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Exodus 31:18 – And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. (NKJV)
I once taught a faith and science course in which I challenged my students to bring a Christian worldview into their academics. Sessions included guest speakers who harmonized their Christian beliefs with the secular scientific view of the world. One speaker was Dr. Bert Brockhouse who, in 1994, was the co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. The work that he did for this prize had been completed 40 years previously, at the start of his career. He told me that he was probably the most surprised person in the world when he first heard of his accomplishment from a news reporter asking for an interview.
Dr. Brockhouse brought into the classroom not only his Nobel medal, but also an interesting perspective on the authority of Scripture. He had a clear vision of what we should do, as listed in the Ten Commandments, but he said that we should not follow these commandments simply because the Bible tells us to. Instead, they are words of wisdom that are absolute truths needed to ensure a healthy society. He pointed out that experience itself attests to the value of these rules.
Today, the teaching of biblical rules is banned from public schools, but has this been helpful? Are schools better run and students better citizens after removing the Ten Commandments? Is society really happier and more harmonious with all its freedom without these rules? It may not be possible to prove a cause and effect, but the world that I witness is not in a particularly healthy state.
I believe that ignoring the Ten Commandments does more harm than good. They might be considered religious and judgmental, but they bring freedom: to have the next generation respect and honour you; to be able trust your partner without the fear of being betrayed; and not to have to worry about being robbed, attacked, or killed.
Matthew 22:37-39 – Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (NKJV)
These are the greatest commandments, but they are probably the hardest to follow. Maybe that is why God started us with a few smaller ones before He challenged us with the greatest ones of all. As Christians, let us practice the Ten Commandments so that we are better prepared to keep the greater commandments — to love God, and to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for providing us with rules to live in harmony with others, even when we can't love someone as much as ourselves. May we grow to appreciate Your rules, for they bring freedom and give us life more abundantly. Amen.
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About the author:
Gary Chiang <gchiang@redeemer.ca>
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
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Well said, Gary.
AMEN! Thank you!
Wonderful devotion. Thank you!
God bless you always.
Great message. Thanks for sharing.
(Ontario)
A great message Gary. Thank you for sharing.
Blessings.
Thank you, Gary. your illustration was especially meaningful.
(Tx)
Thank you for sharing this encouraging and refreshing devotional with us today. May God bless you and yours.
Northrop Frye in Stubborn Structures, Great Code – the Bible and the Ten Commandments are the foundation for Western political, social, economic structure.
Thank you for this writing. We speak of this issue so often in prayer group. I look forward to more readings of yours.
(Manitoba)
Thank you for your insights and thoughts on how important God’s teachings are. Today I also read 2 Timothy 3:16 in my readings.
Blessings.
Dear Gary,
Thank you so much for your beautifully written, inspiring devotional. It touched me.
Blessings, Gratitude, Joy, Laughter.
Gary, thanks for writing these thoughts today. My son is a physicist and reminds me that we deal with the absolute truth of the laws of physics every day. God’s absolute moral law of love always works beautifully when followed.
You are so right. They should have never taken the Ten Commandments out of the school let alone the Bible. As parents we should have never allowed that to happen.
Thank you for putting this devotion in for today.
Blessings.
Good morning. It is so true. Things are so terribly different since they took God out of school. I am so grateful I grew up with God in my school. Prayers for the school system and society in general. The world views have also won in churches that have disregarded the Word and now permit what God says no to. God bless.
How true! When I taught, we read a passage from the Bible, said the Lord’s Prayer, and sang O Canada.
Our concerns were chewing gum or ball cap removal. Was able to teach and have a good time with the kids. How our society has changed these last few decades. In my opinion, not for the better.
Lord, help. Amen
Good morning, Gary,
I love the idea of a faith and science course. I have never heard of it, but it would be very interesting being trained as a chemist. It never interfered with my faith, but I know it does for many. My husband has a PhD in physics, so we think alike. Thanks for sharing this information on Dr. Brockhouse. I have noticed that a lot of people who get Nobel prizes get it for something they did years ago. Blessings.
Good morning, Gary,
I totally agree with you about the Ten Commandments. My wife and I watch the 6 o’clock news every evening and we see all the reports as to what the city council and the police should do and they have wall-to-wall meetings. The mayor always makes some, in her opinion, appropriate statements. And every night I say, “All they need to do is give every one a copy of the Ten Commandments and tell them to obey them all.”
Thank you for your good devotional this morning.
Hi Gary,
Thank you for reviving that precious memory of happier days when the Ten Commandments were believed and adhered to by happy people young and older alike. Eighty years ago in my little community a merchant built a ten-foot-high replica of the Ten Commandments. There were two huge pieces in the shape of two stones with carved letters displaying the full text for all to see. As children we read all ten every time we passed by that reminder. There were a few people who mocked but the vast majority were thankful for this brave man and his family.
God bless.
Many thanks for your very good and instructive words today, Gary. Yes, it was very different in school years ago, and I think our world would be much better today if schools still taught as they did in those years. I very well remember back in the “day”, (actually back over 80yrs. ago) when I attended a little country school, we started our school day with the Lord’s prayer and singing “O Canada”. Many things change over time and not always for the better, but one thing for sure is that the Lord’s word is solid and following His words gives us the best outcome in life.
Blessings for your very mindful and special writing today.
Hello Gary,
Thanks for your devotional on the Commandments. My generation (Boomers) probably knew them from church and Sunday School because, although we said the Lord’s Prayer in school every day, I don’t recall learning them there.
We would likely be better off as a society if we knew the Ten Commandments and at least attempted to live by them. But then, that’s the problem: we don’t keep them, often not even outwardly. Thus the need for redemption and forgiveness from God.
We all need to hear God’s law, which points us to the gospel of grace. Sinai directs us to Calvary. I wish you had brought that out, but also realize that it’s impossible to say everything in a brief space.
Every blessing to you.
(ON)
That’s a very important principle – having those God-given comments as a foundation for our society. How I wish things hadn’t changed!! Thank you for sharing those thoughts.
Thank you, Gary. I appreciate the scientific expertise and information that you include in your devotionals. It’s reassuring to know that there are those in the scientific community who believe in God and His creation.