Bible, Moses, Exodus 20 ch.

Commandments, ten basic laws of Christians

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; May you have no other gods before Me.

Do not make yourself an idol and no image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is on the water below the earth; do not worship them and do not serve them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, punishing children for the guilt of fathers up to the third and fourth generations who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who utters His name in vain.

Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy; work six days and do [in them] all your deeds, and the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God: do not do any deed on that day, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your handmaid, nor [ thy ox, nor thy donkey, nor every] thy cattle, nor the stranger that is in thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.

Honor your father and your mother, [so that it may be well with you and] that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

Dont kill.

Do not commit adultery.

Don't steal.

Do not bear false testimony against your neighbor.

Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife, [not his field,] nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, [nor any of his livestock,] anything that is with your neighbor.

Source: Bible, Moses, Exodus 20 ch.

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The Ten Commandments - the Decalogue or the Law of God - are the prescriptions that, according to the biblical story, were given by God on Mount Sinai to Moses on the fiftieth day after the Exodus from Egypt.

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updated 12.12.2012

INTRODUCTION :

Exodus 34: 27-28 And the Lord said to Moses: Write to yourself these words, for in these words I make a covenant with you and with Israel. And Moses stayed there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, eating no bread or drinking water; and wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the decimal.

Deuteronomy 10: 4 And He wrote on the tablets, as it was written before, the ten words which the Lord spoke to you in the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly, and the Lord gave them to me..

Ten Commandments, otherwise called ten words , are a concise set of immutable moral laws. These commandments were given by God to his chosen people of Israel on Mount Sinai about fifty days after they left Egypt ( Exodus 19: 10-25).

They were written by the finger of God on stone tablets (tablets). The first tablets were broken in anger by Moses when he went down with them from the mountain ( Exodus 32:19 "When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dance, then he was kindled with anger and threw the tablets from his hands and broke them under the mountain."). Later, at the command of the Lord God, Moses climbed the mountain a second time so that God would write again on new tablets. "the words that were on the old tablets" (Exodus 34: 1).

These tablets with the ten commandments were later placed in the ark of the covenant ( Deuteronomy 10: 5 "And I turned, and went down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark, which I made, so that they would be there, as the Lord commanded me.", 1 Kings 8: 9 "There was nothing in the ark, except for two stone tablets, which Moses put there on Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, after their departure from the land of Egypt.").

What happened to them next is unknown to history. The Word of God also calls them "covenant" ( Deuteronomy 4:13), "tablets of the covenant" ( Deuteronomy 9: 9,11; Hebrews 9: 4) and "ten words" ( Deuteronomy 4:13).

Let's take a look at some of the frequently asked questions about the Ten Commandments.

Old Testament on the ten commandments

The Ten Commandments are listed in two places in the Old Testament: Exodus 20: 1-17 and in Deuteronomy 5: 6-21... Let's turn to one of them:

Exodus 20: 1-17 And God spoke all these words, saying: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; let you have no other gods before me. Do not make for yourself an idol and no image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth; do not worship them and do not serve them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, punishing children for the guilt of fathers up to the third and fourth generations who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who utters His name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy; work six days and do all your deeds, and the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God: do not do any deed there, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your handmaid, nor your cattle, nor a stranger. that is in your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. Dont kill. Do not commit adultery. Don't steal. Do not bear false testimony against your neighbor. Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is with your neighbor.

God is Spirit (John 4:24), and the Ten Commandments are a condensed version of the spiritual law given to man by God. That is why the Ten Commandments are called the Law of God.

Listing the Ten Commandments:

1. Honor God and serve Him alone.
2. Don't make yourself an idol.
3. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day.
5. Honor thy father and mother.
6. Don't kill
7. Don't commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Do not bear false testimony against your neighbor.
10. Do not desire anything that your neighbor has

Lord God is "God is a jealous person, punishing children for the guilt of fathers up to the third and fourth generation, who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations to those who love Me and keep My commandments." (Exodus 20: 5-6). He wants us to love Him. That is why He said that he would punish those who hate Him, and bless those who love Him.

Under the word love I mean not just a feeling of adoration, but first of all - obedience: Deuteronomy 11: 1 So love the Lord your God, and keep what is commanded by Him follow . John 14:15 If you love Me, observe My commandments.

