The Tupelo journal., 1907-07-12
THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
DUTIES TOWARD GOD
School Lesson for July IA, 100
Specially Prepared for This Paper

| specially Prepared Ior l MS Taper
LESSON TEXT.-Exodus 2o:1-11. Mem
DRY verses, Ill.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Thou shalt love
the Lord, thy God, with all thine heart.
and all thy soul, and with all thy might"
-Deut. SIS.
TIME.-Fifty days after leaving Egypt
eek. 1871, 49,. The day of Pentecost. the
feast of first fruits. Some time in May.
1491 B. C. 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 REFERENCES.-The Ia
bles of Stone: Elk. 24:12; 31;1S; 32:15-19;
34:1; Deut. Alb; 9:9-11; 10:1-5; / Kings 49,:
Heb. "a. Read Psalms 10. 119.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Mt. Sinai and Its Surroundings
The exact mountain Is uncertain, but
Hastings Bible Dictionary inclines to
the traditional Jebel Mousa, Noun
tain of Moses" 1858 feet above the
sea, In the wild, mountainous region
of the glorious range of granite noun
tains of which Sinai is the nucleus.
At it's northwestern base stretches
Er-Rahah, "the wilderness of Sinai,"
the only plain in the neighborhood
capable of holding 1000, 900 persons.
allowing a square yard for each. The
camp itself (Palmer) was doubtless
more extensive, occupying the neigh
boring glens and mountainsides, wher-
ever there was sufficient fertility for
the cattle. Fronting the plain is a
lofty and precipitous bluff, Ras-Sufsa-
feh, whence, probably, the law was
proclaimed.
The Commandments Are Divine
Laws.-V. 1. And God spake all
these words" in three ways: CD by
his voice; (2) by writing them on the
tablets of stone; and (3) he has writ
ten them OF 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 in the
early history. They are a lesson for
all mankind.
v. 3. Thou shalt have no other
gods before me-" side by side with
me" 'in addition to me" Sin my pres
ence," and therefore 'in preference to
me-"
VS.. 4-6. This forbids making any
representation of God as a mean of
worshiping him.
The First Reason is that all images
misrepresent God. They are not like
God. They do not represent God Is
pictures of a friend represent him to
us.
The Second Reason. V. 5. 81
IN a jealous God" i. e., not willing
that any other should be regarded as
his equal, or take his place in the af-
fections and worship of his people;
because no other can take his place;
no 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.
34:7; Jer. 32:1S). 1t is a statement
Of the scientific doctrine of heredity.
V. z. Thou shalt not take the mama
of the Lord thy God in vain," i. e.,
lightly, carelessly, thoughtlessly, in
sincerely.
1. This forbids protesting to be
Gods people, in covenant relations
with him, and then acting in a man
ner that dishonors God and misrepre-
sents him before the world. 1t dis
graces religion, and drives men from
God.
2. 1t forbids perjury. False
swearing is among the greatest in
suits that man can offer to God, and,
as being such, is naturally forbidden
in the first table, which teaches US our
duty to God. 1t is also destructive Of
civil society; and hence it is again
forbidden in the second table (v. 16),
which defines our duties to u neigh
bor."-Ellicott.
3, But it does not forbid what is
called taking an oath in court; for
that is a simple affirmation in the SOL
emn presence of God to tell the truth,
ending with q prayer for help to do
it. The way these oaths are some
times administered borders very close
ly on the breaking of this command.
A. 1t forbids all profanity, the care
less, irreverent use of Gods name and
of holy things, because it tends to de-
stroy the power of these things over
men.
5. 1t enforces Christ's interpreta-
ton that all efforts to support our as
sertions of a fact beyond the simple
yves" or mo" repeated cometh of
evil. 1t weakens the assertion itself.
6. All thought1ess worshipScomes
under the ban of this commandment.
v. s. Remember the Sabbathsday."
Remember implies that the Sabbath
already existed. ITO keep it holy"
Possibly we talk too much about what
not to do on the Sabbath. Here is the
great thing to do; worship; keep the
day sacred for religious duties and
inspiration, the culture of the soul of
yourself and of others.
The Covenant of Love.
"In the Old Testament there are
four covenants: that with Noah, Of
which the rainbow was the sign, prom
Using safety from destruction to all
mankind; that with Abraham. of
which circumcision was the sign:
that with Israel as a nation, of which
thu ctor, mos tho DnH1O. o- 49,