The Commandments

I expect many of us have watched the movie The Ten Commandments at some point. Big-name stars like Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner portrayed the main characters. And we witnessed the epic battle of good verse evil through their portrayal of Moses and Pharaoh. Some sixty years after its release, it is still one of the most popular faith films ever made. And, as Easter rolls around again next year, I’m sure the movie will make its annual appearance.

Aside from the movie, have you ever stopped to ponder the ten commandments’ purpose for us today? Can you name all of them? Unfortunately, I could not remember all of them by heart, so I had to refresh my memory by looking them up in Exodus. So, let’s dig into more of the story of the Ten Commandments and why they are still essential to us today.

History of Ten Commandments

God gave Moses the commandments on Mt Sinai after the Israelites had traveled the desert for about 50 days. Once they arrived at the mountain, Moses went up and spent the next 40 days receiving and recording the instructions from God. Then he brought down the stone tablets for the people of God. They contained guidance on living a life that was pleasing to God. Throughout history, those words Moses received from God remain the basis of many modern-day laws. And they continue to guide us in our faith walk.

The Ten Commandments

Here is the short version of the commandments. Also, you can see the full description in Exodus 20.

You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make idols.
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.

The Commandments – if we love God, ourselves, and our neighbors, we live a God-pleasing life Click To Tweet

God gave these instructions to Moses so His people could learn obedience to God’s will. But, Jesus’ birth many years later would end many of the ancient Jewish laws and rituals found in the Old Testament. And, as those practices fell away, New Testament Jews still kept the commandments as a guide. Our ancestors understood that belief in the risen Savior and obedience to the commandments allowed them to be a godly people. Also, their newfound freedom from the old ways would be a challenge without these guiding words.

God

Looking at the list above, we can observe the Ten Commandments in three separate parts. So, we will start by looking at the first three commands. These teach us about our relationship with God. Also, they help us understand He is a Holy God who is the creator of all things. And we need to approach Him with a Holy reverence that acknowledges Him as the Lord of our lives. Proverbs 9:10 (NIV) sums up the importance of these rules: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Fear in this verse means to view God’s authority and power with profound awe and respect.

Ourselves

Next, the second group of commands looks at how to care for ourselves. In fact, God wants us to rest from our labors. And, He understands the importance of recharging our bodies and minds. But this is more than just sleeping and taking things easy. God wants to be our source of absolute rest. Also, Godly rest refreshes our body, mind, and soul, even during turmoil. Matthew 11:28 (NIV) says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Others

Finally, the remaining commands look at how we live peacefully with those around us. First, we must honor those who cared for us as children. Then, we see the list gets specific about the things we should not do. For example, we should not kill, commit adultery, steal, lie about our neighbors, or be jealous of their possessions. Lots of “do not” on this list. But, we can summarize this list with Psalm 34:14 (NIV): “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

The Greatest Commandment

Therefore, God gave these rules to Moses to help the people understand how to live a life pleasing to God. And they still help us today as the basis for our laws. But, when Jesus came to earth, He changed many things from the Old Testament times. And although the Ten Commandments still apply to us today, Jesus summed up a life pleasing to Him when He shared His thoughts after being asked which is the greatest commandment. He quoted Matthew 22; “37 Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Summary

In summary, if we love God, ourselves, and our neighbors, we live a God-pleasing life. And that is much easier to remember than memorizing the list of Ten Commandments. In fact, when we love others correctly, we fulfill the law.

Prayer

My Heavenly Father, I want to live a life that is pleasing to You. So, please show me where I cannot love others the way You want me to. Thank you for the gift of the Ten Commandments to teach me right from wrong. Strengthen me daily in my faith and guide my steps. And grant me peace each night as I rest in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Do you need prayer? I would love to pray for you. Submit your prayer request on my website at https://yvonne-morgan.com/submit-your-prayer-request-here/