1. The Ten Commandments are recorded in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:1-21.

2. They were given to the Jews only at Mt. Sinai or Horeb. (Deut. 5:1-3).

• These basic moral laws, except for the Sabbath, had always been binding and did not suddenly become wrong at Sinai.

• It had always been wrong to worship other gods.

• It had always been wrong to steal, lie, murder, commit adultery, etc.

• These commandments are absolutes.

• There are many things, both past and present, thought to be absolutes which are really opinion, or culture, and traditional.

• The fact that there are fewer absolutes than some think does not mean there are no absolutes.

• These commandments are absolutes because they come from God.

• They are timeless, and never become obsolete.

2. These moral laws, except for the Sabbath, have been included in the law of Christ. We obey them not because Moses gave them to the Jews, but because Christ included them in His law for His covenant people.

3. Assuming the call of Abraham was about 1876 B.C., these commandments were given in about 1446 B.C.. (Gal. 3:17).

4. The Ten Commandments are the basis for the rest of the Mosaic law. They were regarded as ten pillars upon which Mosaic legislation was based.

• They are called the Decalogue - literally 10 words or commandments. (Exod. 34:28; Deut. 10:4; 4:13).

• "deca" comes from the Greek "deka" meaning "ten."

• "logue" comes from the Greek "logos" meaning "word."

• They were given to Moses, God's mediator, on Mt. Sinai. (Exod. 19, 20; Jno. 1:17; Gal. 3:19). 

Acts 7:53; Hebrews 2:2.

• They were written on two tables of stone. (Exod. 31:18; 34:1; Deut. 4:13).

• They were kept for centuries in the ark of the covenant. (Exod. 25:16; 40:20; Deut. 10:2).

• They were written "with the finger of God" (Exod. 31:18; 32:15,16).

• The 2 stones had writing on both sides. (Exod. 32:15).

• The first four commandments relate to our duties to God and the last six commandments relate to our duties to man. (Matt. 22:37-39).

• This may have been the way the commandments were written on the tablets - 4 on one and 6 on the other.

• Jewish tradition placed five commandments on each tablet.

• There is no way to know, and the number of commandments of each tablet is not relevant.

"You shall have no other gods before Me."

"And God spoke all these words (Ten Commandments), saying, I am the Lord your [singular] God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.@(Exod. 20:1-3; Deut. 5:7).

1. These are the words of God Almighty whose name is AJehovah@. (Exod. 3:13-17; 6:3).

• The name AJehovah@ comes from the Hebrew AYHWH.@

• It is called tetragrammaton meaning four letters.

• The original Hebrew did not have vowels.

• Most scholars believe the tetragrammaton should be rendered AYahweh.@

• God is Creator and has absolute sovereignty over His creation.

• His words are not mere suggestions or guidelines, but are mandates that must be obeyed.

• They come from the One who has always been and always will be.

• He is always AI Am.@

• He is never AI was.@

• He is now and forever AThe great I AM.@

 2. The Hebrew word "before" comes from the word Aal@ and literally means "besides."

• It can be rendered Aupon, above, over, besides.@

• It is probably best rendered here Abesides.@

 3. It teaches God alone is to be worshiped. (Matt. 4:10; Rev. 4:8).

• It teaches monotheism, and condemns polytheism.

• There is only "one God." (1 Cor. 8:5,6; Eph. 4:4-6).

• The Gentiles of Mose's day, though not bound by the law of Moses, stood condemned for idol worship. (Rom. 1:19-25,28).

• Paul argued that the existence of God is plain.

• Those who refuse to recognize and submit to Him are without excuse.

• Many of the Jews of Mose=s day had strongly been influenced by the polytheism of Egypt and the other pagan cultures.

4. The New Testament condemns idolatry. (1 Jno. 5:21; l Cor. 10:14).

• Hero or man worship condemned. (Acts 10:25,26; Acts 14:8-18; Acts 12:21-23).

• Creature worship (Rom. 1:25).

• Nature worship (Deut. 17:3-5). There are wonderful things in nature, but they were created by Jehovah. We are to worship the Creator rather than the created.

• Pleasure worship. (2 Tim. 3:4; Phil. 3:18, 19.).

• Mammon worship. (Matt. 6:24; Col. 3:5).

• Self-worship (putting self first).

• Most of us would never worship a literal idol, but we put many things above God and make them idols (gods).

