God produced miracles of ten plagues in Egypt due to
the stubbornness of the Pharaoh. The plagues came one
after another which caused harm and even death. Pharaoh
was not easily convinced until the tenth plague. Even
before the ten plagues, Moses and his brother Aaron,
performed a miracle in front of the Pharaoh but he was not
impressed since his magicians could produce the same
trick. With that, the plagues had to start.  people go.
Aaron’s walking stick (Exodus 7:8-13)
“If the king demands that you prove yourselves by
performing a miracle, tell Aaron to take his walking stick
and throw it down in front of the king, and it will turn into
a snake.” So, Moses and Aaron went to the king and did as
the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw his walking stick
down in front of the king and his officers, and it turned
into a snake. Then the king called for his wise men and
magicians, and by their magic they did the same thing. But
Aaron’s stick swallowed theirs. The king however,
remained stubborn & just as the Lord had said, the king
would not listen to Moses and Aaron.
10 PLAGUES
 BLOOD
- Then say to the king, “The Lord, God of the
Hebrews, sent me to tell you to let his people go,
so that they can worship him in the desert.”
- River water turned into blood and the fishes died
and the river will stink so much that the Egyptians
will not be able to drink from it.
 FROG
- “Go to the King and tell him that the Lord says,
‘Let my people go, so that they can worship me. If
you refuse, I will punish your country by
covering it with frogs… They will jump on you,
your people and all your officials.’
- Aaron held it out over all the water, and the frogs
came out and covered the land.
- The magicians used magic, they also made frogs
come up to the land.
- Moses and Aaron left the king, and Moses prayed
to the Lord to take away the frogs which he had
brought on the King.
 GNATS
- Aaron struck the ground with his stick and all the
dust in Egypt was turned into gnats, which
covered the people and animals.
- The magicians tried to use their magics and said to
the king, “God has done this!” But the king
would not listen to Moses and Aaron.
 FLIES
- “Tell him that the Lord says, “Let my people go,
so that they can worship me. I warn you that if
you refuse, I will punish you my sending flies
on you, your officials, and your people…”
- The Lord sent great swarms of flies into the king’s
palace and the houses of his officials. The whole
land of Egypt was brought to ruin by the flies.
- The king said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the
Lord, your God in the desert if you do not go very
far. Pray for me…’
- Moses left the King and prayed to the Lord. The
flies left the king, his officials and his people; not
one fly remained. But even this time, the king
became stubborn, and again he would not let the
 DEATH OF THE ANIMALS/PESTILENCE
- God of the Hebrews says, “let my people go, so
that they may worship me. If you again refuse to
let them go, I will punish you by sending a
terrible disease on all your animals.’
- The next day, the Lord did as what he said, and
all the animals of the Egyptians died, but not of
the animals of the Israelites died.
 HAIL
- The Lord, the God of Hebrews says, “Let my
people go, so that they will worship me. This
time, I will punish not only your people, but I
will punish you as well, so that you may know
that there is no one like me in all the world…
tomorrow I will cause a heavy hailstorm, such
as Egypt has never known in all its history.
- Hail will fall on the people and animals left
outside unprotected, and they will all die.
- The king sent for Moses and Aaron and said,
“This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right,
and my people and I are in the wrong. Pray to the
Lord! We have had enough of this thunder and
hail! I promised to let you go; you don’t have to
stay here any longer.’
- When the king saw what had happened, he sinned
again. He and his officials remained as stubborn
as ever and just as the Lord had foretold through
Moses, the king would not let the Israelites go.
 BOILS
- They got some ashes and stood before the King;
Moses threw them into the air, and they produced
boils that became open sores on the people and the
animals.
- The magicians were not able to appear before
Moses, because they were covered with boils, like
all the other Egyptians.
 LOCUSTS
- Then the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand
over the land of Egypt to bring the locusts.
They will come and eat everything that grows,
everything that has survived the hail.”
- By morning it had brought the locusts. They came
in swarms and settled over the whole country. It
was the largest swarm of locusts that had ever
been seen or that ever would be seen again.
- Then the king hurriedly called Moses and Aaron
and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your
God and against you... pray to the Lord your God
to take away this fatal punishment from me.
- Moses left the king and prayed to the Lord. And
the Lord changed the east wind into a very strong
west wind, which picked up the locusts and blew
them into the Gulf of Suez. Not one locust was
left in all of Egypt. But the Lord made the king
stubborn, and he did not let the Israelites go.
 DARKNESS
- Moses raised his hand toward the sky, and there
was total darkness throughout Egypt for three
days. The Egyptians could not see each other, and
no one left his house during that time. But the
Israelites had light where they were living.
- The king called Moses and said, "You may go and
worship the Lord; even your women and children
may go with you. ..... The Lord ade the king
stubborn, and he would not let them go.
-
*PASS OVER MEAL- instead of doing a lamb
offering which they burn on top of an altar as a
sacrifice also called “burnt offering”, they will take
the blood of the lamb and put it at their doorposts
and lintel of their houses and they will eat the
roasted lamb with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs. They will eat it in a hurried manner as if they
are ready for a journey. After eating the Pass over
meal,, they will enter their house since during the
night, God will strike the Egyptians with the 10th
plague. The blood will serve as a sign that will save
them from the last plague.
SACRIFICE/ BRUNT OFFERING
After the pass over meal and the Israelites
entered their houses and locked their doors,
then the 10th plague came.
 DEATH OF THE NEW FIRST BORN
- At midnight, the Lord killed all the firstborn sons
and all the first born of their animals. There was a
loud crying throughout Egypt, because there was
not one at home in which there was not a dead
son.
- After that plague, the king made the Israelites
leave and said, “Get out, you and your Israelites!
