The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-07-11

II. For in six days the Lord made
Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that
in them is and rested on the seventh
day; wherefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Il. Honor thy father and thy mother;
that thy days may be long upon the
land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee.
GOLDEN TEXT.-ThOu sh alt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart
Luke 10;27.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Water from the rock.......... Elk. I'LL.
Attack upon the Amalekites. Eek. 17:S-16.
Meeting with Jethro. Elk. 1S:1-27.
Sanctifying the beople Elk. 1925.
First table of the laW..........EX. 20:1-12.
TIME.-B. c. 1491.
PLACES.-Meribah, Rephidim, Mount
of Cod" and Sinai.
PARALLEL Observation-Disclosures
5:1-16
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The Tables of the Law.-The Ten
Commandments present summary of
mans duties, first to God, and then to
man. They are wonderfully brief,
simple and comprehensive. They en-
join nothing to which the monitor in
every mans breast does not respond.
The law as presented by them was writ
ten in mans heart before it was writ
ten on tables of stone. Conscience pro-
nounces them to be 'holy, and righte-
Gus, and good" (Rom. 7:12).
The First Table of the Law-Com-
pare Deut. 5:6-21, and note the differ
ences. Most Biblical scholars believe
that the commandments, or "Ten
Words" as they are more properly
called, stood originally upon the tables
of stone in their simplest and most
terse form, as 6, and 8 now stand, and
that the explanatory comments were
added later. Of course this is conjec-
ture, but it is extremely probable in
view of the fact that the Ten Words
are amplified differently in Deut 5:6-21
and in Elk. 20:1-17. Some slight adjust
ment must clearly be made. l. "Thou
shalt have no other gods before (be-
sides) me-" The Hebrews had come
out of a country of many gods; they
were going into a country of many
gods. Let us not seek to find all re-
ligious truth in these Ten Words. Je-
hovah does not say, "There is but one
God" He says, "Thou shalt have" but
one God 1t was Gods method not to
teach the people monotheism by pre-
cept so much as to prove it by expert
ence. 2. "Thou shalt not make unto
thee a craven image:" The reason
may or may not be plain, but God never
commands without a reason. In this
case the reason could not have seemed
plain, but "God is a spirit" and the use
of any image would be misrepresen-
tation and materializing of the con-
ception. g. "Thou shalt not take the
name of Jehovah thy God in vain"
Gods name, to the Hebrews. was
very sacred part of Gods self (See
Deut. 1873, Prov. 1910, etc. The orig
inal force of the command was not
against profanity in the modern sense.
Hypocrisy, or the bearing of Gods
name without being his at heart, bear
ing it meaninglessly lin vain), and also
irreverence, and the taking of Gods
name in vain in false swearing, are
nearer to the meaning of the command.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keen
it holy" "The Sabbath was made
for man." not mans body, not mans
spirit, but "for man" including both.
We need the Sabbath, az to break the
dead level of the days, (2) as a dav of
rest from work, (9) as a day for home
love and fellowship, (4) as a day for
increasing our intelligent interest in
the progress of the great causes of
humanity and religion, (5) for the on
portunity it brings us to worship pub
licly, (6) for the opportunity it brings
to be still and commune with God and
draw near TO Christ as a personal
Savior, 5. "LEonor thy father and thv
mother" To tie Hebrews the honor.
ing Of parents is not simply "neigh-
borly" virtue. The parent stands TO
the child as the representative of God
and so this command was put on the
first table with the religious laws
rather than on the second with those
regarding our relations to our fellow
men. The old Hebrew idea of rever-
ence and honor to parents as relig-
ious duty is too much neglected in this
age of irreverence.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
The first table of the law can be kent
only by loving God with all your heart
and all your soul.
If God fills your heart, nothing un.
worthy and debasing can enter into it.
The more one loves God, the better
man he is mentally, morally, and
usually even physically.
The greatest dishonor can be done
Gods name by claiming to be his child,
and yet acting contrary to his law.
PhiIosarcasticalIy Speaking.
Little Elmer (who has an inquiring
nd)--Papa, where do those pessi-
mists, that we are always reading
about, live?
Prof. Broadhead-On an island of
eUotism( in the midst of 500 ~