The folly of those who made idols, & then prayed to them, is exposed. How does the profuseness of idolators shame niggardliness of many who call themselves GOD's servants, but are for a religion which cost them nothing! The srevice of sin always cost a great deal. GOD put it to them what senseless, hapless, things idols are. Let then, the Jews show themselves men, avoiding such abominations (Jeremiah 10:3-5).

Check out the Study Hall message board for part 2 of Exodus 20:4,5,& 6, GOD's laws.

   Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; For I the LORD thy GOD am a jealous GOD, visiting the inquity of the fathers upon the children unto the 3rd & 4th generation of them that hate me.     KJV

    Visit the Study Hall message board for Strongs Hebrew text definations.

   My pastor, truly a man gifted with abilities to extort the meaning of GOD's word in our everyday life. At this point in the study, shows how idolatry was in the Samaritan womans life. When CHRIST asked her to bring her husband, she admitted that she had not one to bring. CHRIST said that she was right in saying not one, because she had had 5 & the man she was living with, was not her husband. She evidently, was idolizing these men, looking for satisfaction. This maybe the reason she appeared at the well while CHRIST was there & the other disciples were not.

   There was great hatred between the Samaritans & the Jews. CHRIST road from Judea to Galilea lay through Samaria. We have here our LORD JESUS under the common fatique of travelers. Being wearied, He sat on the well & asked the woman for a drink of water because He had no cup. The woman was very suprised. CHRIST took the occasion to teach her divine things; HE converted her by showing her ignorance & sinfulness & her need for a Savior.

   The carnal mind is very ingenious in shifting off convictions, & keeping them from fastening. HE severely reproved her present state of life. The power of HIS word in searching the heart, & convincing the conscience of secret things is proof of divine authority. It should cool our contrast to think that the things we are striving about are passing away. The object of worship will continue still the same, GOD as a father, but an end shall be put to all differences about the place of worship. Reason teaches us to consult decency & convenience in the place of worship. JESUS justly preferred the Jewish worship, yet here speaks of the former as soon to be done away.

   The woman was disposed to leave the matter undecided, till the coming of the Messiah. "I that speak to thee am HE." Speaking to her was thought to disgrace our LORD JESUS, yet to this woman did our LORD reveal HIMSELF more fully than as yet HE had to any of His disciples.

   No past sins can bar our acceptance with HIM, if we humble ourselves before HIM, believing in HIM as the CHRIST the Savior of the world.(John 4:4-26)

   Pastor Bob, goes on asking the question, Who is GOD in your life? Duty or destruction? Sincerity or uprightness will keep the favorable opinion of wise & good men. CHRIST by His gospel makes a glorious discovery to the minds of men. But the design of the devil is to keep men in ignorance, & when he cannot keep the light of the gospel of CHRIST out of the world, he spares no pains to keep men from the gospel, or to set them against it (IICor.4:4). The heathens had gods of higher & lower degree, gods many & lords many. Pastor Bob, explains some of the gods; baal, the god of fertility & sexulality, molech the god of pleasure & fun, mamon, the god of greed, & asherod the goddess of love & emotion. But what he explains actually is, is it's the god of self...The willful blindness & wickness of the human heart. CHRISTIANS know better! One GOD made all, & has power over all. While we refuse worship to all the many that are called gods & lords, & to saints & angels, let us come to GOD by faith in CHRIST.(ICor.8:4)

   Again pastor ask;What works & what's worth? What works apparently is loyality & allegence to just one GOD, no duplicity. What's worth? How many other gods can speak or see, or even save?

   For the 1st example we bring to mind the Prophet Elijah. Many of the people wavered in their judgement, & varied in their practices. Elijah called upon them to determine whether Jehovah or baal is the self-existent, supreme GOD, the Creator,governor, & judge of the world, & to follow HIM alone. Elijah proposed to bring the matter to a trial. baal had all the outward advantages, but the event encourages all GOD's witnesses & advocates never to fear the face of man. The GOD that anwsers by fire, let HIM be GOD. The atonement was to be made by sacrifice, before the judgement could be removed by mercy. The GOD therefore that has power to pardon sin & to signify it by consuming the sin offering, must needs be the GOD that can relieve from the calamity. GOD never required HIS worshippers to honour HIM in the manner of baal, but the service of the devil, though sometimes it pleases & pampers the body, yet in other things, really is cruel to it, as in envy & drunkeness. GOD requires that we mortify our lust & corruptions, but bodily pennances & severities are no pleasure to HIM. Who has required this things at your hands? A few words uttered in assured faith, & with fervent affection for the glory of GOD, & love to the souls of men, or thirstings after the LORD's image & HIS favor, form the effectual, frervent prayer of the rightous man which avileth much. Elijah sought not his own glory, but that of GOD for the good of the people. The people are all agreed, convinced, & satisfied; Jehovah HE is the GOD!(IIKings18:21) 

   For our 2nd example; The hand of the LORD was heavy upon the Philistines, HE not only convinced them of their folly, but, serverely chastised their insolence. Yet they would not renounce dagon, the fish god, & instead of seeking GOD's mercy, they decided to get clear of HIS ark.

