In discussions concerning the Old Testament or God’s plan for humanity, the phrase “Ten Commandments” frequently comes up. However, what do these Ten Commandments actually represent and cover?
Historical background
When God delivered Israel from slavery in the land of Egypt, the nation’s history officially began. Canaan was promised to their ancestors as an eternal possession, and God had promised to lead them there (see, for example, Genesis 17:8).
But God made a covenant with the Israelites before they set foot in this land. This covenant’s conditions are found in the Ten Commandments. They include the fundamental ideas that are developed and clarified in greater detail throughout the Bible books of Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers, and Exodus. These fundamental laws were recorded on two stone tablets and stored with great care in the most holy area of the tabernacle (which would eventually become the temple) (Exodus 34:4; 34:28; Deuteronomy 10:5; 1 Kings 8:9).
The layout of the Ten Commandments
There are ten commandments, as the name implies. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2) is the introduction that comes before them. God introduces Himself as the Lord of Israel, a personal god, in this introduction. This is clarified by making reference to His primary act of deliverance for Israel, which was their flight from Egypt. This introduction lays out the history of God’s laws.
God’s singularity and incomparability are the subject of the first and second commandments. The fourth is about keeping the Sabbath—a day of celebration and rest when people take time to think about God and his works. The third is about honoring the name of God. The final six commandments, which deal with how people should treat other people, are mostly interpersonal in character.
The actual text of the Ten Commandments
- “You shall have no other gods before me.
- You are forbidden from carving yourself a picture or any likeness of anything that exists in the earth, the water beneath the earth, or the heavens above. You must not worship them or bow down to them because I, the Lord, your God, am a vengeful God who punishes those who hate me for their fathers’ transgressions and pours out his wrath on their offspring to the third and fourth generations while remaining steadfastly devoted to the thousands of people who love me and obey my commands.
- It is forbidden for you to use the name of the Lord, your God, in vain, as the Almighty will not absolve anybody who misuses his name.
- To keep the Sabbath day holy, keep it in mind. You are to work and complete all of your tasks for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath observed by the Lord, your God. You and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and your livestock and the sojourner inside your gates shall not labor on it. Because the Lord created the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days, and on the seventh day He rested. As a result, the Lord sanctified and blessed the Sabbath day.
- In order for you to live long days in the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you, [honor your mother and father].
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- [You are forbidden from coveting] your neighbor’s home; you are also forbidden from coveting your neighbor’s wife, male or female servants, oxen, donkeys, or anything else that belongs to them.
(Exodus 20:3-17, numbers added for clarity.)
The meaning and purpose of the Ten Commandments
These Ten Commandments ought to have served as the moral, ethical, and spiritual cornerstone of Israeli society throughout its history. They were the establishment of Israel. Since those commandments constituted the conditions of Israel’s covenant with God, there was more to it than that. So, disobedience to them affected not only society but also each person’s and society’s relationship with God. And it is evident that no one has ever been able to live out these commandments in their entirety. Ecclesiastes 7:20 states, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”
Following these commandments will not bring about your own salvation or gain God’s favor. However, according to Romans 3:20, the Ten Commandments do assist people in [gaining insight into the issue of their sinful nature]. That ought to prompt them to turn from their sins and beg God’s pardon (Psalm 32:5). Finally, the apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, until Christ came, the law was our guardian, so that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). The Israelites were rescued even before Jesus Christ had physically arrived on Earth—by trust in Jesus, not by following God’s instructions.
Jesus fulfilled the law
Jesus has fulfilled the laws of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-19). They were pointing toward Him, and He has complied with them completely.
As a result, Christians now live in the freedom of Christ rather than under the “yoke” of the law (Galatians 5:1). Paul goes on to say, “Just serve one another out of love, and do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Because one commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” sums up the entire law (Galatians 5:13–14).
The Holy Spirit now makes it possible for us to genuinely live a life that pleases God even more since we are set free from the grip of sin.
The Ten Commandments function as a mirror
Believers nowadays thus need not obey the Old Testament laws anymore.
They nevertheless serve as a useful mirror for us to perceive the true horror of sin. Paul says, “I would not have known sin if it were not for the law.” Because if the law had not said, “You Shall Not Covet,” I would not have understood what coveting is (Romans 7:7). Naturally, we have a tendency to downplay and ignore the severity of our own wrongdoing. We can solve the issue with the help of the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments function as a guide
Furthermore, these rules demonstrate the wisdom and everlasting will of God. In the New Testament, Jesus articulates this same will and wisdom in a number of letters. These are, after all, “written” by the same God!
The New Testament contains many similar commandments, even though the Ten Commandments are not exactly repeated there. For example, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” As I have warned you previously, individuals who carry out such actions will not be allowed to enter God’s kingdom. However, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; there is no rule that forbids these attributes. According to Galatians 5:19–24, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
God’s commands are beneficial for individuals and society as a whole. There would be perfect harmony and peace in the world if everyone obeyed the Ten Commandments. God demonstrates to us the proper way to live as Christians, leading us to ultimate perfection when we are united with Him forever.
