The Ten Commandments:
An Agreement
Covenant of the Lord, Law of God, God's Law, God's ways, Old Covenant,
New Testament, Old Testament, Mt. Sinai, tablets of stone, ark of the covenant,
arc of the covenant
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What is our Creator trying to tell us by saying "...His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments" (Deu 4:13b) . A covenant is an agreement. The Ten Commandments are not an agreement. The Ten Commandments are not even the entire covenant, but only the regulations or terms of the covenant Israel agreed to follow. So how can "His covenant " be the Ten Commandments?
"They did
not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law" (Ps 78:10)
Hebrew
speakers often repeat themselves when they intend emphasis. However, they don't always use blatant
repetition. They usually completely
reword or come at the matter from a different angle. The case above is a good example. 'His law' is 'His covenant'. They are one and the same.
English speakers are often confused and
think this is talking of two different things. The intention of the Hebrew author was to
add emphasis highlighting the importance of the covenant and
irresponsibility of Israel in ignoring not only His covenant, but in doing
so also breaking His Law.
So not only were the Ten
Commandments a covenant, but they were also a law, His Law.
Whether the Ten Commandments are called a
covenant or a law is not necessarily a major concern. The end result is the same. Syntactically English would rather see
'law' used in most cases, but the original was written in Hebrew, so the
translators attempt to convert the words to English.
If we thought about it a bit we would understand that the Creator expects His people to buy into His covenant and make it theirs as it is His. He understands covenants are agreements and He wishes us to agree with Him.
The Ten Commandments are
also associated with other concepts in the Hebrew scriptures.
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God
require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and
to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all
your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes
which I command you today for your good?" (Deu 10:12-13)
Just as His law and His
covenant are the same, so too fearing Him, serving Him and walking in His
ways are the same thing as well. The end result is the same and the result is that you will end up
keeping His commandments if you wish to respond appropriately to the Creator.
"For if you carefully keep all these commandments
which I command you to do-to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His
ways, and to hold fast to Him-" (Deu 11:22)
If you love God and
desire to align yourself to Him you will conduct yourself in this same way,
His way.
The inclusion of the
concept of 'walking in His way' is the real clue as to why the Ten
Commandments are called His covenant. It is the code of conduct by which He binds
Himself. It is His way. They are how He relates to others and the
principles by which He lives. That is why the Ten Commandments are referred to as 'His
Covenant'. They are His standard for living, an assumed
agreement with every other person with whom He might come into contact.
"Oh,
that My people would listen to Me, That Israel
would walk in My ways!"
(Ps 81:13)
"For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your
ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts" . (Isa
55:9)
"They
have turned aside quickly out of the
way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf,.." (Ex 32:8ab)
The New Testament uses
all the same terms to describe righteousness and the righteous.
"For
John came to you in the way
of righteousness, and you did not believe him.." (Mat 21:32)
"This
man had been instructed in the way
of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately
the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John." (Acts 18:25)
"For
it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than
having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them." (II Pet 2:21)
Isn't the teaching of the
New Testament significantly different from the Old? The truth will surprise you. "All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness"
(II Tim 3:16). Specifically this is
talking of the Hebrew Scriptures, the so called Old Testament.
"For many will come in My
name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many" (Mat 24:5).
Could you be one of the victims?
Consider the significance
of knowing exactly what the Law of God is.