Exodus 20:17, commentary and pictures

Thou shalt not covet forbids wanting anything that belongs to a neighbor, house, wife, servants, animals or any other possession. It is the tenth commandment, the closing precept of the ten spoken from Sinai and written by God on stone. It is part of God's enduring moral law, a transcript of His holy, righteous character requiring supreme love to God and love to neighbor as self. It strikes at the root of sin, condemning every selfish desire, discontent and overreaching, for wrongs against others spring from covetous desire cherished in the heart. It is spiritual and far-reaching, making coveting known as sin and idolatry, revealing guilt, showing need of a Saviour, and standing as the standard by which all will be judged.

Words of Prohibition

Thou shalt not covet forbids coveting anything that belongs to a neighbor, specifically the neighbor's house, wife, manservant, maidservant, ox, ass, servants and animals, and anything else that is the neighbor's. It is the tenth commandment in the moral law spoken from Mount Sinai amid smoke, flame, thunder and earthquake, and it stands together with the commandments before it as God's holy precepts to be obeyed exactly as written. It is one of the last six commandments, which show duty to others and to fellow human beings, which express God's character and set out the whole duty of humanity. It restricts the dishonest and covetous person from following those desires and stands as a condemnation of coveting, and obedience to this requirement would bring a great change to cities and the world. Treating the commandment as void is presented as a supposed freedom from restraint, while keeping God's commandments is wrongly called bondage and unnecessary under the gospel.

Wanting anything that belongs to a neighbor is forbidden, and the command stands before people now and must be obeyed, with no excuse for disobedience. God's commands as Thou shalt and Thou shalt not establish that His commandments are to be obeyed, a principle that applies to parents' instructions so that children learn obedience from principle and not merely compulsion. The prohibition strikes at selfish desire for anything belonging to another and strikes at the root of sin, because sinful acts toward others spring from covetous desire, and whoever refuses to indulge that desire will not wrong another person. It condemns covetousness and forbids every selfish desire, every degree of discontent, every act of overreaching and every selfish gratification. Giving place to these strengthens and develops a character that destroys Christlikeness in the person and closes the gates of the city of God against him and bars him from the city of God.

Cherishing lust in the heart and making provision to please and glorify self is forbidden, and mere assent to the ten commandments and teaching them in theory does not keep it. It must be obeyed from the heart because its pure principles are loved, with transforming power that surrenders every habit, practice and sin, opens mind and heart for truth to find entrance, and lets light from Christ search every dark corner of the soul. Keeping it means being pure, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, while those who profess it while living a lie lose the vitalizing power of truth, let sin strengthen, and have no strength, confidence or efficiency as agents for the Master. Envy and jealousy toward others violate duty toward fellow human beings, as do hatred and absence of brotherly love, for God's command instead requires loving one's neighbor as oneself. As one of the last six precepts requiring love for neighbor as self, it condemns all selfishness and is at variance with all evil thinking and evil speaking. It enjoins kindness, gentleness, forbearance and tender guarding of the interests of others as revealed in the life of Christ, so that keeping it means unselfishness of heart and character and sincere love for fellow men shown by kind words and actions and by doing to others as one would have them do, thereby honoring the Maker, while failing to manifest love for one another and lacking kind words and actions makes any claim to acceptable service to God untrue.

Letting strong animal passions rule the thoughts and imagination and devices of the heart is forbidden, including fascination and infatuation with women, preferring and planning for the society of ladies, and talk with them of marriage out of place. Inward desire for what is forbidden is transgression of God's holy law even while advocating its binding claims. For a watchman upon the walls of Zion such indulgence tempts the devil to tempt, spreads Satan's net, walks straight into the snare, gives enemies of truth occasion to reproach, brings perplexity and discouragement to those just seeing light, leaves a blot never fully effaced, piles up the cup of iniquity for the judgment wrath of a pure and holy God, stands as a fearful aggravating record in heaven, and demands humbling of heart with sincere lifelong repentance. Coveting includes desiring and taking another person's affections and property, with unlawful intimacy described as coveting and stealing what belongs to another. The covetousness it forbids is idolatry, and covetousness brought deception into the couple's lives.

The desire to acquire or accumulate property is not sinful in itself, but pursuing wealth in a way that forgets God and violates duties to fellow men is sinful, and rushing to become rich at the cost of health and ability to serve God is a costly wrong. It becomes transgression of this precept with the others when in desire for wealth and haste to be rich men forget God, labor intemperately beyond strength, overtax their energies, violate the laws of health and of their being, and place themselves where it is impossible to glorify God in their bodies and spirits which are His and to render Him perfect service. Property thus obtained is obtained by a course of sin at immense sacrifice, bringing suffering upon themselves and anxiety, weariness and suffering upon those they love. Coveting to obtain money is sin, along with murdering and doing everything possible to obtain money, and there need be no such sinners. Money is not everything, though it has its place, and its right use is to send missionaries to foreign countries and to provide the education needed to fit workers to go to foreign countries and learn languages.

Place Among Commandments

The prohibition belongs to the last six commandments on the second table, which set out duty to neighbor and to fellow human beings and are summed up in loving one's neighbor as oneself, while the first four set out duty to God as Maker. It forbids coveting anything belonging to a neighbor, specifically house, wife, manservant, maidservant, ox, ass, animals and anything that is the neighbor's. One who is false to God cannot be true to neighbor, and loving God supremely produces loving neighbor as self, while pride lifting itself unto vanity, making a god of self, and self-love stand condemned and are expelled when the gospel sanctifies the soul. Together with the whole law it hangs on love to God supremely and love to neighbor as self, can never be repealed while heaven and earth remain, originates all enlightened law and government, and forms the foundation of God's government in heaven and on earth. Obedience is required together with the other nine, not nine-tenths of the law, for the ten are like links of a chain where one broken link leaves the chain of no value, so violation of this one alone makes a person a commandment-breaker guilty of all, and only willing obedience to all makes a true commandment-keeper. Keeping it with the rest is required to inherit eternal life, and failure to keep it breaks the law, so when Christ's words convict of failure the right response is confession of sin, not excusing the breaking as too difficult to fulfill or seeking vindication before people.

It is the tenth commandment, the closing precept of the Ten Commandments inscribed on stone tablets, spoken from Mount Sinai amid smoke, flame, thunder and earthquake. Its proclamation is linked with the mountain setting and is upheld by the declaration that Christ did not come to destroy the law or the prophets. Rome divided this commandment against coveting into two separate commandments in order to preserve the number ten after expunging the second commandment forbidding image worship. This division, made also by the popes in devotional books to alter the commandments to fit their practices, completed a sacrilegious changing of times and laws, done to give converts from heathenism a substitute for idol worship by gradually introducing the adoration of images and relics into Christian worship and thus promote their nominal acceptance of Christianity.

The Ten Commandments containing it are brief, comprehensive rules applying the principles of love to human life and circumstances and containing the whole duty of humanity, given for the instruction and government of all mankind and entrusted to Israel for the benefit of the whole world. Their two governing principles are love for God and love for others, and other scriptural commands amplify the ten precepts. They are to be read together with Exodus 31:12 through the end of the chapter. With the rest the verse is the terms of eternal life, for obeying God's law gives free access again to the tree of life lost through the first parents' disobedience, while there is no excuse for transgression. Its "Thou shalt not" contains or implies a promise, so that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings danger and unhappiness.

