The Moral Law of God

Part 1

I recently read in the newspaper that the State of Louisiana just passed a law that all classrooms in all public school will post the Ten Commandments in clear view so that everyone can see them.

Louisiana is the first state in the union to pass such a law. I know that this law will end up in front of the Supreme Court with numerous challenges saying it violates the principle of separation of Church and State. You can no more take God out of any institution that you can take nitrogen out of oxygen and still have oxygen to breathe

Since it has been quite a while since I have seen the Ten Commandments in print anywhere outside my Bible I think this would be a time to review them. That way we can never say we have not heard or seen the Ten Commandments. We must realize and remember that the Ten Commandments are part of the Bible which is the Holy Scripture. When looking at the Westminster Standards, “The Shorter Catechism” questions three states, “What do the Scriptures principally teach? A. The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of Man.”

The Ten Commandments

5 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them:

“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5 while I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. [d] He said,

6 ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

7 ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

8 ‘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. 9 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

11 ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

12 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.

The Ten Commandments break into two recognizable sections, with a bridge linking them. Commandments 1-4 (worship God, make no idols, avoid false oaths, and keep the Sabbath) orient us to God. Commandments 6-10 (do not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie in court, or covet) focus on human relationships and processes.

There is one thing that is very important about the Ten Commandments. There are three parts of what is known as the Mosaic law or the Law of God that was given to the nation of Israel. Three parts are ceremonial law, the moral law, and the civil law. Of these parts of the Mosaic the only one we that still applies is the moral law, The Ten Commandments.

The only one of the commandments that comes into question is the keeping of the Sabbath Day. The Sabbath Day for the Nation of Israel was on Saturday. But since Jesus was resurrected on a Sunday, this is known as the Lord’s Day. Most of today’s Western churches hold worship services on Sunday iIn keeping with the tradition that start with the first church.

Therefore with all that said let’s take a quick look at the First and Second Commandment. But we must understand that the overall scope of the Ten Commandments teaches us that God is our Lord and Redeemer. we are bound to keep all His commandments.

1. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” What does this mean. That we are required by God to know and acknowledge Him to be the only true God, and to worship and glorify Him.
2. ’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. In other words, God is number one in your life. You should not make anything out of any material and worship it. You should not worship your money, or anything that you obtain by working, bartering, or other ways given to you that it should take the place of God.

(All scripture references are from NASB Translation (1995) All other references or quotes are from the Westminster Standard's, Shorter and Longer Catechism.”

Peace and Blessings

David P Cole, CRE

Encampment and Saratoga Presbyterian Churches.