The ten commandments of God in Orthodoxy play an extremely important role - they are the basis of the entire Christian faith and represent the essence of the Christian law. They were received on Mount Sinai by the prophet Moses after, by the will of the Lord, he led all the people of Israel out of Egypt, where he was in slavery.
Basics of Orthodoxy: why you should follow the commandments
10 biblical commandments or the Decalogue God handed over to the Jewish people, during their journey from slavery to the land given by the Lord - Canaan.
Initially, the Lord Himself inscribed them on two tablets, but later they were rewritten by the hand of Moses.
The law can be roughly divided into two parts:
- the first 4 commandments are about a person's relationship to the Lord;
- the last 5 are about the relationship between a person and neighbors.
The law of God is difficult for people with a sinful nature to obey. However, this is something to which it is boundless to strive. What is it for?
In the same way as the force of attraction, gravity, etc., exist and operate spiritual laws. Violation of them leads to the threat of carnal and spiritual death.
People do not resent the existence of gravity, and they know that if you jump from a height, you can crash. The same is true with prolonged immersion in water or falling into fire. Why is keeping the law of the Lord so revolting?
Atheists live as if the spiritual world does not exist, but this does not exempt them from the operation of spiritual rules. If a person does not believe in the power of attraction, this does not mean that it does not exist and its violation will lead to death. The same applies to the Decalogue - violation will lead first to spiritual death, and then to carnal.
Many people view the Decalogue as a set of rules for going to heaven after death. But this is erroneous, because the goal is to prove to a person that he cannot cope on his own and needs God's help and Jesus Christ. No one can do it perfectly on their own, but only with God's help. We all need death of Jesus Christ and in Divine forgiveness with redemption. One should ask the Lord for help in keeping the law and pray in repentance if it has been violated.
Important! Anyone who considers himself a true Christian needs to know the 10 biblical commandments, because by them he can check his life path and compare it with the one that the Lord has prepared.
Moses with the commandments given to him
Commandments of God and their interpretation
The Creator wrote 10 rules on 2 stone tablets and handed them over to Moses. He remained on the mountain for another 40 days, and then went down to the people, but what he saw there was terrible - the Jews cast themselves a calf of gold and made it their god. Moses in anger threw the tablets to the ground and broke them.
After the people were punished, Moses went up the mountain again and wrote them down again. You should consider them all in detail, for a better understanding.
First
“I am the Lord your God. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."
What does it say? Our Lord is the true and living God, who is alone in the entire universe and beyond. It is He - Creator of the whole world and all creatures that live and exist by Him alone. The Christian religion is a religion of monotheism. It has no place for a host of gods, as was the case in Greek, Roman and Persian culture.
God is only one. All power is concentrated in the Creator, and there is simply no power outside of Him. He is the beginning of time and its end, He is the beginning of time and the end. The movement of the sun across the sky, the movement of a drop across a leaf, the movement of an ant and the running of a leopard - in all this there is God's hand and all this is possible only thanks to Him.
Despite the many names, the Lord is one. In Scripture, He calls himself Yahweh (I am who I am), Jehovah (I will become), God Almighty, Elohim (God), Adonai (Lord), Sabaoth (Lord of armies). But these are just characteristics, character traits. He is the source of strength, both spiritual and material, so only one should come to Him.
According to this sin:
- polytheism;
- magic;
Second
“You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth.”
For the kill the person will suffer a terrible punishment. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that you can kill with simple words. You should watch not only your hands, but also your tongue.
seventh
"Do not commit adultery."
The Heavenly Father created the family at the beginning of existence. His idea is a man and a woman belonging to each other. There is no room for a third.
Despite heretical traditions about Adam's second wife Lilith, God created only Adam and Eve. Therefore, a husband and wife should take care of each other, love and not look / think about others.
Family is not always easy, but a person must follow the law.
Read about the family in Orthodoxy:
eighth
"Don't steal."
The most important law in the field of human relations is that one should not take something that belongs to another. This applies to both small things and some big things.
