After completing the book of Exodus, I started thinking more about the Ten Commandments and all the questions I still wanted answered. Using my “NIV Study Bible” and “Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation” book, I am delving into the meaning of each commandment.
The explanations given below are a combination of both books used to clarify and explain each of the Commandments, and quotes are taken directly from each book.
Day 24, Exodus 19-21
https://liveandlearnjourney.com/day-24-exodus-19-21/
The Ten Commandments are the Law of God. When God created people, He wrote the law on their hearts. Later he arranged the Law in Ten Commandments, wrote it on two tables of stone, and made it known through Moses. Love is the summary of all the commandments
The First Commandment
You shall have no other gods.
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
The only true God is the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons in one divine being (the Holy Tinity).
There should be no other deity, real or imagined, in any event that can rival the one true God in Israel’s heart and life.
Because God has no visible form, any idol intended to resemble him would be a sinful misrepresentation of him. Since other gods are not to be worshiped, making idols of them would be equally sinful; i.e. the golden calf.
God will not put up with rivalry or unfaithfulness. Usually his “jealousy” concerns Israel and assumes the covenant relationship and the Lord’s exclusive right to possess Israel and to claim her love and allegiance. The “jealousy” of God demands exclusive devotion to himself.
Those Israelites who blatantly violate God’s covenant and thus show that they reject the Lord as their King will bring down judgement on themselves and their households (households were usually extended to three or four generations).
The Second Commandment
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.
Profaning God’s name, e.g. swearing falsely by it, as on the witness stand in court; speak God’s name uselessly or carelessly; blaspheming God by speaking evil of Him or mocking Him; calling down the anger and punishment of God upon oneself or any other person or thing.
The Third Commandment
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
On the Sabbath day you shall do no work. Two reasons are given:
1.) Having completed his work of creation God “rested on the seventh day,” and the Israelites are to observe the same pattern in their service of God in the creation;
2.) The Israelites must cease all labor so that their servants can also participate in the Sabbath-rest, just as God had delivered his people from the burden of slavery in Egypt.
The Sabbath thus became a “sign” of the covenant between God and Israel at Mount Sinai
The Sabbath was a sign pointing to Jesus, who is our rest. Since Jesus has come as our Savior and Lord, God no longer requires us to observe the Sabbath day and other holy days of the Old Testament.
God requires Christians to worship together, but has not specified any particular day. Most churches worship together on Sundays because Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday.
We break this commandment when we despise preaching and the Word of God.
The Fourth Commandment
Honor your father and your mother
We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.
These authorities include: fathers, mothers, and guardians; others whom God has placed over us at home, in government, at school, at the place of work, and in the church.
Honor, or prize highly, by regarding them as God’s representatives; care for and serve them by gladly providing what they need or require; show respect for; obey them in everything in which God has placed them over us; and love and cherish them as precious gifts of God.
The Fifth Commandment
You shall not murder
We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.
The Hebrew for this verb usually refers to a premeditated and deliberate act.
God forbids us to take the life of another person (murder, abortion, euthanasia) or our own life (suicide).
God forbids us to keep anger and hatred in our hearts against our neighbor. However, lawful government, as God’s servant, may execute criminals and fight just wars.
The Sixth Commandment
You shall not commit adultery.
We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.
We lead a sexually pure and decent life when we consider sexuality to be a good gift of God; honor marriage as God’s institution, the lifelong union of one man and one woman; and reserve sexual intercourse for the marriage partner alone.
God requires us to avoid all temptations to sexual sin; to be clean in what we think and say; and to use our sexuality in ways pleasing to Him.
God requires married people to love, honor, and respect each other. The wife is the husbands God-given helper, and the husband is the wife’s God-given head.
A sin “against God” as well as against the marriage partner.
God forbids divorce except for marital unfaithfulness (adultery and desertion); sexual intercourse between unmarried persons; sexual sins such as rape, homosexual activity, incest, sexual child abuse, obscenity, and the use of pornographic materials; and sexually impure thoughts and desires.
The Seventh Commandment
You shall not steal
We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.
God forbids every kind of robbery, theft, and dishonest way of getting things.
God requires that you should help your neighbor to improve and protect that person’s possessions and income; help your neighbor in every need.
The Eight Commandment
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.
We should defend our neighbor, that is, we should speak up for and protect our neighbor from false accusations; speak well of our neighbor, that is, we should praise our neighbor’s good actions and qualities; and put the best meaning on everything, that is, we should explain our neighbor’s actions in the best possible way.
God forbids us to tell lies about our neighbor in a court of law or elsewhere, that is, to lie about, lie to, or withhold the truth from our neighbor; betray our neighbor, that is, to reveal our neighbor’s secrets; or slander our neighbor or hurt our neighbor’s reputation
The Ninth Commandment
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
We should be content with what God has given us and assist our neighbor in keeping what God has given that person.
Coveting is having sinful desire for anyone or anything that belongs to our neighbor.
God forbids every sinful desire to get our neighbor’s possessions openly or by trickery.
The Tenth Commandment
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor’s wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty.
We should be content with the helpers God has given us and encourage our neighbor’s helpers to be faithful to our neighbor.
Covet is to desire something with evil motivation.
God forbids every sinful desire to take from our neighbor that person’s spouse or workers.
To break God’s commandments inwardly is equivalent to breaking them outwardly. However, no person can keep any or all of the commandments perfectly, except for Jesus Christ.
What God says about the commandments:
“I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
-Ex. 20:5-6
What it means:
God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them. But He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands.
God wants us all to keep His commandments perfectly in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds, however our sinful nature makes it impossible. There is no one that can be saved by the law, as the law condemns everyone.
The purpose of the law is to help control violent outbursts of sin and keep order in the world; accuses us and shows us our sin (a mirror); teaches us Christians what we should not do to lead a God-pleasing life (a guide).
God offers the forgiveness of sins only in the Gospel, the good news that we are freed from the guilt, the punishment, and the power of sin, and are saved eternally because of Jesus Christ’s keeping the Law and His suffering and death for us.
The Law teaches what we are to do and not to do; the Gospel teaches what God has done, and still does, for our salvation. The Law shows us our sin and the wrath of God; the Gospel shows us our savior and the grace of God. The Law must be proclaimed to all people, but especially to impenitent sinners; the Gospel must be proclaimed to sinners who are troubled in their minds because of their sins.
Dang! Why couldn’t you have posted this yesterday! My Bible Study group is studying Exodus and today’s lesson was the Ten Commanments. I would have liked to bring up a couple points/questions from this.
Which source had the comment on the Third Commandment that it doesn’t have to be observed anymore? I once heard the same thing from the pulpit from a learned person- but not a pastor- but everyone seemed to be shocked at such a statement.
I wasn’t raised Lutheran and haven’t studied the Small Catechism so I’m also curious which source was quoted in the comments on the Fourth Commandment. I’ve never heard that it applies to other sources of authority rather than just literally your father and mother.
It was eye-opening for me the first time I learned the concept that the Commandments were not a set of harsh rules, but were instead guidelines for my protection. One easy example is sexual purity keeps one from sexually transmitted diseases.
That they are for our protection was also reflected in something I heard for the first time today – The Ten-der Commandments.
I like the Ten-der Commandments! Thats neat! Most of the information from today was taken from the book pictured, “Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation” book and some from my NIV study Bible. What you mentioned was from the blue book. It’s my husbands we found in our books in storage yesterday. Very helpful and full of information and details! All very interesting!