What do you think of when you hear the name Moses?
For me, it would have to be the famous scene of the sea being split in half.
The Old Testament "Book of Exodus", in which Moses is the main character, consists of two major themes.
The first is the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.
Please click here for an article on the Exodus.
What is the Book of Exodus all about?
What was the life of the prophet Moses as described in "Book of Exodus"? Here's the story of Moses who performed the miracle of splitting the sea!
Another is the so-called "Ten Commandments", the ten teachings that Moses received from God after his escape.
In this issue, I would like to tell you about the Ten Commandments.
What are the Ten Commandments?
The Ten Commandments are a set of ten rules given to Moses by God in the Old Testament "Book of Exodus", chapter 20, verses 3-17.
The content of the Ten Commandments is believed to reflect the will of God.
Moses is said to have received these Ten Commandments from God at Mount Sinai after his exodus from Egypt with the Israelites.
Contents of the Ten Commandments
- The Lord is the only God
- Do not make idols
- Do not chant God's name in vain
- Observe the Sabbath
- Honor your parents
- Do not murder
- Do not commit adultery
- Do not steal
- Do not perjure yourself about your neighbor
- Do not covet your neighbor's property
These ten are the Ten Commandments.
Let's take a closer look at each one.
The Lord is the only God
Thou shalt have no other god besides me.
(Exodus 20:3, Old Testament)
This is confirmation that there is only one God.
The Bible advocates only one God, and does not recognize any polytheism such as the gods of Mesopotamian mythology or Greek mythology.
God is only me.
God himself has declared it so.
Please refer to the following article on Yahweh, the one and only God.
What does Yahweh mean in religion?
God used to be called "Yahweh". What is Yahweh that is common to all religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? It's a surprisingly deep story!
If you would like to know more, please see here.
Do not make an idol
You shall not make for yourself a carved image. Do not make any form of things that are above in the heavens, below in the earth, or in the waters under the earth.
Do not bow down to it. Do not serve it. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, whoever hates me will avenge the sins of the fathers to the sons of the third and fourth generations, and whoever loves me and keeps my commandments. , will give grace to a thousand generations.
(Exodus 20:4-6, Old Testament)
Second, the prohibition of idolatry.
Do not bow down to it.
It is clearly stated it.
I, the Lord, am a jealous God.
It is also a little surprising that God himself says so.
However, it is also amazing that if we love God and keep His commandments, we will receive blessings for a thousand generations.
Anyway, it seems that thorough allegiance to God is important.
Do not chant God's name in vain
Third, it is forbidden to call God's name in vain.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. The Lord will not leave unpunished those who take his name in vain.
(Exodus 20:7, Old Testament)
I feel that the fact that we are not allowed to call His name represents the preciousness of God.
The word "in vain" does not seem to mean that we should not call his name at all, but it is better not to call his name too often.
Observing the Sabbath
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
Work six days and do all your deeds.
Do no work on the seventh day, for it is the rest of the Lord your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your servants, your maidservants, your livestock, and the strangers within your gates.
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
(Exodus 20:8-11, Old Testament)
The fourth is about the Sabbath.
This is derived from the creation of the world in the Old Testament "Book of Genesis".
God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day.
If you want to know more about this creation process, please read this article.
Summarize the Book of Genesis with 6 main points
Everyone has heard of Noah's Ark, Tower of Babel, and Adam and Eve. What is the story of Book of Genesis? Here's a quick summary and explanation!
Actually, this Sabbath is Saturday because it is the seventh day of the week that begins on Sunday.
Since Christians worship on Sunday, we tend to think of the Sabbath as Sunday, but biblically speaking, the Sabbath is Saturday.
Honor your parents
Honor your father and mother. This is so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
(Exodus 20:12, Old Testament)
Fifth, it teaches us to honor your parents.
God is the only God and demands that we love Him, but He also says that we must show respect to our parents.
The reason for this is "so that you may live a long life", which seems to be somewhat true.
The series you shall not
you shall not kill.
you shall not commit adultery.
you shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
(Exodus 20:13-15, Old Testament)
Since the quotation was as it was, I omitted the 6th to 9th teachings.
It is a series of "You shall not".
It is phrases like a law.
Teachings about "neighbors"
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, servant, maidservant, ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
(Exodus 20:16-17, Old Testament)
The last two are teachings about "neighbors."
It teaches to perjury and not to covet others.
Somehow, I think "neighbor" might be one of the key words.
These are the details of the Ten Commandments of Moses.
These teachings still remain as a lesson among many people.
To learn more about Moses,
Who is Moses in Islamic summary?
He appeared in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. What was Moses like in Islam? The prophet Moses is explained in an easy-to-understand manner!
Please click here.