New Testament of the Ten Commandments

Many people believe that when Jesus Christ came, He canceled the Law of the Old Testament and brought His New law... In fact, everything is completely different. Let's turn to the Bible and see what the New Testament has to say about this:

A. Jesus did not come to break the law, but to fulfill:

Matthew 5: 17-19 Do not think that I have come to break the law or the prophets: I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law until all is fulfilled. So, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches people so, he will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; and whoever does and teaches, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

B. Jesus Explains the Spiritual Side of the Law: (Matthew 5: 21-45)

1. Don't kill
Matthew 5: 21-26 You have heard what the ancients said: do not kill, whoever kills is subject to judgment. But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother in vain is liable to judgment; whoever says to his brother: "cancer" (fool) is subject to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, "foolish," is subject to fiery hell. So, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Make peace with your adversary quickly, while you are still on the way with him, so that the adversary does not give you over to the judge, and the judge does not give you to the servant, and you are not thrown into prison; Truly I say to you: you will not get out of there until you have paid every last penny.

2. Don't commit adultery
Matthew 5: 27-30 You have heard what the ancients said: do not commit adultery. But I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye tempts you, pluck it out and throw it away from you, for it is better for you that one of your members perish, and not your whole body was thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand tempts you, cut it off and throw it away from you, for it is better for you that one of your members perish, and not your whole body was cast into Gehenna.

3. About divorce
Matthew 5: 31-32 It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, let him give her a divorce. But I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for the guilt of adultery, gives her a reason to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

4. Don't break your vow
Matthew 5: 33-37 You also heard what was said to the ancients: do not break your oath, but fulfill your oaths before the Lord. But I say to you: do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor the earth, for it is His footstool; nor Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King; Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your word be: yes, yes; no no; and anything beyond this is from the evil one.

5. An eye for an eye
Matthew 5: 38-42 You've heard it said: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you: do not resist the evil one. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also; and whoever wants to sue you and take your shirt, give him your outer garment; and whoever forces you to go one mile with him, go with him two. Give to the one who asks from you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

6. Love your neighbor, hate your enemy
Matthew 5: 43-47 You have heard that it is said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who offend you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Heavenly Father, for He commands His sun to rise over the wicked and the good and sends rain on the righteous and unjust. For if you love those who love you, what is your reward? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing special? Do not the Gentiles do the same?

Jesus came not to abolish or break the Law, but to fulfill it and convey to us the true spiritual meaning of the Law of God. By the example of various commandments, Jesus showed that if a person does not sin in behavior, but sin in thought, then he is guilty of violating the entire Law of God.
Jacob 2: 8-9 If you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scriptures: love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. But if you act with discernment [favoritism], then you are committing sin, and before the law you are criminals.

Christ also explained that people like the scribes and Pharisees, the ministers of the Law, only pretended to be fulfilling the Law of God. In reality, they only pretended to obey the Law. In the eyes of God, they looked like children who were told by their parents to clean the room, and they threw toys under the bed and swept the rubbish under the rug. From the outside it seems that the room is in order, but in reality it is only an appearance of order.

God is primarily concerned with the condition of our heart, not our deeds. That is why Jesus warned us that the appearance of fulfilling God's commandments and the so-called “spiritual throwing dust in our eyes” will not save us:
Matthew 5:20 For, I say to you, if your righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, then you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Through His life and teaching, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed the true spiritual meaning of the Ten Commandments and showed the desire of our Creator to see us holy and blameless - the way we were created by Him in the image and likeness of God:

Matthew 5:48 So be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

The most important commandment

Almost every person at least once thought about which of the ten commandments is the most important. Someone asks this question consciously and formulates it in this way: "Which commandment is more important?" Others raise this issue, often without realizing it in the following statements: "We are all sinners. So am I, but I did not rob or kill anyone." Such statements indicate that they still believe that not all ten commandments are equal in their importance and significance.

Let's turn to the Holy Scriptures and find out which of the ten commandments is the most important.

1. Jesus' answer
Matthew 22: 36-40Teacher! what is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said to him: 1) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind: this is first and greatest commandment; 2) The second is similar to her: love your neighbor as yourself.

