Articles The Ten Commandments
| The Ten Commandments |
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It is the purpose of this article to identify what the ten commandments are, give a brief view of their historical importance, to show that they are taught in the Old and New Testaments, and finally to show that they are unchangeable. What Are the Ten Commandments?
From these texts in Deuteronomy, we can see that the Ten Commandments are the words found in Exodus 20, and not, as some would have it, those found in Exodus 34 itself. They are not the words referring to sacrifices, annual feasts, and the practice of boiling a kid in its mother's milk. They are the words declared publicly ”out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly,” that is, the commandments of Exodus 20. What Has Been the Role of the Ten Commandments in History?
It is only reasonable, however, that this inconsistency should be so. The ten commandments are pervasively used by nearly all Christian churches, to say nothing of Jews. Even Islam recognizes them to have been given to Moses as the criterion of right and wrong. Obviously, most of these religious establishments, despite their lip service to the ten commandments, do not observe them. In fact, all of the faith traditions of the world maintain at least half of the commandments. Yet no faith tradition maintains all ten in a literal way. The ten commandments appear in nearly every Christian catechism ever written, but some of them are explained contrary to the clear and obvious sense of the text. For Martin Luther in the Shorter Catechism the Sabbath commandment means to go to church and abide by what the preacher says! The very commandment that establishes the authority of God is being usurped to bolster the authority of man. Even the Roman Catholic Church gives the ten commandments, in abridged and changed form, a place in its catechism. The ten commandments are unique in that in all of the classical religious literature of the world it appears that there is no other text that claims to have been revealed directly by God to an enormous crowd of people. All other texts come through an individual, often by means of visions, dreams, or individual intuitions. Angels and prophets are prominant, but rarely direct speach of God.
While the text of the ten commandments may not appear in other sacred books, most of them refer directly to most of the commandments. No religion supports killing, stealing, adultery, or dishonoring parents. Their sacred books refer to these principles in terms that are very much like the ten commandments. Each of the commandments is referenced in the Qur'an, including the Sabbath in several passages. Most religious traditions are like Christianity in having the principles of the ten commandments in their sacred books, but fail to maintain some of them. The Qur'an terms Sabbath-breakers monkeys, but that does not prevent Muslims generally from ignoring the Sabbath, just like their fellow believers the Christians. On the other hand, in ancient times it appears that the principles of the ten commandments were incredibly well-known and followed. The observance of the Sabbath by non-Jewish populations was widespread. The importance of the ten commandments in ancient Jewish tradition is inestimable. Some people valued them so highly, that they considered nothing else of importance. At a time when books were rare and costly, the temptation to consider that revelation consisted of the ten commandments only was great. The Rabbis eventually irradicated the idea from Judaism, but at a heavy cost. Only after prohibiting the recitation of the ten commandments as part of the daily prayers were they able to educate the Jewish populace to see the other duties of the Torah as of equal value. The history is mentioned in some detail in Jewish Liturgy and its Development, A. Z. Idelsohn, pages 91, 92. ”In the Temple Service the Ten Commandments were read before the Shema. This custom, however, was not adopted outside the Temple, on account of the Sectaries who said that only these commandments were divinely revealed (b.Ber.12a). In the Nash-Papyrus of about the first century C.E. found in Egypt, the Ten Commandments are given before the Shema. ”The Ten Commandments continued to be recited in the Palestinian synagogue in Egypt until the thirteenth century. ”A clearer reason is given in Jer. Ber. 1, 3c, – the reason being that 'they (the Minim) shall not say that only these (the Ten Commandments) were given to Moses on Mount Sinai.' Kohler adds: 'Only because the early Judeo-Christians claimed divine revelation exclusively for the Ten Commandments, discarding the other Mosaic laws as temporary enactments, was the recital of the Decalogue in the daily morning liturgy afterwards abolished.'” There is a great deal stated and implied here, but perhaps the most relevant to this article is the fact that the ten commandments were once far more central to both Judaism and Christianity than they are today. The only conclusion to be drawn is a general and pervasive apostasy. A few people still maintain that early ”Judeo-Christian” belief, that the Ten Commandments form the central and determining divine revelation for all time and everywhere. Those who are coming out of Babylon and forming home churches to worship in purity would do well to consider that the ten commandments should be recited in every meeting for worship. What Does the Bible Say About the Ten Commandments?
