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THE LAW OF MOSES FLOWS FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
The Ten Commandments are the foundation of God's covenant with Israel. They were not simply one part among many laws, they were the heart of the covenant, spoken directly by God to the people, written by His own finger on tablets of stone, and meant to be kept above all else. In Deuteronomy 4:13, Moses says, “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.” This shows that the Ten Commandments are not just moral suggestions, but the very terms of the covenant that God made with His people.
When the Israelites were brought out of Egypt, they were a large group, around 600,000 men, not counting women and children. These people had lived as slaves for generations. They had no education, no knowledge of God’s ways, no written laws, and no structure to live by. When God led them into the wilderness, they had to be taught everything from the ground up. For forty years, they wandered in the desert, and during that time, God used Moses to give them a full system of laws. These laws are often called the Law of Moses, but they were not separate from God’s covenant, they were built on it. Every law Moses gave was based on the Ten Commandments and explained how to live those commands in real life at that time. They showed what it meant to be holy, just, merciful, and pure—not only in heart, but in actions, habits, and how they treated one another.
The first part of the Ten Commandments teaches the people how to love and honour God. God began by saying, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” This command was the call to complete loyalty. The Law of Moses expands this by giving clear instructions to destroy idols, not follow after other nations’ gods, and not even speak the names of foreign deities. In Exodus 23:24, God says, “You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works.” These commands helped protect the people from falling into idolatry, which had surrounded them in Egypt and would surround them again in the land of Canaan. God also said, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image.” This was about keeping worship pure. The Law of Moses warned strongly against using images or statues in worship, even if people claimed they represented God. In Deuteronomy 27:15, it says, “Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image.” These laws taught the people that God is holy, invisible, and not to be shaped or limited by human hands.
Another command says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” This is about respect for God’s name, which stands for His character and authority. The Law of Moses warns against using God’s name falsely, especially in oaths or deceit. Leviticus 19:12 says, “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God.” These commands taught the people that their words matter, and God’s name must be treated with reverence.
God also said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” This command connected directly to the creation, when God rested on the seventh day and made it holy. It was not only a day of rest, but a sign between God and His people. In Exodus 31:13, God says, “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations.” The Law of Moses gave more detailed instructions about how to keep the Sabbath holy: no gathering of food, no work, no lighting of fires, and no buying or selling. These rules helped shape the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship, where the people stopped their normal labor and remembered their Creator. It reminded them they were no longer slaves who worked every day, but free people with a God who provided for them.
The second part of the Ten Commandments teaches the people how to treat one another. The first command in this section is “Honor your father and your mother.” This command is about respect, obedience, and care within the family. The Law of Moses reinforces this by giving laws that protect the authority of parents and warn against dishonoring them. In Exodus 21:15 and 17, it says that one who strikes or curses a parent should face serious punishment. These laws showed that family respect was the foundation for a respectful and orderly society.
God also said, “You shall not murder.” This command is simple, but the Law of Moses explains what it means in real life. It distinguishes between murder and accidental killing. In Numbers 35:16–24, there are laws about cities of refuge, where someone who killed another by accident could flee to be judged fairly. These laws were built to preserve justice and protect life while preventing revenge and rash decisions.
The command “You shall not commit adultery” was also expanded in the Law. In Leviticus 18 and Deuteronomy 22, we find clear rules about sexual purity, marriage, and forbidden relationships. These laws protected marriage as something sacred, not just between two people, but before God. They taught the people to be faithful, to avoid lust and impurity, and to guard the home.
God said, “You shall not steal.” The Law of Moses gave details about how to handle theft—how much to repay, what to do if something was stolen and later found, and how to make things right. In Exodus 22:1–4, we read about restoring what was stolen, and even paying double in some cases. These laws promoted fairness, trust, and responsibility.
Another command says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.” This is about telling the truth, especially in court and serious matters. The Law of Moses taught that a person should not join with the wicked to give false testimony, nor should they follow a crowd to do evil. In Exodus 23:1–2, God says, “You shall not circulate a false report.” These laws helped protect the innocent, guide judges, and ensure that justice was done with truth.
Finally, God said, “You shall not covet.” This is not just about actions, but about the heart. Coveting leads to other sins like stealing, lying, adultery, or even murder. The Law of Moses taught contentment, honesty in business, fairness in inheritance, and trust in God’s provision. These laws helped the people control their desires and live with integrity.
Besides these moral and civil laws, God also gave laws for health, cleanliness, and sanitation. Because the people were living in camps in the wilderness with no doctors, no hospitals, and no proper water systems, God gave them practical rules to protect them. In Leviticus 13–15, we find laws about skin diseases, washing after touching a dead body, and how to handle mold or sickness. In Deuteronomy 23:12–14, God commands them to dig a hole outside the camp and cover their waste. These may seem simple, but they were vital for a large community living in close quarters. They helped stop the spread of disease and reminded the people to live clean and orderly lives before God, who said, “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp... therefore your camp shall be holy.”
All of these laws, the moral, civil, and health-related, were not random or separate. They were deeply connected to the Ten Commandments. The commandments were the root, and the other laws were the branches, showing how to apply God’s covenant in every part of life. God was teaching a people who knew nothing, shaping them into a nation that reflected His holiness, justice, and mercy.
When Jesus came, He confirmed this by saying He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. In Matthew 5:17–19, He said, “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” He later said the whole law is built on two great truths: love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. These two commands are the heart of the Ten Commandments. They do not replace them—they explain their spirit. And the Law of Moses, in all its details, was given to help God’s people live out these holy values in the real world.
