How Does the Old Testament Mesh with the New 18

The Ten Commandments

Exactly two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai.

Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.” Ex. 19:1 – 6. NLT

            Remember that it was in this region that Moses first encountered Jehovah in the burning bush. Now he has returned and climbed Mount Sinai. The people would spend the next 11 months at the foot of that same mountain.

            God instructed Moses to remind the people of the expression of His mighty power on their behalf in the conquest of the Egyptians. And then Moses was to recap how He brought them to Himself (leading and covering them with Himself as represented by the pillar of cloud and fire), demonstrating His gracious love for His children.

            Then, God tells Moses to inform the people how to remain in His favor through obedience (setting the stage for His commandments to avoid sin), to continue to be in good standing with the Abrahamic Covenant.

            We don’t know why God chose Abraham, and thus the Israelites, but we do know that they were mandated to tell the world about the one true God and what He requires of them – separated from unbelievers through their best efforts at being holy.

            Moses went to the elders and told them all of God’s words, and all the people promised to do what their Creator had mandated.

He ascended back up the mountain and relayed the people’s promise. God continues:

“I will come to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people themselves can hear me when I speak with you. Then they will always trust you.” Ex. 19:9 NLT

“Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch. Mark off a boundary all around the mountain. Warn the people, ‘Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death. No hand may touch the person or animal that crosses the boundary; instead, stone them or shoot them with arrows. They must be put to death.’ However, when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, then the people may go up on the mountain.” Ex. 19:10 – 13. NLT

            Moses instructed the people to ‘consecrate’ themselves, i.e., purify / cleanse themselves by washing their clothes, setting aside 3 days to prepare themselves, to refrain from crossing the boundaries of the holy mountain, and to wait for the sounding of the ram’s horn, and to abstain from sexual relations for the prescribed time. The people were preparing to meet their Creator.

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain. Ex. 19:16 – 20. NLT           

God is invisible. Thus, He is manifesting Himself through His command over nature. 

            Now, He speaks to Moses of His revelation of the ‘Ten Commandments’ in the Christian translation, the ‘Ten Statements’ in the Hebrew, and the ‘Decalogue’ ‘in the Greek:

Then God gave the people all these instructions: “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. ” Ex. 20:1, 2. NLT

            What God is telling the Israelites in this ‘prologue’, if you will, is that He is their God and is directly speaking to Moses (and thus to the people), that He is the Author of these commandments, and that by His own actions He redeemed them. Jehovah shifts now to the commandments that, by their obedience, will keep them in right relationship with Him.

            There are two divisions of the Law. The first contained the Commandments 1 – 4 which specifically concern themselves with our relationship with God:

One: You must not have any other god but me. Ex. 20:3

            It is a Divine command, as all ten are. In this case, it is an absolute directive against worshiping false gods / idols such as the stars in the sky, religiosity, lovers of self, human reason, ancient gods, power, to name a few.

Two: “You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship]. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing graciousness and steadfast lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments. Ex. 20:4 – 6. AMP

            God Himself is invisible. Any kind of image, statue, etc., diminishes Him – reduces Him to a thing of nature. Idol worship is strictly forbidden. God’s jealousy’ comes from the love for His children. As far as calling the children to account for their parent’s sin, it is not a four-generational curse. Jehovah does not permit that[1]

            Instead, God is referring to how the consequences of the sin and of His judgment that follows, is often repeated by the children who witness the sinful behavior of their parents. And this imitation, then, reaps its own judgment.

            However, the big picture is revealed in His love that He lavishes upon those who love and obey Him – for thousands of generations v. the three or four generations who have brought judgment upon themselves.

Three: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].” Ex. 20:7 AMP

            This is the only Commandment that brings assured Divine punishment. Again, this denigrates God’s character – usually because the act is often paired with sinful behavior, as in cursing, making false oaths, or committing evil acts (e.g., The Crusades, Islamist terrorism). 

Four: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Ex. 20:8 – 11. NLT

            The Sabbath (Hebrew: Shabbat) is the only repeated ritual in the Ten Commandments and was primarily associated with the Jews, and it still is in present time. This is a day for reflecting on Jehovah’s creation of the universe, and of His goodness towards us.

            The second division of the Law, Commands 5 – 10, concentrate on good moral behaviors between people.

Five: “Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land the Lord your God gives you.” Ex. 20:12 AMP

            Note two things about the Fifth Commandment. One, it is the only Commandment that rewards you when you practice it. The second thing is that we are not commanded to love our parents. Sometimes parents can be unlovable. Perhaps we honor them by keeping our distance.

            Parents and children make family, and family is the bedrock of a good civilization. 

Six: “You shall not commit murder (unjustified, deliberate homicide).” Ex. 20:13 AMP

            When you murder someone, you are attacking one made in God’s image, and thus, you are also attacking God, cutting off one of His avenues for spreading love. This Commandment, however, does not prohibit one from killing in self-defense, national defense, or from killing as a capital punishment for a heinous crime.

Seven: “You must not commit adultery.” Ex. 20:14 NLT

            Jehovah created family, which we’ve already seen is indispensable for undergirding our society. Adultery often destroys the family. In fact, it is Satan’s most effective tool for accomplishing that very thing.

            God created marriage to be the only place where a man and woman can come together completely in love, and to procreate. Adultery is the greatest antithesis to marriage.

Eight: “You must not steal.” Ex. 20:15 NLT

            Owning private property is yet another foundational principal that renders a society stable. There are many ways that people steal: stealing a life, any material goods, stealing a spouse, kidnapping, or anything that belongs to someone else.

            My personal point of view is that when you steal, you deny the love of God by spurning His promise to tap into the unlimited abundance of the universe, to grant you what is best for you.

Nine: “You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).” Ex. 20:16 AMP

            Every word that falls from Jehovah’s mouth is pure truth. He hates anything that stinks of a lie.

            Most people lie when they are afraid, fearful that they may look ‘bad’. Some may lie to make others look bad, which is a projection of how they are judging themselves. Others may lie to deny their part in any wrongdoing, trying to protect themselves from the judgment of others.

Ten: “You shall not covet [that is, selfishly desire and attempt to acquire] your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Ex. 20:17 AMP

            What God is saying is do not practice jealousy and envy, both of which are forms of the fear of scarcity, concomitant with lust and hatred. These are loveless acts which stem from a lack of faith in Jehovah’s largesse.

            (There are many, even within the followers of Christ, who are wont to dismiss the Old Testament, including the Ten Commandments within, as being an irrelevant covenant because of the New Covenant in Christ. However, look at how Jesus viewed the veracity of the Old Testament:

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” Mt. 5:17, 18. NLT

            Jesus is the living word of God. Thus, He knows better than anyone what His Father meant in His word. In fact, Christ had the final say on the Ten Commandments. He evolved / distilled them into two ‘great commandments’:

 “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.” Mt. 22:37 – 40. AMP

            Does this negate the Ten Commandments? No! It is the final fulfillment of them. With regards to the first great commandment, it embraces the first four Commandments. If you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, you most assuredly will have no other gods before you, nor take His name in vain, or forget to honor Him.

            Regarding the second great commandment, if you really love someone, will you dishonor, kill, or lie to them, steal from them or lust after their possessions? Of course not.)

All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.  “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”Ex. 20:18, 19. CSB

 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him [that is, a profound reverence for Him] will remain with you, so that you do not sin.” So the people stood at a [safe] distance, but Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. Ex. 20:20, 21. AMP

            The people’s hesitancy to approach God on the mountain resulted in His prohibition to do so forthwith…

[1] Dt. 24:16