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Ten Words to Live By

In Bible Study, Blog, Exodus on
September 5, 2022

Image of Idolatry

Every time I read through Exodus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy, I can’t help but think, “How can Israel be so forgetful?” God had performed miracle after miracle, wonder after wonder. He had answered their prayers, provided for their needs, and proven that He was nothing but faithful to His people. Yet, Israel still grumbled, and complained, and longed to return to their bondage—again, and again, and again.

But whenever I think these thoughts, I’m reminded that we are no different than Israel. God has performed miracle after miracle, wonder after wonder in our lives. He has answered our prayers, provided for our needs, and proven Himself faithful to us. Yet, we still grumble, and complain, and long to return to the bondage of our old, sinful ways. There is one Old Testament story in particular that highlights our similarities to Israel well, and it has to do with the creation of a golden calf.

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In Blog, Ten Commandments, Theology on
November 8, 2021

In Vain

One of my favorite TV shows is Friends (I know—not the most wholesome show, but it does make me laugh). There are several recurring side characters in the show, but one of the most memorable characters is Janice, Chandler’s on and off girlfriend who appears in nearly every season of the series. Janice is mainly known for one thing—exclaiming in her loud, nasally, nails-on-a-chalkboard voice the phrase, “OH. MY. GOD.” And Janice isn’t the only one to make this exclamation. Between Janice, the six friends, and other characters, the phrase is said 1,069 times over the show’s ten seasons.[1]

Growing up in a conservative Christian household, I was taught to never use this phrase. In my mind, I was just asking to be struck down by the Lord if I dared to utter those three little words in a row. It was such a big deal because it was prohibited in the third commandment – “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7a, ESV). But what does it really mean to take God’s name in vain? Is this commandment just telling us we can’t use the phrase, “Oh my god,” or is there more to it?

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In Blog, Book Reviews, Ten Commandments on
June 14, 2021

Ten Words to Live By

One of the most well-known passages in all of Scripture is the Ten Commandments. Not only have they been taught often at church and in Sunday School, but they have also been displayed in classrooms, courthouses, capitol buildings, and on monuments all across America. Though we may not have all ten commandments memorized, we generally know what they command, and we probably think we’re pretty good at obeying them. After all, when’s the last time you murdered someone or made a little wooden idol to bow down to? It’s fairly easy to not curse or steal, and we, of course, always put God first in our lives (right?).

But, as Jesus reveals to us in His Sermon on the Mount, these commandments have a far deeper meaning and intention than we might originally think (Matthew 5), and this is exactly what Jen Wilkin focuses on in her book Ten Words to Live By.

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