• Christians who consider themselves monotheistic often become polytheistic in their daily living.

• Monotheism demands surrendering to the one God of heaven and seeking Him first. (Matt. 6:33).

Exod. 20:4-6; Deut. 20:8-10

1. It is absolutely forbidden to make any kind of graven image of some so-called god or of the God. (Deut. 4:15-19; 27:15; see Acts 17:29).

• Finite man cannot construct a true representation of the Infinite One who is Spirit. (Jno. 4:24).

• It is absurd and utter folly for man to think he could ever make an image of God who is limitless in every way.

• The golden calf is a feeble and sinful attempt of man trying to make a representation of God. (Exod. 32:4,8).

• The Hebrew AElohim@ is a plural word and can be translated either AGod@ or Agods@ depending on the context.

• This plural word is translated AGod@ in Genesis 1:1 because it is used with a singular verb.

• This word can be rendered in this context either AGod@ or Agods@ as the footnote in many translations reveals. NIV, NASB.

• The context favors the translation of AGod.@

2. God would punish those who became idolaters. (Exod. 32:8).

3. God would richly bless those who loved Him and kept His commandments even for "a thousand generations." (Deut. 5:10; 7:9).

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain"

Exodus 20:7; See Deut. 5:11.

1. This commandment condemns:

• Taking false oaths by God's name. (Lev. 19:12). See Matthew 5:33-37 and 13:16-22 for Jesus discussion of the Jews abuse of this commandment.

• Using God's name in any irreverent, unworthy, flippant, disrespectful, profane way. (Lev. 24:15,16).

2. Israelites were permitted to swear by God's name (Deut. 6:l3; 10:20), but not falsely. (Lev. 19:12).

3. They would not be "guiltless," but be condemned for misusing God=s sacred name.

4. It is not acceptable or smart to take God's name in vain, but is a sign of wickedness and utter foolishness.

5. Imagine finite and sinful man cursing God who is holy, sinless, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-seeing and to whom he must give account. (Rom. 14:12).

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy"

Exod. 20:8; Deut. 5:12-15

1. The word "Sabbath" comes from the Hebrew "shabbath" and means "rest."

• It refers to the seventh day of the week (Exod. 20:10), not the first day. (Matt. 28:1; Lk. 23:56; 24:1).

• God rested (ceased His creative work) on the seventh day. (Gen. 2:1-3; Exod. 31:16, 17).

2. The Sabbath was first observed by the Jews in the wilderness, a short time before they reached Mt. Sinai. (Exod. 16:22-30).

3. It was given to the Hebrew people at Mt. Sinai. (Deut. 5:2,3).

• They were to rest just as God had rested. (Gen. 2:1-3; Exod. 20:11; 23:12; 31:16,17).

• It was also a memorial of Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage. (Deut. 5:15).

• They were to have a holy convocation on the Sabbath. (Lev. 23:3).

4. They were not to work on the Sabbath.

• The Jews were forbidden to build a fire on the Sabbath day. (Exod. 35:3; 16:23).

• The penalty for violation of the Sabbath was death. (Exod. 31:14,15; 35:2; Num. 15:32-36).

• The Sabbath rest did not forbid doing good on the Sabbath. (Matt. 12:9-14; Lk. 14:1-6; Mk. 2:27).

• It was not wrong to circumcise on the Sabbath if it fail on the 8th day after birth. (Gen. 17:12).

5. We are commanded to worship on the first day of the week. (Acts 20:7; l Cor. 16:2).

6. The Sabbath is not binding today.

• It was "shadow of the good things to come." (Heb. 10:1).

• The old law was nailed to the cross having served its purpose. (Gal. 3:24; 3:19,16; Heb. 8:7; 10:9; Col. 2:14-17).

• We can worship on the Sabbath in addition to worshiping on the first day of the week (Acts 2:46,47; 5:42; Rom.14:5, 6), but it is not commanded and we are forbidden to bind it on others. (Col. 2:16,17). See Acts 15:29.

• Some of the early evangelists went into the Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath (Acts 13:14, 41-44; 18:4), but such was not for the purpose of keeping the Sabbath.

• The purpose was to teach the Jewish assembly the gospel. (Acts 13:14-41).

• The weekly Jewish assembly was an excellent time to share the gospel with some whom already believed in God and in the Old Testament scriptures.