As we can see, this question worried people 2000 years ago. Even then, they tried to find out which of the 10 commandments is the most important. Jesus answered this question in a very interesting way. He named two commandments that are the most important in the Law: (1) Love God and (2) Love your neighbor.

2. On these two commandments the whole Law and the prophets are established

This phrase, which heads point two, can be found in Matthew 22:40. This is the conclusion Jesus made when answering the question of which of the 10 commandments is the most important in the Law of God. Why did Jesus single out only 2 commandments from the entire Law and said that it was on them that "the entire Law is established"? Why are these two commandments so remarkable? And in general, where did Jesus read the second commandment he mentioned - "Love your neighbor"? Under what number is it written in the 10 commandments?

Ten Commandments can be divided into 2 broad categories:

 Commandments in relation to God.

 Commandments in relation to neighbor.

The first four commandments - (1) Honor God and serve Him alone, (2) Do not make yourself an idol. (3) Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, and (4) Remember the Sabbath day - they concern our relationship with God. Jesus phrased this relationship as love for god... If you love the Lord God with all your heart and mind, you will try to please Him and fulfill His will.
The other six commandments - (5) Honor your father and mother, (6) Do not kill, (7) Do not commit adultery, (8) Do not steal, (9) Do not bear false testimony against your neighbor, and (10) Do not desire anything that your neighbor has yours - relate to our relationship with others. Jesus phrased this relationship as love for neighbor.
Romans 13: 9 For the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet someone else's, and all the others are contained in this word: love your neighbor as yourself.
If you love others, you will not plot evil against them, you will not envy them and offend them with words or deeds.

3. Love is the fulfillment of the Law.

If you paid attention to these two commandments, emphasized by Jesus, on which "all the Law and the Prophets are established," then you must have noticed that the key word in them is the word " love".

Romans 13: 8 Do not owe anything to anyone except mutual love; for loving another fulfilled the law .

Romans 13:10 So love is enforcement of the law .

God is love. 1 John 4: 8 He who does not love has not known God, because God is love. 1 John 4:16 God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

The law of God is built on love. That is why Jesus formulated the essence of the whole Law in two commandments of love - love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself!

Keeping the Ten Commandments

Many people ask themselves, "Am I good enough to go to heaven?" One way to find the answer to this question is to analyze yourself through the lens of the 10 Commandments. Sometimes people reason like this: "Just think, if I suddenly broke some little commandment. But I haven't killed anyone or done anything like that in my life."

Let's take a closer look at this issue ...

1. Honor God and serve Him alone.

Is God the first and foremost in your life?

Let me tell you a story: A man bought a huge television set for his children. When he came home from work, the children did not even come out to greet him, as they did before. The father was very offended by this, realizing that now it is not he who takes the first place in the hearts of his children, but the TV ...
Likewise, if something or someone else, and not God, takes the first place in our heart and in our life, then we are guilty of breaking the very first commandment. AT Gospel of Matthew 10:37 it is said that if someone loves their parents or children more than God, they are not worthy of Him. This does not mean that we should not love our loved ones. It only emphasizes that if we love them more than God, then this love is not worthy of God. God wants more from us ...

2. Don't make yourself an idol.
There is a saying "God created man in His own image and likeness, and man created God for himself in his own image and likeness."
What takes the first place in our life and in our heart (unless, of course, it is GOD) is our idol. What (or whom) we love more than our life is our idol. It can be money, power, fame, things, people and their opinions, structure or way of life, some goal in life ... Anything! An idol is not necessarily a figurine, as was commonly believed ...
Idolatry is one of the oldest sins of humanity. But the Bible makes it clear that idolaters do not inherit the kingdom of heaven: 1 Corinthians 6: 9

4. Remember the Sabbath day.
Saturday (translated as "rest"). God gave people one day off. Not just so that they can rest and do whatever they want, but so that they can find time to reflect on their Creator. Our Lord wants us to come to Him and "find rest for our souls" ( Matthew 11:29).

5. Honor thy father and mother.
Try to remember how often in childhood and adolescence you were disobedient to your parents? We are no longer talking about relationships with parents today, we only remember childhood and youth ... Surely, a lot has already been forgotten ... However, God has not forgotten anything. He does not remember our sins to us only when we confess them and ask Him for forgiveness:
Isaiah 43:25 I, I myself blot out your crimes for my own sake and I will not remember your sins. Hebrews 8:12 I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more..

