The Ten Commandments - Introduction

I’ve been wanting to take some time off and that time has come. So, for the next couple of weeks I’m going to repost a series I did in 2019: a close look at the Ten Commandments.

This won’t be just a ten day event. Some of the commandments will take a day or two to unpack, so buckle in and grab some coffee because we are going to take a good, hard look at the core of the Old Testament! Ready? Here we go!

What are the Ten Commandments? In the book of Exodus, God called Moses to deliver His people out of enslavement to the Pharaoh of Egypt. The entire Jewish race began a journey to a land, promised to them by God. This journey would span many decades and countless miles and, along the way, God molded His people into the nation that they would need to become to face the coming task of entering a new land.

During this journey, God took Moses to a mountaintop and laid down the law - literally. He told Moses what the law would be for the people. This law consisted of God’s “top ten list” of things that He wanted His followers to deem as important. We call these the Ten Commandments.

They are not the Ten Suggestions, nor are they the Ten Wishes or the Ten Just-Something-To-Think-Abouts. They are commandments, about which God says:

Deuteronomy 7:12-13

“Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and multiply you...”

The Ten Commandments are the voice of God telling His people what is important to Him.