Lesson for March 26, 2025

The Mosaic Law

Lesson 5

The Ten Commandments

There was a total of 613 laws established by God for the nation of Israel. These laws covered every aspect of Jewish life. God laid out a perfect set of instructions, which if they followed, they would have prosperity and happiness.

The Ten Commandments were the moral code of the Mosaic Law, which defined human freedom as the right of an individual to choose. These moral laws were given to the entire nation, believers and unbelievers alike.

First: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)

The nation of Israel was established as a theocratic nation with God as its ruler. The neighboring nations had many pagan gods, but Jehovah, the One true God, was the God of Israel. Seeking to put anyone or anything before God would result in divine discipline for the individual believer and for the nation. The principle of this code is still legitimate today. When a believer puts anything or anyone before God, they are, in effect, making a god of that thing or that person, including themselves. Psalm 44:20-21, “If we had forgotten the name of our God or extended our hands to a strange god, would God not find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.”

Second: “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 4)

God added the prohibition to not create an idol of anything above or on earth as an object of worship. Furthermore, the Jews were not to create an object as a god to serve. (Isaiah 40) Israel had the responsibility to disseminate the Gospel to all the nations of the world and to preserve the Word of God for all generations. They failed time and time again in their responsibilities to God, by disobeying this commandment and following pagan religions.

The disobedient Jews displayed their hatred for God by embracing the gods of pagan religion and subjected themselves to divine discipline. God is not an object made by mankind, God is a spirit and those who worship Him must do so under the filling of the Holy Spirit and with Bible doctrine. (John 4:24) The displeasure of God is fitly called jealousy. However, God loves and shows His favor toward those who love and serve Him and reject the worship of anything or anyone else.

Third: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

Taking God’s name in vain means claiming to be a child of God and living like a child of Satan. The Jews had a practice of naming their children something that was honoring to God or included His name or part of His name. This tradition was designed to encourage their children to remember the God of Isreal, Jehovah and stay faithful to Him. Therefore, taking God’s name in vain is not merely a “cuss word.” This principle is still valid for Christians. The word Christian means like Christ. If we are like Him, we will follow His example and be imitators of Him. Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Fourth: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. For six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of 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 cattle, or your resident who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

The Jews were to do no work on the seventh day of the week. God had previously decreed a “sabbath rest” in Exodus 16:22–30. This is why the command begins with “remember.” According to the Jewish calendar, the sabbath was sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. The pattern for the “sabbath rest” is found in Genesis 2:2, where God rested from His work of Creation on the seventh day. The Hebrew for holy is “quadash,” and means to consecrate or set apart. The seventh day was to be dedicated to the Lord. The priests were to double the daily sacrifices on the Sabbath to emphasize the spiritual nature of this day. (Numbers 28:9–10) The penalty for desecrating the Sabbath with work was death. (Exodus 31:14; Numbers 15:32–36) Believers are no longer bound by this commandment, being under the new covenant of grace for the Church Age, established by Christ at the Last Supper. (I Corinthians 11:25)

Fifth: “Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you.” (Exodus 20:12)

Honoring your father and mother means being respectful in word and deed and having an attitude of esteem for their position. The word for honor means to revere or value. Honor is giving respect from the doctrine in your soul, not always for merit but always from your integrity.

Respect for and obedience of parents is carried over to the Church Age in Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth.”

This principle applies first to children growing up in their parents’ home under their authority. After a child is no longer under the authority of their parents, they are to continue to respect and honor them. This may entail any form of help required to make sure your parents are well provided for in all areas of life. Jesus called out the Pharisees for their hypocrisy in violating this commandment in Matthew15:3-9.

Sixth: “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)

This commandment refers to the criminal act of taking another person’s life. It does not forbid killing in lawful war, or in our own defense, nor the judge sentencing offenders to death. It also forbids all malice and hatred toward a person. According to I John 3:15, a person who hates another person is a murderer.

Seventh: “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)

The Bible clearly condemns sexual sins in two categories: 1) Adultery – consensual sex between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse. (Proverbs 6:32; I Corinthians 6:18; Hebrews 13:4) 2) Fornication – sexual immorality in general, which includes premarital sex. (Matthew 15:19;  I Corinthians 5:1; Romans 1:29) God established the institution of marriage as being a faithful union between one man and one woman, in Genesis 2:24. And Jesus confirmed it in Matthew 19:5. God created marriage to be the building block of society. Even after the fall of Adam and Eve, marriage continued to be a sacred union, and the foundation for any society.

Eight: “You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)

Stealing takes on many forms, like stealing time from your employer or removing things from work that don’t belong to you. Theft of any kind has a tremendous impact, not only on individuals, but on society as a whole. Theft disturbs the stability of society and creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity and often results in a desire for revenge.

Ninth: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

Giving false testimony includes slandering, backbiting, gossiping, maligning, and other “sins of the tongue.” There is no such thing as a “white lie.” Lying is a sin and should be avoided.

Tenth: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)

Two different Hebrew words are used in condemning coveting, and both mean to lust after or greatly desire. Desiring something that is not your property, or not rightfully yours, is covetous. The Israelites were told not to lust after their neighbor’s possessions. This included but was not limited to their neighbor’s wife, servants, oxen, donkey, or anything else.

God’s reasons for condemning covetousness were good for Israel, as they are for us today. Covetous people are selfish, unhappy, and discontented. These types of people are prime candidates for becoming criminals and committing crimes to get what they want. This results in a breakdown in society, often leading to other forms of criminal activity and necessitate costly trials and imprisonment.