The account of Moses receiving the commandments is found in Exodus 19. Three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites camped in the Sinai desert. God told Moses about the mountain and gave him a message for the people: If Judge Moore (privately and civilly, without his court robe and title) put his statue of the 10 Commandments on wheels today and crossed the land, he would have 24/7 coverage and apparently many people would run. All citizens have the right to proselytize, preach and promote their religion as they please. What they do not have is the right to put the power and power of government at the service of their faith. Ana Levy-Lyons, a Unitarian universalist minister in New York and author of “No Other Gods: The Politics of the Ten Commandments,” argues that the attitude of many millennials may be the result of modern American society`s growing resistance to absolute rules — what she calls the “freedom fetish.” So how do we untangle the legal tangle of thread? Is that even possible? Or is it one of those different categories of biblical riddles that will not be solved until Jesus returns (the others are God`s sovereignty and man`s responsibility; Predestination and freedom of choice, etc.)? Actually, no. God has settled the matter very clearly. Such clarity, however, requires that we pause and take note. The answer to the question of the law and the gospel is indeed revealed in the Word of God. The answer is available to each of us, but it requires a necessary study of the types of laws revealed in the Bible. Or, as St.
Paul said: The commandments are not named in order of importance. All commandments are given by God and vital to our sanity. Ideally, they should all be part of our moral code. But interestingly, the laws seem to fall into vague categories. There is a strong residual influence in civil law on the behavioral restrictions of commandments regarding murder, breach of trust, theft and lies. Nevertheless, there seems to be an erosion of the rich Talmudic and Christian tradition of moral reasoning, which sought to distill from the Ten Commandments fundamental principles that logically go beyond the brutal commandment. So, for example, in everyday moral choices, there seems to be less serious reflection on what “thou shalt not kill” might say about the sanctity of life in general, or what “thou shalt not commit adultery” might teach about the limits of sexual behavior. What about the 10 commandments? They are much older. They were given by God on Mount Sinai to the children of Israel about 3,500 years ago, as recorded in Exodus 20. In fact, they are much older, considering that Abraham obeyed God`s commandments hundreds of years ago (Genesis 26:5).
A similar survey conducted last year by YouGov in the UK found that only six of the original ten commandments are still considered primary moral imperatives by the majority of Britons. As in the US survey, more than 90% of British respondents agreed that the commandments against murder, theft and false witness are still important principles to follow, but the two populations differed considerably in their views on the other commandments – especially the most explicit religious commandments. God`s truth is revealed throughout the Bible, which Paul declared was “given by inspiration,” literally “breathed by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Scripture (what we call the Old Testament) “can make you wise unto salvation by faith which is in Christ Jesus” (3:15). Today, we often hear the term “rule of law. [4] This sentence follows from the distinctive feature of English law. English law is based on the Magna Carta, which allowed representation in government and denied the king the divine right to rule without the consent of the people. Magna Carta is only the interpretation of the Bible and the Ten Commandments applied to the local situation in feudal England at the time.
Moreover, the Ten Commandments are no longer in effect today. The Ten Commandments were written on two tablets of stone and given to the Jews of Mount Sinai when they came out of Egypt (Exodus 20:3-17). These commandments were part of the law of Moses and God`s covenant with the Jews: the Jews would keep the commandments and God would make the Jews His special people (Exodus 19:5). The law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, was “nailed to the cross” with Christ (Colossians 2:14). In ancient times, God spoke to Israel through the law of Moses, but now He speaks to all people through Christ (Hebrews 1:1, 2). Israel is no longer God`s chosen people, but those who are redeemed in Christ – the church – whether Jewish or Gentile; they are His people (Ephesians 2:13-16). Commandments 1 through 4 tell us to place God above all others, but the only one worthy of our worship and reverence. Commandments 5 to 8 deal with some basic personal values and behavioral decisions.
Finally, commandments 9 and 10 deal with our relationships with our neighbors and friends. Then the Lord commanded Moses to meet him on the mountain, but to make sure that none of the people or animals approached the foot of the mountain. When Moses arrived, God dictated that these commandments be delivered to the nation. Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:1-22 contain the complete list of laws. The Ten Commandments, including the all-important preamble, remain the decisive model for living life on God`s terms. And when we do, we can enjoy the fruitful blessings of God`s grace and obedience to God`s law, which brings joy and life in abundance. This is the summary doctrine of law and love, obedience and freedom: “Therefore Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, `If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.` (John 8:31-32 ESV) God`s commandments were important before Moses, and they remained important to Israel and to the New Testament Church. And they are mentioned three times in the last prophetic book of the Bible. The apostle John wrote about blessings for those who keep God`s commandments at the end of time and beyond.
“A certain leader asked him, `Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?` “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good but God alone. Thou shalt know the commandments: Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother. “I`ve kept it all since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “You are still missing one. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Luke 18:18–22). On several occasions, Jesus used the commandments as a basis for teaching righteousness.