Scripture Passage for Today
Scripture Focus
“Then God gave the people all these instructions…” (Exodus 20:1NLT)
Observation
The US tax code consumes nearly 17,000 pages of text. The total number of pages required to reproduce Federal tax rules (the tax code itself, tax regulations, and IRS rulings) exceeds 50,000. The Cato Institute calculates that the army of professionals (paid tax preparers, lawyers, accountants, and computer experts) required to help Americans comply with our “voluntary” tax code far exceeds the size of the U.S. Army in Iraq!
By contrast, in ten simple declarations, God lays out a powerful strategy for successful living.
The Ten Commandments serve as bedrock for all the other decrees that would ultimately become a part of Israel’s body of law. Likewise, these commands have served as foundational to American culture for most of our relatively brief history. Unfortunately, in recent years the public display of the Ten Commandments has been under strong attack, apparently out of concern that such displays might influence people to obey the commandments! (Now, that *would* be horrific, wouldn’t it—to live in a nation where people lived according to these ten simple directives?)
The commandments fall into two simple categories—the proper honor of God, and the proper honor of people. Jesus affirmed these priorities when asked about the greatest commandment.
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV)
It really is that simple.
3 comments:
I read this scripture today and just think how amazing God is. Its troubling to me that people would think that displaying the ten commandments is offensive to them. this was a gift from God and what he wanted from his people. I look at the phrase, eye for an eye, life for a life, and so on. if these were here today I think there would be less violence and more love to your neighbors. there is not a day that goes by in my line of work that there isnt someone beating on someone else. I see everything in my line of work. i see death, destruction, disrespect, but on occasion i get to see Gods miracles and what he does for his people. I Love God with all my being. I am trying my best to love my neighbor. sometimes its hard to do but I am trying. Thank you God!
I agree with what Joey said it is very sad indeed that this country was built on God's Commandments and yet We have people in authority today trying to take those principles away. I really believe that is why this country has prospered for so long is because we were following God's rule. I hate to think what is in store for us once God is taken away from our society. Glen H
Me too I hate to see that too. This country needs to get back to following Gods laws and letting Him leads us I feel that things would change too and if we would show more love toward our fellow man as the commandments say then then we would show the Love that god show us when He sent His only Son to die for us. God thank you for the ten commandments that you gave to show us how to live and follow you.
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