How relevant ar the Biblical 10 Commandments in todays society???

The Long version ----->

Exodus 20
New International Version
The Ten Commandments

20 And God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

 

The Short Version  ----->  

    I am the Lord thy God. Thou shall not have strange Gods before Me.
    Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
    Remember to keep holy the Lord's day.
    Honor thy father and mother.
    Thou shall not kill.
    Thou shall not commit adultery.
    Thou shall not steal.
    Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
    Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife.
    Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's goods. 

 

Translation -----> 

1 - I'm the only one for you

2 Do not swear (curse with Gods name)

3 Rest up on Sunday

4 Take care of your parents

5 No murdering rampages

6 Sex with your wife only

7 No filching other people's stuff

8 Tell the truth at all times

9 Avoid being jealous

10 Ditto for being Envious 

 

LOL - I clearly remember a youth group meeting where we were asked to re-arrange them in order we thought to be most relevant, with the most important one at the top . . . fun times

 

Anyhow - did you notice the very bit at the very top - 

 ( snip --> who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery) ? ? ?  

So Abraham's Grandson (David) was sold into slavery into Egypt! He became powerful (still as a slave) and then the rest of his family seeks help, and after some 7 years of Drought (in Israel ) emigrate to Egypt for a survival and better life! 

Fast forward some hundreds of years (or several generations), and the "Israel tribe" becomes too big and dangerous to the ruling Pharaoh and with Moses's help and post 10 plagues etc - eventually they are released and were free to go "back home"!! 

So they wander round the Sinai dessert for 40 years! There is a reason for that!!!! It was during that time that Moses brought down the 10 Commandments!! In shortest simplest form - these were the rules that the Israel Tribe was told to live by - discarding the old known structures / rules and religious practices from Egypt!! And It would take a generational loss of memory to 'forget' the religious practices and the 'comfort" they had in Egypt!! 

 

So lets break them down briefly:

From a multi - deity to a single deity - no cat statues or anything else 

Don't curse using God's name

Rest on Sundays - the original txt is illuminating in this!  

         After this we go into the Social constructs!! Again in its simplest form - they             say - be content with who you are and what you got - and think/ value other             people in a positive manner before yourself! 

Our Western World has most of its laws based on those 10 Commandments!

Certainly the 'Do not Kill / steal' rules featuring large!!!  For very good reason!

Oddly enough - Both Jewish and Christian faiths are rooted in this! The Muslim world has a very similar writing - almost borrowing directly from Exodus!!     

While other religions do not have the same exact txt - they DO have similar constructs baked into their belief sets! 

WHY???? 

Would have thought it is self evident!! Imagine a world were there is no holds barred on killing or stealing or whoring around!!!  The strongest loudest bully will win and pity the rest who are near the bottom of the totem pole! Can you imagine living in a world like that???? 

Unfortunately - (certainly in NZ) as we are becoming less and less of a Christian (let alone religious) Society - eg - a Society where our own behavior is rooted in the 10 commandments - we see more and more examples where folks think of themselves first! You see it in their behavior!! (By their fruits they will be judged) 

I used to say to my Son ten years back that we are rapidly becoming a society where "its all about me"!!! Egotistical / Narcissistic is the word . . . . 

My Freedom

My Rights 

Me First

My Feelings

I'm always right and everyone is always wrong

Killing another human (and celebrating that), just because they have a different social or political outlook on life is becoming rapidly acceptable in some parts of the world . . . . 

 

Sighs 

We could do with a biblical (christian) revival for a better world!!!

Like - ARE YOU - yes YOU - truly happy and contend in this world???? 

 

Have fun!