Brother Philip Velasquez: Hello! I’m Brother Philip Velasquez and thanks for joining us on another episode of That’s in the Bible! Today we’ll be answering questions about the Ten Commandments. We’ve got a viewer, Chris Young from Harbour City, and he asks, “Why are there only ten commandments?” Thank you, Chris, for that question.
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Why are there only Ten Commandments?
Brother Philip: Well, most of us, if not all, are familiar with the famous Ten Commandments given by God to Moses. We’ve probably heard of this historic event during church growing up, or we’ve watched the famous movie. Is there mention in the Bible of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses? Let’s find out. Deuteronomy 4:13, and this is what we are taught in the Holy Scriptures:
He told you what you must do to keep the covenant he made with you—you must obey the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets.
[Deuteronomy 4:13 Today’s English Version]
What are some of the Ten Commandments?
Brother Philip: So, it is in the Bible that there were Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, which were recorded on two stone tablets for the Israelites to strictly follow. Some of these commands were: do not believe in any other God;
“You shall have no other Gods before Me.
[Exodus 20:3 New King James Version]
Brother Philip: …do not make and worship any graven image;
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall now bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God,…
[Exodus 20:4-5 New King James Version]
Brother Philip: …remember the Sabbath;
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[Exodus 20:8 New King James Version]
Brother Philip: …you shall not murder;
“You shall not murder.
[Exodus 20:13 New King James Version]
Brother Philip: …you shall not steal;
“You shall not steal.
[Exodus 20:15 New King James Version]
Are there only ten commandments to follow?
Brother Philip: But the question is this: does it end there? Is this all that God expected the Israelites to live by? No. Soon after God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, there were many other things that God wanted the Israelites to do. What else were the Israelites commanded to do? Let’s read in Leviticus 17:1-2.
The Lord commanded Moses to give Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel the following regulations.
[Leviticus 17:1-2 Today’s English Version]
Brother Philip: What else were the Israelites commanded to do? To follow the set of regulations, which God expected them to strictly observe. What was an example of one of these regulations that had to be followed? Well, one was regarding the way they present their sacrificial offerings to Our Almighty God. We can read that here in Leviticus 17 and 3:
An Israelite who kills a cow or sheep or a goat as an offering to the Lord anywhere except at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord’s presence has broken the Law. He has shed blood and shall no longer be considered one of God’s people.
[Leviticus 17:3-4 Today’s English Version]
Brother Philip: So as we’ve heard, dear friends, in addition to the Ten Commandments, we can see that there were also specific regulations that had to be observed in making their sacrificial offerings to Our Almighty God. This is actually just one example of many other regulations given by God to the Israelites. The truth is, even before these commands and regulations were given to the Israelites, God gave specific instructions to His servants at different times. Just like the command He gave to Noah, and we can read that in Genesis 6:13 to 14, the first book of the Bible:
And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.
[Genesis 6:13-14 New King James Version]
Brother Philip: What did Our Almighty God command Noah to do during his time? He commanded him to build an ark. Why? Because the world would be flooded. God was even specific when it came to the dimensions of the ark, and materials to be used. These details, too, had to be followed by Noah. So, as we’ve clearly seen, dear friends, the Ten [Commandments] were among many other laws and regulations the Israelites had to follow. Even up until our time, the Christian Era, there are also specific sets of commands along with regulations that Our Almighty God would want us Christians to follow and obey. Thanks for your question, Chris.
If you have questions you’d like answered on this show, please feel free to email us:
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Do you have questions about the Bible?
Remember one of the instructions of our Lord Jesus Christ written in Matthew 7:7:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 New International Version
Brother Philip: Now That’s in the Bible! Thanks for watching, I’m Brother Philip Velasquez, and we will see you next time.