Leave my country, go and worship the Lord, as
you asked. Take your sheep, goats, cattle and
leave. Also pray for a blessing. The Egyptians
urged the people to hurry and leave the country;
they said, “We will all be dead if you don’t leave.
So the people filled their baking pans with the
unleavened dough, wrap them in clothing and
carried them on their shoulders.
- The Israelites had done as Moses had said, and
had asked the Egyptians for gold and silver
jewelry and for clothes. The Lord made the
Egyptians respect the people and give them what
they asked for. The Israelites carried away the
wealth of the Egyptians.
- The name of the Pharoah during the time of
Moses was Rameses. “Ra” means son and “Ses”
means sun. the Pharoah is the son of the god of
sun. It was difficult for the Pharaoh to accept that
there is another god.
- The exodus of the Israelites will be culminated by
their crossing of the red/reed sea since the
Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them with
his soldiers who were all drawn when they also
tried to cross the red sea. This is where the
Israelites saw and experienced that it was
really God/YHWH who freed them from Egypt
and protected them along the way from the
Egyptian soldiers who were pursuing them.
THE PASSOVER as the most important feast of
the Israelites
- Passover and Exodus are two events which are
closely related with each other.
- The Passover meal was a reminder to the Israelites
of the day God freed them from slavery. The
Israelites celebrates the feast of the Passover
every year since it is their Independence Day.
- Exodus means departure. When the settled in the
promised land, they will celebrate this in the
temple in Jerusalem with the rituals of
Slaughtering a paschal (Passover) lambs; the
consumption of its meat in a domestic meal. This
feast is called “Pesah” in Hebrew.
FIRST THREE COMMANDMENTS
CALL US TO RIGHT RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD
- The first three of the Ten Commandments point to
the primacy of God in our lives, summed up by
Jesus as He quotes the central teaching of the
Hebrew Scriptures, “You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind.”
- Since God the Father created and sustains us,
Jesus saves and forgives us, and the Holy Spirit is
dwelling within us, our love relationship with the
Lord is our origin, our purpose and our destiny.
God has an absolute claim on us as His adopted
children and we will only discover joy, peace,
love and eternal life in union with Him.
- Throughout the history of Israel, the people
periodically abandoned God-YHWH and
turned to idols. The clearest example of this
occurred in Exodus Chapter 32 when Moses was
on Mount Sinai, speaking to the Lord and
receiving the Ten Commandments. The people
below became impatient waiting for Moses and
under Aaron's leadership, they made and
worshipped a golden calf, created from their
own jewelry. With God's plan of molding them as
His chosen people whom He will also use in
starting to carry out His plan of salvation for
humanity, He will give the Ten Commandments
as their fundamental norms or rules for their lives.

MOSES RECEIVES THE TEN COMMANMENTS
- After leaving Egypt, the Israelites reached the
Sinai Desert. They spent 2 days preparing to meet
God at the “mountain of God”.
- Moses received the 10 commandments at Mt.
Sinai after 3 days. (Near the burning bush)
1ST COMMANDMENT
“I AM THE LORD YOU GOD: YOU SHALL NOT HAVE
OTHER GODS BESIDE ME.”
- covenant with the Israelites as His chosen people
- “You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the
shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth
below or in the waters beneath the earth. You
shall not bow down before them or worship
them.”(exodus 20:2-4)
- Obeying this means adoring and worshipping God
alone.
- We cannot place anything in our lives before Him,
not our material wealth, ambition, or even our
relationships with others. Because God is the
source of everything we have and love; to place
anything before Him also distorts our relationship
with Him and also with other people. We can keep
the First Commandment through constant acts of
faith, hope, and love.
 IDOLATRY – worshipping someone else or
something other than God.
 DIVINATION AND MAGIC- putting faith and
in trust in spiritual powers that do not belong to
God. This includes putting faith in fortune-tellers
or others who claim to have special magic powers.
 TEMPTING GOD- putting God’s goodness and
power to test.
 SIMONY- buying or selling the things that God
offers.
 SACRILEGE- the act of treating holy
objects/places with disrespect.
 AETHEISM- refusing to believe in God.
 AGNOSTICISM- not sure about God or
indifferent to God.
 SYNCRETISM- the act of treating holy
objects/places with disrespect.
 HERESY- is a belief or action at odds with what
is accepted, especially when the behavior is
contrary to religious doctrine or belief. For
example, a catholic who says God does not exist.
CLARIFICATION ON THE MEANING OF
THE WORD IDOLS, AND THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORSHIP
ANDVENERATION
- Idols that God prohibits in the context of the first
commandment refer to anything like image/statue
or even animals, person, or object which people
worship as a god.
- WORSHIP is adoring or praising.
- The Catholic practice of respecting sacred/holy
place, sacred things like the Bible or sacred
images/statue is called VENERATION.
THE ARK OF THE COVENENT
(Which housed the Ten Commandments is guarded by two
images (statues) of angels)
Commands: Adoration prayer, sacrifice, honoring
promises, vows
Practices: regular prayer time, offering day to God,
inviting God to work in our lives, being faithful to our
vows and promises to God, helping our faith to grow by
participating in the Eucharistic and other sacraments,
reading, guarding religious liberty in civil law.
2nd COMMANDMENT
“YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD,
YOUR GOD IN VAIN.” (Exodus 20:7)
HERE ARE SOME SINS THAT GO SPECIFICALLY
AGAINST THE SECOND COMMANDMENT:
 BLASPHEMY- speech, thought or action that
shows disrespect to God, the Church, or persons
dedicated to God.
 PROFANITY/CURSING- uttering offensive
words in anger or annoyance especially when
using God's name.
 PERJURY- lying under oath. If we take an oath
to tell the truth and even using God as a witness
“(promise to God") but we do not fulfill it then
that is perjury.
