My grandfather reached his 90 birthday recently. He gathered together his family and left these instructions and things that he realized about his life. I’ve chosen to share them here along with the scripture references and his understandings.
1st Letter – “How to Live a Successful Life”
The most acceptable response to this question is most likely to be found in the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses on Mount Horeb. Mt. Horeb is also referred to as Sinai which is a peninsula that is south of the Wilderness of Paran between the gulf of Aqabah on the east and Suez on the west. The common word for law in Hebrew is “Torah“. This word Torah is used for human instruction as referred to by loving parents to their children. The word “Law” is said to be God’s authoritative imposition and requirement his loving and caring instruction of his people.
In my research of this topic I have noted different outlines on the Ten Commandments. Example: My first reference is the Open Bible, New King James Version, Exodus 20:1-17 provides the following.
Scripture has been inserted for reference (credit from the BlueLetterBible.org):
vs 1) And God spoke all these words, saying:
vs 2) “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
vs 3) “You shall have no other gods before Me.
vs 4) “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
vs 5) you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
vs 6) but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
vs 7) “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
vs 8) “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
vs 9) Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
vs 10) but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
vs 11) For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
vs 12) “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
vs 13) “You shall not murder.
vs 14) “You shall not commit adultery.
vs 15) “You shall not steal.
vs 16) “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
vs 17) “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
1. Trust God only (ref Exodus 20: 3-4)
2. Worship God only (ref. Exodus 20: 5-6)
3. Use God’s name in ways that honor him (ref 20:7)
4. Rest on the Sabbath which is the seventh day of the week a time to think about God. (ref Exodus 20:8-11)
5. Respect and obey our parents (ref. Exodus 20:12)
6. Protect and respect human life (ref. Exodus 20:13)
7. Be true to husband or wife (ref. Exodus 20:14)
8. Do not take what belongs to others (ref. Exodus 20:15)
9. Do not lie about others (ref. Exodus 20:16)
10. Be satisfied with what we have (ref Exodus 20:17)
In summary the above would read! We should trust God and worship God nor should we take His name in vain. We should rest on the Sabbath, honor our parents, neither should we take human life. We should not commit adultery, steal, bear false witness or cover (desire) what belongs to others. We can further recognize that God was concerned in these instructions and humanities attitude conduct.
The Greek word for law is “nomos“. The author of Romans 7:23 says he sees another law in his members, warring against the law of mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin. In verses (7-12) we find the law cannot deliver us from sin; however, the good purpose of the law i.e., the “Ten Commandments” was to show us how to please God.
Overtime, humanity (man) has made their own laws designed to govern action, conduct or procedure. These guidelines may be categorized into civil, corporate, state or federal laws that address a multitude of issues.
The “spirit” of such laws are important, that is, they must stress the rules and requirements of said laws plus they should identify what is to be achieved the (“letter”) of said laws.