There is a unifying theme of God’s declaration in the Ten Commandments that is applicable in all ages. Its relevancy has never ceased to be a guideline of right behavior in every culture and is a moral teaching for mankind. Its significance has impacted generations creating appropriate behavior in civility, ethics and morality for all of us to live by. It is a moral compass containing a form of behavior for all society to follow.
The profound and unchanging instructions of these commandments are as relevant today, as they were in 1400 BC, when first given to Moses. Discovering what God desires for each of us in His commands, might bring a new awareness in gaining a better perspective of who is our Creator and what was He really saying when He gave these instructions to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
When Christ came onto the scene nearly 1400 years after the law was given to Moses, a revolutionary revelation was given concerning manners of the law. Christ pointed out that God was not only concerned about our outward obedience, but far greater was our inward thoughts. Someone once said, “The Law teaches the ear, but Jesus teaches the heart”. What Christ ushered in was redemption by grace (Ephesians 2:8) and the law for His followers is to be used as a guideline of right behavior, not a way for salvation. Christ did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-18). For the Christian, justification before a Holy God comes only by faith, in what Christ did at Calvary (Romans 10:9); not by adherence to the law and doing good deeds. We cannot earn our way to heaven by doing good works and following the Law of Moses (Romans 3:20). The new covenant, established by Christ, gives the believer the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, where the law will then be written on our hearts, as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:33. In our search to understand God’s way, The Ten Commandments then helps to support and promote holiness and a righteous behavior, especially, when taken in the context of Christ’s expansion of it; but it’s by faith we are saved.
In the Book of Deuteronomy, where Moses gives his final farewell to the children of Israel, before they are about to enter the Promised Land, a word of warning is given. Through Moses, God is telling Israel to be aware of the temptations in the new land.
They are about to take possession of a land in which they will live in structures they did not build, drink from wells they did not dig, eat from vineyards they did not plant, nor raise cattle they did not feed. It would be easy for them to forget God and all that He had done for them. Moses farewell address is a cautionary word to Israel (Deuteronomy 8:11-17). The Ten Commandments along with the law are set before them to follow and adhere to. The advice comes as a blessing or a curse. As stated in Deuteronomy 11:27-28, “the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God.” Israel’s decision point was clearly laid before them.
The Ten Commandments
“For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them”. Hosea 14:9
1st Commandment: “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before Me.” Deuteronomy 5:6-7
This first commandment is positively a declaration that He is our God. He has identified Himself to be the Lord and we shall have no other gods. He is the Lord God who saved Israel and He is the Lord God who saves us today. By the fact that He provided to Israel all the nourishment and guidance for 40 years in the wilderness, showed them how dependable He can be for them. Not withstanding the mighty deliverance He gave them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Deliverance from 400 years of slavery was awesome indeed. However, He does the same for us today by being our Redeemer from sin and providing eternal life with Him. In addition, Jesus provided the ability to have an intimate relationship with God in the present, as well as; delivering us from emotional bondage that debilitates and prevents healthy relationships. He is our mighty deliverer who will give revelation and insight to our minds, so that we can love and follow Him from our whole heart.
He will not tolerate nor share His glory with another. We must all recognize how insightful and extreme of a measure we must give this number one command.
2nd Commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image. You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them”. Have no idols. Deuteronomy 5:8-10
This commandment is an application on how not to worship God while at the same time teaching us to fear Him alone. We are forbidden to make any image or likeness of Him and if by chance we ignore this command He will look upon it with such repulsion that our future generations would pay for this sin. When we hold something higher than God in our life we have made an idol out of it. Idols are treasures we hold in our heart with a higher esteem than our Creator, by exchanging the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:18-25). Idols come in many forms for each of us as we give obsessive and blind devotion to something within our minds and hearts. They can come in many forms: other people, our children, material possessions, our jobs or having a love for money. As Jesus stated, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth….for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6: 19-21)
In stating how not to worship Him, He is declaring the proper way to worship Him, which is in spirit and truth, not through religious formality. By learning how not to worship God, we learn that He is a spirit and wants to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24), giving Him our complete devotion.
3rd Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain”. Deuteronomy 5:11
The only condition in which we are to use God’s name is to glorify Him. This commandment is teaching us to fear Him, by learning the proper usage of His name. Reverence and honor is the expectation of our treatment towards His name. In the Hebrew, the word “vain” does not mean conceit or preoccupation of self, but rather its true meaning is “nothingness, purposeless or emptiness”. By using God’s name in vain (swearing by an oath or using His name to swear), we are using it in a disrespectful and irreverent manner. The majesty of His name should be kept in proper perspective that evolves from fear of offending Him. He has declared that His name is something that we should seek to use only with profound reverence and honor.
This commandment has given us a new understanding of learning how to fear Him. By holding His name as a treasure of great value in our heart we fear Him from a healthy perspective.
4th Commandment: “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”. Deuteronomy 5:12
Observance of the Sabbath is a condition for healthy living, bringing about inner peace. The Sabbath is the cornerstone of Israel and its observance brought about personal and national salvation. God intended the Sabbath to be for spiritual and physical benefit, teaching us how to envelop our lifestyles in praise and worship of Him. By observance in setting one day a week aside, we are developing a cycle of balance and a pattern of rhythm for our bodies and minds. From this day of rest and reflection will flow creativity and energy from our inner most being. The Pharisee’s put so many rules and regulations around the Sabbath that it became an impossible burden to follow, eliminating God’s original intent. But as Jesus states to us in Mark 2:27, “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath”. The Hebrew word for Sabbath is to “cease or rest”.