3rd COMMANDMENT
“REMEMBER TO KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH DAY.”
- Six days you may labor and do all your work but
the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your
God. No work may be done then either by you or
your son or daughter or your male or female slave,
or your beast or by the alien who lives with
you...on the seventh day God rested... and blessed
it and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)
VIOLATIONS AGAINST THE THIRD
COMMANDMENT
- The teachings of Jesus Christ are clear such that
anything that does not amount to honoring God
and not giving ourselves and others a time to rest
is a direct of violation to this commandment.
 Anything that does not glorify God and respect
the dignity of others must be avoided.
THE SHIFT OF THE SABBATH DAY FROM
SATURDAY TO SUNDAY
- The Israelites observed the Sabbath day on the
seventh day of the week (Saturday), which
marked the completion of God's creation of the
world. For us Christians, we celebrate the Lord's
Day on Sunday, the first day of the week since it
was on that day that Jesus rose from the dead.
This is why we call it the Lord's Day.
- It reminds us of His Resurrection, and how He
created the whole world new! This practice of
worshipping on the first day of the week was
started by the Apostles (Acts 20:7) which we
followed. This is why, one of the names/titles of
our Church is Apostolic. Another implication of
this is, we also give God the first day of our week.
For the Israelites' symbolism, seven (7) is a
perfect number, that is why they give it to God.
COMMANDS: observing Sunday as a day set aside for
God, as a day of rest, day of prayer, Mass on Sunday and
holy days of obligation.
PRACTICES: attending mass on Sunday, spending time
with family, in reading, prayer, or works of charity.
In the first three commandments, we received the gifts
of God's self-revelation to humanity. We also learn what
constitutes a proper response to this self-revelation and
thereby a proper relationship with God. The final seven
commandments are gifts that primarily reveal God's
will for us in our relationships with each other.
After the first three commandments prescribing our duties
toward God comes seven others laying down our
obligations toward ourselves and our fellow human
beings. There is first a special commandment regarding
the important duties of children toward their parents, and
of parents toward their children. This is the fourth of the
Ten Commandments. In a general way, Commandments
5th, 6th, and 7th are concerned with actions, 8th is
concerned with words and 9th and 10th are with our
desires.
4th COMMANDMENT
‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER, THAT
YOUR DAYS MAY BE LONG IN THE LAND WHICH
THE LORD YOUR GOD GIVES YOU.” (Exodus 20:12)
- The fourth commandment opens the second table
of the Decalogue. It shows us the order of charity.
God has willed that, after Him, we should honor
our parents to whom we owe life and who have
handed on to us the knowledge of God. We are
obliged to honor and respect all those whom God,
for our good, has vested with His authority.
- The fourth commandment is addressed
specifically to children in their relationship
with their father and mother, because this
relationship is the most foundational. It likewise
concerns the ties of kinship between members of
the extended family. It requires honor, affection,
and gratitude toward elders and ancestors. Finally,
it extends to the duties of pupils to teachers,
employees to employers, subordinates to leaders,
citizens to their country, and to those who
administer or govern it.
- Also, this commandment includes and
presupposes the duties of parents, instructors,
teachers, leaders, and magistrates, those who
govern, and all who exercise authority over others
or over a community of persons.
DUTY OF CHILDREN:
- Respect for parents (filial piety) derives from
gratitude toward those who, by the gift of life,
their love and their work, have brought their
children into the world and enabled them to grow
in stature, wisdom, and grace. "With all your heart
honor your father, and do not forget the birth
pangs of your mother. Remember that through
your parents you were born; what can you give
back to them that equals their gift to you?" (CCC,
#2215)
- As long as a child lives at home with her/his
parents, the child should obey her/his parents in
all that they ask of her/him when it is for her/his
good or that of the family. "Children, obey your
parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."
Children should also obey the reasonable
directions of their teachers and all to whom their
parents have entrusted them. But if a child is
convinced in conscience that it would be morally
wrong to obey a particular order, she/he must not
do so. (CCC, #2217)
HERE ARE SOME MORTAL SINS THAT GO
SPECIFICALLY AGAINST THE FOURTH
COMMANDMENT:
 SERIOUS FAILURE TO CARE FOR AGED
PARENTS/FAILURE TO CARRY OUT THE
LAST WILL OF A DECEASED PARENT-
The commandment is very clear that we are to
honor our parents. That would include taking care
of them in their time of need. Our parents nurtured
us during our childhood and possibly even up to
our college years as well. It makes sense for us to
take care of them, and as long as their last will is
not immoral, to follow that up for them.
 SERIOUS DISRESPECT FOR OR
DISOBEDIENCE TO PARENTS,
SUPERIORS OR AUTHORITIES- We are not
to wish death or evil on anybody, but most
importantly to our parents.
  WISHING DEATH OR EVIL ON PARENTS-
We are not to wish death or evil on anybody, but
most importantly to our parents.
 ABUSE OR SERIOUS NEGLECT OF
CHILDREN- This is where some people will
think it goes a little different. Yes, we are to honor
our parents, but parents must also take care of
their children. It is a mortal sin for parents to
abuse or seriously neglect their children since they
are individuals that God has given them to take
care of. They do not belong to them forever, nor
are their property. Some abuses would be beating
their own children especially treating as if they
already adult ones, starving their children for
lengthy period of time. Serious neglect would also
include abandonment, failure to take care of their
children, and other such parenting failures.
 Here we need to remark that while the Fifth
5th COMMANDMENT
“THOU SHALL NOT KILL.” (Exodus 20:13)
- The "fifth word” of the Decalogue primarily
reveals to us the sacredness of all human life. The
human person is made in the image and likeness
of God and, therefore, has an inalienable dignity
and worth. However, this sacredness rests
fundamentally on the fact that every human
person is freely created by God out of love in
order to share eternal life in communion with
God. In other words, the human person is sacred
because the human person is both made by God
and made for God.
