What's Up With The Ten Commandments?
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Multiple Choice Suggestions
The journalist Ted Koppel once famously said: "In its purest form, truth is not a polite tap on the shoulder. Truth is a howling reproach. What Moses brought down from Mount Sinai were not ten suggestions."
A sign outside a local business dovetails with that quote: “The Ten Commandments are not multiple choice.” We flinch in significant denial, but in the present relativistic climate that is their de facto status: Just ten multiple choice suggestions.
Were the edicts given to Moses on Mount Sinai absolutes or optional lifestyle choices? To our detriment, we have come to disregard the extraordinary essence of God’s top ten list; to our peril, a cultural mindset disparages all things related to the boundaries or expectations of a Supreme Being.
We have developed a cavalier spirituality that systematically deconstructs God’s Word; we reconstruct it to include passages that warm or comfort, while eliminating those that heighten personal responsibility and virtue.
In the postmodern mix where truth is presented as non-existent or entirely negotiable, we attempt to rationalize the Ten Commandments away as relics from antiquity. Our reasoning plays itself out as enlightened wisdom, but is driven by the conspicuously false premise that people are basically good.
Historical and headline news evidence shreds that assumption into confetti but we persist in putting the idea forward. We cannot face-down the darkness that resides within, so we intellectualize goodness into humanity’s nature. The framework to support that façade is a dismissal of holy law that reveals our moral bankruptcy.
Is there a connection between our systematic deconstruction of God's Word and the breakdown of morality in the 21st century?
See results without votingTruth & Consequences
The end result of relegating God’s imperatives to multiple choice suggestions is ethical ambiguity and societal chaos.
Why do children routinely have children? Why is infanticide enshrined at the altar of convenience and choice? Why is sexual promiscuity no longer shameful, but rather is an accepted and expected cultural norm?
Why has greed and avarice become badges of honor? Why do marriages get discarded like last week’s pizza boxes? Why does suspicion and mistrust have free reign in our hearts?
Why is bold-faced lying and cheating dismissed or winked at in the public square? Why are guns or bombs regularly carried into schools and workplaces to kill people?
The answer to those questions and a thousand more just like them is quite simple: Choices have consequences. Our society has transformed truth into multiple choice suggestions and as a result is reaping the whirlwind. Having casually denigrated God’s prescription for avoiding the tragedies of destructive living, we ought not to feign surprise or be shocked by the resulting catastrophic problems.
A Top Ten List That Matters
In precise human language God clearly laid out the design for integrity and civic order. Contrary to naysayers, the precepts originally inscribed on stone tablets are not shrouded in primitive superstitions or ignorance. Their supernatural brilliance transcends the ages to be the foundational bedrock of civilization.
In a mere handful of words, the Creator of the universe set forth ten principles - that if implemented and put into practice - produce community peace and harmony: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet.”
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No Ifs...No Ands...No Buts
It was active love that motivated God to give us his rules; they are an expression of an eternal compassion. The One who fashioned the stars desires that we experience true success, measured by our joyful obedience.
God’s definition of success has not changed since it was explained to Joshua: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
What’s up with the Ten Commandments is this: They are the howling reproach of truth; they are the underpinning of God’s written revelation of himself. When our hearts incorporate them we get a glimpse of his character as he molds within us a perspective and worldview that has him at the center.
Jesus of Nazareth modeled what it meant to practically apply not only the letter but also the intent of God’s requirements. He spelled it out plainly: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
That towering standard serves to keep our latent arrogance on a short leash: Love and obedience are inseparable; no ifs, no ands, no buts and no suggestions or multiple choices.
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Comments
Thanks for that point. They are foundational to a civil society.
I never seen any moral codes outside of Then Commandments
which were able to create anything new or more. The atheists have the same but removed God from it. It is poorly design counterfeit.
Thanks for great hub.
Vladimir - Thanks for your note. Blessings to you.
Sad to say, I think much of the tarnishing of God's truth is coming from His own people, what with the emergence of 'celebrity preachers' who run mega churches (seen and heard on TV), promoting half truths, shallow Christianity, and the prosperity gospel. If we don't walk our talk, we have no voice, nor influence. Another fine writing!
IslandVoice - Thank you for your good observations. I agree completely. It is a sad but true situation with many promoting a health/wealth based theology that is a mile & a half wide & an inch deep. Blessings to you.
For lack of a better term, the Ten Commandments are engenious because they cover every negative action that men can act out, causing injury to themselves and others. Some of what we see written as laws in addition to the ten commandments is often referred to as "the law of Moses" that has more specifics in it, pertaining to the society of that day, just as we have in modern times. With that said, all laws still fall under the umbrella of the Ten Commandments whether society as a whole still recognizes that fact or not.
Great Hub - thank you for it!
Thanks, Jim. Appreciate your words & affirmation. Blessings & peace to you.
I believe the ten commandments are valid when they are looked at for their true meaning.
