It was only a matter of time.
The Ten Commandments are often in the midst of controversy and civil suits; now there is something new.
Eighteen months ago, a parent objected to the Ten Commandments being posted in a district high school as part of a huge collage of documents linked to America’s political and legal heritage. Several other documents in the school display reference God, including the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence, but no one is asking that those be taken down or edited.
The school district does not want them removed and the case remains in U.S. District Court.
Now a federal judge has offered a compromise. He suggested scrapping the first four commandments and leaving just the final six.
He suggests that could resolve the dispute since the first four commandments directly refer to mankind’s relationship to God and the final six concern mankind’s relationship to creation, other people, and things.
This almost sounds like a King Solomon solution without the baby but I don’t think that’s what the judge has in mind.
You cannot divide up, split, dissect, and decide what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of in God’s word.
This is what God says about it; yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. Rom 1:21-23
In this case, they want to remove the commandments that deal with mankind’s relationship with God and leave only that which deals with mankind’s relationship with mankind. To me, this is idol worship of mere people.
This scripture so perfectly fits this case with the thinking up of foolish ideas and the claim of wisdom.
Romans 1 continues and gets into unnatural relationships. For me, I am reminded of the sin of Israel with Baal Peor in Numbers 25.
Peor carries a meaning of opening wide or a gap and this is what is happening – widening the gap between mankind and God.
This gap can only be closed with repentance on our part and forgiveness on His.
He is willing to forgive; are we willing to repent?