- The Fifth Commandment prohibition against
killing clearly forbids direct and intentional
killing. Murder is always gravely sinful,
regardless of the form it takes. In a similar way,
indirectly bringing about a person's death, when
done intentionally, is also a clear violation of the
commandment.
HERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC CASES OF MORTAL
SINS THAT GO SPECIFICALLY AGAINST THE
FIFTH COMMANDMENT:
 HOMICIDE- the crime of killing another person
or human.
 MURDER- the same with homicide but with
intentions (pre-planned)
 INFANTICIDE- the crime of killing a child
within a year of birth.
 FRATRICIDE- killing one’s brother or sister.
 SUICIDE- the act of taking one’s own life may it
be voluntarily or intentionally.
 PARRICIDE- the killing of a parent or close
relative.
 SELF-DEFENSE- In this case we need to
consider what the Church's moral theologians
name the Principle of Double Effect. St. Thomas
Aquinas explains this very simply when he writes,
“The act of self-defense can have a double effect:
the preservation of one's own life; and the killing
of the aggressor... The one is intended, the other is
not." (ST, I-II, 64.7)
 EUTHANASIA- it's the act of killing an
individual for reasons considered to be merciful.
Euthanasia is sinful for the same reason that
abortion is sinful: it violates the rights of an
individual. On its surface, euthanasia may seem
quite attractive, as it offers a solution to end
human suffering, but our Catechism observes it as
a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the
human person and to the respect due to the living
God, our Creator.
 ABORTION- An abortion is a procedure to end a
pregnancy. It uses medicine or surgery to remove
the embryo or fetus and placenta from the uterus.
NOTE OF CONSOLATION
Commandment forbids murder, and, thus, the taking of
our own life, we must leave to God's mercy the judgment
of those who have committed suicide. At the same time,
we must remember our life is a gift given in trust. We do
not exercise complete control over it; God expects us to
give it back. Thus, the Catechism teaches: “Everyone is
responsible for his life before God who has given it to
him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of
life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and
preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls.
We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has
entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of.” (CCC,
#2280)
We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons
who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him
alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary
repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken
their own lives. (CCC, #2283)
6th COMMANDMENT
“THOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.” (Exodus
20:14)
- Adultery is when a person gives to another the
love that belongs to a husband and wife. This is
forbidden by the 6th Commandment. But implicit
in the commandment is any form of undue sexual
activity that leads oneself or another into sin.
- So, it covers a wide variety of subjects. Our
bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and we
should therefore respect them and cover them
modestly. We must also respect those of the
opposite sex. The 6th commandment forbids all
impurity and immodesty in words, looks, and
actions, whether alone or with others. Examples of
this would be: touching one's own body or that of
another without necessity simply to satisfy sinful
curiosity, impure conversations, dirty jokes,
looking at bad pictures, and undue familiarity with
the opposite sex.
- The Sixth Commandment summons spouses to
practice permanent and exclusive fidelity to one
another. Emotional and sexual fidelity are
 essential to the commitment made in the marriage
covenant. God established marriage as a reflection
of His fidelity to us. The vows made by the
spouses at their wedding to be faithful to one
another forever should witness the very covenant
God has made with us.
- All people—married, single, religious, and
ordained—need to acquire the virtue of chastity.
“Chastity means the successful integration of
sexuality within the person and thus the inner
unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being”
(CCC, #2337). Chastity unites our sexuality with
our entire human nature. It approaches sexuality
as related to our spiritual natures so that sex is
seen as more than a physical act. Sexuality affects
the whole person because of the unity of body and
soul. Jesus is the model of chastity. “Chastity
includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which
is a training in human freedom” (CCC, #2339).
The acquisition of chastity depends on self-
discipline and leads to an internal freedom, which
enables human beings to temper sexual desires
according to God’s plan for the appropriate
expression of love in the marital relationship of a
man and a woman.
THERE ARE NUMBER OF ACTS GO AGAINST
THE 6TH COMMANDMENT:
 ADULTERY- a voluntary sexual activity (as
sexual intercourse) committed by a wife to a
married man and should be charged together.
 CONCUBINAGE- is an interpersonal and sexual
relationship between a man and a woman in which
the couple does not want to a full marriage or
cannot enter into a full marriage.
 FORNICATION- voluntary sexual intercourse
between two unmarried persons or two persons
not married to each other.
 BIGAMY- the act of going through a marriage
ceremony while already married to another
person.
 POLYGAMY- state of marriage to many spouses
 Polygyny-marriage in which two or more
women share a husband.
 Polyandry-a woman has more than one
husband.
 SEX PARTNERS -is against God's will as well.
It demeans the sex act which reflects God's love
and the fact that we are temples of the Holy Spirit.
 HOMOSEXUALITY- two men/women having
sex is immoral in God's eyes.
NOTE: (The Church teaches that Homosexuality is not a
sin but the activity ‘sex acts' are sinful.)
In conclusion, any sex outside of marriage is wrong in
God's eyes. No matter how "right" it feels at the moment.
The Seventh and Eighth commandments are
concerned primarily with our duties toward two
possessions of our neighbor - their material goods and
their good reputation. Since human beings have the
tendency to be selfish and neglectful of the rights of
others, God considered it necessary to lay down the
explicit commands: "Thou shalt not steal" and "Thou shalt
not bear false witness against thy neighbor". Like the other
commandments, these two commandments prescribe more
obligations than those which they explicitly assert. The
seventh commandment forbids not only stealing but
every type of dishonest dealing; the eighth forbids not
only falsehood but also many other sins of the tongue
such as gossiping, the unlawful revelation of secrets,
and the likes.
