October 28, 2023 – Does the Bible Say…?

Does the Bible Say “This Is The Official List of the Ten Commandments?”

“Then God spoke all these words: You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:1-17

When considering the “commandments” the Lord gave to Moses and to the Israelites, there is disagreement on the arrangement and the emphasis. One group of Christians lists ten, which include two about “having no other gods” and one about “coveting” – and the other group lists one about “other gods” and two about “coveting”. When you study the 20th chapter of Exodus, you will find thirteen, maybe fourteen “do’s and don’ts” – some of which explain in more detail what you are to “do or not do”. The Jews will eventually come up with 613 Commandments from the entire breadth of the Torah – things that will make up their “laws for living” including their Sabbath laws. It will be when Moses secures the “second set of Stone Tablets” that the Lord will mention that there are “Ten Words” And he (Moses) wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments (words). (Exodus 34:28).

No matter how many we decide upon, the tradition has been ten – but there are two sets of Ten Commandments, depending on your Christian Tradition. Everyone should be aware of this fact, because if there is an argument about the 4th commandment, you better ask if they are talking about “Honor your Father and Mother” or “Remember the Sabbath”. There are only Ten Commandments, but how many can you name (without cheating and looking it up)?

Pastor Dave

October 27, 2023 – Devotions – Does the Bible Say…?

Does the Bible Say “G-d Helps Those Who Help Themselves?”

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6

“For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm, the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place, you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds; the song of the ruthless was stilled.” Isaiah 25:4-5

Most people have heard the saying: “God helps those that help themselves.” You can read the Bible from cover to cover and you will not find this saying on the pages – no matter what translation you read. In fact, what I have told people is just the opposite is true about G-d: “G-d helps those that cannot help themselves”. This phrase “God helps those who help themselves” appears to have originated in ancient Greece and may originally have been proverbial. It is illustrated by two of Aesop’s Fables. Although it has been commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the modern English wording appears earlier in a work by Algernon Sidney, who as a contemporary of John Locke, are considered cornerstones of western thought.

The passage is popular in part because it is a reflection of cherished American values: individual liberty and self-reliance, pulling oneself up with their bootstraps. But it is not biblical. In fact, this passage contradicts the biblical definition of goodness: defining one’s worth by what one does for others, like the poor and the outcast. In fact, it says in Leviticus 19:9-10:

“Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. ‘Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.”

The bible calls us to love our neighbor, to forgive limitlessly, to pray for our enemies, and to put away worry, and not judge. In these ways we trust G-d to see us through, and look to share out of our abundance.

Pastor Dave