Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Exodus 19-20

Highlight Verse:

““You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I was tempted to point out that this verse does not say “Thou shalt not lie.” (Which I just did). Then I realized that I was nitpicking at Old Testament Law the same way that the Pharisees did.

Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees was that all the law and prophets were based on two commandments.
• Love the Lord.
• Love your neighbor.

That is reflected in the Ten Commandments themselves. The first four are all about loving God. Commandments five through ten are all about loving your neighbor.

If you truly love your neighbor (which Jesus defined in the parable of the Good Samaritan), you won’t say anything malicious about them or to them.

If we look at all the commandments in the light of Jesus’ summation of them, it brings new life to them.

We no longer look for the loopholes but seek ways to obey them with love in mind.

It may not make the commandments easier to obey. After all, not every neighbor is easy to love. But it should make the spirit behind the commandments more obvious to better guide our words and actions.

Does knowing the intention behind the commandments make it easier or harder for you to obey them?
Do you have those neighbors you would rather not have to love?
How do you get past the reluctance to love certain neighbors?