The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-07-13
THE TEN
COMMAND DMENTC-
DUTIES TOWARD GOD

GOLDEN TEXT-"Thou shalt love
the Lord. thy God. with all thine heart.
and all thy soul, and with all thy might"
--Deut. &c.
TIME.-Fifty days after leaving Egypt
eek. 1871, l5), The day OF Pentecost. the
feast OF first fruits. Some time in May.
1891 =. G. or perhaps 1900.
| PLACE.--In the plain at the base OF Mt.
| Sinai In the southern part OF the Sinai
tic peninsula between the two northern
| arms OF the Red Sea.
| SCRIPTURE REFERENCEiS. The Ta-
bles OF stone: Elk. 24:l2; sl:is; S2I5-19:
BAL; Deut. 4:lS; 0:s-11; i9:1-5; Kings SO:
Heb. ga Read Psalms 10, li9.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Mt. Sinai and Its Surroundings
The exact mountain Ia uncertain, but
Hastings Bible Dictionary inclines to
the traditional Jebel Mousa, Noun
tain OF Moses" 1868 feet above the
sea, In the Wild, mountainous region.
of the glorious range OF granite noun
tains OF which Sinai is the nucleus.
At its northwestern base stretches
Er-Rahah, the wilderness OF Sinai,
the only plain in the neighborhood
capable Of holding 100000 persons.
allowing square yard for each. The
camp itself (Palmer) was doubtless
more extensive, occupying tho neigh-
boring gleRs and mountainsldes, wher-
ever there was sufficient fertility for
the cattle. Fronting the plain Is q
lofty and precipitous bluff. Ras-Sufsa
feb, whence. probably, the law was
proclaimed.
The Commandments Are Divine
L.aws.-V. !. And God spake ali
these words" In three ways: (D by
his voice; (2) by writing them on the.
tablets of stone: and (3) he has writ
ten them on the very nature of man.
We are not to imagine that nothing
of these commands was known before
Moses. They were written on the
hearts and consciences of men from
the beginning. We see them ia the
early history. They are a lesson for
all mankind.
v, g. Thou shalt have no other
gods before me-" side by side with
me, in addition to me-" In my pres
ence,' and therefore lin preference to
me-"
Vs. 4-6. This forblds making any
representation. OF God as means off
worshiplng him.
The First Reason Ia that all images
misrepresent God, They are not like
God They do not represent God as
pictures Of friend represent him to
us
The Second Reason. v. S. Il j
am . jealous God" |. q, not willing
that any other should be regarded as
his equal, or take his place In the az
fections and worship Of his people;
because no other can take his place;
70 other can love as he loves, or help
as he helps. Every idol god Is not
only useless, but leads to Immortality.
The Third Reason. Visiting the
iniquity OF the fathers upon the chill
dren." The visitation here spoken OF
can hardly be any other than that
which we are accustomed to witness
in the common experience Of life eek.
S4:7; Jer. 32:1S). 1t is a statement
OF the scientific doctrine OF heredity.
Y. T. Thou shalt not take the name
OF the Lord thy God in yain.v /. O..
lightly. carelessly. thoughtlessiy. In
|. This forbids protesting to be
Gods people, In covenant relations
with him, and then acting in a man
ner that dishonors God and misrepre-
aents him before the world II dis
graces religion, and drives men from
God.
q It forbids perjury. False
swearing Is among the greatest In
suits that man can offer to God, and,
is being such. is naturally forbidden
n the first table. which teaches us our
iuty TO God. 1t is also destructive OF
sivil society; and hence it is again
'orbidden In the second table ". 16),
which defines our duties to our neigh
,or"-EIlicott.
3. But Il does not forbid what Is
.alled taking an oath in court; for
hat Is a simple affirmation in the sol
mn presence Of God 70 tell the truth.
nding with prayer for help TO do
{. The way these oaths are some
lines administered borders very close
y on the breaking OF this command.
4. It forbids all profanity. the care
ess, irreverent use OF Gods name and
( holy things. because It tends to de-
troy the power Of these things over
aen.
5. It enforces Christs interpreta-
lon that all efforts TO suppet our as
ertions OF a fact beyond the simple
yes" or mo" repeated cometh OF
VII It weakens tile assertion itself.
6. All thoughtless worship comes
nder the ban Of this commandment.
" s. Remember the Sabbath day
emember implies that the Sabbath
lready existed. TO keep II holy
ossibly we talk too much about what
OF to do on the Sabbath Here Is the
reat thing to do; worship: keep the
ay sacred fer religious duties aud
SEPARATION. the culture OF the soul OF
0urself and Of others.