The Ten Commandments

God wrote His commandments directly for the Israelites (Ex. 19-20; 31:18).  There are three kinds of laws in the Old Testament:

  • the moral law, which tells all people their duty toward God and other people
  • the ceremonial law, which regulated the religious practices in the Old Testament
  • the political law, which was the state law of the Israelites

Only the moral law was written into the human heart, accomplished with God's creation of humankind.  When God made the moral law known to Moses, he arranged the Law into ten "words", as translated into Hebrew.

  1. You shall have no other gods.  What does this mean?  We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.
  2. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.  What does this mean?  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, priase and give thanks.
  3. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  What does this mean?  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.
  4. Honor your father and your mother.  What does this mean?  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.
  5. You shall not murder.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.
  6. You shall not commit adultery.  What does this mean?  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.
  7. You shall not steal.  What does this mean?  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 improve and protect his posessions and income.
  8. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.  What does this mean?  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.
  9. You shall not covet your neighbor's house.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, or get in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
  10. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.  What does this mean?  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.

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