The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-07-12
THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
DUTIES TOWARD GOD
Sunday School Lesson for July i4.l9O7
Specially Prepared for This Paper


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, 15). The day of Pentecost the
feast. Of first fruits. Some time in May.
1891 b. G. or perhaps 1900.
PLACE.-In the plain at the base OF MI
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. 4:12; BIS 2:l5-l9;
341; Deut. Abb; 9:9-11; 1O:1-5; Kings SO;
Heb. ga. Read Psalms 49, 1ls.
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 its northwestern base stretches
Er-Rahah, "the wilderness of Sinai,
the only plain in the neighborhood
capable of holding 100000 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 Tor
the cattle. Fronting the plain Is
lofty and precipitous bluff, Ras-Sufsa'
| feb, whence, probably, the law was
proclaimed.
The Commandments Are Divine
Laws.-V. /. "And God spake all
these words" in three ways: (D by
his voice. CD by writing them on the
tablets of stone; and CD 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 in the
early history. They are a lesson for
Fall mankind.
V. 8. Thou shalt have no other
gods before me-" "Side by side with
me-" "in addition to me-" "in my pres
ence," and therefore "in preference to
me-
VS.. &C. This forhids making any
representation of God as a means OF
worshiping him.
The First Reason is that all images
misrepresent God. They are not like
God. They do not represent God as
pictures of a friend represent him to
us.
The Second Reason. V. 5. Il =.
am a jealous Cod" /. 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 chil-
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 name
of the Lord thy God in vain," |. e.,
lightly, carelessly, thoughtlessly, in.
sincerely. Z
1. This forbids processing to be
Gods people, in covenant relations
with him, and then acting in 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 ". 16),
! which defines our duties to our 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 a prayer for help to do
, it, The way these oaths are some
, times administered borders very close.
ly on the breaking of this command.
4. 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.
. 8. 1t enforces Christ's interpreta
| ton that all efforts to support our as
sertions of fact beyond the simple
: yes" or mo" repeated cometh Of
. evil. 1t weakens the assertion itself
6. All thoughtless worship comes
under the ban of this commandment
V. 8. Remember the Sabbath day.
Remember implies that the Sabbath
already existed. ITO keep 1t 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.
'Tn the Old Testament there are
four covenants: that with Noah, OF
which the rainbow was the sign, prom.
Using safety from destruction to all