What Was The Purpose Of The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments were part of the Mosaic Law. That Law code included over 600 commandments and formed the terms of an agreement, or covenant, between God and the ancient nation of Israel. God promised the people of Israel that they would prosper if they obeyed the Mosaic Law. However, the main purpose of the Law was to prepare the Israelites for the promised Messiah, or Christ.Galatians 3:24.
Exodus : 13 You Shall Not Murder
Simple Terms: You should not take someone elses life away from them. Murder is a term that most younger kids are not familiar with, but they will be familiar with the concept. It is becoming more and more common in a younger language through the everyday news and access to the internet at younger ages. Our lives were given to us by God, and it is not a single persons decision to make when someone elses life ends. People can be hurt, but murder is by far the greatest physical injury that can be done to someone. The specific word used for murder in this verse in the Bible, represents the shedding of innocent blood, and does not refer to death because of a criminal act.
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The 10 Commandments In Summary
The New Testament is abundant with instructions and lessons on how to apply the 10 Commandments from Exodus 20 in the Old Testament to apply to our daily lives. There are various occasions when the 10 Commandments are summarized or presented in broad strokes:
1 Corinthians 7:19 Paul states that obeying the law matters to God.
1 John 5:3 John informs us that God’s children obey His instructions, and His teachings are not oppressive.
John 14:15 Christ explains that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus simplifies everything into the two greatest commandments.
Revelation 2:10 The believers who remain faithful unto death will receive the crown of life.
Romans 7:7 The law teaches us what sin is.
Romans 7:12 The law is holy, righteous, and beneficial.
How Do The Ten Commandments Differ In Different Religious Traditions
The numbering of the Ten Commandments differs in different religious traditions. In Talmudic Judaism, the prologue is the first commandment, or utterance, and the prohibitions against false gods and idols are the second. Medieval Roman tradition regards these elements as one and splits the commandment forbidding coveting anothers wife and anothers property into two. Greek Orthodox tradition regards the prologue and prohibition against false gods as the first commandment and the prohibition against idols as the second.
Believers nowadays thus need not obey the Old Testament laws anymore.
But their function as a mirror is still helpful to make us see how awful sin actually is. Like Paul states: If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, You shall not covet . Naturally, we tend to underestimate our own sinfulness and not realize its seriousness. The Ten Commandments can help us overcome that problem.
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The 10 Commandments List Catholic Numbering Short Form*
The Lutherans follow a similar numbering, but reverse what the Catholics call the Ninth and 10th Commandments, following the order in Exodus 20.
Learn more about the 10 Commandments by studying each commandment and committing to strive to obey them. For further study, read the articles in this section: The 10 Commandments and God’s Way of Life.
Youll also want to see our helpful video series The 10 Commandments: A Matter of the Heart.
*See The 10 Commandments and Gods Way of Life for a discussion of the different numbering systems and the potential dangers of neglecting commandments by using only short form lists.
About the Author
Mike Bennett
Mike Bennett is editorial content manager for the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in the Dallas, Texas, area. He coordinates the Life, Hope & Truth website, Discern magazine, the Daily Bible Verse Blog and the Life, Hope & Truth Weekly Newsletter . He is also part of the Personal Correspondence team of ministers who have the privilege of answering questions sent to Life, Hope & Truth.
It Offers Spiritual Success
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8
There arent many guarantees in life, but here is one: if you memorize Scripture, meditate on it, and act on it, you will have spiritual success!
The Word of God grows spiritual fruit: … those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Luke 8:15
Its also vital to growing into spiritual maturity: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”
1 Pet. 2:2
In addition to that, knowing the Word of God makes your prayer life more effective: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
John 15:7
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You Shall Make No Idols
Bible reference – Exodus 20:4-6:You shall not make for yourself a carved imageany likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Explanation: Is there anything wrong with this commandment? Millions in the world need to hear this commandment. Jesus said in John 4:24, God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
All representations of the true God or false deities for the purpose of worship are forbidden. An idol image degrades God and it degrades man. God’s jealousy against false gods is but infinite love which allows no rival for our heart’s affection.
Signs Of Path Under Red Sea
In the Book of Exodus Moses holds out his walking stick and God parts the waters and they manage to flee.
The story goes that the water then came rushing back in and crushed the pursuing troops.
The foundation believes Nuweiba Beach is the most likely crossing point because studies have found land paths below the water.
They argue this evidence found by Swedish scientist Dr Lennart Moller reveals the remnants of the fleeing army.
It is claimed they found what they believe were the shapes of chariots which were encased in coral, although the metal and wood was long since dissolved.
Across the Red Sea, there is said to be evidence that is allegedly a possible match for the Biblical campsite Elim, noted to have 12 wells and 70 palm trees with a dozen of the water sources remaining today.
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The 10 Commandments Are 10 Beneficial Laws Given By God On Mount Sinai These Commandments Show Us How To Live A Better Life Now And Please God Forever
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome .
The Bible tells us that God Himself spoke the 10 Commandments from Mount Sinai and wrote them with His own finger on tablets of stone . This adds powerful emphasis to the subject of the 10 Commandments in the Bible. What are the 10 Commandments, and what do they mean?
New Testament Bible Verses About The Second Commandment
Matthew 5:3337 To swear by God or anything else is the work of the wicked one.
Matthew 23:16-21 Jesus criticizes people who swear oaths by the temple or heaven, explaining that they are swearing by God. He exposes all their swearing as futile when he calls the organization hypocritical.
James 5:12 James verifies what Jesus stated in Matthew 5:33-37.
