"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother."
Mark 10:19
Part 3
Yesterday:
“Do not commit adultery,”
“Do not kill,”
“Do not steal,”
Today:
Jesus is challenging the rich young man about his relationship with the Law, the Ten Commandments.
“Do not bear false witness,”
The ninth commandment:
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).
“We can break the ninth commandment through slander, talebearing, creating false impressions, by silence, by questioning the motives behind someone’s actions, or even by flattery”1 (Guzik).
“Defraud not,”
The ninth and tenth commandment combined:
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17).
Defrauding has to do with cheating another, of his character-false witness; or his goods-because of covetousness. The first nine commandments have to do with actions taken or done, for or against, man or God. Covetousness has to do with our thoughts (feelings) toward our neighbor and what belongs to him. Paul makes it clear that covetousness is “idolatry.”
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).
The honest man will acknowledge that he has broken all of these laws, if not in action, then in thought and heart attitude. We are not humanly capable of perfectly keeping these commands. This points to our need of the Savior to provide for us the salvation we need and can never earn for ourselves.
Come back tomorrow and we will speak of the fifth commandment, “honor thy father and mother.”
1. Guzik, David, David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.