6. Don't kill
You may not have killed anyone. But Jesus said that he who hates his neighbor is a murderer ( Matthew 5: 21-26). Thus, it turns out that you can break the commandments even in your thoughts and intentions.

7. Don't commit adultery.
This commandment warns against sexual sins such as sex before marriage, sex outside of marriage, sex with a partner of the same sex, sex with relatives, sex with animals, etc. In addition, Jesus emphasized that adultery in the heart (in thoughts) is tantamount to real adultery ( Matthew 5: 27-3). Remember that fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God ( 1 Corinthians 6: 9)!

8. Don't steal.
Has it ever happened when you, willingly or unwillingly, appropriated something that did not belong to you? Moreover, it can be not only a thing or money, but also time, rank, fame, idea, etc. etc. But this is a violation of the commandment: do not steal.

9. Do not bear false testimony against your neighbor.
If you have ever deceived someone or told a lie about someone (including a lie about yourself), then you are guilty of breaking the ninth commandment.

10. Do not desire anything that is your neighbor.
This commandment explains itself. Envy is the same sin as lying or stealing.

CONCLUSION: We examined all 10 commandments and figured out what it means to fulfill the Law of God. For those who believe that one commandment is more important than another, and therefore thinks that some commandments can be broken, while others cannot, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the following words from the Bible:

Jacob 2:10 Whoever observes the entire Law and sins in one thing, he becomes guilty of everything. For the same One who said: "You shall not commit adultery," said also: "You shall not kill"; therefore, if you do not commit adultery, but kill, then you are also a transgressor of the Law.

Now let's think about ourselves and our relationship with God for a moment. And the question that arises in connection with the topic under consideration is " Whether I am a transgressor of the Law of God or not?"

The Purpose of the Ten Commandments

I. WHY DID GOD GAVE US 10 COMMANDMENTS?

1. God gave us His Law to show that He wants to see His people holy and worthy of Him.
Leviticus 11:44 Be holy, for I am holy.
Matthew 5:48 So be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

2. God gave the Law for the good of people, and not just to prohibit something.
Deuteronomy 30: 19-20 Today I call heaven and earth as witnesses before you: I have offered you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life, that you and your offspring may live, love the Lord your God, listen to His voice and cleave to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days.

3. God gave us His Law so that man would understand that he is not able to fulfill it.
Romans 3: 19-20 But we know that the law, if it says anything, speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth is blocked, and the whole world becomes guilty before God, because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified before him ...

The law was given to man so that he would understand that he was not able to reach God's perfect standards by his own strength and efforts. Not a single person on Earth is capable of fulfilling the holy Law of God. Only Jesus Christ - God in the flesh - fulfilled the entire Law. And if one of us considers himself to be the executor of God's Law and His Ten Commandments, then he is a liar. Because:
First of all, there are no perfect people among us. And if you do not violate God's Law by action, then you will definitely violate it in your thoughts.
Jacob 2: 8-9 If you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scriptures: love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. But if you act with dissent, then you are committing sin, and before the law you are criminals.
AND Secondly, if you violated even one commandment of the Law, then you become guilty of violating the entire Law:
Jacob 2: 10-11 Whoever observes the whole law and sins in one thing, he becomes guilty of everything. For the same one who said: do not commit adultery, also said: do not kill; therefore, if you do not commit adultery, but kill, then you are also a transgressor of the law.

4. God gave us His Law so that we, people, could "by the Law know sin."
There would be no commandment, a person would not know what is possible and what is not; what is good and what is bad; whatever pleases God and what is abomination in His eyes.
Romans 7: 7 ... I did not know sin otherwise than through the law. For I would not understand desire, if the law did not say: do not desire.
Romans 5:13 For even before the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Romans 3:20 ...for the law knows sin.

If someone hopes to be justified before God by fulfilling His Law, then he is deceived, because the Bible says that it is impossible to be justified by the Law:
Galatians 3:11 And that no one is justified by the law before God, it is clear, because the righteous will live by faith.

God's Word warns that you can only be justified before God by faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross:
Galatians 2:16 ... A person is justified not by works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from you, God's gift: not from works, so that no one can boast.