The Ninth and Tenth commandments are closely related
with the Sixth and Seventh. The Ninth forbidding
interior sins regarding matters of purity, while the
Sixth forbids external acts; the Tenth forbidding those
internal sins the external performance of which is
forbidden by the Seventh commandment.
7th COMMANDMENT
“THOU SHALL NOT STEAL” (Exodus 20:15)
- The "seventh word” of the Decalogue primarily
reveals to us that God wants us to act justly and
with charity in our relationships with one another.
In this way, we are able to live in communion
with God, who is just and loving. Specifically, the
Seventh Commandment “commands justice and
charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits
of men's labor.” It forbids the unjust taking or
keeping of goods belonging to one's neighbor and
the wronging of another as regards his/her goods.
- The seventh commandment forbids unjustly
taking or keeping the goods of one's neighbor and
wronging him/her in any way with respect to
his/her goods. It commands justice and charity in
the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men's
labor. For the sake of the common good, it
requires respect for the universal destination of
goods and respect for the right to private property.
Christian life strives to order this world's goods to
God and to fraternal charity. (CCC, 2401).
JUSTICE AND CHARITY
 Justice- is the moral virtue that “consists in
the constant and firm will to give what is due
to God and neighbor.”
 Charity- is the theological virtue by “which
we love God above all things for His own
sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the
love of God.”
 Remember:
Christ's warning on the danger of riches. Anyone who
desires to be rich, that is, to have more material
possessions than what he needs will find it hard to
respect the property of their neighbor. And the more
we love the things of this earth, the harder we shall
find it to love God.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE SINS AGAINST
THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT:
The Seventh Commandment expressly forbids: Theft,
robbery, cheating, usury, injuring the property of
another, detention of goods that have been found or
lent, and the non-payment of debts.
8th COMMANDMENT
“THOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS
AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.” (Exodus 20:16)
JESUS & US: REFLECTIONS OF TRUTH
- Throughout the gospel, the evangelists portray
Jesus as the embodiment of God's truth. He,
himself, says, “I am the way, the Truth, and the
Life," (Jn. 14:6) and this truth sheds God's light
upon the world and provides the example for all
our actions. If we consider the matter, this is no
more than we should expect of beings created in
God's image: if we look like God, we ought to act
like God.
- Mark Twain, somewhat cynically observed, "If
you tell the truth, you don't have to remember
anything.” In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
expresses the notion somewhat more nobly when
he teaches, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’or
'No'; anything more comes from evil.” (Mt. 5:34)
HERE ARE SOME OF THE OFFENSES
AGAINST TRUTH:
 LIES- lie is an assertion that is believed to be
false, typically used with purpose of deceiving
someone.
 PERJURY- lying under oath. If we take an oath
to tell the truth but then we lie, we are telling God
that we want Him to lie for us. God is always true
to His promises and never lies! For this reason,
false oaths and perjury seriously offended God.
 OTHER LIES
 RASH JUDGMENT- which assumes,
without proof, someone has done wrong.
 DETRACTION- which is telling the
faults of another to those who have no
reason to know the information.
 CALUMNY- which is lying about
another and causing others to form false
negative opinions of the individual.
-the making of false and
defamatory statements about someone in
order to damage their reputation;
(synonymous to slander and defamation.)
9th COMMANDMENT
“THOU SHALL NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S
WIFE.” (Deuteronomy 5:21)
- By the 9th commandment we are commanded to
be pure in thought and desire. Mere thoughts
about impure things are not always sinful in
themselves, but such thoughts are dangerous.
Thoughts about impure things become sinful
when a person thinks of an unchaste act (thoughts
of sex) and deliberately takes pleasure in so
thinking, or when unchaste desire or passion is
aroused and consent is given to it.
- The 9th commandment forbids all thoughts and
desires contrary to chastity. That is to say, it
forbids all willful thoughts. We know that no
thought can be a sin unless it is willful. A willful
thought is one we want, one we take deliberate
pleasure in and do not try to put out of our minds.
CONCUPISCENCE
- In Latin, the word “concupiscence” means “to
desire strongly”, and our Catechism defines
concupiscence as “...any intense form of human
desire. Christian theology has given it a particular
meaning: the movement of the sensitive appetite
contrary to the operation of human reason.” (CCC,
#2515)
- Concupiscence is one of the results of Original
Sin. It is not sinful, but its presence within us can
incline us to make poor moral choices when faced
with certain attractive options. Concupiscence is
what St. Paul has in mind when he employs the
very apt image of the flesh rebelling against the
spirit.
FORBIDDEN ACT BY THE NINTH
COMMANDMENT:
 ACT OF LASCIVIOUSNESS- it is an act of
making a physical contact with the body of
another person for the purpose of obtaining sexual
gratification other than, or without intention of
sexual intercourse.
-having impure thoughts and desires.
10th COMMANDMENT
“YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR’S
GOODS, HIS LAND, AND HIS SLAVES, HIS ANIMALS
OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT HE OWNS.” (Deuteronomy
5:22)
- The Tenth commandment unfolds and completes
the Ninth, which is concerned with concupiscence
of the flesh. It forbids coveting the goods of
another, as the root of theft, robbery, and fraud,
which the Seventh commandment forbids. "Lust
of the eyes" leads to the violence and injustice
forbidden by the Fifth commandment. Avarice,
like fornication, originates in the idolatry
prohibited by the first three prescriptions of the
Law.
SPECIFIC SIN THAT GO AGAINST TO THE 10 TH
COMMANDMENT:
 AVARICE- extreme greed for wealth or material
gain.
