“A time will come in human history,” wrote Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy, “when human beings will follow the Ten Commandments . . . as regularly as they fall to the ground when they step off a roof. They will then be more astonished that someone would lie or steal or covet than they now are when someone will not. The law of God will then be written in their hearts as the prophets foretold.”
The Ten Commandments echo down through history, from Mount Sinai to the Second Coming of Christ. They are the heart of God’s covenant requirements and the ethical core of the Law. They begin with the people’s obligations to God, then move on to their obligations toward one another.
The first commandment proclaims that God alone is to be worshiped (v. 3). There can be no rival gods, no syncretism, no paganism among His holy people. The second commandment forbids idols or images of created things that people might be tempted to worship (vv. 4–6). Doing so was common among their contemporaries, but they were to worship using only altars made of earth or undressed stone (vv. 22–26). The third commandment prohibited the misuse of God’s name (v. 7). This included profanity, false oaths, and flippant use in general. The fourth commanded the people to honor the Sabbath (vv. 8–11). Based on creation, the seventh day was to be a holy day, set apart for rest, not work. The fifth commandment enjoined respect and honor for one’s parents (v. 12; see also Prov. 20:20; 1 Tim. 5:8).
The final five commandments banned murder (v. 13), adultery (v. 14), stealing (v. 15), lying or false witness (v. 16), and coveting or envy (v. 17). Since the latter included coveting your neighbor’s wife, that means lust is prohibited as well.
Pray with Us
Lord, thank you for the truth of your Word, showing us in today’s reading your covenant requirements and laws—the Ten Commandments. Help us accept and follow them with humility, wisdom, integrity, and godliness.
BY Brad Baurain
Dr. Bradley Baurain is Associate Professor and Program Head of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Moody Bible Institute. Bradley has the unique privilege of holding a degree from four different universities (including Moody). He has just published his first book, On Waiting Well. Bradley taught in China, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. Bradley and his wife, Julia, have four children and reside in Northwest Indiana.