II. HOW IS A BELIEVER JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD THROUGH FAITH?

The answer is simple: another God's law applies to the believer in Jesus Christ - The Law of Grace:

Romans 3: 21-26 But now, regardless of the law, the truth of God appeared, to which the law and the prophets testify, the truth of God through faith in Jesus Christ in all and in all believers, for there is no difference, because all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God, getting an excuse for nothingby His grace, through redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God offered as a sacrifice of atonement in His blood through faith, to show His righteousness in the forgiveness of sins previously committed, during the forbearance of God, to show His righteousness at the present time, may He appear righteous and justifying the believer in Jesus .

Romans 8: 1-4 So now there is no condemnation to those who in Christ Jesus do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus set me free from the law of sin and death... As the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless, God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sacrifice for sin and condemned sin in the flesh, so that the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

All you need to do is acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior right now! Give Him your heart and devote the rest of your life to Him. Trust me, you will never regret it.

The Ten Old Testament Commandments (Decalogue) God gave on Mount Sinai through Moses to the Jewish people, when he returned from Egypt to the land of Canaan, on two stone boards (or tablets). The first four commandments contain the obligations of love for God, the last six contain the obligations of love for one's neighbor (i.e., for all people).

Book of Exodus, chapter 20, 10 commandments of Moses.

(see also: Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 5)

1 And God spoke all these words, saying:

1. 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. 4 Do not make yourself an idol and no image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth; 5 do not worship them and do not serve them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, punishing children for the guilt of fathers up to the third and fourth generation who hate me, 6 and showing mercy to thousands of generations that love me and keep my commandments.

3. 7 Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who utters his name in vain.

4. 8 Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy; 9 Work six days and do all your works, 10 and the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God: do not do any work there, neither you nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger who is in your gates; 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.

5. 12 Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord thy God gives thee.

6. 13 Don't kill.

7. 14 Do not commit adultery.

8. 15 Do not steal.

9. 16 Do not bear false testimony against your neighbor.

10. 17 Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is with your neighbor.

Gospel of Mark, chapter 12

28 One of the scribes ... came up and asked Him: Which is the first of all the commandments? 29 Jesus answered him: First of all commandments: Hear, Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 And you shall 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 commandment! 31 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other greater commandment than these. 32 The scribe said to him: good, teacher! Thou hast told the truth that there is one God and there is none other than Him; 33 And to love Him with all your heart and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 Jesus, seeing that he answered intelligently, said to him: You are not far from the kingdom of God.

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE COMMANDMENTS

The commandments of God are an external law given by God in addition to the weakened, as a result of sinful life, the internal guideline of a person - his conscience.

The first commandment, given at Sinai, reads: “I am the Lord thy God: let there be no Bozi for you, unless Me” (I am the Lord your God ... let you have no other gods before Me).

This first commandment is the basis of all ten commandments of Sinai. She says that there is only one God - living and true, Whom should be worshiped and whom should be loved with all your heart and with all your soul.

Can we, Orthodox Christians, have "other gods?" Yes it can be. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself said: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be” (Matthew 6, 21)... This means that any treasure can become our idol, which we will begin to worship and which we will love. For every treasure to which our heart is attached becomes between God and us and becomes an idol for us.

If the first commandment speaks about the one living God and worship only Him, then the second commandment speaks about how to worship God.

"Do not create an idol for yourself, and any likeness, alight in heaven, and alike on the earth below and spruce in the waters under the earth: do not bow down to them, nor serve them" , and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth. Do not worship them and do not serve them - Ex. 20, 4-5).

In order for us to correctly understand the words of the commandment, let us recall the words of St. ap. Paul's words in Athens: “So we, being the offspring of God, should not think that the Divine is like gold, or silver, or stone, which received an image from art and the invention of man” (Acts 17:29).

The second commandment prohibits idolatry and all believers are encouraged to worship God in spirit and truth (see John 4: 21-24).

Idolatry is that people, instead of worshiping God, worship nature or things made by man himself.

In addition to gross idolatry, there is also subtle idolatry, like covetousness, gluttony, or delicacy, gluttony and drunkenness, pride, vanity, hypocrisy.

