The Everlasting Covenant - 9.0 Ten Commandments

Home > Abraham to Sinai >
Email | Print | 
.

9.0 The Ten Commandments At Sinai

by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, July 2, 2010

Topics:
God Speaks from Sinai the Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments

God Speaks from Sinai the Ten Commandments

After about three months, Israel arrived at Sinai. Here they camped for a year. This gave them time to make a covenant with God, to receive laws from God Himself, and to receive a worship pattern that pointed forward to the prophesied and coming Messiah. God gave them “My covenant” by which He would make of them “a peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:4-6)

In Genesis 17, the Everlasting Covenant was given to Abraham in its most complete form, and also called “My Covenant” six times in this chapter. The term “My Covenant” is significant, and points to the covenant made in council of the Godhead “before the foundation of this earth.” God speaks again of “My Covenant” in Exodus 19:5 showing the relation of this covenant with the Everlasting Covenant of God.

In the words “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do” (Exodus 19:8) the people accept the covenant of God and make a solemn covenant of commitment to God.

God then instructs the people to sanctify themselves for two days and to wash their clothes. On the third day He would come to them on Mount Sinai. God’s purpose was to make the speaking of His law an occasion of awful grandeur.

      "On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because The Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. And The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and The Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up" (Exodus 19:16-20, RSV).
Then there was a period of solemn silence, and the voice of God was heard. God spoke to them the Ten Commandment law.


The First Commandment

     "I am The Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:2-3, RSV).
Genesis 20 verse two is the preamble of grace. The ten commandments were ten promises that by grace, God would make of His people “an holy nation.”

The ten commandment law was known from the time of Eden. The patriarchs recognized sin, and this required a law. The law given at Mt. Sinai was a sacred trust given to God’s chosen people, but intended for all mankind. The ten commands were brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, covering the duty of man to God and to his fellow man, and based upon the principle of love.

Idolatry became widespread after the flood and was recognized as sin:

     "Your fathers lived of old beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods" (Joshua 24:2, RSV).
Man is forbidden to give to any other object the first place in his affections or his service. This would include occupation, all material possessions, and even his family. God must be first.


The Second Commandment

     "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I The Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments" (Exodus 20:4-6, RSV).
The attempt to represent God by any material object would lower man’s concept of God. Men must leave their minds open to God’s direct revelation of Himself.


The Third Commandment

     "You shall not take the name of The Lord your God in vain; for The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain" (Exodus 20:7, RSV).
Profanity is the common expression of taking the name of the Lord in vain. Any attempt to worship God in false religion is also taking the name of God in vain. And even God’s people take His name in vain when they fail to live up to their profession. Also forbidden are false oaths and the use of the name of God in a light or careless manner. His name is holy.


The Fourth Commandment

     "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to The Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8-11, RSV).
After the six days of Creation, God set aside the seventh-day to be the Sabbath. On this day God rested. The day was set aside to be holy, and for fellowship between God and man. It was a special day, made for the benefit of man.

     "And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation" (Genesis 2:2-3, RSV).
The seventh-day Sabbath is the seal of God in the midst of His law. The Sabbath founded as the seventh day of Creation week, and was to be kept as a memorial of God as our Creator. God chose the seventh day as His Sabbath. The seventh day is no different from any other day of the week -- except that God made that day holy and set it apart. Thus to keep the seventh day as the Sabbath is to accept the will of God and His authority, and to show allegiance to Him.


The Fifth Commandment

     "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which The Lord your God gives you" (Exodus 20:12, RSV).
In this command the family and society is strengthened. Parents are entitled to a degree of love and respect which is due to no other person. God Himself, has placed upon them a responsibility for the souls committed to their charge, and has ordained that during the early years of life, parents shall stand in the place of God to their children. Special regard must also be given to ministers and to rulers under God.


The Sixth Commandment

"You shall not kill" (Exodus 20:13, RSV).
Synonyms are: slayer 16, murderer 14, kill 5.  A primitive root; properly to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder :- put to death, kill, (man-) slay (-er), murder (-er).— Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

Refers to all acts of injustice that tends to shorten life; the spirit of hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them harm; a selfish neglect of caring for the needy or suffering; all self indulgence or excessive labor that tends to injure health -- all these violate this commandment.


The Seventh Commandment

      "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14, RSV).
Forbids all acts of impurity, including sensual thoughts and desires, or any practice that tends to excite them. Purity is demanded not only in the outward life but in the secret intents and emotions of the heart.


The Eighth Commandment

     "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15, RSV).
Condemns theft and robbery. It demands strict integrity in the minutest details of the affairs of life, including over-reaching in trade and the payment of just wages. Every attempt to take advantage of the ignorance, weakness, or misfortune of another is fraud. Slave dealing and wars of conquest are condemned.


The Ninth Commandment

     "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16, RSV).
The first lie was spoken by Satan in the Garden of Eden:

     "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44, RSV).
An intention to deceive is what constitutes falsehood. By a glance of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, a falsehood may be told as effectually as by words. All intentional overstatement, even the statement of facts in such a manner as to mislead, is falsehood. Evil surmising, slander, and the intentional suppression of truth violates this commandment.


The Tenth Commandment

     "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's" (Exodus 20:17, RSV).
To covet is the very root of all sins. It is the sin of wrong motives and is easily hidden. However it is the well-spring of commandments #6, 7, and 8. Coveting was a sin that began very early, right in the Garden of Eden.
^ Return to Top