The Ten Commandments – The Original Code of Conduct

There are very few things in Scripture actually written by God’s own hand. One of these is the Ten Commandments. Following the exodus from Egypt God led His people to the base of Mt. Sinai where they camped in a large plain. Moses was told to consecrate the people and keep them off the mountain lest they die. Three days later a thick cloud surrounded the mountain and the people saw flashes of lightning and heard peals of thunder and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder and the people trembled. God called Moses to the top of the mountain and for forty days revealed to him the way He desired His people to live. When He finished speaking God gave Moses two tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments. Scripture records they were written by the finger of God. (Ex. 19-31)

The giving of the Ten Commandments was an awesome event. It was witnessed by all the people of Israel. And these commandments have become one of the most amazing pieces of literature ever written. They are the original code of conduct telling man exactly how God wants him to live. They cover all the basic areas of our lives including: faithfulness, love, integrity, church, family, society, morals, finance, truth and peace. They are known for their simplicity yet are profound in their depth. They have become the foundation upon which civilization is built and generations have been blessed who follow them.

Moses was used powerfully of God to establish His law. Before his death he prophesied there would come one after him from among their countrymen who would be like him and he told them to listen to him (Deut. 18:15). This reference was to Jesus who would become the refiner of the law (Acts 7:37). And like Moses He taught man to obey God’s commandments.