The question involuntarily arises: is it not forbidden by the second commandment to have sacred images in general?

This is the answer we find in the Orthodox Catechism of Metropolitan Philaret:

“Not at all. This is clearly seen from the fact that the same Moses, through whom God gave a commandment prohibiting idols, at the same time received from God the command to place in the Tabernacle ... golden sacred images of Cherubim, and moreover, in the inner part of the temple in which the people turned to worship God ” (see Exodus 25, 17-22).

The veneration of holy icons, the cross, and in general sacred images is not idolatry because the respect shown to them refers to the one whom they remind us of ...

"Thou shalt not mock the name of the Lord thy God in vain." - Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who utters His name in vain (Ex. 20: 7).

We can safely say about this commandment that it is violated more than all other commandments of God in our life.

What does it mean to utter the name of the Lord in vain? This means: to pronounce it at every trifle, under small, insignificant circumstances, to pronounce it at every step ... Who is not guilty of this sin among us? ...

The so-called deity is also a vain utterance of the name of God. We know how common God is among people, that is, the calling of God as a witness when necessary and unnecessary. And how often God is called as a witness when there is an obvious lie, with an obvious untruth ... We know that this sin was committed even by Ap. Peter (see Matthew 26, 74)...

There should be no place for God among Christians, for this is a clear violation of God's commandment!

We will always remember that if we are guilty of breaking one commandment, then we are guilty of breaking the law of God, the will of God in general. (see James 2:10), for the will of God is indivisible.

The fourth commandment reads:

“Remember the sabbath day, the same holy day: do six days, and do (in them) all your works; on the seventh day, the sabbath of the Lord thy God. - Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Work six days, and do all your deeds; and the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God ”(see Ex. 20, 8-11).

To understand the fourth commandment given by God at Sinai, we must know that the word “Saturday” is not a Russian word, but comes from the Hebrew word “Sabbath”, which means; peace. This means that in the Hebrew language the fourth commandment reads exactly as follows: “Remember the day of rest ... work six days and do all your works; and the seventh day is a day of rest for the Lord thy God. "

Why did the Church of Christ in the New Testament begin to sanctify the first day of the week, that is, Sunday as a day of rest? Because the resurrection of the Lord took place on the first day of the week (see Luke 24: 1 - 3)... And this day - Sunday became a day of rest for all the faithful children of God of the New Testament since the birth of the Church of Christ on earth (see John 20: 19-24; Acts 20: 7-12; 1 Cor. 16: 1-2; Rev. 1: 10).

Following the example of the holy apostles and ancient Christians, we also honor and holy the first day of the week, that is, Sunday - in memory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which gave us justification and deliverance from sinful bondage.

What does it mean to remember and keep the day of rest? - On the day of rest, we should not do things that can be done at other times. But this does not mean that we should not do things without which it is impossible or difficult to do on the day of rest. What kind of things these are, without which you cannot do on the day of rest, everyone must decide personally.

The New Testament does not list things that can and cannot be done on the day of rest, as, for example, we see in the Old Testament in relation to the Sabbath. However, church tradition clearly tells us what can and should be done on the day of rest.

First of all, we must be “in the spirit” on the day of rest, as was in the spirit of St. John on Sunday on the island of Patmos.

Being in the spirit on a day of rest means focusing on your inner spirit person. This means giving our soul good spiritual food. This food is given in our St. temples, therefore attending divine services on the day of rest is the best remedy to take care of our inner person.

If we were unable to be in church on Sunday and a holiday, then we will give our soul spiritual food at home - by reading the Word of God and spiritual literature.

But the Day of Rest does not mean a day of inactivity. To hallow the day of rest means: to fill it with holy deeds (see Luke 13, 10-16; John 5, 5-16) - deeds of love and mercy. Many sick, bedridden, await visits and consolation. Let us go to them with a feeling of love and compassion and with words of comfort and encouragement. And that will be the best observance of our days of rest.

When we look at the first four commandments, we see what they say about our relationship to God. Starting with the fifth commandment, God tells us about our relationship to people.

"Honor your father and your mother, that it be good for you, and that you will be long on earth." - Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you (Ex. 20, 12).

He who does not honor his father or his mother in the broadest sense of the word cannot be a good Christian or a good Christian.