As one of the ten it is a rule of God's kingdom, part of the transcript of God's character and the foundation of His government over human intelligences, proclaimed in an audible voice from Sinai and engraved by God's own finger on tables of stone. It profits nothing by mere reading unless its truth is brought into the soul-temple to illuminate the mind, because sin and guilt originate in the heart. A transgression thought very small is not weighed in man's finite scales but by God's standard of righteousness, and disobedience is condemned as disregard of God's requirements. Those who are doers of these words by rendering obedience to His statutes and laws become obedient subjects of His kingdom and will have an abundant entrance into the mansions prepared for them, for to obey them is life. Claiming to be a child of God while living in disorderly self-will, setting up one's own will as a standard for others and carrying out preconceived ideas and opinions, brings opposition to the will of Christ and transgression of the law, including its command not to covet, whereas Christ came to represent the Father in character and is the example in all things.

The last six including this verse are bound in indivisible divine unity with the first four as one indivisible whole, not a separate lesser part that can be belittled or ignored. Treating these commandments as less important than the first four leads to failure in practical godliness, mercy, benevolence and the duties of daily life, for obedience is shown in good works. It is immutable and eternal as the throne of God, testing character as obedient or disobedient. Keeping it brings great reward even in this life, a conscience that does not condemn and a heart at peace with God rather than at enmity with Him. True obedience to it is not mere acknowledgment of truth, ceremonious worship, or offering sacrifices, and admits no self-love or self-exaltation, but whole service to God by faith that works by love and purifies the soul, pouring out the riches of God's goodness in love and compassion to fellow men. Obedience to the last six requires both parties to study marriage carefully rather than enter it impulsively. It is one of the principles of the law from Sinai to which those who love and serve God must be as firm as a rock, while allowing each to follow personal conviction on diet questions such as eating butter and refusing to let differences of opinion cause disturbance, disunion, or a barrier between brethren.

Sinai Giving and History

The commandment against coveting was spoken by God Himself with an audible voice in the hearing of all the people at Mount Sinai, enshrouded in glory and surrounded by angels, amid awful grandeur with thunder, lightning, trumpet tones, smoke, fire, earthquake, cloud, tempest, thick darkness and glory as devouring fire on the summit, and was engraved by His own finger on tables of stone and delivered to Moses so a forgetful people prone to idolatry could not forget it, mingle tradition with it, or confuse it with practices of men. It belongs to the covenant by which Israel was taken as a peculiar treasure, a holy nation to be united with a holy God, and acts as God's great mirror and great rule of right, revealing man's true condition and showing the offensive character of sin and personal guilt in the sight of a pure and holy God, so that its awful utterances overwhelm sinners with terror as more than quaking frames can bear. Perfect obedience to it is required, and by keeping it men purify themselves even as He is pure and reveal love for the Supreme Ruler, for it was given so that His fear may be before men that they sin not, with every provision against sin made in it, and its truth profits nothing by mere reading unless brought into the soul-temple to illuminate the mind, because sin and guilt originate in the heart. It was one of the ten commandments God Himself gave to Israel during their wilderness wandering, leading them to Sinai and there proclaiming it amid scenes of awful grandeur.

At Sinai the people were afraid at the thunder, lightning, trumpet and smoking mountain and asked Moses to speak for God, not understanding that Christ was their appointed mediator without whose mediation they would have been consumed. Since the sin of the first parents there has been no direct communication between God and man, and the Father has given the world into the hands of Christ to redeem man through His mediatorial work, so all communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ and the glory revealed at Sinai was manifested through Him. Christ was the leader of the Hebrews in the wilderness, the Angel in whom was the name of Jehovah who veiled in the cloudy pillar went before the host, and it is His voice that speaks through the Old Testament.

God delivered His people from Egypt by His mighty power in spite of Pharaoh's opposition through Moses and the dividing of the Red Sea so that they might keep this law, and brought them to Sinai to hear Him proclaim it. He led them apart from the world to Sinai, where nothing would attract their senses or divert their minds, that prepared to receive His word they might realize their own nothingness before Him, after patient instruction, sanctification, washing of clothes and mercy in a thick cloud. The awful grandeur, power and glory with which it was given demonstrated its importance and made known God's majesty and authority as Ruler of the world, to impress the people with the sacredness of His law and the importance of obeying it. Spoken from Sinai by Christ the Redeemer, it is the faith once delivered to the saints, the transcript of His character and the revelation of the will of the infinite God and the principles of His government in heaven and earth.

The law already existed before Sinai and was not newly given; God did not come down to give a new law but to speak His existing law amid thunder and flame and great power and glory, with His voice like a trumpet growing louder, so the people shook with fear and fell on their faces. God displayed His power to make the scene unforgettable and to impress profound veneration for the Author of the law, showing to all men the sacredness and importance of the ten precepts. The ten precepts were by no means given exclusively to Israel but the Hebrews were made the depositaries of the law to be handed down to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, and those who accept Christ as Redeemer most fully estimate its sacred and exalted character, for Christ is the foundation of the Jewish system in which the law was given.

The same law was given in Eden when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy, made known to Adam and Eve by rehearsing it to them without writing, with principles suited to holy beings that governed even angels and whose transgression caused Satan to fall. After Adam's sin and fall nothing was taken from the law and its principles were not changed, though additional precepts including the system of sacrificing beasts were given to meet fallen man, and Adam taught it to his descendants so it was handed down to the faithful through successive generations. After continual transgression called for the flood it was preserved by Noah and his family saved in the ark, with Noah teaching his descendants the ten commandments, and God preserving a people from Adam down in whose hearts was His law, as shown when Abraham obeyed God's voice and kept His charge, commandments, statutes and laws. Transgression brings death as its penalty, called for the flood, and made it necessary for Christ to die as a sacrifice to make escape possible while preserving the honor of the law, with the sacrificial system meant to keep the death penalty before fallen man, teach humility over his fallen condition, and lead him to repentance and trust in God alone through the promised Redeemer for pardon, so that if the law had not been transgressed there would never have been death and no need of additional precepts. After the children of Israel had lost sight of the commandments during years of bondage and many had largely lost knowledge of the law and mixed its precepts with heathen customs and traditions, it was proclaimed anew from Sinai after their deliverance and written by God with His own finger on tables of stone in lasting form because it was highly essential that His holy law never be lost but ever be kept prominently before the world, and its keeping means Christ's life revealed in human life.

Its writing marks the beginning of written revelation after the first twenty-five hundred years of human history when those taught of God communicated their knowledge to others and it was handed down from father to son through successive generations, and it stands at the start of a sixteen-hundred-year work in which inspired revelations were embodied in an inspired book from Moses, the historian of creation and the law, to John, the recorder of the most sublime truths of the gospel.

The people, blinded and debased by slavery, were not prepared to appreciate its far-reaching principles, so additional judgments, statutes and precepts explaining and applying its obligations, including duties to God and other people and to the stranger, were delivered privately to Moses from God's mouth in the mount to communicate and write in a book to guard its sacredness and lead erring man prone to transgress it back to obedience. Those definite directions are the principles of the ten commandments simplified and given in a definite manner so that none need err, to lead erring man to strict obedience, and had the ten been practiced those directions would not have been needed. If man had kept the law there would have been no necessity for the ordinance of circumcision, and if the descendants of Abraham had kept the covenant of which circumcision was a token or pledge they would never have gone into idolatry nor gone down into Egypt, and there would have been no necessity to proclaim the law from Sinai and guard it by the judgments and statutes given to Moses. Transgressing the law given in such majesty and unapproachable glory showed open contempt for the great Lawgiver, and because of continual disobedience God annexed penalties to transgression that were not good for the transgressor and whereby he should not live in his rebellion, with death as the penalty, while the statutes and judgments were good for the obedient who should live in them, with punishment inflicted under the civil law to restrain others by fear.

