The Ten Commandments in Public Schools

By Bob Lovelace

   There has been a great deal said about our topic since the Columbine High tragedy. Perhaps you’ve heard statements made even by members of the church to the effect that we need to put the Ten Commandments in public schools.

   I had an interesting conversation with a brother in Pine Bluff, AR recently while I was there. He was in his eighties. He cooked me and another brother there breakfast one morning and a good one at that. While we were eating he stated that he had a problem with this thing about putting the Ten Commandments in public places. Then he explained that for Christians to advocate such is to advocate putting the Sabbath Law up for all to believe that man should remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. I agreed with my newly met brother. I too realize that there are many in the church today who get so caught up in politics, social agendas, etc. that they blindly follow political leaders of various kinds without exercising their right as a member of the Church of Christ to speak up and explain things according to the scriptures the way they really are.

   My brother who so plainly stated his case according to the scriptures was one whom I’d describe as being involved in politics and who truly cared about our great nation. He said that he’d been a member of the GOP since 1939 and voted against F.D.R’s third term. He talked politics but he also spoke the truth about Christians needing to speak the truth about the Sabbath law not being a part of the New Testament.

   I replied that such is similar to endorsing "prayer" in public schools and having some sectarian leading my child in prayer. I’m again’ that too! I’ve taught my children to hold their head up high when in an assembly some boy or girl is asked to lead the invocation. My children have never been confused on what to do in such cases because I have taught them that Christians do not allow those who are not Christians to lead them in prayer. And so there is no confusion in my family as to what "kind" of prayer my children would be led in at school be it a "Mormon" prayer from one who does not believe in Christ as God as we do or any other sectarian’s prayer, for my children do not allow such to lead them in prayer.

   I have been willing to practice what I’ve preached. I resigned from Toast Masters many years ago when the matter of leading the invocation or asking others to became too much of a disagreeable task. I could not ask one who was NOT my brother to lead in prayer. Nor could I ask a woman.

   I’ll never forget watching one of the deacons in the church who also was a member clasp his hands together in a showy manner and bow when a woman led the club in prayer. I will always remember him looking up to see me standing right across from him as he came up from his "folded" position. I could not bring myself to do such. I certainly could not call upon one who was not a member of the church to lead in prayer much less a woman to do so. And I certainly could tell that the women enjoyed the privilege of leading the men.

   I decided that I had much better ways that I could start my day. One morning I stood and watched a woman read from a tiny little card that she took out of a cute little box she’d bought somewhere and then listened as she promoted the cards as being nice prayers for such occasions. I promptly asked to be recognized, explained to all present what prayer really is, explained that I could not conscientiously accept what was being done, and went my separate way.

   Now, about saying we should put the Ten Commandments in public schools. How could a Christian say such? Are we to promote the Ten Commandments in public school while teaching in our classes and from our pulpits at church that the Law of Moses was taken out of the way and nailed to the cross? Don’t we of all people know what Paul meant?

   Col. 2:14-17, "having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [15] When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.[16] Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--[17] things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."

   What are we to do with that?

   I cannot help but think that the Seventh Day Adventist must be laughing their heads off right now as those who call themselves Christians and who have called them a cult and exposed their false Sabbath doctrine are now saying put it up on the wall in every school for all to see in  order to bring morality to our nation.

   Folks, the problem in this country is not that we don’t have the Ten Commandments on government walls!

   This idea that one can go by the Ten Commandments is one of the great delusions of our time. I don’t know how many I’ve met who have given me that spill. It is the old "I’m a good moral person. I keep the Commandments. I don’t need to go to church!"

   At times I see even more here. Is this not favoritism to the Jews? The Ten Commandments given by Moses at Mt. Sinai were part of the Law given only to the Jews as a nation:

   Deut. 4:13-14,"So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. [14] "And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might perform them in the land where you are going over to possess it."

   When Moses said "you" he meant only "you" i.e. Israel the Jewish nation. That covenant was NOT made with any other nation:

Deut. 5:3,

   "The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today."

   One of the purposes of the Sabbath law given to the Jews was that they remember their deliverance from Egyptian bondage:

   Deut. 5:15,"And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day." Plain enough!

   The Lord did not deliver the Gentile nations out of Egypt when the Sabbath law was given and it was no sign to the Gentile nations who feared and served God. The "sign" was only between God and Israel:

   Exodus 31:13,"But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you." 

   The Sabbath law was holy only to the nation of Israel:

    Exodus 31:14, 'Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people."

   The Truth of the Gospel (the New Testament) is that the Sabbath observance along with the other festivals of the Mosaic Law has ended for the Jews who desire to serve God faithfully. There is one law for both Jews and Gentiles ~ the Gospel of Christ. (Rom. 1:16)

   Space does not permit me to explain the folly of the denominationalists who try to justify such by saying the Lord’s Day is the Christian Sabbath. The New Testament teaches no such thing!

 

 

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