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How Many Versions Of The Ten Commandments Are There
1. How many versions of the Ten Commandments are there?
The Bible actually contains two complete sets of the Ten Commandments . In addition, Leviticus 19 contains a partial set of the Ten Commandments , and Exodus 34:10-26 is sometimes considered a ritual decalogue.
2. True or false the Golden Rule is one of the Ten Commandments.
False. The so-called “Golden Rule” doesn’t appear in the Old Testament but in the New Testament .
3. Does everyone enumerate the Ten Commandments the same way?
Actually several different traditions exist regarding how the commands should be enumerated. Jewish tradition considers verse 2 to be the first commandment and verses 3-4 as the second. Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions consider verses 3-4 to be the first commandment but separate verse 17 into two commandments. Protestant and Reformed traditions consider verse 2 a prologue and separate verses 3-4 into the first and second commandments, retaining verse 17 as one command.
4. What is significant about the way the Ten Commandments are arranged?
The commandments have a specific structure. The first four deal with one’s relationship with God. The remaining commandments address one’s relationship with humans. The two relationships are inseparable elements, fundamental to being a follower of God.
5. Which of the commands did Jesus consider the most important?
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Importance Of The Ten Commandments In Christianity
The law given to Moses provided the foundation for a new Israelite society, they provided the foundation of personal and property rights found in our modern legal system. Jewish tradition holds that all 613 laws found in the Torah are summed up in the Ten Commandments.
Christians view the Ten Commandments as the foundation of Gods moral law. Jesus called people to an even higher standard by obeying the commandments not only in their actions but also in their hearts. For instance, Jesus quoted the command to not commit adultery
You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart .
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What Does The 2nd Commandment Mean
The second Commandment forbids worship of man-made things that represent false gods. We usually think of “graven images” as idols, but we can make idols of anything we place before Jehovah. … This Commandment is teaching that nothing should take the place of the personal presence of the Invisible God.
To Know And Love God Better
In Deuteronomy 6:4-6, Moses calls out to the people of Israel:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
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The First Commandment: You Shall Have No Other Gods Before The One True Triune God
The Triune God is the one true God. All others are to be despised. Trust Him, come boldly to His throne, and only praise Him.
When the heart is well with God, all other precepts follow. When we sin, it is a sign that the human heart has turned away from God by nature. He created us to be His possession. He has offered Himself to us through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Anything that captures our greatest devotion, dreams, or deepest passion becomes an idol and assumes God’s place in our life. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts with real fear, love, and faith in God above all else via the Word and Sacraments.
You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me
Bible reference – Exodus 20:3:You shall have no other gods before Me.
Explanation: Do we still need this commandment? We certainly do. Whatever holds the supreme place in a persons life is a god.
The story is told that in a certain museum in China there was an exhibit called “The American God.” And what do you suppose it was? A dollar bill, neatly framed.
It is strange how modern men turn away from the living God, who is revealed in nature and the Bible, and invent imaginary gods to fit their unbelieving hearts.
In his book, God and the Cosmos, Dr. Theodore Graebner tells us that some who set themselves up as teachersmany even as religious teacherssay that God is merely the spirit of the community . One of these modern leaders says, God is myself . Another says that he worships man .
How would you like to pray to “the spirit of the community” or pray to yourself or to mankind in general? These are some of the false gods proclaimed by the wise men of today.
Some worship pleasure others, reason, philosophy, or business. But all these things are as imperfect as humans themselves, and those who trust in them will be left at last without a light in the vacant and dark night, until the words of the first commandment meet them in the judgment: Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
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What Are The 10 Commandments The Law Of The Kingdom Of God
The good news of the Bible is that this age of human misrule and sin will be replaced by the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ will intervene to save humanity from self-destruction . Jesus Christ will bring real peace and will teach the way of peace that has been so elusive in human history.
What will the laws of the Kingdom of God be that will produce peace? The same laws that have been consistently proclaimed throughout the BibleGods laws, including the 10 Commandments.
Even the last chapter of the Bible, speaking of the New Jerusalem and eternity, says: Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city .
Gods commandments are part of the way of life that will produce peace forever!
Exodus : 16 You Shall Not Give False Testimony Against Your Neighbor
Simple Terms: You should not tell lies about other people, always tell the truth. A lot of kids, early in age, will become familiar with telling the truth, this is a great way to discuss that the opposite of truth is false. An easy topic to discuss is making up stories when asked what happened in a certain situation. This is a common situation where kids are tempted to lie to avoid disclosing choices they made that they think will lead to punishment. Jesus also references false testimony specifically as being evil in the book of Matthew.
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You Shall Not Bear False Witness
Bible reference – Exodus 20:15: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Explanation: This commandment forbids bribery and forgery and even the least suggestion contrary to truth. It forbids libel, slander, and backbiting, and calls for the truth and nothing but the truth.
In Revelation 22:15, we are told that whoever loves and practices a lie will be outside the gates of the New Jerusalem, and in Revelation 21:27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lambs Book of Life.
New Testament Bible Verses About The Third Commandment
Acts 13:42-44 Acts 17:1-3 On the Sabbath, the disciples teach and instruct.
Colossians 2:16 Do not let anyone judge you for observing the Sabbath.
Hebrews 4:9 The Sabbath is a day of rest for God’s people.
Luke 4:16 Jesus observes the Sabbath.
Jesus teaches that the Sabbath was made for man and that He is the Lord of the Sabbath.
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What Is The Greatest Message Of The 10 Commandments
The Ten Commandments are the first direct communication between a people and God. Designed to elevate our lives above mere frantic, animal existence to the sublime levels humanity is capable of experiencing, they are the blueprint of Gods expectations of us and His plan for a meaningful, just, loving, and holy life.