A command is an order, a compelling task given to an inferior. When you add ‘-ment’ to the end you get another word = Commandment. Commandment means a divine rule that must be obeyed, especially one handed down by God like the Ten Commandments. The Hebrew and Greek literally are translated as “The Ten Words.” Ten Commandments, not the 10 suggestions.
Does God have the right to command us to do anything? The Jewish people made a covenant with God. It was a legal binding agreement. God kept up His end of the bargain but the Israelites did not. NIV commentary says, God’s covenant people are to render complete submission, allegiance and obedience to Him out of gratitude for His mercies, reverence for His sovereignty, and trust in His continuing care.
Jesus reduced to two commandments. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (covers commandments 1-4) and love your neighbor as yourself (overs commandments 5-10). Mark 12:28-31.
Many might think that because of grace, our need to follow the commands strictly is not necessary; but Jesus actually taught an even stricter adherence. In Matt 5, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He said to break God’s commandments inwardly is equivalent to breaking them outwardly.
1. You shall have no other gods before me. No deity, real or imagined is to rival the one true God in our heart and life. Anything that takes a higher priority in your life than God.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol, you shall not bow down to them or worship them. God says He is a jealous God and this is a jealous love. He wants all our love to go to Him.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. By profaning His name or swearing falsely by it. Jesus said when we pray that we should honor God’s name, hallowed be His name.
4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Having completed His work of creation, God rested on the seventh day and we are to observe the same pattern in service of God in creation. Jesus said that the Sabbath day was created for us, not us for it.
5. Honor your father and your mother. Honor means to prize highly, care for, show respect, and obey. The first commandment with a promise.
6. You shall not murder. The Hebrew word refers to a premeditated and deliberate act. Jesus said, anyone who is even angry with his brother will be in danger of the fire of hell.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Jesus said, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
8. You shall not steal. There is no justification for stealing in any way, whether on your taxes, supplies from your workplace, fruit off your neighbor’s tree, and words like plagiarism.
9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Basically, do not lie. Here, Jesus elaborates on oath-taking in Mt 5:33-37, saying let your yes be yes and your no be no, anything beyond this come from the evil one.
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. To desire something with evil motivation.
God’s commandments aren’t there to punish or restrict us. Deut 10:12-13 says, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.
God’s commandments can be described as warning signs for life. Life is like a mine field. God doesn’t say don’t enjoy life but He does say that there are dangers that you are going to want to avoid. Follow His path through the mine field and you will live. If you take away the commandments then you will follow the wrong path through life and it will lead to death.
