Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments, recorded in Exodus 20:1-18, explained simply.

To whom is God speaking above?
To Moses, just before giving him the Ten Commandments.

How are the Ten Commandments grouped?
As we will see below, the first four of the Ten Commandments concern our 'vertical' relationship with God, while the last six of the Ten Commandments concern our 'horizontal' relationship with each other.

What is the First Commandment?
“You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).

What qualifies as such "gods"?
Anything that you put "before" God.

Such as?
It could be something distant and remote as a golden calf or something close like your work, wealth, house, car, hobby, favorite TV show or sport, even family or friends. It is anyone or anything that you "end up" prioritizing or that get in your way of obeying, worshipping and glorifying God.

What is the Second Commandment?
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image - 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; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4-5).

Why did God limit this Commandment to just "carved" images instead of including "all" images?
There were no oil paintings in those days. To those who received this Commandment, "carved" images were all images, which is the application for us today. God knows our visual nature and our inclination to worship what we can see and/or touch, and gave us this Commandment to have us worship Him not physically or visually, but in spirit and truth, for "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:4).

Can we at least hang and worship images of Jesus?
No. For one, we don't know what He looked like, other than that He wasn't handsome: "For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him" (Isaiah 53:2). More importantly, God's interdiction above includes even His own image ("in heaven above"); God is far too great to be portrayed visually, and He wants us to worship Him directly in spirit, not through physical images of any kind.

What is 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).

What are some modern examples of taking God's name in vain?
"Oh my G_d!," "G_d d... it!" "For G_d's sake!" "J_s_s Chr_st!" "Jeez," etc. God's holy name should be verbalized only in worship and reverence, not to express surprise, frustration, shock or to swear regardless of how common blaspheming His name has become in our society. Beware, for God warned that He "will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain" (Exodus 20:7).

What is 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 the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates" (Exodus 20:8-10).

So who is supposed to work - or who are employers supposed to work - seven days a week?
Nobody.

To whom does the seventh day belong: employees or employers?
Neither. It belongs to God: "seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:19).

What are we supposed to do on the seventh day?
"Keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8).

What does that mean?
The root of the Hebrew word translated "keep it holy" is קָדַשׁ (qadash), which means, "unique and pure," hence the nature of God, but also "consecrated or dedicated to service and loyalty to God."

Do your activities on your seventh day express your "service and loyalty to God"?
 

What is the Fifth Commandment?
Parents typically sacrifice more for their children than anyone else does. As His first Commandment concerning our relationship with fellow humans, God told us to honor our parents.

Does that mean children should obey everything their parents tell them to do?
As long as their commands do not contradict God's commands in the Bible: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right" (Ephesians 6:1). If the parents' commands contradict the Bible, those commands must not be obeyed, for "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

What does the Sixth Commandment to not "murder" include?
According to Jesus, not being angry with someone without a cause: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment..." (Matthew 5:21-22).

Does it also include the murder of babies who are in the wombs of their mothers and who can't even cry out, let alone defend themselves?
 

What does the Seventh Commandment against "adultery" include?
According to Jesus, not even looking at a woman to lust for her: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).

What about looking at a man to lust for him?
 

What about looking at pornography?
 

Does the Eight Commandment against stealing include cutting corners on taxes, padding expense reports, plagiarism, "petty" theft, etc.?
 

Does the Ninth Commandment against bearing false witness include lawyers lying to help their clients or journalists telling half of the truth?
 

How many of God's Ten Commandments have you obeyed?
 

If God judges you by His law, will you go to heaven or hell?
 

What did God do to save you, and why?
See John 3:16.