The Ten Commandments
Introduction
The Ten Commands, known as the 'Decalogue' by the Greeks, is a set of laws, Given by God to Moses whilst the nation that was to become Israel, were wandering in the wilderness. These laws are the central pillar of both Judaism and Christianity and appear twice in the Bible, in Exodus and Deuteronomy.
In around the year 1445 BC the Hebrew people were camped at, or near, Sinai, they had never stopped grumbling about almost everything, despite what God had done for them. God had brought them out of slavery in Egypt, punished the Egyptians through the plagues and the loss of a huge part of the army. He had sustained them in the desert with many miracles, fed them with heavenly food (manna) and watered them from dry rocks, but still they were not satisfied and blamed Moses for their wows.
Soon after they had established their camp, God called Moses to His mountain, the second time he had met with God face to face. Moses alone was given the honour, and he climbed the mount alone, and into the cloud that had settled over the peak. This was the point at which Jehovah took the Hebrews into a close relationship with God, as one nation under the government of God Himself. God told Moses that they will be a “kingdom of priests, and an holy nation unto God”. Moses returned to his people and brought the leaders and elders of the people together, whereupon he repeated all the Jehovah had told him about a covenant. The elders agreed to do all that their God had said, and so entered into a covenant with God, pledging their allegiance to Him as their ruler and becoming subjects of the kingdom of God.
With the agreement of the people, Moses returned to ascend the mountain again and back into the thick cloud. God tells Moses to go and sanctify the people over the following two days, that the people should wash themselves and their clothes and be ready for the third day, when the lord will come down in the sight of everyone. The people were to confess and repent of their sins and devote themselves to fasting and prayer, cleansing the hearts. On the third day the cloud descended upon the mountain, black and more dense than before, a trumpet sounded and the cloud descended to the very base of the mount. From the dark cloud lightening and peals of thunder shook the ground, “The glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount, "The glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount," the trumpet sounded longer a louder. The assembled people fell upon their faces before Jehovah, even Moses shook with fear [Hebrews 12:21].
After a period of solemn and, no doubt, stunned silence, the voice of the Lord God was heard speaking out of the cloud, making known His laws [Deuteronomy 33:2, 3]. God’s covenant was a promise that His people accepted in faith believing God would do what He said. In turn, the people promised God complete devotion and dedication to Him. Later Moses was to receive the commandments in writing, carved in stone, Moses ascended the mountain again to meet with God, but time must have stood still for Moses and it was some days before he returns with the stone tablets. As he nears the camp he hears the sound of music and singing is some celebration, [Exodus 32:19]. Moses sees the Golden Calf and in anger throws the tablets down, shattering the stone plates. Moses took the calf, which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it. Later Moses returns again to God on the Mountain and Moses himself carved out the Ten Commandments on two more double sided sapphire stone tablets, over another forty day period [Exodus 34:28]. According to the bible, both the first shattered set and the second unbroken set were stored in the Ark of the Covenant (the 'Aron Habrit' in Hebrew) [Ex. 25:16; & 40:20].
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
9not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbour and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful towards their iniquities,and I will remember their sins no more.” [Hebrews 8:8-12]
The following studies have been written with regard to today, just as the Ten Commandments were written for all ages, for iron-age man as well as the dark and middle ages through to modern times and future generations. The Ten Commandments were given for all men, women and for all times, they are as reliant today as they were to the original receivers and they have been accepted by all ages, up until this perverse generation. Now man thinks that he knows better than God, his creator, and changes the law of God when it becomes inconvenient.