Good morning! How are we faithing? A Saturday morning and I have much to do! I find it very interesting that our western culture varies so much since Jesus' time. When I read the Bible I try to remember the history and the culture those people were raised in. I love learning about different cultural norms of different times. Gee whiz, the culture in America before and after WWII is so different! Anyways, an example of how things were handled way back is shown in Numbers 35. It would take pages and pages of teaching to explain all the nuances of that time so I encourage you to look it up. This thought process leads one to remember norms of today may be abnormal a hundred or a thousand years ago but what remains the same constantly is the Word of God. Context matters. Doctrine matters. The ten commandments are still perfect. Re read them;

Exo 20:3  “You shall have no other gods before me. 

Exo 20:4  “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 

Exo 20:5  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 

Exo 20:6  but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 

Exo 20:7  “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 

Exo 20:8  “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 

Exo 20:9  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 

Exo 20:10  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 

Exo 20:11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

Exo 20:12  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 

Exo 20:13  “You shall not murder. 

Exo 20:14  “You shall not commit adultery. 

Exo 20:15  “You shall not steal. 

Exo 20:16  “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 

Exo 20:17  “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” 

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the guidance in your Word. Help us to see your wisdom as we study and seek your face in our lives. Lord we want to be pleasing to you. Help us recognize culture vs You. In Jesus name, amen