God chose Israel as His own special possession. But their sinful nature, inherited from Adam, separated the Israelites from their Holy Father. Out of love for His people, God set Israel apart and provided the law as a first step in His master plan to reconcile Himself with fallen humanity. The Ten Commandments were part of God’s moral law. All these laws served as guardians, guardrails, and teaching tools to help the Israelites understand God’s expectations and to demonstrate to them that they could never live up to those expectations through their own human efforts. The law was also an expression of God’s grace. Because the Israelites couldn’t master righteous living on their own, Priests continually offered blood sacrifices on behalf of every violator. Without the law, the Israelites would not have recognized their need for atonement. And the required means for atonement—shed blood—foreshadowed the one-time redemptive sacrifice that would be provided through the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
The ten laws that God gave the Israelites at Sinai have come to be known as The Ten Commandments or the Decalogue, “a Hebrew expression, which occurs three times in the Old Testament and literally means ‘ten words.’” The first four commandments deal with the Israelites’ responsibility to God, and the final six commandments address the Israelites’ responsibility toward each other. “You shall have no other gods before me.” God desires our complete loyalty and allegiance for our own benefit, not to forget His divine providence. This command forbids placing anyone or anything above God. “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below….” This command forbids the use of any man-made image for the purpose of worship. No human has the ability to create a piece of artwork or construct a statue that accurately represents God. He alone is worthy of worship. Don’t misuse God’s name—This command forbids mishandling, lightly using, or speaking in vain the name of God. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy—This commandment required the Israelites to set aside a specific day of the week to dedicate as a day of rest to the Lord—the Sabbath. Honor your mother and father—This command requires that parents be shown honor and respect. It’s also the only command that comes with a promise. “so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” Do not murder—This command forbids the premeditated killing of another human being. Don’t commit adultery—This command forbids breaking the sacred marriage covenant by having sexual relations with anyone other than one’s spouse. Don’t steal—This command forbids taking someone else’s possessions without permission. Don’t give false testimony against your neighbor—This command forbids testifying falsely against someone in court, but the context also implies that lying is forbidden. Don’t covet—This command forbids harboring a desire for someone else’s possessions, spouse, or property.
God’s chosen people, Israel, had suffered under Egyptian bondage for over 400 years. He heard their cries, and from a burning bush, God commissioned Moses to lead His people to freedom. Three months after the Exodus, the Israelites found themselves in the wilderness of Sinai. At the foot of Mt. Sinai, God spoke to Moses again and gave him an important message to relay to the thousands of wandering Israelites. “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” The 10 Commandments were given to the Israel nation through Moses. The nation of Israel was now free from slavery in Egypt and was camped around Mount Sinai when thunder, lightning, a thick cloud, and the sound of trumpets signaled God’s presence. Moses met with God, and the 10 Commandments were written for the people to follow. Before that time, God had not issued an official set of laws or specific regulations for His people to obey, nor were they aware of His new covenant. But that would soon be remedied. After two days of consecration and preparation, the people of Israel gathered around the foot of the mountain to hear the word of the Lord. Only Moses and Aaron were permitted to ascend Mt. Sinai to be in God’s near presence, but God’s voice thundered through smoke, fire, earthquake, and trumpet blast to reach the ears of the trembling masses standing at the mountain’s foot.