   Carnal hearts, when they smart under the judgements of GOD, would rather, if it were possible,put HIM far from them, then enter into covenant or communion with HIM, & seek HIM for their friend. But their devices to escape the divine judgement only increase them. Those that fight against GOD's will soon have enough of it.(I Sam 5:11)

   Pastor Bob then finishes with a statement of faith; "If your life is grevious, it's because your gods are burdensome." As GOD's COMMANDMENTS are Holy, just & good rules of liberty & happiness, so those who are born of GOD & love HIM, do not count them grevious, but lament, that they cannot serve HIM more perfectly. Self-denial is required, but true Christians have a principle which carries them above all hindrences(I John 5:23).

   And woe to those that strive with their maker! HE is a GOD of perfection; HE is glorious in holiness; HIS holiness is HIS glory.  Exodus 15:4

   Here in the 1st COMMANDMENT we have a brief summary of religion, containing the 1st principles of faith & obedience. Jehovah our GOD is the only living & true GOD; HE only is GOD, & HE is but one GOD. Let us not desire to have any other .   Deutronomy 6:5

   It is essential that the service of GOD's people be performed with a willing mind. The Father seeks only such to worship HIM, as worship HIM in spirit & truth. The carnal mind of man is enmity against GOD, therefore, is not capable of such spiritual worship. Hence the necessity of being born again. As task impose upon them Joshua puts them to their choice, but not as if it were indifferent whether they serve GOD or not. "Choose you whom ye will serve", now the matter is laid plainly before you.  Joshua 24:18

   The terror of the Almighty will sometimes produce a force or feigned submission in unconverted men; like those brought from different countries to inhabit Isreal. May that fear of the LORD, which is the begginning of wisdom, possess our hearts & influnce our conduct that we may be ready for every change.  II Kings 17:29-35

   None besides is able to help; HE is the Savior, who can save without the assistance of any, but without whom none can  save.  Isaiah 45:21 & 22

   Next week "GOD keeps an account"  Part 2 on Exodus 20:3, Hope to hear from ya'll, GOD be with you everyday,

                             Your Brother in CHRIST,

                                                          Uncle Steve

   If you saw the blog post " A Reminder of liberation",Then welcome to our Study on Exodus 20:2.

   Isaiah 58:6, 61:1, Jeremiah 34;

   Stoic's  Believed that anyone could attain true freedom, because no person or force of nature can control the inner life. Thus, the individual is ultimatly in control of self, though not of the enviornment.

   In contast to the stoics, the New Testament reconizes that no one has such absolute control. Everone is considered to be a slave in some sence. Oppurtunity to obtain release from bondage; Romans 6:12-14, 10:9-12 though slaves, our free will is in tact, & our decisions are real & meaningful.

   So we are not in full control of even our innerselves Romans 7:15-25. So it is our master, not ourselves, who determines the general direction of our life Romans 6:16.

   We are free from our former master, sin, but we are still servants. We have freedom, but we are not free! The Bible affirms that our choices are not determined, we make them ourselves. But it also demonstrates that we are not in total control of ourselves. The comforting thing about this is that "In everything HE (GOD) cooperates for good with those who love HIM." Romans 8:28.

   Out of heaven HE made us to hear HIS voice that HE might instruct us; & upon earth He showed us HIS great fire, & we heard HIS words out of the fire(Deut. 4:33&36), what they saw at MT. Sinai, gave an ernest of the day of judgement. At MT. Sinai, GOD manifest Himself in the works of creation. Without speach or language. The heavens so declare the glory of GOD & proclaim HIS wisdom, power & goodness, that all ungodly men are left without excuse. They speak themselves to be the works of GOD's hands; for they must have a creator who is eternal, infinitely wise, powerful & good.

   The counter changing of day & night is a great proof of the power of GOD, & calls us to observe, that, as in the kingdom of nature, so in that province, HE forms the light & creates the darkness, & sets the one against the other Psalm 19:1-3. This doctrine is applied, for the comfort of those that earnestly longed, yet, quietly waited, for the redemption of Isreal, Isaiah 45:7.

   When Moses prays for the good will of HIM that dwelt in the bush, he refers to the convenant, on which all our hopes of GODs favor must be founded Deut. 33:20. The covenant of grace is from everlasting  in the counsels of it, & to everlasting in the consequences of it. The token of the convenant was circumcision Romans 3:29.

   In Heberws 8: 8 & 9, this place is Quoted as the sum of the covenant of grace made with believers in JESUS CHRIST! Not I will give them a new law, but to fulfill it, but the law will be written in their hearts by the finger of the Spirit, as formerly written in the tablets of stone, Jere. 31:33

   GOD will have the great work of the justification & salvation of sinners carried on from first to last, so as to shut out boasting, Romans 3:29. When the LORD spoke "I am the LORD thy GOD", Hosea 13:4, I believe the purpose was to clarify the begginning of a new era in the relationship between the people of HIS choosing & Himself as the supreme ruler of all creation. As we look at the 1st Commandment, this relationship does not have any room for any person, place or thing to be adoned before the LORD GOD.

   My pastor, might mark this new era proposing, the LORD GOD to be both builder & surveyor of the establishment of HIS people & the DEMANDMENTS, HIS tools. The Plumline, which is used to make sure a wall is standing vertically (II Kings 21:13) level. (Isaiah 28:17), as a symbol, it was used by the LORD, in a vision by Amos, for the people were not considered true & straight in their devotion to GOD because they had fallen into worship of false gods Amos 7:7 & 8.

   The measuring line also used to make straight & mark distance. Was also used as a  symbol of GOD's judgement over evil. (Lamentations 2:8) or as a sign of HIS blessing & restoration (Jeremiah 31:39).