
00:23:01.51\00:23:03.61
if you're not
gonna live like Jesus.
00:23:03.61\00:23:05.58
And yes, that's a really
tall order for most people,
00:23:05.58\00:23:08.38
and I know for sure I
still fall a long-way short
00:23:08.38\00:23:11.45
of the glory of God.
00:23:11.45\00:23:12.35
Just go and ask my family.
00:23:12.35\00:23:13.96
I'm sure they can help
you uncover a lot of my flaws
00:23:13.96\00:23:16.49
because they're the primary
victims of my imperfection.
00:23:16.49\00:23:20.40
But still, when you're
learning to ride a bike,
00:23:20.40\00:23:23.80
there's a huge difference
00:23:23.80\00:23:25.20
between falling off
while you're trying to learn
00:23:25.20\00:23:27.47
and throwing
your bike in the lake
00:23:27.47\00:23:28.94
and rejecting it, saying,
"That's it, no more bike."
00:23:28.94\00:23:31.71
But wearing your
cycling gear around town
00:23:31.71\00:23:33.51
to convince people
you're an avid cyclist.
00:23:33.51\00:23:36.51
I'll be right back after this.
00:23:36.51\00:23:39.38
[ominous music]
00:23:39.38\00:23:42.12
- [Narrator 2] Are you
searching for answers to life's
00:23:43.42\00:23:45.15
toughest questions like,
00:23:45.15\00:23:46.55
where is God when we suffer?
00:23:46.55\00:23:48.39
Can I find real happiness?
00:23:48.39\00:23:50.19
Or is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
00:23:50.19\00:23:53.33
The Discover Bible Guides
will help you find the answers
00:23:53.33\00:23:55.80
you're looking for.
00:23:55.80\00:23:57.20
Visit us at biblestudies.com
00:23:57.20\00:23:59.73
or give us a
call at 888-456-7933
00:23:59.73\00:24:02.47
for your free Discover
Bible Guides Study online
00:24:05.07\00:24:08.78
on our secure website
or have the free guides
00:24:08.78\00:24:11.71
mailed right to your home.
00:24:11.71\00:24:13.15
There is never a
cost or obligation.
00:24:13.15\00:24:15.82
The Discover Bible
guides are our free gift to you.
00:24:15.82\00:24:18.95
Find answers and guides like,
00:24:18.95\00:24:20.36
"Does my life
really matter to God?"
00:24:20.36\00:24:22.72
And "A Second Chance at Life,"
00:24:22.72\00:24:24.76
you'll find answers to the
things that matter most to you
00:24:24.76\00:24:27.13
in each of the 26
Discover Bible guides.
00:24:27.13\00:24:29.76
Visit BibleStudies.com
00:24:29.76\00:24:31.97
and begin your journey
today to discover answers
00:24:31.97\00:24:35.24
to life's deepest questions.
00:24:35.24\00:24:37.81
[gentle music]
00:24:37.81\00:24:40.44
- All right, the clock
on the wall assures me,
00:24:41.68\00:24:43.51
I've rattled on way too long,
00:24:43.51\00:24:45.08
but let me recap what
I'm saying because well,
00:24:45.08\00:24:47.88
we're gonna spend a
lot more time looking
00:24:47.88\00:24:49.58
at the 10
Commandments really carefully,
00:24:49.58\00:24:51.65
and we're gonna ask ourselves
00:24:51.65\00:24:52.92
if they don't
make really good sense,
00:24:52.92\00:24:54.56
if they're not an important key
00:24:54.56\00:24:55.89
to finding an
authentic human existence.
00:24:55.89\00:24:58.93
We started today by exploring
the decision in Louisiana,
00:24:58.93\00:25:01.86
which appears to be an attempt
00:25:01.86\00:25:03.50
to force God's moral law
on everybody using the power
00:25:03.50\00:25:07.10
of the state.
00:25:07.10\00:25:08.60
That's a mistake because,
well, God doesn't force people.
00:25:08.60\00:25:12.04
I mean, take a moment
to read through the Bible,
00:25:12.04\00:25:13.98
I mean all of it.
