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The Tenth Day of Christmas


On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Ten Lords A-leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking,
Seven Swans a swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Our Reading:
Deuteronomy 10:1-5 (NASB)
1 "At that time the Lord said to me, 'Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself.
2 'I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.'
3 "So I made an ark of acacia wood and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.
4 "He wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the Lord gave them to me.
5 "Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the Lord commanded me."
Deuteronomy 10:10-21 (NASB)
10 "I, moreover, stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the Lord listened to me that time also; the Lord was not willing to destroy you.
11 "Then the Lord said to me, 'Arise, proceed on your journey ahead of the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.'
12 "Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
13 and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?
14 "Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.
15 "Yet on your fathers did the Lord set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day.
16 "So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.
17 "For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.
18 "He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.
19 "So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
20 "You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.
21 "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.
A Meditation:
The tenth day of Christmas is a celebration of God’s law as given in the tablets of stone to Moses. We call them the Ten Commandments:
1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)
If you think about it these simple statements of God encompass just about every aspect of human relationships – towards God and Others. They have stood the test of time, now almost 5000 years old, and still relevant today.
A Prayer:
“Lord, we come to you to state anew our desire to honor your word, to discover your ways, and to walk in them. We don’t do it out of a need to gain your favor; we already have that in Jesus your Son. We express a desire to follow you that out of the overflow of gratitude we might honor you and praise you with our lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Comments

Rachel F said…
Hi Elliott
Thanks so much for all the time you've put into these meditations which have added something new to Christmas for me this year! I had no idea of the significance of the song.
Due to the time difference, I'm usually a day behind, so have just read Sunday's and was amazed to find myself reading the very same passage from Deuteronomy that I'd read in my bible on Sunday evening without knowing why! I think God just got my attention!
Happy New Year to you.
with love
Rachel
January 5, 2009 at 4:40 PM
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