We may be surprised by the promise of God associated with the fifth commandment ... Longevity, which God associates with the fulfillment of the fifth commandment / will become clear to us if we remember that for the violation of this commandment, the Israeli people were supposed to die. In Exodus 21, 17 we read: "Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death." Solomon speaks very vividly in his parables about the result of breaking the fifth commandment: "Whoever curses his father and his mother, the sanctuary will be extinguished in the midst of deep darkness" (Prov. 20, 20).

In order for us to better understand the meaning of the fifth commandment about honoring parents, it should be noted that the concept of father and mother cannot be limited only to the father and mother from whom we were born ... It should include any person who is older than us in physical or spiritual age, who above us by knowledge or experience, who occupies a leading position in the church or the people Then only we will understand the greatest significance of the fifth commandment both for the believing people and for all mankind.

The sixth commandment reads: "Thou shalt not kill!" - Do not kill (Ex. 20, 13).

The word “kill” is well understood by all of us. But we must penetrate even deeper into its meaning. To kill means; to deprive a living creature of the most precious thing that it possesses, that is, life. Between birth and death, life manifests itself in the most complex phenomena - in the processes taking place in the body, and in a person and in the soul. Having created man, God breathed into him "Breath of life", after which only the person became "With a living soul" (Gen. 2, 7)... During the creation of plants and animals, God did not endow them with His “breath”. This suggests that man received from God many Divine properties that plants and animals do not possess. And the sixth commandment was given by God for the protection of life, as the highest good that a person possesses.

The Word of God says that murder is not only the deprivation of oneself or another person's life, but also the destruction of life, leading to premature death.

What destroys human life? Alcohol is slowly but surely leading the alcoholic to a premature grave. Smoking, slowly but surely, poisons a person with the strongest poison of nicotine. Both the alcoholic and the smoker are definitely breaking the sixth commandment, which is, "Don't kill!" Excess food and drink definitely destroys the digestive organs and disrupts cardiac activity, thereby shortening a person's life. May the Lord keep us from gluttony, which is slow suicide.

Neglect of medicine can also lead a human life to premature death ... But vice versa: drug abuse can also lead to a reduction in life.

But what is especially surprising: the Word of God equates murder and hatred. So, in the first conciliar epistle of St. ap. John the Evangelist, we read: "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer" (3, 15).

Hate is a feeling of intense enmity that is inextricably linked to wanting the worst for the person we hate. And if we analyze the feeling of hatred even deeper, then we will see that hatred carries in itself the death wish of the one we hate. This desire for the death of someone we hate may be deeply buried in our hearts, but it accompanies every feeling of hatred, whether we like it or not. That is why everyone who hates his neighbor is a potential murderer, that is, a hidden murderer who has not shown himself in practice, but wants the destruction and disappearance of the person he hates.

The Word of God speaks of one weapon, which also carries death in itself and which is also capable of killing. This is the language of man. St. ap. Jacob writes:

“None of people can tame the language: this is an irrepressible evil; he is full of deadly poison ”(3, 8)... What serious words about the lethality of our language! They say that a person can be killed with a tongue, that is, with a word ... Such sins of our language as backbiting and slander can really deeply and mortally hurt the heart of our neighbor.

And slander is especially deadly. It really destroys the slandered person: it destroys his dignity, his authority. Slander can make the purest angel the dirtiest creature in the eyes of others ... Let the words of the sixth commandment warn us about our language: "Do not kill!"

The seventh commandment says: “Do not make love.” - Do not commit adultery (Ex. 20, 14).

This great commandment is sufficiently clear to all mankind, and only one thing is necessary - that in the heart there was an ardent desire to always fulfill it.

Our Lord Jesus Christ in His Sermon on the Mount expanded the seventh commandment of the Old Testament. He tells us that, in addition to physical adultery, there is also spiritual adultery, adultery in the heart, adultery in thoughts ... And in His eyes, our unclean thoughts are as sinful as unclean deeds.

The seventh commandment - the commandment “do not commit adultery” - calls us to absolute chastity, to chastity not only of the flesh, but also of spirit, to chastity of the heart and thoughts. And such chastity will be our property if we abide unchangingly in Christ, and He in us.

The eighth commandment is short and clear: "Thou shalt not steal." - Don't steal. (Ex. 20, 15).