Blessings,
The Ten Commandments are the foundation of God's covenant with Israel. They were not simply one part among many laws, they were the heart of the covenant, spoken directly by God to the people, written by His own finger on tablets of stone, and meant to be kept above all else. In Deuteronomy 4:13, Moses says, “So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.” This shows that the Ten Commandments are not just moral suggestions, but the very terms of the covenant that God made with His people.
When the Israelites were brought out of Egypt, they were a large group, around 600,000 men, not counting women and children. These people had lived as slaves for generations. They had no education, no knowledge of God’s ways, no written laws, and no structure to live by. When God led them into the wilderness, they had to be taught everything from the ground up. For forty years, they wandered in the desert, and during that time, God used Moses to give them a full system of laws. These laws are often called the Law of Moses, but they were not separate from God’s covenant, they were built on it. Every law Moses gave was based on the Ten Commandments and explained how to live those commands in real life at that time. They showed what it meant to be holy, just, merciful, and pure—not only in heart, but in actions, habits, and how they treated one another.
The first part of the Ten Commandments teaches the people how to love and honour God. God began by saying, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” This command was the call to complete loyalty. The Law of Moses expands this by giving clear instructions to destroy idols, not follow after other nations’ gods, and not even speak the names of foreign deities. In Exodus 23:24, God says, “You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works.” These commands helped protect the people from falling into idolatry, which had surrounded them in Egypt and would surround them again in the land of Canaan. God also said, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image.” This was about keeping worship pure. The Law of Moses warned strongly against using images or statues in worship, even if people claimed they represented God. In Deuteronomy 27:15, it says, “Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image.” These laws taught the people that God is holy, invisible, and not to be shaped or limited by human hands.
Another command says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” This is about respect for God’s name, which stands for His character and authority. The Law of Moses warns against using God’s name falsely, especially in oaths or deceit. Leviticus 19:12 says, “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God.” These commands taught the people that their words matter, and God’s name must be treated with reverence.
God also said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” This command connected directly to the creation, when God rested on the seventh day and made it holy. It was not only a day of rest, but a sign between God and His people. In Exodus 31:13, God says, “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations.” The Law of Moses gave more detailed instructions about how to keep the Sabbath holy: no gathering of food, no work, no lighting of fires, and no buying or selling. These rules helped shape the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship, where the people stopped their normal labor and remembered their Creator. It reminded them they were no longer slaves who worked every day, but free people with a God who provided for them.
The second part of the Ten Commandments teaches the people how to treat one another. The first command in this section is “Honor your father and your mother.” This command is about respect, obedience, and care within the family. The Law of Moses reinforces this by giving laws that protect the authority of parents and warn against dishonoring them. In Exodus 21:15 and 17, it says that one who strikes or curses a parent should face serious punishment. These laws showed that family respect was the foundation for a respectful and orderly society.
God also said, “You shall not murder.” This command is simple, but the Law of Moses explains what it means in real life. It distinguishes between murder and accidental killing. In Numbers 35:16–24, there are laws about cities of refuge, where someone who killed another by accident could flee to be judged fairly. These laws were built to preserve justice and protect life while preventing revenge and rash decisions.
The command “You shall not commit adultery” was also expanded in the Law. In Leviticus 18 and Deuteronomy 22, we find clear rules about sexual purity, marriage, and forbidden relationships. These laws protected marriage as something sacred, not just between two people, but before God. They taught the people to be faithful, to avoid lust and impurity, and to guard the home.
God said, “You shall not steal.” The Law of Moses gave details about how to handle theft—how much to repay, what to do if something was stolen and later found, and how to make things right. In Exodus 22:1–4, we read about restoring what was stolen, and even paying double in some cases. These laws promoted fairness, trust, and responsibility.
Another command says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.” This is about telling the truth, especially in court and serious matters. The Law of Moses taught that a person should not join with the wicked to give false testimony, nor should they follow a crowd to do evil. In Exodus 23:1–2, God says, “You shall not circulate a false report.” These laws helped protect the innocent, guide judges, and ensure that justice was done with truth.
Finally, God said, “You shall not covet.” This is not just about actions, but about the heart. Coveting leads to other sins like stealing, lying, adultery, or even murder. The Law of Moses taught contentment, honesty in business, fairness in inheritance, and trust in God’s provision. These laws helped the people control their desires and live with integrity.
Besides these moral and civil laws, God also gave laws for health, cleanliness, and sanitation. Because the people were living in camps in the wilderness with no doctors, no hospitals, and no proper water systems, God gave them practical rules to protect them. In Leviticus 13–15, we find laws about skin diseases, washing after touching a dead body, and how to handle mold or sickness. In Deuteronomy 23:12–14, God commands them to dig a hole outside the camp and cover their waste. These may seem simple, but they were vital for a large community living in close quarters. They helped stop the spread of disease and reminded the people to live clean and orderly lives before God, who said, “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp... therefore your camp shall be holy.”
All of these laws, the moral, civil, and health-related, were not random or separate. They were deeply connected to the Ten Commandments. The commandments were the root, and the other laws were the branches, showing how to apply God’s covenant in every part of life. God was teaching a people who knew nothing, shaping them into a nation that reflected His holiness, justice, and mercy.
When Jesus came, He confirmed this by saying He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. In Matthew 5:17–19, He said, “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” He later said the whole law is built on two great truths: love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. These two commands are the heart of the Ten Commandments. They do not replace them—they explain their spirit. And the Law of Moses, in all its details, was given to help God’s people live out these holy values in the real world.
Blessings,
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