Ten Commandments
I read recently that the state of Louisiana plans to place a copy of the Ten Commandments in every classroom in every school in the state. To what purpose might we ask? Is that the law? Are the students going to follow all of that? Should anyone, anywhere, feel obligated to obey those statements? Could their placement possibly be a subtle means to introduce religion and conservative beliefs into the classroom? Do I need to state that those questions are rhetorical? Those first three commandments make it quite clear that atheism is not allowed. Let’s take a review to clarify those Ten Commandments, which are listed here in short form:
1. Thou shalt not have any other gods before God.
2. Thou shalt not make yourself a graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Thou shalt not murder.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not testify or bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Thou shalt not covet.
First, these statements appear more than once in the Bible, most clearly in the book of Exodus and repeated somewhat in the book of Deuteronomy. For ease of reading, they are usually presented in short form, as shown above, but that omits a fuller grasp of the commandment. For example, the second commandment is shortened to Thou shalt not make a graven image, but the Biblical text says much more:
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I, the LORD thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Read that again. That means no statues, drawings, or paintings of anything are allowed. Further, it tells us that God is not a loving God but a jealous one, one so jealous that he will punish four generations for any infraction of this commandment. We’re then instructed that he will show mercy if we follow instructions. Is ‘mercy’ the right term when punishment is not given? I think not. Such words are frightening in this context. This revengeful and unforgiving attitude is also present in Exodus 21:23, which specifically instructs:
If any mischief follows, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.
The fourth commandment is another one worth revisiting, the one about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. For those of you who haven’t recently read the book of Exodus, I’ll give a brief summary of the occasion. God had directed that the people of Israel gather together to hear him speak his commandments to them. He began (in Exodus 20:3), as many speakers do, by highlighting some key commandments. After finishing the first ten (yes, there are many more), the crowd expressed their fear and backed away, asking Moses to continue listening for them (Exodus 20:19).
God then continued with his commandments and directives, continuing through chapters 20, 21, and 22, finishing in chapter 23. In chapters 24 through 30, God expanded on his directives on offerings to him, plus instructions on how to build the ark, the tabernacle, and an altar (plus some tidbits on legal issues, such as how to sell your daughter into slavery). Then, finally, in chapter 31, he finishes his speech and writes the tables of testimony in stone.
Now, regarding that fourth commandment, as many speakers do, God revisited the fourth commandment in the final words of his commandments to the Israelites: he stated that violating the fourth commandment was to be punished by death. As important as that was to him, he stated it twice: death for violating his directive to keep the Sabbath holy, and death to anyone doing any work on that day. Death.
On that note, the fifth commandment (the one about honoring our parents) also has a follow-up: In chapter 21, God revisits that commandment to specify that punishment by death awaits all persons who hit or curse their parents. You didn’t know that, did you? Death.
The remaining five commandments appear to be what we, today, would call ‘filler’, bulking up the article. Society had progressed significantly by the time those words were written, and murder, adultery, theft, and jealousy were already well-known and not welcome in communities. Therefore, adding them to God’s directions seems more like an afterthought to ensure everything considered important is included. What is puzzling are the commandments that God did not speak to. If I were God, my list of commandments would be a bit shorter. Here are mine:
1. Do not hurt others, either physically or emotionally.
2. Do not enslave anyone.
3. Treat everyone equally, both male and female.
4. Treat others with respect.
5. Provide helpful guidance to children.
6. Work together for a better life experience.
7. Let no one starve or suffer.
A footnote: Exodus 31:18 indicates that God wrote the tablets of stone to contain the contents of his commandments and directions, not just the first ten of them. Did you notice that? Why just write those ten when there were so many more? Moses was directed to place the tablets in the Ark of the Covenant. You can bet your booties that God would have wanted all of those instructions saved. Just ten? No way.
I do acknowledge that the Ten Commandments have historic meaning, yet they relate to a different time and place; they have no role in the world today, other than as a reminder that laws have been placed in writing to guide people since early times. Let’s respect them for what they are and move on.
(Biblical quotes in this article are from the King James Version.)