Old Testament Commentary - Exodus 20

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 20 The Lord reveals the Ten Commandments—Israel is to bear witness that the Lord has spoken from heaven—They are forbidden to make gods of silver and gold—They are to make altars of unhewn stones, and to sacrifice to the Lord thereon.
1 AND God ^aspake all these ^bwords, saying, 2 ^aI am the ^bLORD thy ^cGod, which have brought thee out of the land of ^dEgypt, out of the house of ^ebondage.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
3 Thou shalt have ^ano other ^bgods before me.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
4 Thou shalt ^anot make unto thee any ^bgraven ^cimage, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not ^abow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a ^bjealous God, ^cvisiting the ^diniquity of the ^efathers upon the ^fchildren unto the third and fourth generation of them that ^ghate me; 6 And shewing ^amercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my ^bcommandments.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
7 Thou shalt not take the ^aname of the LORD thy God in ^bvain; for the LORD will not hold him ^cguiltless that ^etaketh his name in vain^a. Worthiness One of the offenses of taking the Lord's name in vain is that of participating in the Lord's ordinances unworthily. When one partakes of the sacrament unworthily, they are partaking of it in vain. The Lord will not hold him guiltless who have partaken of the sacrament unworthily. Real Intent Sincerity in one's devotions to God is of great importance. If one is not truely sincere in his commitment to keeping of the ordinances, covenants and commandments of God, this he is performing his worship or 'holy convocation' in vain. God will not hold him guiltless. Carelessly Perhaps akin to sincere real intent is that item of lightmindedness and carelessness when one participates in God's ordinances, covenants and commandments with a lightminded and uncaring mannor, This is usually noticed by a lack of irreverence shown during such participation. Thus the degree of reverence shown or lack of it comes to bear in concept of taking of the Lord's name in vain. Desire of the Heart Perhaps the bottomline in one's not taking the Lord's name in vain, is that of the intent and desires of the heart. Are they really centered upon pleasing God, or are they preoccupied with other things, things of the world? If they are so preoccupied and rather centered upon the things of the world over the things of God, then one is indeed taking the name of God in vain.	7^a his name in vain Often used as a commandment against valgarity, this commandment is quite misunderstood. Will foul language is wrong and a tool of the devil, this commandment is actually more concerning worshipping God in reverence, and keeping our covenants and ordinances. God has sworn a commitment unto mankind known as the Everlasting Covenant of God. In its entirety, it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, the very Plan of Salvation, Exaltation and Eternal Progression. In a reciprocal response to God's oath and promise to man, man is to respond by taking upon himself the name of God, always remember Him, and keep his commandments. Man makes these promises back to God in the name of God. When one brakes his covenants, man has then taken upon himself the name of God in vain. When one prays without real intent and sincerity, then one uses the name of God in vain. When one worships God falsely, then one is using God's name in vain. When one misuses or incorrectly conducts the ordinances of God, he has taken God's name in vain. Cain offered unto God as his sacrifice the fruit of the field other than the commanded offering of cattle, sheep. This mispractice of corrupting the performance and meaning of the sacrificial ordinance in the similitude of the sacrifice of the Lord was a gross infraction against God in worshipping Him and performing an ordinance incorrectly. It was an offense unto God, a taking of His name in vain. Lucifer had enticed Cain to so sacrifice against the proper order of the offering. In so following after Lucifer in corrupting the service of God, Cain was guilty of sin. God therefore did not honor Cain's offering but rather corrected him and told him if he would offering the ordinance correctly, He would then honor it. Cain used this as an excuse and in further compliance with Satan's instruction, killed his brother Abel in order to get the gain of his herds.	Proper Order There is a correct or right way of doing the performances of God and a wrong or incorrect way. When one performs or attempts to perform the ordinances and covenants of God improperly, especially intentionally not according to the rules which God has set down, then they are corrupting the order, invalidating the ordinance or covenant of God and in fact taking the name of God in vain. The two sons of Aaron took it upon themselves to contrive how they would perform the ordiances of God contrary to God's order. They were struck dead for so doing. Cain corrupted God's order in offering grain rather than an animal sacrifice in similitude of the sacrifice of the Savior, In so doing his offering was not accepted before the Lord. Any ordinance or performance unto God which is not conducted according to the order that God has sanctioned is performing the order of God in vain, that is taking the name of God in vain.
8 Remember the ^asabbath day, to keep it ^bholy. 9 ^aSix days shalt thou ^blabour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy ^astranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in ^asix days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD ^bblessed the sabbath day, and ^challowed it.
12 ¶ ^aHonour thy ^bfather and thy ^cmother: that thy ^ddays may be ^elong upon the ^fland which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not ^akill.
14 Thou shalt not commit ^aadultery.
15 Thou shalt not ^asteal.
16 Thou shalt not bear ^afalse witness against thy ^bneighbour.
17 Thou shalt not ^acovet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's ^bwife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
18 ¶ And all the people ^asaw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people ^bsaw it, they ^cremoved, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God ^aspeak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, ^aFear not: for ^bGod is ^ccome to ^dprove you, and ^ethat his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
22 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have ^atalked with you from heaven. 23 Ye shall not make ^awith me ^bgods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
24 ¶ An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt ^asacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn ^astone: for if thou lift up thy ^btool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 26 Neither shalt thou go up by ^asteps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not ^bdiscovered thereon.