The commandment below is one that comes to mind ;
"Honor thy father and thy mother"
This commandment can be seen by children who are being abused by either one or both parents or the other way around,parents being abused by their children or anyone in their family or outside their family as being one that is not possible for them to follow ,because of what has happened to them as children.It can be a visious cycle that can only stop by breaking the cycle.
Islamic religious fanatics being seperate from true islamic beliefs certainly have made their version of islam seem to be a forced religious dogma much like the inquesitions of the spanish and English Catholics in centuries past.Intolerance is their credo.They would rather force everyone to accept their beliefs even if it is not whole harted.Rather than seperating themselves from unbelievers the are hell bent on controlling others beliefs.It is obvious that the need for power over others beliefs is more important to them than their own.
Thank you Ken for very eye opening hub, that's uplifting and enlightening. Thank you for sharing it. Godspeed. creativeone59
someonewhoknows - Thanks for your comments. No disagreements here. Blessings to you.
creativeone59 - Thank you for your encouraging words. Very much appreciated.
Hi Ken,
Wow, what a powerful writing. I am studying Exodus in NKJV Application Study Bible. Last night Exodus 32 was studying about the Golden Calf that Aaron made from the people's gold earrings and told the people of Israel to make it their idol. Anything can become an idol if we allow ourselves to be strayed away from the truth, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. :-) Thanks
PinanShodan - Thank you for your encouraging words. And yes, anything can become an idol. Peace to you.
Ken that was absolutely eloquent and completely true . Only the most myopic could not see the paralells between rising secularism and moral breakdown . Well done .
tony0724 - Thank you for the affirmation & encouragement. Blessings to you.
Every society and time period in history has thought that they were going through a decline of some kind, be it moral or otherwise. I think certainly in the case of Europe and America it's difficult to argue that we're worse off now than a couple of hundred years ago where people routinely died of starvation or war.
Moreover, as a Catholic I think that many of the problems today come from sections of society that view themselves as embodying Christian virtues. In America it seems as though the Religious Right is constantly blocking positive change that would help their fellow man (e.g. healthcare reform).
As important as the ten commandments are I believe the commandment from Jesus to love thy neighbour is more important and sadly too many self-professed Christians use their religion as a crutch for intolerance and even hatred of other peoples.
Pseudonymous - Thank you for your comments. Jesus actually said that the commandment to love God was top priority, followed by the command to love our neighbor. My sense is that if we pursue those two - love God & love our neighbor -then all the rest falls into place. Peace & blessings to you.
Are you now writing laws about the first three commandments?
How about"Do no harm?"
Hi-Jinks - Thanks for your comment/question. Not sure I follow your intent, but my answer is a loud NO, I am not now or ever writing laws about anything. The "do no harm" is I believe the first rule for physicians to follow.
Tough words but they are just what we need in a world full of "mess". Praying more people would come to know Jesus as we cannot fulfill the Ten Commandments nor make the world better apart from him. God bless you!
Chin chin - Thank you for your comments. Your words about knowing Jesus are exactly right. Blessings to you.
Dear someonewhoknows: A thought in response to your comment: To honor your father and mother in an abusive situation might mean telling the truth about what is going on. Not keeping secrets is being honest. Not enabling evil often leads to individuals facing who they are and sometimes to a turn around, a discontinuation of a cycle. Although Proverbs recommends 'covering a matter' at times, in the case of chronic evil, a more straight-forward approach may be needed. Honoring someone could mean tough-love. It could mean removing yourself from the possibility of abuse.
I forgot to sign in before commenting. Above comment is mine. I am Christiane Marshall.
Christiane - Thank you for stopping by & sharing your comments. Good words of counsel.
Ted Koppel's words are precisely what is wrong with religion. I do not appreciate being "reproached" because I do not buy the ten commandments, although if others do buy them I have no problem with that.
I would never pretend to have more than suggestions. My ideas are mine and engage nobody.
May organised religion do the same thing and stop telling me what is to be reproached in me and what the "truth" is.
I grew up a while back, and so should Koppel.
Thanks for stopping by & sharing your comments, Michael. I do not think Mr. Koppel was addressing his words to you, so I am not sure why you are feeling "reproached."
This is an excellent piece. The Ten Commandments are absolutes-so much so that when Christ came he was proclaimed as the Word which became flesh. While on earth Christ said that He came to fulfill every aspect of the law. Yep, God takes sin seriously. Question is, why is it we often fail, despite our deep desire, to live out these commandments? The answer is that the commandments were given to us to show us the darkness in our hearts. We all fall short and always will except by being transformed from within by Christ.
Hxprof - Thank you for your good words. Your observations are exactly right. Peace & blessings to you.
To have no other G_d, but the Lord thy G-d, summary of all the commandments and what is necessary to be successful, happy and well adjusted in this world.
dahoglund says:
2 weeks ago
The ten commandments are pretty basic. I suspect many ancient cultures had very similar rules.