The Ten Commandments

1. The Ten Commandments– 6th
July 2016
And Godspoke all these words: 2
“Iam the LORD yourGod,who broughtyou out of Egypt,out of the
landof slavery” (Exodus20: 1- 17).
The 10 Commandments are God'srevelationinthe OldTestament.Itisfoundinthe Bible'sOld
TestamentatExodus,Chapter20. Theywere givendirectlybyGodto Moses at Mount Sinai forthe
people of Israel,afterHe haddeliveredthemfromslaveryinEgypt: The 10 Commandmentsare first
recordedinthe bookof Exodus.Theywere givenbyGodat Mt. Sinai followingthe Israelitesescapefrom
slaveryinEgypt.The 10 Commandmentsweremoral statutesgivenbyGod,throughMoses,so that the
Israelitescouldenjoyfruitful andholylives.The Commandmentswere significantinthattheyformed
the basisof Jewishlife,lawandfaith.Inscribedonstone tablets,the 10Commandmentswere initially
brokenbyMoses inangeroverthe flagrantsinsof the Israelites.Theywerethenre-inscribedandkeptin
the Ark of the Covenantatthe commandof God.
Whenwe study the Ten Commandments, we canobserve thatFourof the Commandmentsdeal
primarilywithman'srelationshipwithGodandthe othersix deal primarilywithman'srelationshipwith
one another. We can learnthisfrom Exodus20: 1- 17: AndGod spokeall these words: 2
“Iam the LORD
your God,who broughtyouout of Egypt, out ofthe landof slavery.
3
“Youshall haveno other gods before[a]
me.
4
“Youshall notmake for yourselfan image inthe formof anythinginheaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below.
5
Youshall not bow downto them or worshipthem; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealousGod,
punishingthechildrenfor the sin of the parents to the third andfourth generationof those whohate
me,
6
but showingloveto a thousandgenerationsof those wholove me and keep my commandments.
7
“Youshall notmisuse the name ofthe LORD yourGod,for the LORD will nothold anyoneguiltlesswho
misuseshisname.
8
“Remember the Sabbathday by keeping it holy. 9
Sixdays youshall laborand do all your work, 10
but
the seventh day is a Sabbathto the LORD your God.On it you shall notdo any work, neither you,nor
your sonor daughter,nor your maleor femaleservant, nor your animals,noranyforeigner residingin
your towns.11
For in sixdays the LORD made the heavens andthe earth, the sea, andall that is in them,
but he rested onthe seventh day.Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbathday andmade it holy.
12
“Honoryour father andyour mother, so that youmay live longin the landthe LORD your Godis
givingyou.
13
“Youshall notmurder.
14
“Youshall notcommitadultery.
15
“Youshall notsteal.
16
“Youshall notgive falsetestimonyagainstyour neighbor.
17
“Youshall notcovet your neighbor’shouse.You shall notcovet yourneighbor’swife,or hismale or
female servant,his oxor donkey,or anythingthat belongsto your neighbor.”
The Ten Commandmentsare Gods required expectationfromustoadhere by. In the New Testamentwe
can learnof JesusChrist'ssummationof the 10 CommandmentswhenHe wasconfrontedbythe
religious"experts"of the day.We can learnwhensome SadduceesandPhariseesaskedJesus: “Teacher,

2. whichis the greatest commandmentinthe Law?”37
Jesusreplied:“‘Lovethe Lord yourGod withall
your heart and withall yoursoul andwith all your mind.’[a] 38
Thisis the first andgreatest
commandment.39
Andthe second is likeit: ‘Love yourneighboras yourself.’[b] 40
All the Law andthe
Prophets hangon these two commandments.” (Matthew22:36-40). A reflective readingof Christ's
teachingfoundabove revealsthatthe firstfourcommandmentsgiventothe childrenof Israel are
containedinthe statement: "Love the Lord your Godwith all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind." It continuesthatthe lastsix commandmentsare enclosedinthe statement: "Love
your neighboras yourself."
The 10 Commandments showsus God'sStandardof Holiness/These commandments were alsoknown
as Gods Law. ForancientIsrael,breakingthe Law was a seriousoffense.Todeviate byanydegree from
the 10 Commandmentswastosinand fall shortof God's standardof holiness thatappliestodayforall
of mankind.Since Godisthe universal authorityof moral conduct,all of humanityissubjecttoHis
standards.Accordingtothe Bible,noone isexemptfromGod'sLaw. Scripturesreveal thatthe
requirementsof the Laware writtenonour hearts.We know what is“Good” and whatis “Bad”, butwe
breakthese Lawsand are amassedinSinand sinful deeds…butourconscienceultimatelyconfirmsour
guilt. Some of ushave triedto live goodlives inkeepingwithGodsrequirement,contributingpositive
thingsto our familiesandcommunities.ButbasedonGod's standardof holiness, we canlearnfrom
Romans3:23,”… for all have sinnedandfall short of the glory ofGod”. Indeed,we have all sinned
accordingto God's standard.
Afterreviewingthe 10 Commandments,some argue thatGodis unjustforimposingastandardupon
humanitythatHe knowswe can't fulfill.Doesn'titseemawfullycruel foralovingGod to condemnman
for the evil thatisinherentlypartof the humancondition?The responsetothisperplexingquestionlies
inJesusChrist.Infact, Jesuscame to earthin orderto reconcile thisdilemma.Like the perfectlambs
that were constantlysacrificedforthe sins of Israel,Jesuswasperfectandwithoutblemish,because he
was sinless.Likethe lambs,He wassacrificedforthe reparationof sins.Unlike the lambs,however,the
sacrifice of JesusChristredeemedthe sinsof all humanityforall time.Unlike the lambs,JesusChrist
resurrectedfromthe deadandconqueredthe powerof sinforall humanityforall time.The Bible tells
us whyChristhad to become asacrifice: "ForGodso lovedthe world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoeverbelievesinhimshall not perishbut have eternal life" (John3:16).
For many,the 10 Commandmentsare symbolsthat pointtoour faultsandmistakes.Some feelsoguilty
that theybelieve Godwill neveracceptthem.Otherssimplychoose torejectGodbecause HisLaw is
impossible toobey.Ironically,the 10Commandmentswere nevergivenbyGodto condemnhumanity,
but rather,theywere giventoconvicthumanity.The 10 Commandmentsactas a mirror to "reflect"the
conditionof oursouls.Whenwe examine ourlife inlightof the 10 Commandments,we realize our
shortcomingsandour needforredemption.JesusChristisour saviourand redeemer.Therefore,God
gave the 10 Commandmentsnottocondemnhumanity,but waytoshow us where we are goingwrong
due to His love forus. We can understandwhenwe read Romans5:8, “But Goddemonstrates hisown
love for usin this: Whilewe were still sinners,Christdied for us”.