Deut. 5:6 - "I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery."
It seems like God is ALWAYS reminding His people about this. How does this relate to us in 2011? Read the last part of verse 6 again. Egypt was a place of slavery for the Israelites. Just as the Israelites needed to be constantly reminded of their freedom from slavery, so too must we as Christians need to be constantly reminded of our freedom from slavery...slavery from sin. I also think it's important to note that God says this before He gives the commandments to his people. Unless we recognize that we are free from the bonds of sin's slavery, we cannot fully live out God's commandments in His Word.
Deut. 5:9,10 - "I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected - even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands."
This comes with the commandment to "not make for yourself an idol of any kind...". Certainly, the Israelites had been guilty of making idols (See Exodus 32). If not destroyed, these idols could easily be passed down for generations to come. So it is with sin. One generation's sin can easily become the next generation's sin if it is not dealt with and repented of. I love verses 9 and 10 because God's mercy and grace shine through. Although the consequences of one generation's sin can be felt for a time, the obedience and love toward God of one generation can be felt for years on end. If you have grown up in a Christian family, I encourage you to thank those who have raised you for their love and obedience to God. We can all see examples in our own lives of how Deuteronomy 5:9,10 has come to fruition.
Deut. 5:11 - "You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God."
Personally, my heart has become so indifferent to this commandment. Not because I go around using the Lord's name in vain all day, although I am guilty of that at times. But it seems that whether I am just flipping through channels, surfing the web, or going to the movies, I am hearing the misuse of God's name more and more. It has been a slow infiltration where I have become o.k. with hearing certain words that should greatly offend me. I remember in middle school when I began hearing words that were offensive, and it shocked me and bothered me. I would fight mentally to not think about those words during the day. I need to return to that place of innocence, where I am offended at the misuse of God's name. But I don't think this commandment is all about avoidance of "bad words", but about being proactive in speaking praise to God. One question I have heard asked before is one I think we should ask ourselves, "What are words that you use to describe God that you would not use for anything or anyone else?"
Deut. 5:17,18,19 - "You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal."
In Matthew 5, Jesus basically says that if you hate in your heart, lust after another, or covet someone else's possessions, it is just as if you are committing murder, adultery, and stealing. It is good to be reminded of this, as we all are susceptible to comparing ourselves with others who have done worse things than us. "At least I'm not a murderer. At least I haven't committed adultery. At least I don't steal from others," we tell ourselves. If we really were honest with ourselves, how often must we be in violation of these commandments if we were to apply Jesus' words in Matthew 5.
