The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-07-10

Ddtn III tnt lsDfu lDN bNu, III IL Ni't
shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy
son. nor thy daughter. thy manservant'
nor thy maidservant. nor thy cattle. nor
thy stranger that is within thy gates:
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 1t.
T. Honor thy father and thy mother:
that thy days may be long upon the
land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee.
GOLDEN TENT.-Thou shnlt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart
Luke 1O:27.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Water from the rock............E Ex. l7:l-i.
Attack upon the Amalekites.... EN. lI:N-l6.
Meeting with Jethro. EX. N;l-2l.
Sanctifying the people. ........., EX. 1919.
First table Of the law..........E EN. 2O:l-l2.
TIME.-B. c. 1igl
PLACES. S.-Meribah, Rephidlm, Mount
OF God" and Sinai
5:l-l6.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The Tables of the Law.-The Ten
Commandments present a 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 10y them was writ
ten in mans heart before il was writ
ten on tables of stone. Conscience pro-
nounces them to he "holy, and righte-
,nS anJ r,,I' Ip,r, -.1ol
The First Table of the Law.-Com-
pare Deut. 5:6-2l. 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 g. : and Snow 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 EX 90: iii. Some slight adjust
ment must clearly be made. /. "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 country of many
gods. Let us not seek to find all re-
ligious truth in these Ten Words. Je-
hovah does not say, "rhere 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. .. Thou shalt not make unto
thee a craven image" The reason
may or may not be plain. but God never
commands without reason. In this
case the reason could not have seemed
plain, but "God is spirit" "and the use
Of any image would be a misrepresen-
tation. and a materializing Of the con-
ception. 3. "Thou shalt rot take the
name OF Jehovah thy God in vain:"
very sacred part Of Gods self. (See
Deut. 1875, 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 (in vain), and also
irreyerence. and the taking of Gods
name in vain in false swearing. are
nearer to the meaning Of the command.
:. Remember the Sabbath day. to keep
it. holy" THE Sabbath was made
for man." not mans body, not mans
spirit, but 'for man" including both.
We need the Sabbath. () to break the
dead level Of the days, (2) Is n day Of
rest from work. (3) as a day for home.
lore and fellowship. a. as a day for
increasing GU. intelligent interest in
The progress Of the great causes of
humanity and religion. (j) for the op-
portunity II brings us 10 worship pub
licly. o. for the opportunity il brings
TO be still and commune with God and
draw near 10 Christ as personal
Savior. :. "liOnor thy father and thy
mother" 70 the Hebrews the honor.
ing Of parents il not simply neigh.
sorly" virtue. The parent stands TO
the child as the eprcscntatiye Of God.
and 50 this command was put on the
first table with the religious laws
rather than on the second with those
regarding our relations 10 our fellow.
men. The old Hebrew idea Of reyer.
ence and honor 10 parents as relig-
ious duty ia too much neglected in this
age of irreyerence.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
The first table of the law can be kent
only by loving God with all your heart
and all your soul.
II God fills your heart, nothing un.
worthy and debasing can enter into il.
The more one loves God, the better
a man be is mentally, morally, and
usually even physically.
The greatest disbonor can be done
Gods name by claiming 10 be bis child,
and yet acting contrary 10 his law.
Open all the doors 10 the religion Of