THE STORY OF JOSHUA AND THE
BOOK OF JUDGES
CONCLUSION TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
The 10 commandments reflect the Love of God and the
Love of Neighbor
Our Gospel reading last October 25, 2020 found in
Matthew 22: 34-40 is the perfect summary of the 10
Commandments. In response to the question of the
pharisees on which is the greatest commandment of the
Law? Jesus said …, 'You must love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The
second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as
yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole
Law, and the Prophets too.'
The Ten Commandments were given in a treaty format
since they are the basis for our right relationship with
God, and with others. Others includes our environment
and many other things around us which we should take
care.
The 10 commandments are not prohibitions and
limitations of our freedom as some would see it but rather
on the proper perspective, these are the means for us to
achieve total freedom. These serve as guiding paths for us
to experience real and total freedom and healthy lifestyle
where there are no crimes, no hatred, no enemies and most
importantly no war among different nations and different
sectors.
REVIEW OF SOME SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN
THE BIBLE
- You might have personally read Biblical passages
such as “Jesus fasted for 40 days”, “Moses stayed
on the mountain for 40 days”, God rested on the
Sabbath/seventh day, Jesus resurrected on the 3rd
day, David had 700 wives and 300 concubines,
“will I forgive him 7 times” etc.
- The numbers 3, 7, 40 when used in the Old
Testament are not literal or actual as others would
understand it but symbolic.
- 7 symbolizes perfection, that is why they always
give it to God like the Sabbath/seventh day. 3
stands for few if they refer to numbers and short
span of time if about duration. So, king Solomon
did not really have 700 hundred wives since
nobody made a research about it, but it simply
means he had numerous wives and he still had few
concubines. 40 stands for long span of time and
time for purification. The Israelites did not
literally stay for forty years in the desert but
simply means that they stayed there for a long
period of time. Another example is “40 days of
the dead person”, means you pray for her/his soul
to be purified so that on the 40th day he/she
should be freed from his/her sins; and it is not just
about eating.
ISRAELITES IN THE DESERT
- After their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites first
settled in the desert for “forty” years; “40” years
of wandering as part of their journey to the
Promised Land. They experienced a lot of
struggles such as shortage of food and water and
other basic needs. This was where God had to
give them manna bread from heaven and water.
There were even times that they complained to
God and they repented after they were punished.
“40” years in the desert means they stayed there
for a long period of time since it was their time for
purification as God was molding them as His
chosen people to start His salvific plan for all
people.
THE STORY OF JOSHUA: ENTRY TO THE
PROMISED LAND (CANAAN)
- The book of Joshua speaks about the conquest and
settlement of the household of God/Israelites in
the Promise Land. God through the leadership of
Joshua will now finally let His people settle in the
land He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
This is the “land flowing with milk and honey”
(Exodus 13:5), in other words, a very fertile land.
- After Moses had died, the Lord said to Joshua,
son of Nun: “My servant Moses is dead. So
 prepare to cross the Jordan here, with all the
people into the land I will give the Israelites. As
I promised, I will deliver to you every place
where you set foot. Your domain is to be all the
land of the Hittites, from the desert and from
Lebanon east to the great river Euphrates and
west to the Great Sea. No one can withstand
you while you live. I will be with you as I was
with Moses: I will not leave you nor forsake
you. Be firm and steadfast, so that you may
give this people possession of the land which I
swore to their fathers I would give them. Above
all, be firm and steadfast, taking care to
observe the entire law which my servant Moses
enjoined on you. Do not swerve from it either
to the right or to the left, which you may
succeed wherever you go. Keep this book of the
law on your lips. Recite it, by day and by night
that you may observe carefully all that is
written in it; then you will successfully attain
your goal. I command you: be firm and
steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the
Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:1-9)
- From the desert, the Israelites need to cross the
Jordan River for them to enter Canaan (Promised
Land). How did they do this? They crossed it with
the Ark of the Covenant carried by the priests.
When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying
the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth,
touched the water of the Jordan, it ceased flowing
until all Israelites crossed over on dry ground.
(Joshua 3:5-17)
- After crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites
camped in Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.
At Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones, saying
to the Israelites, “In the future, when the children
among you ask their fathers what these stones
mean, you shall inform them, ‘Israel crossed the
Jordan with the help of the Lord just as the Lord,
your God, had done in the Red Sea, in order that
all the peoples of the earth may learn that the hand
of the Lord is mighty, and that you may fear the
Lord, your God, forever.” (Joshua 4:19-24)
- With the leadership of Joshua, God allowed the
Israelites to conquer Jericho and other cities in the
Promised Land. When they conquered most part
of Canaan/promised land, Joshua divided the land
among the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of
Levi was not given since it was dedicated to the
priesthood/priestly clan. This means that the
people will take care of their priests. Before his
death, Joshua renewed Israel’s covenant with the
Lord. He told the Israelites to remain faithful to
the Lord/YHWH and keep His
statutes/Commandments or else they will perish.
(Joshua 24)
- Since the Israelites are now settled in
Canaan/promised Land, the only thing they need
to do was to remain faithful to the Lord/YHWH.
If there are problems or disputes among the tribes
or if they are being attacked by their enemies and
they cry out to the Lord, leaders would come out
to deliver them from these adversaries. With this
situation, leaders would only come out when
needed; so, leaders just come and go. These
leaders will be called the Judges.
THE BOOK OF JUDGES
- The Book of Judges tell the story of the Israelites
after the death of Joshua of which the pattern was,
when they obeyed God's commands, they were
victorious over their enemies, but when they
rebelled against Him, they were defeated and
oppressed. Judges was the title of the leaders of
the Israelites during this time. They were the
transition leaders before the emergence of the
kings. There were 12 judges in all; Othniel, Ehud,
Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah,
Ibzan, Elon, Abdon and Samson. Including Barak
and Samuel in some category, there will be 14.