The law was placed in the sacred chest in the ark of the testimony as a lasting witness never to be lost, served as a hedge distinguishing Israel to exemplify righteousness as a model to nations, was solemnly covenanted to and recapitulated by Moses before his death so the generation raised in the wilderness would understand the law and the need to obey it, with Joshua repeating it with blessings and curses, and brings prosperity in obedience and adversity in transgression. Israel had solemnly covenanted to obey God's holy law including the command against coveting, and the law was given under God's rule and government and formed part of Israel's solemn covenant with Him after the people pledged to do all He commanded. The people transgressed the law recently given when they turned to shameful errors during Moses' absence and demanded gods, and Aaron should have reminded them of Sinai and refused their demands even at the cost of his life.

God commanded Israel to keep its words constantly before them, embroidered in short form on a ribbon of blue in the border of their garments as a reminder of love to God supremely and love to neighbor as self, so outward display of devotion while heart and life are contrary to the commandments violates their purpose.

The commandment is included among God's holy precepts first given in Eden and proclaimed again at Sinai to the people delivered from Egypt during their wilderness journey after the exodus, during which God led them to Sinai, expressing the terms of Israel's covenant to obey His voice. The law written by God's finger on stone reveals God's will and is a transcript of His character; Israel was called to meditate on it, live by its principles, and make its principles known to every nation, kindred and tongue. Instead they became jealous and envious and failed to keep their covenant, and just after its speaking Israel apostatized with the calf in Moses' forty-day absence.

Enduring Divine Authority

Thou shalt not covet is part of the ten commandments spoken by God Himself and written by His own hand, His holy moral law, the Decalogue proclaimed at Sinai, of divine and not human composition, unlike the rest of the Bible where God-given truths are expressed in the words of men as a union of the divine and the human. It is one of the ten precepts pointing out human duty, whose principles are to be honored in practical life and written on the heart and not merely observed outwardly, to which attention must be given and whose rejected light brings responsibility. It is a rule of God's kingdom and part of the transcript of His character and the foundation of His government over human intelligences, proclaimed in an audible voice from Sinai and engraved by God's finger on tables of stone. Its truth profits nothing by mere reading unless brought into the soul-temple to illuminate the mind, for sin and guilt originate in the heart, and a transgression thought very small is weighed not in man's finite scales but by God's standard of righteousness, with disobedience condemned as disregard and obedience rendering obedient subjects with abundant entrance into prepared mansions. Its binding claims and solemn injunctions must be set forth clearly and distinctly just as spoken amidst awful grandeur, changeless and eternal as the throne of Jehovah, laying the Monarch of the universe's claim upon the whole human family, rulers and subjects alike, so that all work in harmony either with the Lord or with the great rebel, and when repeated in preaching to large congregations many are impressed, sinners tremble, many awake to duty, and the law proves perfect in converting the soul.

The ten, including the ban on desiring anything belonging to a neighbor — house, wife, servants, animals — express God's character and set out the whole duty of humanity. They reveal the principles of God's government in heaven and on earth, given in Eden and at Sinai and written on stone by God's finger, which Israel was to make known to every nation, reflecting God's character and remaining as unchangeable as His eternal throne. The law is enduring, unchangeable, immutable and eternal, as unchangeable as His throne, still binding with not one precept done away; its command against coveting remains binding, its claims lay hold on rulers and subjects and the whole human family until the end of time, and its commands are not optional or subject to human judgment, convenience or preference. Engraved so all inhabitants of earth might understand His eternal unchanging character, obeying all including this one gives experimental knowledge of God, to be laid hold of by teachers seeking learning and proficiency, understood only as heart and mind are brought into harmony with God. Its principles are to be carried out in life, with godliness in harmony with health laws including obedience to it, so that had men always obeyed it with the rest the curse of disease now flooding the world would not exist. It forbids coveting as dishonest practice restraining selfish desire for worldly prosperity and protecting property, so that without its binding force property would be unsafe and men would obtain neighbors' possessions by violence with the strongest richest, sowing disobedience to reap disobedience unto robbery and assassination, disregard for life, violation of the marriage vow by taking a neighbor's wife by force, and children taking parents' lives to obtain corrupt desire, leaving no peace, rest and happiness.

Christ had to die because the law could not be altered, and His death to atone for its transgression confirms its enduring authority while ending only the ceremonial laws of sacrifices and types; His death magnified and honored the law and enforces obedience, showing transgressions required redemption. Transgression remains sin even for those knowing His life and death, His sacrifice vindicates and upholds the law and His example shows obedience to it, and the Holy Spirit awakens conscience to bring these commandments to remembrance. The law is a standard of right-doing that cannot be changed and eternal truth in Scripture. It contains principles of heavenly origin to govern life in every particular, a pure ennobling principle from God valued because He is its Author and it is a transcript of His character, never to be changed to meet man in his fallen condition. It is the only safe guide, the Word of God, the foundation to build on, the rule to live by, and the standard by which all will be judged, requiring unswerving obedience turning neither right nor left and standing on It is written, so that any doctrine lacking these ten as foundation is unsafe and whoever does not make them life practice works on the enemy's side.

The commandments teach what is right in dealings with one another, including justice, mercy and necessity, given to preserve integrity and bring humanity into harmony with divinity, with blessing, care and protection in obedience, so that had they been obeyed the calamity upon San Francisco would not have occurred. They guard against injustice and guide how people deal with one another as continuing instruction from Sinai to be obeyed. Neither Satan nor human beings can alter or improve them, and those teaching breakage do not follow Christ who proclaimed them at Sinai. Human traditions, precepts, maxims and rabbinical customs must not set aside God's commandments, whose words as the living God have greater force than precepts of men, customs of scribes and Pharisees, and traditions handed down through rabbis, which in Christ's time were made all-essential, regarded as of even more force than the ten, and kept back disciples from advancement, knowledge and efficiency. Man must not trim the great moral standard to suit ideas or convenience but submit to it as foundation of prophets and apostles, by keeping which subjects represent their Sovereign, with the Sabbath within as great test bringing precious promises, divine wisdom, power, love and heavenly registry as loyal and true, so that belittling it by bringing law into subjection to self displeases God and safety lies in committing every temporal and eternal interest to Him who reigns. Its authority as Thus saith the Lord is greater than human precepts and traditions, expressing God's truth in purity distinct from human maxims.

Its truth and authority every person must acknowledge and obey, given to every person with binding claims warning against letting ambition for worldly honor lead away from truth and obedience. God publishes it and its penalties so distinctly like a city on a hill that all intelligent beings can understand if they will, and will not punish transgressors without first sending warning, so ignorance is now no excuse and all are bound by sacred obligation to heed, including natural law against indulging depraved appetite and lustful passion, with health reform light given to show sinfulness of breaking laws of being as one branch fitting a people for the Lord's coming, since health-destroying habits hinder appreciating sacred truth. As proclaimed at Sinai it carries definite penalty with certain punishment following transgression. It says to every transgressor Thou shalt surely die, yet repentance toward God and penitence toward Christ brings certain salvation through His death, for man can keep it as proved by Christ taking human nature, passing over Adam's ground, perfectly obeying and resisting temptation, leaving entire obedience as example and making final overcoming possible through His merits, requiring both letter showing how to walk to please God and spirit pointing to Christ as atoning sacrifice through whose merits requirements are fulfilled. The ten serve as standard of divine inspiration, so not every human word spoken or written is as inspired as this commandment.

Christ Law and Gospel

Christ himself as Creator proclaimed the eternal law at Sinai, and the glory revealed there was manifested through him as leader of the Hebrews, the Angel in whom was the name of Jehovah veiled in the cloudy pillar, whose voice speaks through the Old Testament, with no direct communication between God and fallen man since the first parents' sin except through his mediatorial work. He gave that law and fully understood it, for its precepts have far-reaching claims and are holy and just and good, beyond anything the human mind can devise or fully comprehend, an unchangeable standard of absolute perfection expressing character with sanctifying power beyond measure. In the Sermon on the Mount and on the Mount of Beatitudes he unfolded its principles and explained its true spiritual meaning beyond cold codes of commands and traditions and technical interpretations, restoring it to its proper light as God's enduring standard of righteousness remaining as long as heaven and earth endure.