It is of interest that the commandments were written on all sides of the stones. We do not know how large or in what shape the stones were, but if they compared to the ancient clay tablets found in a number of places in the Middle East and to ancient covenent stones found among the Hittites, they were more elongated than cubic, and had six sides upon which writing appeared. Covenents were sometimes anciently put in two identical texts on each of two stones, as copies of the treaty for both parties. But in this case it was not so according to both Jewish and Christian tradition, which divides the commandments between the two stones. This is affirmed by Ellen White as well. ”The fifth commandment is sacred; but if you should transgress any of the first four precepts of the decalogue, wherein is revealed the duty of man to his Creator, you would not be in a favorable position for the sacred observance of the last six commandments which specify the duties of man to his fellow man. To break any one of the commandments which specify the duty of man to God is to violate the principles of the entire law. The pen of inspiration records that he who offends in one point is guilty of offense in all. Thus, should the Sabbath of the fourth commandment be disregarded, and man prove recreant to the claims of God upon him, will this disobedience prepare him to fulfill the requirements of the law which specifies his duty to his earthly parents? Will his heart be fitted through transgression of a plain precept of Jehovah upon the first table of stone, to keep the first precept on the second table. We are required, by this commandment, to honor our parents, and we are unnatural children if we do not obey this precept. But if love and reverence are due our earthly parents how much more is reverence and love due our heavenly Parent.” {ST, February 28, 1878 par. 5} What is important is the fact that God Himself wrote the message on the tables of stone and gave them to Moses to keep as the words of the covenant for the people. (Exo 32:16) And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
(Exo 34:29) And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. The ten commandments as proclaimed and written by God are affirmed in Moses' summary sermon to the Israelites before their entrance into the Promised Land. (Deu 5:22) These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. The story of the breaking and renewal of the stones is repeated in Deuteronomy nine and ten. The placing of the commandments in the ark is described there in detail. (Deu 10:1) At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. (Deu 10:2) And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. (Deu 10:3) And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. (Deu 10:4) And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me. (Deu 10:5) And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me. The table of the commandments remained in the ark for many generations. (1Ki 8:9) There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. (Also 2 Chronicles 5:10). The New Testament does not use the expression ”ten commandments.” But it mentions the law of God, the tables of stone, the covenant, and each of the commandments individually many times. The first occurrence of the expression ”tables of stone” occurs in (2Co 3:3) Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. This is a reference to the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah. (Jer 31:31) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (Jer 31:32) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: (Jer 31:33) But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jer 31:34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Much is made of the New Covenant by those who wish to say that the ten commandments, by which they mean the seventh-day Sabbath, is no longer binding. But what does the text say? It says that God will put His law in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. It does not say that God will give a new law, one different from the one He gave on Sinai. The one He gave on Sinai failed only because the people did not keep it, not because there was something wrong with the commandments. The same God who wrote with His own finger on the tables of stone promises to write the same law with His own finger on our hearts. The ten commandments written on the heart instead of on tables of stone is the New Covenant. The New Testament does not say a great deal about the tables of stone as a whole. But what it does say is clear and important. The first and most important thing is that the ten commandments, under the New Covenant are to be written on the heart. There is only one more mention of the tables of stone, and that is (Heb 9:4) Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.
The ten commandments are hidden in the ark of the testimony in heaven itself. As we allow the law of God to be written on our hearts, we too become the temple of God, a reflection of the glory of heaven. The ten commandments are unchangeable in heaven. God can and will make them unchangeable in the temple of the human heart. Additional related information on our site:
Hits: 12738 Comments (24)
  written by JACK@JURUS HAIDIN, September 05, 2009
FIRST AT ALL THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR POSTED COMMENTS.I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT BROTHER DANIEL'S COMMENTS.THAT IS ABOUT BEING UNDER THE LAW AND GRACE.MANY PEOPLES DO NOT REALLY UNDERSTND REGARDING THESE POINTS,TO ANSWER TO BROTHER DANIEL'S COMMENTS PLEASE VISIT YOU TUBE TYPE
 the law & Christians)YOU MAY FIND THE CLEAR ANSWER MAY GOD LEAD YOU ALL TO HIS TRUTHNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS,GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
written by JACK@JURUS HAIDIN, September 05, 2009
Thank you for all the posted comments and God bless all,These my few comments.Sabbath had made for all human kind not just only for Jews.This is very clear that sunday is not the day for all human kind but sabbath,and again sabbath had made as a center day of worship God,God only commanded us that day, only one day and not two,and why we can't obey Him about that??is that burdensome??for me i delightED and rejoice to do God's commandments and i have been blessed on it day by day because the commandments is belong to God Almighty the creator and not Satan the deceiver.I believe no one can stop FROM working,selling,buying and so on for seven days because we need to eat to live that why God commanded us to rest on the sabbath (Saturday)only one day not two,but why we all still doubts and disagreement with Him??why??... If we obey God's words for sure we will understand them more easily.I want to share some bible text taken from REVELATION14:12 PLEASE LOOK ON TO IT THAT THE CONCLUSION OF ALL.
