The Ten Commandments are God’s high and holy standards and never change. But how do they relate to us today?
Let’s consider them in simple terms:
The First Commandment
God said you shall have no other gods before Me. God will not share His position of being God with any thing or idea. Man makes things or ideas into gods and worships them; they are a reflection of the “self.” This Commandment is about idolatry. The Israelites committed idolatry and were punished for it. Today, man develops idols in his heart and bows down to them: examples are pleasure (sex, sports, entertainment), money (greed, materialism), power (politics, violence), fame (actors, athletes), and education (degrees, science, and scientists).
The Second Commandment
Do not worship God through any created form. Examples in nature: sun, moon, stars, animals, trees, wind; in people: men, women, children, babies, ghosts and spirits; and in created things: structures, statues, art, jewelry, etc.
The Third Commandment
Do not use God’s name in vain, i.e., with disrespect. This usually refers to foul or coarse language. The tongue is the most evil part of the body.
The Fourth Commandment
Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. The Sabbath is the day of rest, the day God rested from His work in creation. This is the only Commandment, which is not repeated in the New Testament. However, the New Testament does talk about entering into God’s rest, which is a reference to Salvation and the Promised Land. The Christian is always in God’s rest. There is great wisdom in having a day of rest during the week, and each person needs to have a day where he rests from his work, worships God, especially in church, and relaxes.
The Fifth Commandment
Honor you mother and father; this comes with a promise of long life. Notice it does not say honor your mother and father if they are good to you; if they give you everything you want; if they do not abuse you in any form. God is saying honor them, period. To give them honor, is to give glory to the God who made them. I believe this Commandment should be generalized to giving honor to everyone: to wife and husband, children, relatives, friends, authority figures, and even enemies. Jesus said, bless your enemies and pray for them. We should give honor to what God has created.
The Sixth Commandment
Do not commit murder. Murder is the shedding of innocent blood. This refers to personal revenge, criminal activity, and I would extend that to abortion or euthanasia. Murder is not the same as killing. God has given government the responsibility of punishing evil, and sometimes killing may be justified, as in capital punishment or war. But murder comes out of man’s anger, and is unjustified and unrighteous. Jesus said that anger without cause, which is unrighteous anger, is the same as the sin of murder.
The Seventh Commandment
Do not commit adultery. This means any kind of sexual sin: homosexuality, incest, pornography, prostitution and whoredom. It refers to any form of sex outside of marriage. It is the only sin man commits against his own body. Sexual immorality is ruining this country. Jesus discussed this Commandment in very personal terms, saying that looking at woman lustfully is the same as the sin of adultery, Matthew 5:28.
The Eighth Commandment
Do not steal. We steal when we take from others. But we also steal when we do not give what is right and proper to others. Examples of right and proper giving are providing for our families, giving to God’s work, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
The Ninth Commandment
Do not lie. Do not be a false witness against someone. But also, do not gossip, exaggerate, make rash vows, or break covenants. These are all forms of lies. Keeping your word is important.
The Tenth Commandment
Do not covet. When you seek what others have, you are coveting, and it breaks God’s law. We are to be satisfied with what we have, for God has given it to us. Coveting is not always sin; to seek the prayers and good wishes of others is proper and right.
Jesus said:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… Love your neighbor as yourself,” Matthew 22:37-39. These sum up the Ten Commandments and the Prophets.
Let’s consider them in simple terms:
The First Commandment
God said you shall have no other gods before Me. God will not share His position of being God with any thing or idea. Man makes things or ideas into gods and worships them; they are a reflection of the “self.” This Commandment is about idolatry. The Israelites committed idolatry and were punished for it. Today, man develops idols in his heart and bows down to them: examples are pleasure (sex, sports, entertainment), money (greed, materialism), power (politics, violence), fame (actors, athletes), and education (degrees, science, and scientists).
The Second Commandment
Do not worship God through any created form. Examples in nature: sun, moon, stars, animals, trees, wind; in people: men, women, children, babies, ghosts and spirits; and in created things: structures, statues, art, jewelry, etc.
The Third Commandment
Do not use God’s name in vain, i.e., with disrespect. This usually refers to foul or coarse language. The tongue is the most evil part of the body.
The Fourth Commandment
Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. The Sabbath is the day of rest, the day God rested from His work in creation. This is the only Commandment, which is not repeated in the New Testament. However, the New Testament does talk about entering into God’s rest, which is a reference to Salvation and the Promised Land. The Christian is always in God’s rest. There is great wisdom in having a day of rest during the week, and each person needs to have a day where he rests from his work, worships God, especially in church, and relaxes.
The Fifth Commandment
Honor you mother and father; this comes with a promise of long life. Notice it does not say honor your mother and father if they are good to you; if they give you everything you want; if they do not abuse you in any form. God is saying honor them, period. To give them honor, is to give glory to the God who made them. I believe this Commandment should be generalized to giving honor to everyone: to wife and husband, children, relatives, friends, authority figures, and even enemies. Jesus said, bless your enemies and pray for them. We should give honor to what God has created.
The Sixth Commandment
Do not commit murder. Murder is the shedding of innocent blood. This refers to personal revenge, criminal activity, and I would extend that to abortion or euthanasia. Murder is not the same as killing. God has given government the responsibility of punishing evil, and sometimes killing may be justified, as in capital punishment or war. But murder comes out of man’s anger, and is unjustified and unrighteous. Jesus said that anger without cause, which is unrighteous anger, is the same as the sin of murder.
The Seventh Commandment
Do not commit adultery. This means any kind of sexual sin: homosexuality, incest, pornography, prostitution and whoredom. It refers to any form of sex outside of marriage. It is the only sin man commits against his own body. Sexual immorality is ruining this country. Jesus discussed this Commandment in very personal terms, saying that looking at woman lustfully is the same as the sin of adultery, Matthew 5:28.
The Eighth Commandment
Do not steal. We steal when we take from others. But we also steal when we do not give what is right and proper to others. Examples of right and proper giving are providing for our families, giving to God’s work, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
The Ninth Commandment
Do not lie. Do not be a false witness against someone. But also, do not gossip, exaggerate, make rash vows, or break covenants. These are all forms of lies. Keeping your word is important.
The Tenth Commandment
Do not covet. When you seek what others have, you are coveting, and it breaks God’s law. We are to be satisfied with what we have, for God has given it to us. Coveting is not always sin; to seek the prayers and good wishes of others is proper and right.
Jesus said:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… Love your neighbor as yourself,” Matthew 22:37-39. These sum up the Ten Commandments and the Prophets.
God spoke to Moses and Aaron from the mountain of God.
God's words came out of the smoke and fire of the mountain.
God's words came out of the smoke and fire of the mountain.
