Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.  Deuteronomy 9:10 (NKJV)

If God had given the Ten Commandments to Adam and Eve, how many did they break?  You know the story… Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and God told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Adam and Eve are found in Genesis in our Bibles, while the Ten Commandments first appear in the second book, Exodus, so Adam and Eve actually didn’t have these ten rules from God.  Besides God telling them to be fruitful and multiply and to watch over all the living things (Genesis 1:28), His only other command to Adam and Eve was this:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:17 (NKJV)

When the serpent came and told Eve to eat the fruit, she ate it and gave some to Adam to eat, as well.  But, I wonder, if they had been given the Ten Commandments, which ones would they have broken?

Here are the Ten Commandments as listed in Exodus 20…

1. You shall have no other gods before Me. Did Adam and Eve make the serpent their God?
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother. Did Adam and Eve bring dishonor to their Father in heaven when they disobeyed?
6. You shall not murder. (Their son Cain took care of this one)
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal. Did Adam and Eve steal the forbidden fruit?
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Did Adam and Eve try to hide what they had done?
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s belongings. Did Adam and Eve covet the fruit?

Looks like Adam and Eve broke at least five of the Ten Commandments. Now let’s look at the track record for the USA…

1. You shall have no other gods before Me. Sports, Hollywood, money…the list goes on.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.Seems like there are statues everywhere.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Even conservative talk shows take God’s name in vain.  Lord help us!
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. How many stores and people don’t keep a Sabbath any more?
5. Honor your father and your mother. How many kids even live with their fathers and mothers?
6. You shall not murder. Countless babies are murdered every day by abortion.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Don’t even want to go there. 
8. You shall not steal. Crime is rampant.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Even the politicians and judges tell lies.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s belongings. Think we could do this one?

…I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” Romans 7:7 (NKJV)

If Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden for breaking only five out of Ten Commandments, how much more the USA for breaking all Ten Commandments?? No wonder we are hurting!  No wonder every day brings more bad news.  But there is Good News, dear sister in Christ.  For God not only punished Adam and Eve, but He also promised a Savior.  At the very time God gave Adam and Eve their punishment, He gave a promise that from Eve’s Seed would come a Savior to bruise the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15).  That Savior is Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and rose again to eternal life in heaven.  Believe this Good News for yourself and for our country, dear one!

Every day in my Bible readings I find more verses to pray for our nation.  Just think how God could see the future and know that His Word would not only cover Adam and Eve and the Israelites,  but even us today, and also for the end of time.  For our National Day of Prayer, I prayed a prayer based on Isaiah 1.  I invite you to pray this prayer today…

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Dear Father in Heaven, …Our country is desolate, our cities are burned with fire; Strangers devour our land in our presence; and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. …Unless the Lord of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. O help us hear Your Word, O Lord, you rulers of the USA. Give ear to the law of our God, you people of America. Our hands are full of the blood of unborn babies. Wash us clean, O Lord. We repent and put away all evil, we seek justice, We claim Your promise to make our sins white as snow. May we eat the good of the land again; Protect us from the sword of the enemy, Restore our judges as at the first. May we be called once again the city of righteousness, the faithful city. May we be a beacon of hope to the world. Send a revival across this land, O Jesus, put Your law in the hearts of Your people and be our God, the God of the United States of America. May the dark night be over!  We claim Your promise to help us at the break of dawn. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen.

…Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all. Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NKJV)

...keeping the commandments of God is what matters. 1 Corinthians 7:19 (NKJV)

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.  Romans 7:12 (NKJV)

He who despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.  Proverbs 13:13 (NKJV)

And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever… 2 Kings 17:37 (NKJV)

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  Hebrews 8:10 (NKJV)

And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.  Psalm 119:47 (NKJV)

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!  Psalm 70:4 (NKJV)

Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.  John 15:10 (NKJV)

(See also Deuteronomy 26:16-17, Deuteronomy 30:8-10, Psalm 119:60, Psalm 119:115, Psalm 119:127, Matthew 5:19, Revelation 22:14, )

Thank you for stopping by My TEA. CUPP Prayers!  If you enjoyed today’s devotion, you might also like to read Admitting with Eve and USA, Arise, Come Forth!

Scripture taken the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson