Reading: Exodus 20, 13 Thou shalt not kill! Reflection: The first part of the Decalogue dealt with matters concerning the relationship between God and man, while the second part deals with the no less important relationship between man and man. For Israel, this part of the Scripture was always more than just law. The Decalogue spoke of absolute and eternal moral principles that every person should cherish in their heart. If it were not so, someone could deeply hate, despise, be angry – and still remain within the acceptable framework of the law, as long […]

Reading: Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you! Reflection: The fifth commandment is unique in that it requires both parents, father, and mother, to be equally honored. Interestingly, the father and mother are singled out as objects of special recognition and honor. This goes against not only the patriarchal culture of that time, but also a modern culture that puts strong, successful, victorious, powerful, heroic, and mostly male leaders on a pedestal, not mom and dad. Often, we […]

Reading: Exodus 20,8-11 Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may work and do all your tasks, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. On that day, no work may be done by you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the resident alien within your gates. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day, he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the […]

Reading: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Exodus 20,7 Reflection: Have you ever driven through Herzegovina and passed a billboard with a picture of Mary holding Jesus and the caption “Stop cursing my son!”? When thinking about the third commandment, it’s easy to fall into the trap of the obvious. Of course, the commandment tells us not to curse God, swear by his name, use it in profanity, or in any other inappropriate way in speech. However, the […]

Do not spend your strength on women, your vigour on those who ruin kings. The last month we have read selections of King Solomon’s wisdom.  Yet it is not good enough just to read, write or speak Proverbs.  These final verses provide a somber warning for us – Solomon did not practice what he preached! He was ruined by his love of women. In what areas of your life do you feel tired?  Where did you last ‘spend your strength’?  Who is taking your energy and your attention away from God?  What is preventing you […]

Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? Our God keeps secrets from us.  Not because He is mean or malicious, or doesn’t want to share.  Not to withhold His goodness from us. Like a loving parent who knows what’s best for us, He does not overwhelm us with things we need to know.  He is a God of mystery, a God whose love knows no bounds, who is […]