The Heavenly Father gives to everyone according to his will, so if a person steals, he shows disrespect not only to the work of his neighbor, but also to God. If he thinks that someone has something more and this is unfair, then this also expresses disrespect and disobedience to God's will.
ninth
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
A lie spoils everything and sooner or later opens up. One should not be deceitful towards others or oneself. Deception does not bring anything good, and the motives for it are almost always sinful.
The Almighty always knows the truth, and sooner or later it will be revealed to people. This law helps to preserve the spiritual health of a person.
Tenth
"Do not covet your neighbor's house or anything that your neighbor has."
This rule has something in common with the 8th, but it is more detailed. In the original, God speaks of a wife, cattle, property.
Even one desire to have something someone else's is considered a sin. Desire is the seed of sin, and. if not uprooted in time, it will grow into a huge tree.
Commandments of Christ
It should be understood that the listed 10 laws and 9 gospel commandments are different from each other, although it is necessary to fulfill them all.
The first were received by Moses from the Lord as the basis of the law for the Jews, who became God's people. It was they who were created to separate the Jews from all other peoples who lived according to their own laws. Thanks to them, the Jews became an isolated, God's people at the dawn of the formation of religion. They were called upon not only to create a society and a state, but also to protect people from sin.
The commandments of Christ, given by him in the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew, are somewhat different.
Sermon on the Mount
They talk about the spiritual world, and almost do not touch the carnal. Christ in them defines what the Christian soul should be like, how a believing person should develop in God.
Important! The commandments of Christ in no way deny the basic law (Decalogue), but, on the contrary, continue it. If the Lord forms society and relations between people by law, then Christ speaks of the inner world of a person and its formation.
Watch a video about the commandments of Jesus
Prophet Moses on Mount Sinai
Ten Commandments
Here are the Commandments that the Lord God of Hosts gave to the people through His chosen one and the prophet Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:2-17):
1. I am the Lord your God... Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
2. Do not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth.
3. Do not pronounce the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces His name in vain.
4. Work for six days, and do all your work; and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days on earth may be long.
6. Don't kill.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife; neither his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is with your neighbor.
Truly, this law is short, but these commandments say a lot to anyone who knows how to think and who seeks the salvation of his soul.
Anyone who does not understand with his heart this main God's law will not be able to accept either Christ or His teachings. Whoever does not learn to swim in shallow water will not be able to swim in depth, for he will drown. And whoever does not learn to walk first will not be able to run, for he will fall and be broken. And whoever does not first learn to count to ten will never be able to count thousands. And whoever does not first learn to read in syllables will never be able to read fluently and speak eloquently. And whoever does not first lay the foundation of the house will try in vain to build a roof.
I repeat: whoever does not keep the commandments of the Lord given to Moses will knock in vain at the doors of the Kingdom of Christ.
FIRST COMMANDMENT
I am the Lord your God... Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
This means:
God is one and there are no other gods besides Him. From Him all creatures come, thanks to Him they live and return to Him. All strength and power resides in God, and there is no strength outside of God. And the power of light, and the power of water, and air, and stone is the power of God. If an ant crawls, a fish swims and a bird flies, then this is thanks to God. The ability of a seed to grow, grass to breathe, a person to live, are the essence of God's abilities. All these abilities are the property of God, and every creature receives its ability to exist from God. The Lord gives to everyone as He sees fit, and takes back when He sees fit. Therefore, when you want to gain the ability to do something, seek only in God, for the Lord God is the source of life-giving and mighty power. There are no other sources besides Him. Pray to the Lord like this:
“God, Merciful, inexhaustible, the only source of strength, strengthen me, the weak, give me greater strength so that I can better serve You. God, give me wisdom so that I do not use the power received from You for evil, but only for the benefit of myself and my neighbors, to magnify Your glory. Amen".
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
Do not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth.
This means:
Do not deify creation instead of the Creator. If you climbed a high mountain where you met the Lord God, why should you look back at the reflection in a puddle under the mountain? If a certain person longed to see the king and after much effort managed to stand before him, why would he then look around to the right and left at the king's servants? He can look around for two reasons: either because he does not dare to stand face to face before the king, or because he thinks that the king alone cannot help him.
THIRD COMMANDMENT
Do not pronounce the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces His name in vain.