He later defined the principles of the Sinai law so they could be carried out in practical life. His claims upon it He has not lessened, for it cannot be transgressed without consequence, and He gave His life to atone for transgression and to enable obedience to its precepts. Finite wisdom cannot improve one precept, and not one of the ten can be broken without disloyalty to the God of heaven.

He perfectly fulfilled every precept, obeying every commandment and fulfilling all righteousness under it. As head of humanity He thus showed that perfect obedience is possible and that man can do the same work and meet every specification of its requirements, vindicating God's justice in requiring it and making holiness and perfection of character attainable to everyone who strives for it. The repentant person who trusts in Him and seeks to obey is covered by His perfection, and those who accept Him and share in the divine nature are enabled to follow His example, with the path to the fulfillment of all righteousness made easier and the law magnified and made honorable through furnished treasures of grace so that no one need miss heaven.

Taking human flesh into vital union with divinity, He passed over the same ground where Adam fell and bore the test the first parents failed. He was tempted in all points like as humans are, yet without sin, and had He failed on one point Satan would have been victorious. In His humiliation and death in dying agony He vindicated His right to pardon transgression and sin against that law.

The law was given in great love to order human conduct and restrict men to what increases real happiness for themselves and others in this life. Its principles carried out in daily life ennoble and sanctify heart and mind, guard from sin, regulate life in virtue, and give moral fitness through Jesus Christ for the society of holy angels and for heaven. Righteousness requires not only observance of the letter showing how to walk to please God, but also its spirit pointing to Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice through whose merits the sinner can fulfill its requirements.

It remains binding under the gospel dispensation, and the same Saviour gives the same commands in both, belonging to the terms of eternal life. It is distinct from the sacrificial offerings and rites and ceremonies that prefigured the death of the Son of God and ceased to bind when type met antitype. It is kept in spirit as well as in letter through living faith in the Saviour as Redeemer of the entire race, Gentile as well as Jew, not as dead formalism.

The moral code together with the ceremonial law serves as a schoolmaster to bring people to Christ. As one of the last six precepts concerning duty to other people, proclaimed at Sinai as a standard of obedience and revelation of duty, it is remembered and obeyed, yet sin weakens ability to obey, and Christ came to live the law in human nature so that people may share His divine nature and live it.

Its prohibitions protect from the evils that follow transgression, and received in Christ the commandment works purity of character and brings joy through eternal ages as a wall of protection founded on immutable principles of righteousness. Obeying it from right principle by faithfully doing it is eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ, appropriating all that is embraced in the atonement made on Calvary, and those who so receive Him have Him standing by their side and receive power to become the sons of God.

Keeping it through His merits, hanging the helpless soul upon Him, brings into harmony with heaven. Refusing to comply works in harmony with the evil one, but refusal does not do away with the law. Its Thou shalt not remains plain and decided, and light from heaven must not be refused even when obedience separates from neighbors, for the choice is between Christ and the world.

It was given by Jesus who veiled in the cloudy pillar led Israel and has spoken as verily now. It restricts the dishonest and covetous person from following those desires and stands as condemnation of coveting a neighbor's house, wife, servants, animals, or anything else belonging to the neighbor. To call the holy just and good law bondage shows the transgressor who sees no beauty in it, while treating the commandment as void is presented as a supposed freedom from restraint, and keeping the commandments is wrongly called bondage and unnecessary under the gospel.

Conviction Sin and Judgment

God's law forbids coveting and by its command makes that sin known, and like a mirror it reveals errors and sins when lives and motives are examined by its holy requirements, so that those who profess to honor it may still be breaking its spirit without understanding their guilt. Transgressing it calls for repentance, its claims require obedience, and faith in Christ's atoning blood is the remedy for sin.

The commandment is spiritual, holy, just and good, ordained to life if obeyed, and by making sin appear sin and exceedingly sinful it shows the need of a Saviour to take away sin. Paul states he would not have known lust and that coveting was sin unless the commandment had said so, and when its claims enlightened him he recognized himself as a sinner. When the command comes home to the conscience sin revives and the sinner dies, because sin takes occasion by the commandment to work all manner of desire, deceive, and slay. The command exposes human character like a mirror, it is not a yoke of bondage to be trampled and is not abolished, and breaking or ignoring it does not remove guilt or its penalty but calls for putting away sin and doing what is right.

Violation of the tenth commandment was the root of Achan's ruin, showing covetousness to be a deadly sin of great enormity and terrible results, yet among the most common sins and the most lightly regarded, rarely meeting detection, punishment, or even censure while other offenses do. Covetousness is an evil of gradual development, for cherished greed of gain grows until it becomes a binding habit in fetters almost impossible to break. It deadens perception of sin so that one who would have been horrified at bringing disaster on others falls an easy prey when temptation comes.

The young ruler who claimed to have kept the commandments had failed both tables, for his supreme love of riches was his idol swallowing his heart and treasure so he could not love God wholly with heart, soul and mind. That same supreme love shut his eyes to the wants of his fellow men so he did not love his neighbor as himself. Jesus exposed the idol by telling him to sell what he had and give to the poor, proving his lack. Had he obeyed God's commandments in spirit and truth his sinful nature would have been slain and he would have seen his sin and received eternal life.

The lawyer had neglected the demands of the last six commandments including this one, which define and enjoin love for fellow human beings, while together with the first four they express the full duty to love God supremely and one's neighbor as oneself. Obeying them is part of the evidence of genuine, saving knowledge of God, with supreme love for God shown through love for those for whom Christ died. Faced with conviction the lawyer tried to excuse himself rather than acknowledge his sin, treating the commandment as difficult to fulfill and too difficult.

The law is revealed as the rule of judgment, brief, comprehensive and authoritative, proclaimed at Sinai as the expression of God's righteousness, perfectly revealing His will and character and the principles of His government for every nation. All will be tried by these ten holy precepts which are the laws of Christ's kingdom, for people are not their own to do as they please, and God is jealous of His law and tests every person to see whether he will obey or not. At the judgment the tables of stone will be presented as the standard of righteousness and standard of character every soul must meet, with its Thou shalt and Thou shalt not as promises to the obedient and condition of salvation, and its principles determining whether people receive life or death. Its principles are far-reaching and remain forever the great standard of righteousness by which all shall be judged in the great day when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, standing immutable and eternal with not one precept done away. The law is perfect, converting the soul, to be respected, reverenced, obeyed and taught to children when rising and sitting and going out and coming in, and Jesus came to fulfil all righteousness under it as Head of humanity to show man can meet every specification, magnifying the law and making it honorable so that through grace no one need miss heaven and holiness is attainable.

Breaking it is sin, for sin is transgression of the law, and its requirements and penalty for transgression are definite with sure punishment following. The Ten Commandments make known the Father's will, and doing that will is necessary, for professing faith or performing mighty works does not excuse disobedience. If character is not in harmony with the law, profession of godliness still bears evil fruit, and not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom but only the doer of the will. Prophesying, casting out devils and many wonderful works do not save, and workers of iniquity will be told to depart, while hearing and doing builds like a wise man on rock that stands against rain, floods and winds, and hearing without doing builds like a foolish man on sand whose fall is great.

The law proclaimed from Sinai's mount carries weight under which every soul must bow in humility and contrition, giving plain principles of heaven that call sin by its right name with no glossed-over iniquity. Departing from it is sin leaving the disobedient, even while claiming to do the will of heaven in apparent power and dignity, standing on the very brink of ruin. Guilt under it requires coming to Jesus Christ who gave His life and whose blood cleanses from all sin. Breaking the sacred law spoken at Sinai is heinous sin that God regards with horror, and when its sacredness is brought clearly before the mind sinners realize the evil of transgression, tremble, weep very sore, and are wrought to repentance.