- These Judges served as military leaders in times
of crisis, rather than judges in the legal sense of
the world. The great lesson of these books is that
Israel’s survival depended on Fidelity/faithfulness
to God, while unfaithfulness always leads to
disaster. But there was something more than this:
even when the nation was unfaithful to God and
disaster came, God was always ready to save his
people when they repented and turned to him
again.
DIFFERENT MESSAGES OF THE STORY OF
SOME OF THESE JUDGES
 DEBORAH – She is the only female judge, and a
prophetess. Her name means “honeybee,” Having
a woman leader was contrary to most people’s
thought that only men should rule. Deborah is the
example that leadership can be exercised by both
men and women. God can used anybody as His
instrument to accomplish His mission. Man and
woman are equal in dignity.
 GIDEON – was known to be one who came from
a least tribe/clan, but God called him, and he
defeated the many enemies with only 300 soldiers.
This means that God can choose the least to cast
down the powerful or to defeat a great enemy.
Gideon earned the name—Jerubbaal—for
destroying the altar of Baal who was the god of
 the Canaanites. Baal was a god of fertility for the
Canaanites.
 SAMSON – is one of the most well-known
among the Judges. This was because of his gift of
strength which he used to defeat the enemies of
the Israelites or to create havoc among them.
Samson was a Nazarite which means a
person“dedicated”/offered to God from the time
he was born. As part of his vows, he never cut his
hair or not allowed to drink much wine. As
commonly known, he revealed his secret to an
unworthy person which caused his downfall. The
great lesson here is, keep your secrets holy and be
faithful to your vows.
 SAMUEL – was the last Judge though he was
more of a prophet. He answered God’s calling
when he was young, and He will be the one who
will anoint King Saul and King David later when
he grew as a prophet. He was in a transition time
between the Judges and the Kings. So, God calls
anyone whether young or old for the mission.
PATTERN OF LIFE OF THE ISRAELITES DURING
THE TIME OF THE JUDGES
- -The people are unfaithful to Yahweh, they will
experience disaster such as falling into the hands
of their enemies; the people repent and entreat
Yahweh for mercy, He saves them by sending a
leader (judge), and the judge delivers the Israelites
from oppression and they are back to God but
later this pattern will be repeated.
The prosperous life of the Israelites in the Promised
Land/Canaan had some negative effect. They had
forgotten or become unfaithful to the God of their
ancestors especially with their marriage to Canaanite
women which resulted in the worship of the Canaanite
god (Baal: their god of fertility). Their faith in God-
YHWH which was the only uniting force/element was no
longer there. They were no longer strongly united as
people of God/YHWH. This situation often caused their
defeat and oppression from their enemies. During this
period, the Israelites saw that the Canaanites/Philistines
were so great that they needed to be united under one
military leader or king. Such demand was directed to
Samuel, who was the last of the judges of Israel.
CLARIFICATION OF SOME TERMS
Philistines is a modern term for the Canaanites. The
Philistines or Canaanites were the first migrants in
Canaan, the land which God promised to the ancestors of
the Israelites. The Canaanites/Philistines are composed of
different tribes such as the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Hivites and Jebusites, etc. Palestine is the modern term for
the land of Canaan. The Israelites are called such since
they were the descendants of Jacob whose name is also
Israel. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel.
Later the whole land of Canaan will be called Israel and
later the southern part of the land will be called Judah or
Judea where the Israelites will get their modern name
Jews.
SAMUEL:
Prophet, Last of the Judges and Anointer of Kings
- Samuel was a man chosen by God from his
miraculous birth until his death. He is known by
answering God’s call when he was still young by
saying: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”.
He served in several important positions during
his life, earning God's favor because he knew how
to obey.
- Israel’s often oppression from their enemies made
them demand for a king to Samuel. At first
Samuel was hesitant since this was a sure
evidence of their unfaithfulness and not
acknowledging God/YHWH as their King. Later
Samuel will give in to their demand with great
conditions; The king must still acknowledge and
be faithful to God/YHWH as the Highest King
and the king should be faithful to the Israelites’
covenant with God. If the king and the people will
again be unfaithful to God, they will be wiped
away or perish.
THE FIRST THREE KINGS OF ISRAEL
 SAUL
- As the Lord granted the Israelites’ demand,
Samuel anointed Saul as their first king. He was a
tall and handsome man from the tribe of
Benjamin.
- “Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel
poured oil on Saul’s head; he also kissed him,
saying: “The Lord anoints you commander
over his heritage. You are to govern the Lord’s
people Israel, and to save them from the grasp
of their enemies round about.” This will be the
sign for you that the Lord has anointed you
commander over his heritage: (1 Samuel 10:1)
- “Now you have the king you want, a king the
Lord has given to you. If you fear the Lord and
worship him, if you are obedient to him and do
not rebel against the Lord’s command, if both you
and the king who rules you follow the Lord your
God – well and good. But if you do not obey the
Lord and if you rebel against his command, the
Lord will deal severely with you and your king.”
(1 Samuel 12: 13-15, 21-25

- At the beginning of his reign, Saul appeared to be
a meek and humble king, and a great blessing for
Israel. He had some good achievements like
freeing Israel from their enemies and extending
their territorial boundaries, but soon did not live
as expected of him by God. He would greatly
disobey God by listening more to his own desires
and to the people around him. He did not follow
God’s plans especially in dealing with some
enemies but implemented his own desires. God
was so displeased with Saul’s disobedience and
regretted making him king. This led to his
rejection by God.