This means:
What, are there really such people who decide to commemorate, without reason and need, the name that leads to trepidation - the name of the Lord God Most High? When the name of God is pronounced in heaven, the heavens bow, the stars flash brighter, the Archangels and Angels sing: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts,” and the saints and saints of God fall on their faces. Then who among mortals dares to commemorate the Most Holy Name of God without spiritual trembling and without deep sighing from longing for God?
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
Work six days, and do all your work; and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.
This means:
The Creator created for six days, and on the seventh day He rested from His labors. Six days are temporary, vain and short-lived, and the seventh is eternal, peaceful and durable. By the creation of the world, the Lord God entered into time, but did not leave eternity. This mystery is great... (Eph. 5:32), and it is more fitting to think about it than to speak about it, for it is not accessible to everyone, but only to God's chosen ones.
FIFTH COMMANDMENT
Honor your father and your mother, that your days on earth may be long.
This means:
Before you knew the Lord God, your parents knew Him. This alone is enough for you to bow to them with respect and give them praise. Bow down and give praise to everyone who has known the Highest Good in this world before you.
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT
Dont kill.
This means:
God breathed life from His life into every created being. Life is the most precious wealth given by God. Therefore, whoever encroaches on any life on earth raises his hand on the most precious gift of God, moreover, on the very life of God. All of us living today are only temporary bearers of God's life in ourselves, custodians of the most precious gift that belongs to God. Therefore, we do not have the right, and we cannot take away the life borrowed from God, either from ourselves or from others.
SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
Don't commit adultery.
This means:
Do not have an illegal relationship with a woman. Indeed, in this, animals are more obedient to God than many people.
THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
Don't steal.
This means:
Do not grieve your neighbor by disrespecting his property rights. Don't do what foxes and mice do if you think you're better than a fox and a mouse. The fox steals without knowing the law on theft; and the mouse gnaws at the barn, not realizing that it is harming someone. Both the fox and the mouse understand only their own need, but not someone else's loss. They are not given to understand, but you are given. Therefore, you are not forgiven what is forgiven for a fox and a mouse. Your benefit must always be subordinate to the law, it must not be to the detriment of your neighbor.
NINTH COMMANDMENT
Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
This means:
Do not be deceitful either towards yourself or towards others. If you lie about yourself, you yourself know that you are lying. But if you slander someone else, that other person knows that you are slandering about him.
THE TENTH COMMANDMENT
Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife; neither his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is with your neighbor.
This means:
As soon as you desired someone else's, you have already fallen into sin. Now the question is, will you come to your senses, will you catch yourself, or will you continue to roll down the inclined plane, where the desire of someone else leads you?
Desire is the seed of sin. A sinful act is already a harvest from the seed sown and grown.
New Testament
The main commandment of Jesus Christ is love for God and neighbor
More than once people asked Jesus Christ what is the most important thing in His teaching in order to receive eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Some asked in order to find out, and others in order to find an accusation against Him.
So, once a Jewish lawyer (that is, a person who studied the Law of God), wanting to test Jesus Christ, asked Him: "Master! What is the greatest commandment in the law?"
Jesus Christ answered him: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments affirm all the law and the prophets."
This means: everything that the Law of God teaches, about which the prophets spoke, all of this completely contains these two main commandments, that is: all the commandments of the law and its teaching tell us about love. If we had such love in ourselves, then we could not violate all the other commandments, since they are all separate parts of the commandment about love. So, for example, if we love our neighbor, then we cannot offend him, deceive him, let alone kill him, or envy him, and, in general, we cannot wish anything bad for him, but, on the contrary, we pity him, take care of him and are willing to sacrifice everything for him. That is why Jesus Christ said: There is no other greater commandment than these two."(Mark. 12 , 31).
The lawyer said to Him: "Very well, Teacher! Thou hast told the truth that to love God with all one's soul and to love one's neighbor as oneself is greater and higher than all burnt offerings and sacrifices to God."
Jesus Christ, seeing that he answered reasonably, said to him: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
NOTE: See Matthew, ch. 23 , 35-40; from Mark, ch. 12 , 28-34; from Luke, ch. 10 , 25-28.
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