God is telling us in this command to make 1 day in 7 and break from our normal routine to give Him blessing and honor; and by doing so we will live a healthy and prosperous life.
5th Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you”. Deuteronomy 5:16
This commandment is teaching us submission to authority by honoring our parents. It is in this very first relationship with our parents we learn to honor and respect God and His authority. Holding our parents in high esteem with honor and respect gives blessing even to future generations. When we rebel against the authority God has placed in our lives, we forego an incredible blessing of His protection and guidance (i.e. if you speed in your car you could have an accident). Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft to the Lord and will cause us to stumble (1Samuel 15:23). We must recognize our responsibility in honoring the authority God has placed over us and submit in humbleness. As Jesus stated in Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.’
Submission to authority plays a tremendous part in our walk with God, as all authority is given by Him. When we submit to it we learn humility and respect for others, holding them in higher regard than ourselves; which is the nature of God.
6th Commandment: “You shall not murder”. Deuteronomy 5:17
By not murdering another, we are taught to have a merciful heart in forgiving others, instead of seeking revenge. Jesus expounded upon this command in Matthew 5; whereas teaching us, it is not only the external that God will judge, but very aptly He points to the heart. Our angry words and thoughts commit murder inwardly, without violating any physical act (Matthew 5:21-26). Harboring anger makes us just as guilty in God’s eyes. The Lord looks for the repentant heart that realizes forgiveness in the midst of a desire to lash back.
Forever on the mind of God will always be restoration and reconciliation in all relationships. The essence of God is always to desire mercy, which is what He calls us to immolate. As Psalm 138:8 states, “Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever”. If God’s character is described as being merciful, He would expect the same from us in all situations.
7th Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery”. Deuteronomy 5:18
We are taught the sanctity of marriage in this commandment and how important God weighs our character in our capacity to keep commitments. The marriage vow is a covenant (promise) before God between a man and a woman. It was established by God from the beginning. It holds a great importance to the Lord, because it reveals our true character in our ability to keep obligations. Jesus elaborated on this commandment in that even lusting for another we have committed the act of adultery. He went on to state that our best defense is to cut it out of our life, so we don’t fall into temptation (Matthew 5:29-30).
In this command He is stating for us to have complete self control over manners of our body. A rigid and unyielding denial of self to obtain moral behavior begins in our minds (Romans 12:2).
8th Commandment: “You shall not steal”. Deuteronomy 5:19
By not stealing, we are taught to give and let go of our selfish desires. Giving of ourselves in all aspects is the essence and true nature of God. Cheating others in their material possessions, time, or money, is ultimately stealing from the Lord. God also entrusts us to be good stewards over our own time and money, which the lack thereof ultimately robs ourselves and God. The absence of good stewarding blocks the flow of His many blessings (i.e. tithing Malachi3:8). However, the supreme teaching came in the actual demonstration of Christ washing the apostle’s feet (John 13:5). The fundamental essence of this display taught us fully the spirit of serving. Not only are we to never steal or just live in the status quo; but always we need to go the extra mile and give of ourselves fully. Being a servant to all we are “giving” to our fullest extent, thus fulfilling the law.
God intended the motive of our heart should always be what is best for others, not self. Anything less than that is stealing from God and others.
9th Commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”. Deuteronomy 5:20
By not lying we are taught to be authentic. Within our inner thoughts deception can produce a falsehood in every aspect of our life. From this forms a spirit of gossip and rumor that envelopes deception and malice. Truthfulness and honesty create a good and clean conscience that provides healthy living and positive relationships. Preferring truth over duplicity develops one’s character into an aspect of sound morality that will always win. God’s nature is in truth and is the foundation of His character, for He is the absolute truth (John 14:6).
Formation of a clean heart before God and man will provide a basis of dependable and reliable reputation that builds deep and abiding relationships based on trust.
10th Commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife”. Deuteronomy 5:21
By not coveting, we learn contentment. It is a marvelous state of being to find oneself in balance and contented with current circumstances. Peace and tranquility become the blessing. Being financially blessed or homeless does not necessarily set the criteria of a coveting heart. Holding a spirit of coveting is created in the heart from excessive want and desire. It creates a selfish heart and attitude that is the exact opposite from the character and nature of God. “Excessive wanting” will find no peace and lure us into numerous temptations, never finding satisfaction. Coveting will embitter our heart and will lead us on the road to iniquity.
God’s favor is personified in contentment, filling the soul with complete joy. It will be manifested as proof in one’s life by the evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control (Galatians 5:22-23).
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Conclusion
When the Jewish leaders of their day (the scribes), came to test Jesus, they questioned Him on what is the greatest commandment and His reply was:
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all our strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-30
If you are seeking to have a more intimate relationship with God, then asking Jesus to be your savior is your first step. Your next step is just to start talking with Him daily through prayer and studying His word, the bible. Intimacy will start to form His law in your heart in a more profound way, so that living out The Ten Commandments will become a lifestyle of righteous living.