Before the rise of David, there is a story of a woman
named Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite or non-Israelite who was
married by Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed, who was
the father of Jesse who became the father of David. So,
Ruth who was a non-Israelite became the great
grandmother of the icon king David. The strong message
is, anybody can become/join the people of God so long as
you believe in and be faithful to Him. God is not just a
God for the Israelites. Recall Ruth’s very remarkable
words to her mother in law Naomi: “Your people will be
my people and your God will be my God”.
This story of Ruth is also the same with the story of
Rahab, a woman from Jericho who saved the two spies of
Joshua and later joined the Israelites when they conquered
Jericho. This will again remind us that God’s salvific plan
is intended for all people.
 DAVID
- After Saul’s rejection, God asked Samuel to look
for a new King. Samuel went to Bethlehem and
anointed the young shepherd David, son of Jesse.
At first Samuel was confused on whom to anoint
since the sons of Jesse were all handsome or good
looking. God told Samuel, “God does not look at
the appearance but the heart of a person”.
- David rise to stardom began when he killed the
giant Philistine warrior Goliath. With complete
trust in God’s protection, the young David
eventually defeated the giant warrior. David was
on the rise while Saul was falling. The jealous
Saul often attempted to kill David who was also
his son in law but failed. David on the other hand
would spare Saul if Saul is cornered by David’s
men since David respected Saul as his father in
law and most especially being the first anointed
by God. So, David really had this fear of the Lord.
Saul’s end came when he died in a battle with the
enemies. David asked the people to mourn for
Saul and later the people will “anoint”/proclaim
David as their king. Since David was anointed by
Samuel while still young, his kingship was
realized fully after the death of Saul.
DAVID’s ACHIEVEMENTS
In his reign as the King of Israel, David was very
successful as he defeated all their enemies from every
side. The peak of his kingship was his settlement in
Jerusalem which he captured from the Jebusites. He
named Jerusalem as the City of David, the City of God.
David was overwhelmed and humbled by God’s
graciousness to him as the king of Israel. As a sign of
gratitude, David brought the Ark of the Covenant to
Jerusalem, in the midst of singing and dancing. The Ark
was placed in a tent prepared for it, and David offered
sacrifice before the Lord. David was also a psalmist and a
player of a harp.
In Jerusalem, David wanted to build a house for the Lord
(temple) since he was somewhat guilty by living in a
palace as a king while the Ark of the Covenant was just
staying in a small simple tent. God did not accept such
plan, but rather promised David a “house” for his
faithfulness. This “house” would later mean an eternal
dynasty; that after him, his descendants would be the next
kings to reign until the end.
David was not all righteous during his reign as king. He
also had his weaknesses. Though he was a great
conqueror, he was not able to conquer his own selfish
desires, especially the desire of the flesh. After his
triumphs over his enemies, David succumbed to the
temptation of the flesh. He became obsessed with a
beautiful woman named Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one
of his soldiers. To get her, he sent Uriah to the forefront of
the battle that led to his imminent death. Thus, David
committed the sins of adultery and murder by planning the
death of Uriah and marrying Bathsheba. Through the
prophet Nathan, David realized his sins and asked God’s
forgiveness. (read Psalm 51, David’s asking God’s for
forgiveness)
The death of the first son of David with Bathsheba was
conceived by some as his punishment for his sin. His son
Absalom revolted against his father David due to his
ambition to become the next king but failed. He was killed
in the end by the general of David. David still mourned for
his son Absalom.
Remember, David will not be defeated since he was the
king chosen and anointed by God through the prophet
Samuel.
 SOLOMON
Man of Wisdom or Man of Foolishness?
- Solomon became the ruler of Israel after the death
of his father David. He became famous for two
outstanding achievements: his wisdom and the
building of the temple. At the start of his reign,
 Solomon prayed to God for wisdom. This was Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant to rule most of the
generously granted by God. Such wisdom was kingdom of Israel.
shown in the story of how he discovered the true
mother of a baby whom the two women both
claimed to be theirs. He is believed to be the
author of many sayings and proverbs found in the
Book of Proverbs.

- Solomon answered: “You have shown great

kindness to your servant, David my father,
because he walked before you with fidelity,
justice and an upright heart; and you have
continued this great kindness toward him today,
giving him a son to sit upon his throne. Now,
Lord, my God, you have made me your servant,
king to succeed David my father; but I am a mere
youth, not knowing at all how to act. I, your
servant, among the people you have chosen, a
people so vast that it cannot be numbered or
counted. Give your servant, therefore, a listening
heart to judge your people and to distinguish
between good and evil. For who is able to give
judgment for this vast people of yours?” (1 Kings
3:6-9)

-
- King Solomon fulfilled David’s plan to build a
temple for the Ark of the Covenant. The temple
was very large and impressive; it was made of the
best and finest materials. It became the visible
sign of God’s presence and served as a strong
reminder of the covenant between God and the
Israelites. The temple became the center of
Israel’s worship, faith and hope in God. The Ark
of the Covenant was placed inside the Holy of
Holies, the innermost and sacred part of the
Temple. The temple was built in the City of
Jerusalem. Because of the belief that God dwells
in his temple, Jerusalem became the City of God.

THE FALL OF THE KINGDOM OF

SOLOMON

1. THE SINS OF SOLOMON

- King Solomon’s reign was not all an impressive
success. He used forced labor for his ambitious
building projects like the walls of Jerusalem and
others. He lived in luxury, out of the heavy taxes
that he imposed on the people. He married the
daughters of neighboring kings to assure their
support and friendly relations. He had 700 wives
of princely rank and 300 concubines. He
succumbed to the request of some of his foreign
wives to build temples for their gods. Thus,
Solomon committed the very serious sin of
idolatry. This sin is very much against the First
Commandment. The punishment of Solomon’s
grave sin will come later by God allowing