Exodus 20

This is a book about God’s Laws. It concerns one specific set of spiritual precepts (and perhaps the most famous)-The Ten Commandments. Here is a question for you: How relevant do you think these ancient Commandments are in today’s 24/7 digital world? We already know that many people, especially in the 18-29 demographic group, are less religious and not prone to accept dogma in general. For the rest of us, it is doubtful that the most devout churchgoers could rattle off all 10 of God’s primary Laws without pause. How important should they be in today’s cancel culture? Are the Ten Commandments in need of deep revision because of technological changes? Personally, I stand with The Commandments. I believe these fundamental laws still have relevance and that present-day society may be undervaluing them. Just as they established standards for Jewish behavior thousands of years before Jesus Christ walked the earth, I believe these 10 rules for acceptable behavior are still pertinent. In fact, returning to the original Commandments might be crucial in reversing our moral decline. Are we trending downward in values and behavior? What do you think? Every relevant statistic shows crime of all kinds, divorce, drug addiction, pornography, gambling, alcoholism, suicide, mental illness, and increased use of profanity are all increasing. Rather than reversing themselves, these problems seem to be gaining momentum. Human beings are beautiful but imperfect creatures. We all have foibles and failings. Breaking God’s (and society’s) laws has become acceptable behavior. It is even encouraged and condoned by a permissive society.  Unless this trend gets reversed, who knows where we might end up? Civil behavior might be irreparably damaged or even destroyed. We all know something is wrong. We need a moral reset to get centered again. Just as in Moses’ day, people need eternal rules for basic human conduct. Perhaps we should remember the reason for the original Ten Commandments. God felt the Jewish people were lacking in two things: (1) spiritual direction and (2) personal discipline. God felt the freed slaves from Egypt could not enter the Promised Land without a basic Code of Conduct. The Jewish people needed reminding of how to honor God, their parents and each other. The same basic human need for direction and discipline still exists today. There is some good news regarding the Ten Commandments. With these 10 basic precepts long in place, we are not starting from zero. If followed, these timeless laws still promise hope for a happier and more God-centered life. Thousands of years after first being handed off by God to Moses, the Commandments still present a powerful and ordered way to approach life. Another bit of good news: these rules are already well known and accepted by many. They are still revered and practiced faithfully in some quarters. However, public display of The Commandments still ignites controversy. Some rue the mixing of church and state. Yet, a majority of those polled are not openly antagonistic toward The Commandments. This offers some hope and a potential base for the reset of our moral compass. It is generally true that God’s rules suffer from inattention and neglect. Few spend time worrying how their own behavior compares to the original Commandments. A percentage of people probably follow these laws because of their church-based upbringing and long practiced personal values. However, not many human beings arise each morning and say: 'Well I will break Commandments 1, 4 and 7 today. But I promise God to faithfully keep 2, 3 and certainly number 6.' Most people are far too busy living their daily lives to constantly measure their spiritual behavior. We do know that a moral crisis exists. To retrieve our standards, a revolution might be needed. A fresh look at the original Ten Commandments could be a part of that shift.