00:25:13.98\00:25:15.41
And you'll see God
believes in freedom of choice,
00:25:15.41\00:25:17.65
ultimately even the
choice to reject him.
00:25:17.65\00:25:21.42
The 10 Commandments are
a personal code of ethics,
00:25:21.42\00:25:24.05
something God intends
for you to internalize
00:25:24.05\00:25:26.86
because you're interested
in a relationship with him
00:25:26.86\00:25:30.26
and you're interested in
living the best life possible.
00:25:30.26\00:25:33.93
They're not
supposed to be a bludgeon
00:25:33.93\00:25:35.90
that you use on other people.
00:25:35.90\00:25:38.00
Then we explored the possibility
00:25:38.87\00:25:40.44
that maybe the
fifth commandment,
00:25:40.44\00:25:41.77
the one that tells us
to honor your parents.
00:25:41.77\00:25:44.11
Well, it might not
belong on the second table
00:25:44.11\00:25:46.41
because it's not
exactly describing
00:25:46.41\00:25:48.84
a horizontal
relationship like Number 6-10.
00:25:48.84\00:25:52.51
Your parents are not
exactly on the same level as you
00:25:52.51\00:25:55.35
because they created you.
00:25:55.35\00:25:56.75
They gave you life, it's
more of a vertical thing.
00:25:56.75\00:26:00.12
And then once we
thought about the possibility
00:26:00.12\00:26:02.89
that there were five
commandments on each table,
00:26:02.89\00:26:05.19
we started to line them up.
00:26:05.19\00:26:06.86
We compared them and
asked ourselves if the five laws
00:26:06.86\00:26:09.53
on each table were
each describing an important
00:26:09.53\00:26:13.44
principle on the first table,
those principles are applied
00:26:13.44\00:26:16.37
to our vertical
relationship with God.
00:26:16.37\00:26:18.74
And then on the second table,
00:26:18.74\00:26:20.28
we find those same
five principles applied
00:26:20.28\00:26:23.01
to our horizontal
relationships with each other.
00:26:23.01\00:26:26.85
And then, I ran out of time,
00:26:26.85\00:26:29.62
and you can finish exploring
the other four commandments.
00:26:29.62\00:26:33.72
Ask yourself this,
"Is there a relationship
00:26:33.72\00:26:36.93
between resting on the Sabbath
00:26:36.93\00:26:38.36
and not bearing false witness?"
00:26:38.36\00:26:40.33
I think there is, and I
think that the ancient rabbis
00:26:40.33\00:26:42.96
who studied this
were onto something.
00:26:42.96\00:26:45.50
But of course, what I
want to do is encourage you
00:26:45.50\00:26:48.34
to read this for yourself.
00:26:48.34\00:26:50.01
So go ahead, give it a
try, see what you find.
00:26:50.01\00:26:53.07
And if you want some help
getting started in your studies,
00:26:53.07\00:26:55.88
maybe go to BibleStudies.com
00:26:55.88\00:26:58.81
where the good people
at the Voice of Prophecy
00:26:58.81\00:27:01.28
have provided an unbelievable
lineup of free resources.
00:27:01.28\00:27:04.82
That's right, free
00:27:04.82\00:27:06.79
to help you read the Bible like
you've never read it before.
00:27:06.79\00:27:10.29
I want you to find the
satisfaction, the deep lasting
00:27:10.29\00:27:14.50
peace that comes from living
in harmony with the one who made
00:27:14.50\00:27:17.90
you. Because
honestly, that's the secret
00:27:17.90\00:27:20.60
to living an authentic life.
00:27:20.60\00:27:22.80
Thanks for joining me
today, I'm Shawn Boonstra,
00:27:22.80\00:27:25.41
and you've been watching
another episode of ""Authentic."
00:27:25.41\00:27:29.34
[upbeat music]
00:27:29.34\00:27:31.98
[upbeat music continues]
00:27:39.35\00:27:42.82
[upbeat music continues]
00:27:49.26\00:27:52.73
[upbeat music continues]
00:27:59.31\00:28:02.78
[upbeat music continues]
00:28:09.25\00:28:12.75
[upbeat music continues]
00:28:18.73\00:28:22.20