No claim to be sanctified is valid without keeping what was spoken with divine authority from Mount Sinai, and giving it no heed or evading its requirement proves claimed sanctification spurious. Setting up a self-imagined law or standard of self-righteousness instead of obeying it fails Bible requirements and cannot take its place. The law requires nothing short of spiritual perfection, which man has not in himself, but through the infinite sacrifice of the Son complete provision is made for man to become a partaker of the divine nature and through the merits of the blood of Christ to be an overcomer in union with Christ.

Love in Daily Dealings

Faithfulness toward God and faithfulness toward neighbor belong together, for supreme love for God leads to loving neighbor as self. Pride and self-love stand against that love, with pride lifting itself to vanity and making a god of self. The gospel sanctifies by driving self-love out, and when God has His rightful place in the heart the first four commandments kept lead to keeping the last six. Strong self-love that lives only for personal enjoyment while disregarding the present and future happiness of others leaves no room for love toward those who do not praise or flatter, and love for God includes love for people made in His image so it cannot coexist with hatred or violation of neighbor. Keeping the last six therefore means manifesting tender pitying love toward everyone for whom Christ died and consecrating self to be a missionary laborer together with God, drawing zeal and energy from Christ the Chief Missionary.

Keeping the command out of love produces true Christian zeal that works for the benefit of those needing help after Christ's self-denying life of disinterested benevolence. It refuses indifference to the less prosperous, blesses the needy, visits the fatherless and widows in affliction, provides food and clothing, and speaks kindly words to help the discouraged and desponding. By such ministry hearts are opened to divine truth.

Its principle must govern business transactions and every line of work, especially by those in responsible positions, lest human imperfections dishonor God and become stumbling blocks. It forbids dealing unjustly, false claims, taking advantage of those under one's jurisdiction, forcing others to one's terms, oppression, robbing members of God's family of individuality or rights even on plea of advancing God's cause, stealing, bearing false witness, scheming, deceiving, robbery and injustice. Transactions violating it God does not accept and prosperity will not attend them, for His cause is free from every taint of injustice and can gain no advantage by such means, and such dealing misrepresents His character and gives business priority over religion. It calls for fine keen clear perceptions of equity in judgment, refusing selfish ambition to be keen and sharp for financial interest and refusing to let business crowd out supreme love to God and love to neighbor as self. Those called of God must stay in touch with Him, watch and pray and work with eye single to His glory as in sight of heaven's universe, representing Christ with hearts as tender pure true and compassionate as His, with pure hearts and clean hands keeping His maxims.

It forbids studying how to gain advantage in trade and advantaging self to a neighbor's disadvantage. It forbids putting a neighbor off guard so he cheats himself, offering a low sum for what is known to be worth more then extolling its value once possessed, piling falsehood upon falsehood, scheming in business, and assuming false propositions as truth and righteousness then working everything to carry them out. Such courses are untrue to God and untrue to neighbor, stand with transgression of the rest of the last six, and misrepresent God's character because they are not in accordance with His will.

It forbids extortion, robbery and unfair gain for material profit, exposing hidden greedy motives, as shown when unholy traffic and ill-gotten gain perverted the temple service with unfair transactions and overbearing tyranny bruising worshipers. Taking God's means for oneself is condemned as a selfish covetous act against His perfect unchanging law requiring continuous unswerving wholehearted obedience, with the first four calling for supreme love to God and the last six for love of neighbor as self. Belonging to unions that compel support for their interests and restrict others' freedom in buying or selling disregards the entire law including not coveting, whose test exposes whether people obey God.

Secretly enticing away another man's associate physicians and helpers and putting it into their minds to leave him for another place breaks the commandments as the standard in all dealings with one another. Conniving at such underhanded work is not led by God, for there is no circumstance or condition excusing the least injustice to brother or neighbor.

It requires unselfishness in all dealings, practice of self-denial, guarding every soul as God's purchased possession, preventing oppression, and allowing no different rule of action for men in authority and those who submit, for directors and supposed inferiors. Its principles, enacted by the Father in heaven who is wise just good and whose heart is love, are for guidance of all men women and children in all transactions, to be brought into practical life and especially to rule institutions, to be taught to children, and to form the standard of all dealing from which there can be no sinless swerving. Blessing attends those vitally connected with Him in obeying them, which is learning and doing God's will with all the heart and a perfect heart, keeping the way of the Lord with faith truth and righteousness, with no conniving in selfish practices such as selfishly grasping for wages and oppressing others, because God will bring every work into judgment.

The one law applies equally to every position including masters and servants, superiors and inferiors, and old and young, all to fear God and faithfully do duty, with curse rather than blessing on those not meeting God's standard. In marriage its duty requires both spouses to respect one another's rights and obligations rather than claim mastery or disregard the other's interests. Obedience to it with the other last six requires both parties to study marriage carefully rather than enter impulsively.

It enjoins kindness, gentleness, forbearance and tender guarding of others' interests as revealed in Christ's life. Keeping it means unselfishness of heart and character and sincere love for fellow men shown by kind words and actions and by doing to others as one would have them do, thereby honoring the Maker. It commands love of neighbor as self not only for those thinking and believing exactly as we do, as illustrated by the good Samaritan, and it is broken when men oppress fellows, lift souls unto vanity, and glory in and exalt themselves above brethren. Its keeping rests on the value of man estimated at Christ's ransom price, who gave His life to deliver all from thraldom of sin and make them free men and women in Him, and failing to manifest love with kind words and actions makes any claim to acceptable service untrue. Keeping it in dealings belongs to pure religion.

Keeping it requires transformation of character and a new heart, coming into conscious loving communion with God so truth righteousness and mercy are discerned. Mere assent and teaching in theory does not keep it, nor does cherishing lust or making provision to please and glorify self, for its pure principles must be loved and obeyed from the heart with power that surrenders every habit practice and sin, opens mind and heart for truth to enter, and lets light from Christ search every dark corner. Keeping it means being pure, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, strangling the first scheming purpose Satan forms in the mind, pricing time as God's time, aiding others by perceptive faculties and sympathy, and giving tangible proof of love by cooperating with Christ in helping fellow men who must be met in judgment while honoring God with all the heart. Those professing it while living a lie lose vitalizing power of truth, let sin strengthen, and have no strength confidence or efficiency as the Master's agents.

It reaches even to intents and purposes of the heart and demands purity in most secret thoughts desires and dispositions. It must be made the rule of daily life from love to God even at any inconvenience, for such obedience pleases God more than mere professions of loyalty or words of praise. Without supreme love to God and love to neighbor the highest profession is mere hypocrisy, and keeping the whole law yet offending in one point is guilt of all, so violating a neighbor commandment offends the law as a whole. Not one of the ten can be broken without disloyalty, finite wisdom cannot improve one precept, and the least deviation by neglect or willful transgression is sin exposing the sinner to wrath, restrictions the unrenewed heart hates and strives to throw off.

True obedience is not mere acknowledgment of truth, ceremonious worship, offering sacrifices, following the letter only, or outward display while heart and life are contrary. God commanded Israel to keep the words constantly before them, embroidered in short form on a ribbon of blue in garment borders as reminder of love to God supremely and neighbor as self, so outward devotion with contrary heart violates their purpose. The law must be obeyed in spirit and daily life, shown through practical benevolence, whole service by faith working by love purifying the soul and pouring out God's goodness in compassion to fellows, admitting no self-love or self-exaltation, bringing a non-condemning conscience and a heart at peace with God.

