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Ten Commandments
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The Ten Commandments are eternal gospel principles that are necessary for our exaltation. The Lord revealed them to Moses in ancient times (see Exodus 20:1-17), and they are also referenced in whole or in part in other books of scripture (see Matthew 19:18-19; Romans 13:9;. The Ten Commandments are a vital part of the gospel.
Ten Commandments New TestamentAlthough most of the Ten Commandments list things we should not do, they also represent things we should do. The Savior summarized the Ten Commandments in two principles—love for the Lord and love for our fellow men:"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." "This is the first and great commandment." "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:37-39). (Ex. 34:28; Deut. 10:4). The Hebrew name for these is the "Ten Words," hence the name Decalogue. They are also called the Covenant (Deut. 9: 9) or the Testimony (Ex. 25:21). The giving of the Ten Commandments by God to Moses, and through him to Israel, is described in Ex. 19:16-20: 21; Ex. 32: 15-19; Ex. 34:1. They were engraved on two tables of stone, which were placed in the Ark; hence they were called the Ark of the Covenant (Num. 10: 33). There had been a difference of opinion as to the way in which the commandments were divided into ten. The Roman Church, following the example of St. Augustine, unites what we know as the first and second, and divides the last into two. Our Lord, quoting from Deut. 6:4-5 and Lev. 19:18, has summarized the Ten Commandments in "two great commandments" (Matt. 22:37-39). To get their full significance we must read them in the light of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount (see also Mark 2:27 and Matt. 15:4-6 for interpretation of 4th and 5th), where it is shown that they are intended to control our thoughts and desires as well as our acts. Ten Commandments and MosesMoses is born during the Hebrew enslavement in Egypt, during a terrible period when Pharaoh decrees that all male Hebrew infants are to be drowned at birth. His mother, Yocheved, desperate to prolong his life, floats him in a basket in the Nile. Hearing the crying child as she walks by, Pharaoh's daughter pities the crying infant and adopts him (Exodus 2:1-10). It surely is no coincidence that the future liberator of Israel is raised as an Egyptian prince. Which further prepared him for leadership.The Torah records only three incidents in Moses' life before God appoints him a prophet. As a young man, outraged at seeing an Egyptian overseer beating a Hebrew slave, he kills the overseer. The next day, he tries to make peace between two Hebrews who are fighting, but the aggressor takes umbrage and says: "Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Moses immediately understands that he is in danger, for though his high status undoubtedly would protect him from punishment for the murder of a mere overseer, the fact that he killed the man for carrying out his duties to Pharaoh would brand him a rebel against the king. Indeed, Pharaoh orders Moses killed, and he flees to Midian. At this point, Moses probably wants nothing more than a peaceful interlude, but immediately he finds himself in another fight. The seven daughters of the Midianite priest Reuel (also called Jethro) are being abused by the Midianite male shepherds, and Moses rises to their defense (Exodus 2:11-22). God used Moses to deliver the Children of Israel. Does it matter whether we obey the Ten Commandments today? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could ask Jesus Christ if keeping the Ten Commandments is still necessary?Actually, that is not as difficult as it may seem. That question was directly put to Jesus, and the Bible preserves His reply for us. "Now behold, one came and said to Him, 'Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?' So He said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments'" (Matthew 19:16-17). That is about as clear as one can be. Jesus said that He expects any who desire to receive the gift of eternal life to also keep God's commandments. The person then asked exactly which commandments Jesus meant. Did He have the Biblical Ten Commandments in mind, or was He referring to the many extra biblical dictates taught by other religious leaders? Jesus left no doubt. When asked which ones, Jesus responded: "You shall not murder," "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "Honor your father and your mother," and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (verses 18-19). He briefly recited half of the Ten Commandments. He then quoted another command, from Leviticus 19:18, that summarizes the intent of the Ten Commandments and confirms the validity of the rest of the law. He was clearly referring to the law of God, not to the restrictions added by certain other religious leaders (Matthew 15:1-3). Many people have heard that Jesus abolished the Old Testament laws. Here again Jesus gives us His own direct response: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17-19). Again, Jesus spoke clearly and to the point. God's law has not been abolished, and, according to Christ's own words, anyone who teaches so is directly contradicting Him and is in serious spiritual trouble. Many assume they do not need to keep God's law because Christ "fulfilled" it. But these people fundamentally misunderstand Christ's clear words. The word translated fulfill in this passage means "to make full, to fill to the full" (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, "Fill"), and that is exactly what Jesus did. He perfectly kept the Ten Commandments and completely filled their meaning. He showed their spiritual intent, explaining that unjustified anger equates with murder (verses 21-22), and lust is mental and emotional adultery (verses 27-28). Jesus expanded the intent of the Ten Commandments. For more Biblical information from the Bible:
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