 written by daniel 8, August 10, 2009
We are not under the law ! Jesus is biger dan saturday . The seal of God is the Holly Spirit. If you dont have the Holly Spirit you will no be saved. The saturday dont saved nobody .Jesus Christ is the only saver. In the bible Paul said to dont living under the law , because the gospel of Jesus is the only way!Please see this video very very important all based in the bible.Paul just said to Peter, to dont keep the law because the gospel is to everybody.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaDhjKbivV4&feature=related
 written by Ricky Haycraft, July 25, 2009
hooooorahhhhhhhh for a voice of sensibility in the midst of turbulence. I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK MBUYE CHARLES CLEMENT OTITI KOLE TIBITA. out of many voices crying out in the night there be one that spells out the meaning concisely and correctly. A word of caution even PAUL the Apostle pronounced righteousness to the church of the (jeez forgot the exact one right now) when they tested the Word and studied the scripture to accept the teaching for truth. but as a caution he also stated that there had been some that came to reinstitute the former as part of the latter.( in reference to circumcision...etc.). THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUTH as Paul himself stated!!!!! BEWARE THE LEAVENING !!!!!
 written by AmericaSlumbers, July 12, 2009
Unbiblical
written by Kyle Trottier, June 15, 2009 "Your Sabbath Day Cult's belief that we have to go to church on Saturday, is promoting the Catholic Church's inquisition style of "faith based works" which God says is blasphemy. Faith in Christ alone is your way to God, not your acts," James 1:22 says: But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. How could they be promoting the RCC's "inquistion style of faith" when it was the Catholic Church that changed God's law (Sabbath) from the 6th day to the 7th(Sunday)? Can you give one scripture that authorizes the changing of God's law? Just one will suffice.  Exodus 20:9 ~ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work... Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep MY commandments". Note He didn't say, "If you love Me, you may keep all but the 4th". Why would we keep all but the 4th?
written by AmericaSlumbers, July 12, 2009
thou shalt not kill!!
written by Dexter Jeff Bongat, April 24, 2009 if the lord said thou shalt not kill, why in the old testament there are many situation that killing hapens? Dear Dexter, The word "kill" is properly translated to mean "murder". How could the Lord declare in Genesis 9:6, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man."? The Hebrew interpretation of the word "kill" is: 1.to murder, slay, kill a.(Qal) to murder, slay 1.premeditated 2.accidental 3.as avenger 4.slayer (intentional) (participle) b.(Niphal) to be slain c.(Piel) 1.to murder, assassinate 2.murderer, assassin (participle)(subst) d.(Pual) to be killed What justice is there if murderers could murder with impunity (never have to pay with their own lives?) My sincerest apologies to the website if this does not agree with your teachings. How can we believe the Bible is consistent if all verses pertaining to this subject are not taken in context? (i.e., saying that ALL killings are wrong is a contradiction to Genesis 9:6).
 written by HESBON DEMESI IMBUKA, July 06, 2009
that revelation about the ten commandments is very powerful. God bless WLC.
 written by Eugene Amponsah Dadzie, June 19, 2009
I thank GOD so much for this message about the 10 commandment.i pray that the ALMIGHTY helps m out to keep his commands.
 written by Oretha Phang, June 17, 2009
It's very simple. To obey the law is to obey God. Everyone in this world wants a good life, but noone wants to go to the extent of earning it. Many of us desires to hold on to the world with one hand, and with the other hand they want to hold on to God, but it can never work like that, because the world is filled with impurities, and God cannot tolerate impurities, ie a sinful and lawless person. The law of God is intended to santify and make us clean and ready for the return of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
 written by Kyle Trottier, June 15, 2009
Your Sabbath Day Cult's belief that we have to go to church on Saturday, is promoting the Catholic Church's inquisition style of "faith based works" which God says is blasphemy.
Faith in Christ alone is your way to God, not your acts, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20 You are like the pharisees, "look at how much holier though is by my works. Blasphemy
 written by Colin Bowater, June 14, 2009
Of course we must remember the order of the 10 Commandments. It's no good obeying the last 6 if we haven't reconciled to God by obeying the first 4, to begin with.