Breaking it with the rest greatly dishonors God and is joined to dishonest dealing and sharp scheming worldly-policy plans followed for nearly a lifetime. Obedience requires purification, self-examination, righting wrongs and restitution made not only in word but in deed. God sees every corner of the human heart and knows the defilement to be cleansed, calling for thorough searching of heart.

It forbids coveting a neighbor's possessions, wives, cattle or anything belonging to him, laying restraint on dishonest desire that can lead to defraud or violently take what belongs to others. Without its binding force property would not be safe and the strongest could seize whatever they wanted so the strongest become richest. Corrupt desire becomes violent action disregarding justice and right, using force or even murder to seize, taking a neighbor's wife by violence in violation of the marriage vow, and children killing parents to obtain desire of corrupt hearts. Men trample it as hindrance to worldly prosperity, but disregarding it sows disobedience to reap disobedience, opening the way to robbery and assassination and disregard for life, turning the civilized world into robbers and assassins where peace rest and happiness are banished.

Using time and money for needless display of dress violates the last six because it fails to love neighbor as self. Those careless indolent and selfish, thinking more of own exaltation than God's honor and using lent talents for selfish purposes instead of His glory, do not keep it. Keeping it belongs to pure devotion recorded by the recording angel deciding future eternal reward according to works, and to self-discipline controlling selfish desires by setting self aside to bless those around.

Its requirement to love neighbor as self makes the nation responsible for loving the colored race and making restitution for past wrongs of slavery. Even those who did not actively enforce slavery must make special efforts as far as possible to remedy lasting harm of enslavement, for its command against coveting belongs to that law.

It means not injuring neighbor and guarding rights, guarding the rights of neighbors in duties toward others. Increasing a family beyond what parents can care for and educate harms neighbors and violates those duties. Those increasing children when reason shows physical and mental weakness must be their inheritance break it by increasing degeneracy, sinking society lower, enslaving reason to passion, and entailing lifelong physical mental moral suffering poverty and degeneracy upon children. God cares still more for the closer sacred relation of parents and children and will call parents to account.

It requires the highest regard as part of direction and laws given from Sinai to the church delivered from Egypt, including laws of chastity. When lived by it keeps physicians from looseness of manners and carelessness regarding chastity, including taking liberties with women and transgressing chastity. In medical work especially with women it requires constant guarding against danger and remaining pure in conduct toward women patients. All who live by it may be safely trusted as physicians.

Obedience Blessing and Warning

Obedience to the command not to covet with the other commandments would bring a great change to cities and the world. Obedience to all the commandments is the highest education, taught by God rather than by unsanctified human teachers. Obeying all including this one gives experimental knowledge of God, and only as heart and mind are brought into harmony with God can its divine requirement be understood. Obeying it with the rest gives knowledge of whether doctrine is of God, for as laws of the Ruler of the universe they must be respected, and like a father's family laws obedience brings order and happiness while disobedience brings confusion.

Obedience is the only safety for individuals and nations because it alone secures divine favor, happiness and prosperity. Strict obedience would end much misery, poverty and crime in the world. Obedience brings health, happiness, peace and joy, forming a protective boundary against results of transgression, with required character attained through familiarity with His word. Keeping brings great reward even in this life, a non-condemning conscience and a heart at peace with God rather than at enmity. Obedience is the way to peace and prosperity while transgression brings harmful consequences, applying to troubled events of the present world. Obedience from love to do His will brings blessing, prosperity, clear spiritual perception, grace and infinite love, with the obedient regarded as righteous and assured as sons and daughters of the heavenly King, while those walking contrary cannot have clear perception and to those not appreciating the Word light becomes darkness.

Keeping the law in the lower school of earth qualifies for the higher grade, fashions character in divine likeness, makes partakers of divine nature escaping corruption through lust, exemplifies Christ on earth, and only those cleansed from every spot enter the city and eat of the tree of life for healing of nations. Violating laws governing the body is as truly sin as breaking this commandment, for either breaks God's law. The Decalogue's precepts are as divine as laws governing the body, and violating God's laws is sin against the Creator. Needless violations of bodily laws are also violations of God's law as sinful as breaking the commandments. Godliness in harmony with health laws includes obedience to its principles carried out in life, and had men always obeyed it with the rest the curse of disease flooding the world would not exist. Carrying out its principles with the rest would have kept disease away, and continual transgression of natural health laws is continual transgression of this law, with ignorance now no excuse after clear light on health reform, since health-destroying habits sin against God, fail to glorify Him in body and spirit, becloud intellect against sacred truth, while walking in light and urging obedience belongs with the third angel's message. Its sacredness is compared with sacredness of physical law.

The moral law's second table summed in love of neighbor as self implies duty of self-love and self-protection, so harming or neglecting self by violating health laws is sin against God as Author of physical and moral law just as breaking a commandment is. Disregarding health laws violates God's law, and devotion to appetite above love for God conflicts with wholehearted obedience. Prevailing suffering, feebleness and premature death are not God's creation or Providence but man's work through wrong habits violating God's laws. Disregard of God's law in physical life violates its principles, which call for self-denial and government by principle rather than appetite. Violating natural law by indulging depraved appetite and lustful passions violates God's law, and health reform light is given that men may realize sinfulness of breaking laws of being, published as distinctly as a city on a hill so ignorance is now no excuse under sacred obligation, accompanying the third angel's message to fit a people for the Lord's coming because health-destroying habits prevent appreciating sacred truth. Breaking bodily natural laws through depraved appetites and lustful passions is breaking God's law, given as warning to recognize sinfulness of violating laws of being. Its binding claims can only be discerned and kept in harmony with natural law through temperance preserving health and vigor, binding mental and moral powers to perfect service with affections on God, so ignorance of laws of being and lessening vigor by perverted habits and intemperance is transgression making perfect service impossible.

People violate it when they blunt conscience to avoid reproach of obeying known right. People violate it when they turn from known duty to avoid reproach and conform to the world. Conscience is blunted by turning from light on simple eating and dressing in obedience to moral and physical law, and shunning the cross of harmony with natural law leads to shunning other duty and breaking commandments from unwillingness to endure cross and shame. Turning from known duty can lead to violating the commandments, and rejecting light on simple dress and obedience to physical and moral laws to avoid cost is a path toward breaking them. People must not disregard commandments for a path of own choosing, and both leaders away and followers are guilty. The Decalogue's precepts are as truly divine as nature's laws written on every nerve, muscle and fiber, and every careless or willful violation is sin against the Creator, to be taught as foundation of physiology and hygiene. Its order is also inscribed in the human body as divine in origin and character. Its laws are as truly divine as physical nature, with every organ pledged health if implanted laws are obeyed as inscribed by His hand, so many sick might be well by surrendering soul, body and spirit, keeping harmony, with clean hands and pure heart giving peace conducive to health.

The holy law was spoken after Israel washed clothes, showing preparation applies to the heart, and careless filthy habits in person, clothing or home are incompatible with receiving and living it. The law cannot live in or be written on the heart while one remains unclean in person, clothing or home, making high profession without cleanliness worthless, and Sabbath worshippers who can should wear neat suitable clothing rather than week's work clothes, otherwise dishonoring Sabbath and God's house. The commandments teach what is right in dealings including justice, mercy and necessity, given to preserve integrity and bring humanity into harmony with divinity with blessing, care and protection in obedience, and had they been obeyed the calamity upon San Francisco would not have occurred. Making the law void is the crime filling up iniquity of the United States as greatest most favored nation shielded by Providence, blessed, made refuge, taught pure faith, entrusted with light, repaid by ingratitude with guilt proportioned to rejected light and fearful record in heaven with reckoning kept with nations.

