A Common-Sense Look at the Ten Positive Nos
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About three months prior to God’s re-introduction of Himself to His people at Mt. Sinai, the Israelites had been released from their oppressive bondage. The powerful, dramatic telling of this miraculous escape by the vast multitude of Israelites is recorded in the first fourteen chapters of the book of Exodus. Now, having just escaped from the clutches of Pharaoh’s army but not yet a settled community, the Israelites were about to enter foreign lands whose people were pagans and worshippers of idols. Being the all-knowing God that He is, He knew His chosen people, with their finite minds and proud hearts would be bent on making their own rules and easily tempted to indulge in the practices of these foreign cultures and their idol worship. In fact, God instructed them to break down those sacred idols of stone into pieces lest they be tempted to worship them. Sadly, their history shows that time and again, they turned their backs on their God to worship those strange, mute, lifeless gods.
As New Testament believers who look back on the history of the Israelites, it would be easy to wonder why God favored these people and called them His own. We could pose many questions.
• Why did God give the Israelites the ten positive nos and what was their purpose?
• Are they still relevant to us and the world at large today? Why or why not?
• What happens if we choose to ignore them, make our own rules, or pick and choose those that suit us and discard the rest?
• Do we view them as mere moralistic, binding rules and regulations given by a God who shakes his finger at us like a scolding parent saying, “no, no, no,” to our wants and desires?
• What do these commands reveal about the human character?
• What do they reveal about the character of God, His values and expectations for our relationships to one another as well as to Him?
In the following chapters, we will strive to discover answers to these questions as we consider each of God’s commandments for His people one by one.
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About the Book
Without judgment or finger-pointing, this book offers a fresh, positive, commonsense, and biblical look at the Ten Commandments.
Janis L. Talsma, a longtine student of the Bible, answers questions such as:
• What happens if we ignore these Ten Commandments, make our own rules, or pick and choose those that suit us and discard the rest?
• What happens when we do not feel responsible for our behavior because we have decided that we are entitled to do whatever we feel is okay?
• What happens when our behavior brings harm to others?
Each commandment is addressed one by one. At the heart of each one is a blessing that is ours if we strive, with God’s help, to live according to them.
These commandments are meant to be a roadmap for living, so that individually and as a society we can work toward the good of all. In so doing, we honor each other and God Himself, who so wisely knew of our need for them.
Join the author as she celebrates the goodness of the Ten Commandments and reveals how to harness them to honor God and show love for all of humanity.
Each commandment is addressed one by one. At the heart of each one is a positive good and blessing that is ours if we strive, with God’s help, to live according to them. They are meant to be a road-map for living so that individually and as a society we impact each other’s lives for the good of all. And in so doing, we honor each other and God Himself who so wisely knew of our need for them. It’s a positive way of expressing our love for God and for each other.
About the Author
Janis L. Talsma earned a degree in social work and the humanities from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was an assistant to a chiropractor/kinesiologist in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is a member of the Patient/Family Advisory Council at University of Michigan Health West in Wyoming, Michigan. She lived out her love for books as the owner and manager of a Christian bookstore. She is a member of Friendship Christian Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan.