Notes about the Ninth and Tenth Commandments

The following is my lesson outline for a recent Life Group series I did at Providence Baptist Church on the Ten Commandments. Specifically, this lesson covers the Ninth and Tenth Commandments. It's fairly self-explanatory, but I'd love to read your comments and respond!

The Ninth and Tenth Commandments

Exodus 20:16-17

I.               The Ninth Commandment.

A.   You shall not bear false witness.

B.    Jones mentions this concerns the “sanctity of the truth.”

C.    Question: Was what Rahab did justified? Cf. Joshua 2.

D.   It is clear lying is generally frowned upon (cf. John 8:44).

E.    What is lying?

i.               Is it all non-truth-telling?

ii.              No! Jokes, fiction, sports, etc.

iii.            In the context, it is legal, according to Frame. See Exodus 23:1-2.

iv.            The idea is that we are to avoid malicious non-truth-telling designed to harm our neighbor (interestingly, Mark Rooker contends that the entire OT legal system in Israel depended on accurate truth-telling in trials).

v.              The positive principle, then, is caring for our neighbor in our truth-telling.

F.    This means, in my view, Rahab was not telling a lie (and she was justified).

G.   What are some ways we violate the ninth commandment?

i.               When we directly lie about someone (slander).

ii.              When we engage in gossip, or cruel jokes (even if it turns out to be true!).

iii.            When we fail to tell them truths they need to hear.

iv.            Could evangelism be a failure to uphold the ninth commandment in this way?

v.              Hypocrisy.

H.   Let’s be committed to upholding our relationships with others in lovingkindness and truth.

II.             The Tenth Commandment

A.   You shall not covet.

B.    Jones claims this relates to your motives (or desires).

C.    Rooker claims that OT Israel was the only Ancient Near Eastern culture with a law against coveting.

D.   J.I. Packer notes the positive principle is to be content with what one has (cf. Phil. 4:11).

E.    This is so because contentment is precisely the way we can avoid coveting, according to Jones.

F.    Interestingly, Jones has an insight that Hebrews 13:5 suggests that Jesus himself is the way we can learn contentment.

G.   How do we break the tenth commandment?

i.               When we want more money, more possessions, more status.

ii.              When we want different things than what we have.

iii.            When we fail to love our neighbor.

iv.            When we think that some thing is going to bring us joy.

v.              When we try to find contentment in anything other than Jesus.

H.   The first and last commandments concern the heart of the inner man (worship of God on one end and contentment with him on the other).

I.      Let’s seek to be content with him.