Keeping all ten marks God's people apart from worshippers of the beast, bringing the dragon's hostility. Believers show loyalty to the holy law even facing opposition and contempt. People will defy the Decalogue as they reject truth, without coveting singled out. It is one of ten written by Jehovah's finger on stone kept in the ark in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary whose door Jesus opened in 1844 after shutting the holy place door, making the commandments present truth opposed when that work is reversed. Breaking it while professing Christ is transgression and sin to be plainly reproved with certain sound, its enforcement belonging to the third angel's message given with intensified power with the Sabbath as great test, not tamely or mixed with other interests. It remains binding on professed believers, belonging to the standard of commandments of God and faith of Jesus to be lifted as important theme proclaimed like a trumpet walled with strong arguments and Revelation teaching, not tame indefinite voiceless. Professed Christians violate this Sinai-proclaimed law, calling for clear forceful presentation.

No one can truly keep the Sabbath while disregarding any precept. Reverence for the Sabbath leads to keeping first three and last six including not coveting, with the Sabbath covenant as golden clasp uniting man to God in supreme obedience and to fellow man. The law is immutable so firm Christ had to die because it could not be altered, the Spirit bringing it to remembrance, the bound-up Sabbath to be taught decidedly, and when compelled to transgress people must stand firm refusing violation even under threat to freedom and life while working wisely until the final Sabbath issue. Opposition to God's law is driven by desire to set aside the Sabbath, with commandments linked to testimony and restored to strength. The law in Exodus 20 is to be pointed to in presenting the Sabbath question to cast down the idol of false Sabbath by lifting the standard higher, belonging with neighbor duties while first four outline Maker duty, showing one false to God cannot be true to neighbor, condemning pride, self-deification and self-love which the gospel expels. Faithful ministers must feed the flock with living Word not men's words, including seventh-day Sabbath because God commanded, refusing every interpretation making disobedience trifling. Keeping barricades believers against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness, and doing gives life.

It lies at foundation of all right laws, which framers for the nation should understand. As everlasting unchanging principles it is foundation of enlightened civil law serving good and safety by regulating actions and restraining wrong. As binding moral standard in heaven and earth it is foundation of laws for nations and families. As complete righteous moral code unamendable by man it is standard of character by which every work and thought is examined. It guides everyone including men, women and children in all dealings, to be taught to children and used as standard for every transaction with no sinless departure. It reveals standard of character asserting authority at final judgment, with breakers found guilty. It plainly sets what must and must not be done, illustrating need to teach children obedience. Its sacred Sinai-spoken lessons remain important through end of time to be taught to the young. Parents must teach it when rising, sitting, going out and coming in, for the law is perfect converting the soul, immutable with none done away, given by Christ through Moses, and had the world obeyed instead of hearing God has no law thefts, robberies and murders would not fill world and prisons, for to love God and keep commandments is whole duty. God's commands as Thou shalt and Thou shalt not must be obeyed, applied to children learning obedience from principle not mere compulsion. Parents are to teach its must and must not firmly without anger. It is part of Lord's words parents obey and teach so commandments pass generations, forbidding coveting as God's instruction.

Its principles are to be honored in practical life written on heart not merely outwardly. Its requirements must be studied with no detail forgotten and taught to children as enduring standard. Its Thou shalt and Thou shalt not provide pattern for teaching children obedience. It gives principles of God's character guiding all in all transactions from a loving Father, blessing the vitally connected obedient, to be brought into practical life especially ruling institutions, taught to children, forming standard of all dealing with no sinless swerving, requiring unselfishness, self-denial, guarding every soul, preventing oppression, no different rule for authority and subjects, no grasping wages, for God brings every work to judgment. Its holy just good pledged word should be read, understood and made visible in homes to impress hearts. It is to be printed in plain letters prominent to make law known, vindicated by heart-mind obedience and strong arguments, and had it with others been obeyed present wickedness would never have existed.

It is part of higher law God spoke audibly then engraved with His finger, one of ten precepts foundation of all righteous laws, put in mind and heart where its words are spirit and life with power to subdue and enforce, so those having it take it as only supreme authority, live by every word, conform to every good land law, and obey God rather than men when rulers conflict, sooner disobeying all men than deviating least. As sacred law proclaimed by Creator written with His finger lest forgotten or corrupted, obeyed it would have prevented present wickedness, while religious teachers setting it aside make it ineffective. God gave ceremonies because Israel would not obey being forgetful, to keep Him in remembrance, which would not have been required had they loved obedience, and same requirements still bind professed peculiar treasure so special testimonies would be unneeded if obeyed. Proclaimed in awful grandeur as Ruler to be observed in commemoration of Creator, setting aside one and substituting an unsanctified day usurps divine prerogatives, obeying such human law compels transgression, and conflicting enactments lack divine approval. Given as household law it governs home life for parents and children to harmonize with God's plans. It is to be obeyed in every line of work. Families professing belief must obey rather than let temporal business overwhelm, as counsel on stone in the ark as lasting witness. Practiced in every work, disregard dishonors God and stumbles others.

It is divine law as Ruler not to be set aside for human requirements. Those acknowledging commandments and keeping the fourth must live by every precept including against coveting. The Jews heard the Sinai law but failed to honor through service, with outward religion and pride not compensating. As holy Sinai-spoken law which is part of God Himself, His greatness, holiness and jealousy require only holy men to carry truth, not entrusting flock and last message to men weakened by formerly cherished errors like perfectionism and spiritualism whose course reproached truth, even if now feeling free, for only strict observers honor Him. The Decalogue is foundation of covenant whose teachings Jeremiah renewed making God's will known. Exodus 20 identifies seventh day as creation memorial when God rested, blessed and made holy, given by Creator as kingdom law met with mercy and love in obedience. Disregarding plain Sinai precepts was part of sin contributing to indifference, and letting flagrant violations go unrebuked hindered others' work and prevented rich heavenly blessing.

Obedience is personal duty whose clearest sermon is living them, neglect is sin, obedience includes showing Christ through care and unselfish love, and disregard undermines sacred claims turning people from truth. Spoken from Sinai by Christ the Redeemer with awful grandeur showing importance, majesty and authority to impress sacredness and importance of obeying, it is faith once delivered to saints, first given in Eden. God delivered from Egypt despite Pharaoh to keep this Eden-given law and brought to Sinai to hear proclamation. Statutes Christ gave Moses explained and guarded it for daily life, not temporary types but binding through all ages. Its ten principles reach farther than understood, sacred and permanent, with additional precepts given to explain and apply. Keeping with the rest as neighbor duty summed in love of neighbor is required to inherit eternal life, failure breaks law, Christ's words convict, and right response is confession not excusing as too difficult or seeking vindication. As standard of character for last-day judgment, forbidding coveting another's, its just claims will be vindicated with God's ruler authority acknowledged. Persistent disregard is transgression, and judgments may mercifully awaken transgressors. As holy law expressing righteousness and rule of judgment plainly presented, rejecters are condemned without excuse.

Written by God's finger it reveals government principles in heaven and earth for Israel to make known to every nation as transcript of character given in Eden. Commandments are essential education revealing character and teaching how to live as holiness, justice and mercy with divine authority. Including against coveting they are standard of obedience reflecting character given at Sinai where God spoke and engraved. Those teaching it honor God by strict observance as expression of His holiness. The Ten Commandments are the law Christ meant asking what is written, expressing righteousness guiding conduct against which the world was led. Their moral requirements remain binding unabolished, with obedience and faith in Christ essential to health, truth and happiness, for abolishing would remove what forbids sin, applying to intemperance and licentiousness. As moral law defining mutual duties binding every age, statutes further explained principles preserving from idolatry and disobedience. As higher law written by His finger, transgressing is disloyalty to His government calling for obedience. To be obeyed in faith and works not merely professed and lived out, obeying with nine separates and purifies God's people giving different standpoint from pleasure-loving professors shunning cross. Given at creation and proclaimed at Sinai it distinguishes allegiant keepers from transgressors facing judgment, hearing the changeless law awakening sinners and converting soul, practiced requirement revealing character meaning life to obedient and death to disobedient, with prohibition implying promise of blessing in obedience and danger in disobedience.

