Aron de Chaves, Moses and Aaron with the 10 Commandments 1674; image from Wikimedia Commons.
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What do the Ten Commandments listed in the book of Exodus mean for Christians today?
The Ten Commandments are a summary of God’s law that he gave to the people of Israel from Mount Sinai.
The Ten Commandments are divided into two parts, the first teaching us how to live in relation to God (1-4) and the second teaching us the duties we owe our neighbor (5-10):
And God spoke all these words, saying,
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or 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. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“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.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
“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 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 is your neighbor’s.” (Exod. 20:1-17)
The Ten Commandments encompass more than is listed in them.
It is important to remember that each one of the Ten Commandments encompasses more than what is specified. For example, as the Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 104 states, the commandment to honor our parents also encompasses honoring all those in authority over us, including employers, church leaders, and government officials. The commandment not to bear false witness also encompasses not gossiping or slandering someone.
Furthermore, Jesus makes the point in Matthew 5:27-28 that it’s not just our actions that can break God’s commandments but also the thoughts of our hearts:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The Ten Commandments teach us God’s holy standards.
Jesus was born in the flesh to do for us what we could not do for ourselves because of man’s fall in the garden of Eden. Because of our inherited sin nature, none of us can keep God’s commandments fully; only Jesus, the God-man, perfectly kept and fulfilled the law of God.
As God’s children all Christians have the duty to strive to obey their heavenly Father in all things, although they will do so imperfectly in this life. The Ten Commandments teach us God’s holy standards and guide Christians in living to the glory of God in this world. Jesus told his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15), and obeying God is both a great joy and a great privilege for every follower of Christ.
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The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way by Michael Horton
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