The first 4 concern our relationship with God, and the last 6 concern our relationship with our fellow man. These Commandments are not burdensome as some say they are! When you think about it, they are easier to obey now, than they would have been back in Moses time, as worship was very physical, not so spiritual, as it is meant to be now!! A thought to end on. By obeying the 10th Commandment, you are virtually prevented from disobeying the others? Think carefully on that! Colin Bowater.
 written by thimothi badanapuram, June 02, 2009
the ten commandments shows god's holy and compassion.
good moral values maintain then our relations very good. i think every law made by ten commandments helped to us.
 written by Mbuye Tibita, May 29, 2009
The Ten Commandments which were written by God's Own Finger are a Part of the WORD of GOD which is forever settled in heaven Psalms 119:89. They are a Part of the Ever Lasting Gospel in Revelation 14:6, and This Gospel of the Kingdom of Mathew 24:14.
The Primary Divine Purpose of them Commandments, was and is to show mankind that; in him, that is his spirit, dwells a corrupted divine nature which cannot allow him Obey the Voice of God out of whom comes the Commandments. When man discovers himself so, then the Voice Points to him Christ Jesus the Lord as the Lamb, to take away that corrupted divine nature out of his spirit, and replenish it with the Resurrected Nature of Christ Jesus the Lord which even mortifies his whole being to be Divinely Constituted of His Life and Immortality. The Dispensation in which the law even the Ten Commandments were an emphasis to mankind by God through the prophets,was the Old Testament Dispensation. During this Time, the Law could Point to them the corrupted divine nature in them and separate them from that nature and its works in them, and bring them to a Divine Point in the Voice of God in them where they would wait for Christ to appear to them as the Lamb and deal with the nature as I have listed above Deuteronomy 18:15-19. When Christ the Lord appeared in the Human Body called Jesus, He took that corrupted divine nature captive, through his Birth by the Virgin Mary; and Nailed it on the Divine Cross, paving the Divine Way for every one who would Obey the Holy Ghost after His Pattern in the Gospels, to be Delivered out of that nature and its works, and receive Christ's that comes by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. When Christ left His Disciples with the instruction to wait for the Promise of the Father, He sent them the Holy Ghost who bore them Witness that Christ had fulfilled His Messianic Work in them and He was going with them into the world beginning at Jerusalem to testify about Him. Thus the Gospel of Repentance and Remission of Sin and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, was committed to them through the Holy Ghost which they received Luke 24:44-49, Acts 2:36-39. From then up to now, Satan has used that corrupted divine nature in the people to turn them away from the leading of the Holy Ghost to himself, and he is now sitted in mankind and being worshiped as God. But I thank God, that He has sent the Holy Ghost and He is Restoring the Church to God's Voice so that She may Behold Christ Jesus the Lord as the Lamb and walk the Way the Apostles and Prophets walked (Jesus Christ being Her pattern). It is then that the Law even the Ten Commandments will have a Divine Bearing in the Work of Christ. Mbuye Charles Clement Otiti Kole Tibita.
 written by maureen barrett, May 29, 2009
I have read all about the Ten Commandments and is better able to relate to my friends about them. It is very important to have discussions with friends pertaining to the Ten Commandments because in the world that we are living too much killing and stealing are been done everyday.So constant reminder of the Commandents will help to stop these people of their unruly behaviour.
I hope that most preachers will discuss the Commandments and emphasis that they are written with GOD'S OWN FINGERS.
 written by Natalie K, April 28, 2009
Hello Dexter,
Thank you for posting your comment. Indeed, we are not to murder, and there is a difference between killing and murder. Soldiers end up killing people, yet they are not considered as murderers. There were wars in the Bible that were necessary, so it was not considered as breaking the commandment. God bless you. In His love and service, WLC Team
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We have already seen three texts defining the ten commandments as those words spoken publicly ”out of the midst of the fire” by God before millions of people, and written with God's own finger. That is reaffirmed by more texts as well.
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I only want to answer to the comment of someone who said that was unbiblical this Study and maybe he can give an explanation on this verse. When Jesus comes like related in Rev. He will say this about his peculiar people "Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Rev.14:12 I read this and I'm sure that only by faith in Christ I'll be saved and because I love Jesus I keep is commandments, and this is not being saved by my works. How can I show my wife that I love her, do I only tell her I love you or do I do things which I know she likes?
May God bless you and give you His Holy Spirit so you wonderstand this my brother.
From one brother in Christ