Perfect obedience is required, purifying as He is pure and revealing love for Supreme Ruler, given amid thunder, lightning, trumpet and smoking mountain so people stood afar, that His fear be before men that they sin not with every provision against sin, impressed further by Sabbath sign of sanctification, written by God's finger on stone given Moses. It requires continuous unswerving wholehearted obedience, first four supreme love to God and last six love of neighbor, with taking God's means condemned as selfish covetous violation. Treating commandments as dead letter hides God's justice and condemnation of sin. Its Sinai sacredness reveals seriousness of sin leading transgressors to recognize guilt and tremble. As law of love proclaimed at Sinai it binds to God's will rather than inclinations. As transcript for instruction to be obeyed as life with no excuse, claiming childhood to God while living disorderly self-will setting own will as standard transgresses including not coveting, with Christ the character example. It plainly defines divine rule and clear standard for right behavior given Moses for instruction showing importance of obeying. As holy law, word from beginning spoken in majesty, keeping is important as shown requiring love to God with all heart, soul, strength, mind and neighbor as self. As direct authoritative Sinai instruction its commandments are positive instruction to God's people, vindicated and magnified. Spoken by God and engraved by His finger as transcript of character, obedience to all brings safety and healthy experience. With those before it it forbids coveting neighbor's house, wife, servants, ox, ass or anything neighbor's, as holy precepts obeyed exactly as written.

It is one of ten precepts governing mankind, whose sanctity respected and obeyed even at personal cost protects homes from vice and purifies. Spoken at Sinai its precepts are sacred enduring binding given for Israel to obey and teach children His claims. Proclaimed at Sinai it declares Ruler authority to inspire confidence, and willing obedience signs relationship to heavenly Father as sacred requirement. Obedience with others must be revealed in life work with all business done according to commandments as life restoring moral image and keeping souls with Creator, while professing Christ yet passing over offensive sins and commending evil violates. Obedience sanctifies humanity, so precepts are to be enforced and reverence restored to make faith clear not strengthening skepticism. Held in old-time reverence, obedience brings practical godliness sanctifying humanity, holding back skepticism, manifesting faith foundation, enforcing every precept, awakening responsibility to just pure true action, reforming churches. Kept with others it teaches Bible duty of helping one another, and when Bible is rule constantly before mind loving God wholly naturally leads to seeing importance of keeping as love of neighbor to become part of being, lived in earnest copying of Christ's self-denying life in brief probation fitting for kingdom to enjoy and add to heaven's bliss. As last six its lesson is love of neighbor, which physicians must learn in Christ's school from great Physician, diplomas not supplying. Spoken aloud at Sinai as clear character standard, its must-not expresses loyalty and love of neighbor. Breaking any last six forfeits favor with God. Spoken audibly at His own mountain with special solemnity it shows importance for all ages, requiring keeping today, not treated unimportant or cheaply represented. Israel's prosperity depended on obeying these God-framed precepts.

Spoken by Christ from Sinai declaring governing principles requiring implicit obedience with refusal disloyalty, on second table illustrating love of neighbor while whole hangs on supreme love to God and love to neighbor, unrepealable while heaven and earth remain as origin of enlightened law and foundation of government, it requires all ten not nine-tenths like chain links where one broken leaves no value, so violating this alone makes breaker guilty of all and only willing obedience to all makes true keeper. Proclaimed from Sinai it remains binding among Old Testament teachings revealing Christ to be taught with New. Spoken by God's voice in all people's hearing and engraved on two tables for all mankind to endure not Hebrews only, it gives no right to keep nine setting aside one, each responsible with general transgression not lessening individual sin. People are to use the moral law to examine character and obey all requirements. Spoken at Sinai it sets binding standard exposing defects like mirror, revealing sin and need for repentance and pardon through Christ, with obedience reflecting sincere principled life. As rule of kingdom, transcript and government foundation proclaimed audibly and engraved, it profits nothing by mere reading unless brought into soul-temple, sin originating in heart, small transgression weighed not by finite scales but righteous standard condemning disregard, while doers rendering obedience become subjects with abundant entrance to prepared mansions. Obedience in spirit and letter reveals loyalty and covenant within love of neighbor. Righteousness means living God's law as Christ lived among ten moral precepts. Its prohibition bears on avarice carried under Christian cloak, with law remaining binding. Against worldly prosperity through covetousness treated acceptable, keeping is safeguard and God's approval worth more than gold.

Eternal welfare depends on proper understanding, deep conviction of holy character and ready obedience, for by law is knowledge of sin and men must be convicted before feeling need of Christ, while Satan lessens estimate of sin trampling the only definer, and every sin by neglect or will exposes to wrath, restrictions unrenewed heart hates. Disobeying after knowing truth is walking strange forbidden paths, denying Jesus when service owed, stepping from bloodstained banner to prince of darkness with no excuse at judgment, while God's will is conversion, co-operation, undivided obedience, faithful trading in co-partnership. God restrains punishment with forbearance toward bold defiers but will punish persistent insult and violation. God bears patiently showing mercy to repentant, but forbearance toward persistent disobedience ends in punishment. Far-reaching principles unseen when mind fixed on temporal concerns shaped by worldly maxims require complete heart-mind-soul conformity, becoming clear through diligent prayerful study freed from worldliness. With Bible in hand members are to kneel asking forgiveness for letting imagination fasten on fancies drawing mind to unreal things from Christ's lessons, and when sophistry mingles with Scripture safeguard is choosing Christ's words making no mistakes. Fear and love of God lead cheerfully to obey as transcript expressing will and power of people, with men set apart to minister, conduct services, speak His words setting principles plainly to enlighten understanding, both promoting glory and attaining highest good in harmony with heaven. Living in transgression of first four and last six leaves God able to do little, while loving God supremely leads to loving neighbor and keeping Christ's new love command as heavenward step making people one.

Its requirements form the yoke duty-bound to obey unlike Satan's heavy yokes, with people called to give attention responsible if rejecting light. Its truth profits nothing by mere reading unless brought into soul-temple to illuminate mind. Understanding depends on heart-mind harmony with God as engraved revelation of eternal character. Its plain great principles provide complete standard, and none seeking truth should turn to human teachings or lower standard. It is direct heaven communication in wilderness journeyings plainly stating divine laws as present lesson recording morality, justice, reverence for God and respect for man in His image. Keeping attention fixed on Christ preserves knowledge of character revealed in precepts, turning away leaves vulnerable to temptation. Keeping belongs to pure devotion recorded by recording angel deciding eternal reward according to works, not kept by careless selfish seeking exaltation misusing lent talents. Obeying belongs to having law written on heart following righteous principles in every dealing as last-six mutual duty. Keeping evidences love of God dwelling within. People are free in Christ as they obey immutable law, and respect would prevent much distress. True obedience admits no self-love or exaltation but whole service by faith working by love purifying soul pouring God's goodness in compassion. As covenant it required worshipping no strange god and keeping sacred distinct from common. Everyone professing to keep must study the Sinai proclamation which will witness against world in judgment deciding every destiny, so keeping in truth means obeying every command including this. It must be practiced in every work and family life without swerving, governing work and treatment forbidding depriving just rights or gaining on oppressive terms even for claimed good cause, and setting physician's daily conduct, business and weights apart from condemned customs. It forbids close covetous self-serving spirit instead of loving neighbor, requiring thorough conversion in habits and character as part of last six.