The Ten Commandments

It has been said that all of God’s moral commands are summarized in the Ten Commandments.

First, let us address an attack that comes from many critics of Christianity and the Bible. The moment a Bible-believing person begins quoting the Bible, about sexual sin, for instance, the critic will say, “But wait a minute, do you wear fabric made of two kinds of cloth? That’s in those laws, too, you know.” There is a well-known scene in the show The West Wing where President Bartlet “brilliantly” argues against a religious fundamentalist using this kind of argument. For secularists, this is supposed to be a checkmate moment. For Bible-believers, it is simply a learning experience.

The writers of the show are not properly able to understand God’s Law because they do not believe in it. As Paul writes, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

So, it is important to differentiate at least two different kinds of law given by God:

The first is MORAL LAW. Moral law is binding on all people for all time, regardless of culture. “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind" (1 Samuel 15:29).

Though this law was given to Moses on Sinai; it is written on the human heart (Romans 2:15). Because everyone knows it deep down inside, God judged and punished non-Jews for violations of His moral law. In Genesis 19, He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins (see also Ezekiel 16:49; Jude 1:7). He also judged the people of Canaan for the same. (Read Leviticus 18, specifically verses 24-27.) Assyria and Babylon also faced His righteous wrath. None of those nations had Moses as their leader, nor had they received the Tablets at Mount Sinai. And, yes, He constantly judged Israel for violating these laws. Because of this, the Israelites were “vomited” out of the land. (Read Deuteronomy 28:15 through the end of the chapter.)

The second type of law is CEREMONIAL LAW. This was given to the Jews alone, which differentiated them from all other nations. They were given certain holidays and festivals. They were told how to set up the tabernacle, how priests should dress, how sacrifices should be offered, who could and could not be a priest, etc. There were rules about their clothing, their food, things they could touch and not touch, how to cut their beards, etc. God never destroyed other nations for violating clothing or dietary laws. These rules were not for other nations. God, however, DID judge the Jews for violating these rules. For example, the Jews could not charge fellow Jews interest, but there was no injunction against charging foreigners interest (Deuteronomy 23:19-20).

In discourse or debate, unbelievers conflate the two kinds of law, often purposely, to confuse the argument. This is called a straw man argument. They pretend they understand OUR Bible and God more than we do. They practice the same kind of tactic when they say, “So you are pro-life and yet are pro-death penalty? That doesn’t make any sense at all.” They know very well the difference between the two.

But I digress.

So, what do I mean when I say God’s moral laws are “summed up” in the Ten Commandments? Look again at Leviticus chapter 18, for instance. In this chapter we read multiple laws from God about sexuality. All of these would be summed up in the SEVENTH Command: You shall not commit adultery.

It would be best for us all to commit the Ten Commandments to memory. What are they? Try to name them before looking at the list below.

1.       You shall have no other gods before me.

2.       You shall not make for yourself an idol…

3.       You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.

4.       Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.

5.       Honor your father and mother.

6.       Do not MURDER.

7.       Do not commit adultery.

8.       Do not steal.

9.       Do not give false testimony.

10.  Do not covet.

The first four Commandments are often called the First Table (or Tablet) of the Law. The other six are often called the Second Table (or Tablet) of the Law. In the near future, Lord willing, will look at each of these Commands individually. Lastly, as mentioned, all of God’s moral laws can be summarized in the Ten Commandments, but Jesus condensed them to two (Matthew 22:35-39). Jesus said the Greatest Commandment is “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). This encapsulates the first four Commandments, pertaining to the honor and worship of God. Jesus said the second Greatest Command is “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). This Command encapsulates the last six Commandments

, the ones pertaining to how we should love and honor others.

Remember, one cannot honor God by only loving their neighbor. One cannot serve others with their whole life while ignoring the Greatest Commandment. In doing so, they spit in God’s face. Also, one cannot love God while committing adultery, stealing, etc. The Commandments are a whole (Deuteronomy 27:26; James 2:10).

More to come!

Steve Drain