A lot of thefts, a lot of thefts, seemingly harmless, are committed on our earthly planet, and how humanity needs the commandment of God: “Do not steal”. For most people, this commandment is forgotten or deliberately violated. We are often not worried about the appropriation of a little thing. One mother severely punished her boy son for taking someone else's spool of thread. A neighbor says to her: "Well, how can you punish a boy for a coil like he took the gold." The mother replied: "Today he took the reel, and tomorrow he will take the gold." Of course, human law does not punish a spool of thread as severely as it does for gold. But God's law is strict about the so-called little things. for petty thefts are the right way to big thefts, and most importantly, they are, like big thefts, a violation of the eighth commandment.

The ninth commandment says: "Do not obey your friend your testimony is false." - Do not bear false testimony against your neighbor (Ex. 20, 16).

Some interpreters of the Word of God limit the ninth commandment to testimony in the courts. The institution of witnesses on courts exists in all countries of the world, and evading evidence is punishable by the laws of each country. Unfortunately, there are witnesses who lie in court.

Since false testimony is punishable by law in courts, not all witnesses dare to speak there with perjury. False witnesses carry their false testimony where they are not in danger of punishment. Thus, the ninth commandment is much broader in its scope: it embraces the whole life of a person ...

We all know that there are two sides to every person: good and bad. Each person has pluses and minuses, good, positive qualities, and bad, negative qualities. If we draw a person only from the worst side, if we emphasize only his bad qualities, then we are definitely giving a false testimony to him, that is, we are depicting him falsely. We know the property of flies - to look for wounds and ulcers on the human body and sit on them. This is exactly what those who say only bad things about people do. They say that Tsar Peter the First seemed to interrupt every person who told him only bad things about someone with these words: “Don't tell me only about the bad sides of this person - he has good qualities, so tell me about them too ”.

But a false witness never speaks of good qualities man, he carries only black paints with him. The spread of unverified and unkind rumors about a person is false evidence. The effect of this kind of perjury is extremely powerful. It is like an ignited fire that spreads with lightning speed, seizing more and more new objects.

The exaggeration of the shortcomings of our neighbors is also false evidence ... But the exaggeration of the shortcomings and mistakes of our neighbors can result in reproach. How many believers are guilty of this sin!

But the most terrible false witness against a neighbor is slander.

Slander is the utterance of a deliberate lie in order to discredit a person. Slander is the ascribing to a pure and innocent person of some kind of impurity, some kind of fictitious sin. Slander is throwing dirt at a person who does not deserve it.

The worst thing about sinning a false witness against our neighbor is that a spoken word can never be turned back. Never! You can regret what has been said, you can cry and weep ... You can repent before God and ask for forgiveness from the person whom we have denigrated with our false testimony, but what we have said about him is said forever and irrevocably.

Counterfeit money in circulation can be gradually caught and destroyed. But how to catch the slander launched and how to heal the souls poisoned by it? How great this sin is in the eyes of God, can be seen from the Book of Revelation, where it is said that the fate “All the liars ... in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone” (21, 8).

The tenth commandment reads: "Do not covet the wife of your sincere, do not covet your neighbor's house, neither his village, nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any of his cattle, nor everything, since the essence of your neighbor is" ... - Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is with your neighbor (Ex. 20, 17).

The tenth commandment, given by God at Sinai, is directed against a very common vice - covetousness. Covetousness is greed, the desire to have more than is necessary: \u200b\u200bto have beyond what is necessary ... The covetous person himself will never call covetousness a sin. He thinks, rather, that this is a virtue, that it is a special wisdom, solicitude and foresight in regard to his future.

The sin of covetousness made Judas Iscariot, first a thief, and later a betrayer of his Teacher Christ, because thirty pieces of silver turned out to be dearer to him than the Savior of the world. And what did these pieces of silver give Judas? Nothing but a terrible pang of conscience, to get rid of which he threw them at the feet of Christ's enemies, and he went and hanged himself.

Let's listen to what ap. Paul to Timothy about covetousness and love of money: “The root of all evil is the love of money, to which, having surrendered, some have turned away from the faith and have subjected themselves to many sorrows. But you, a man of God, flee this, but prosper in righteousness, piety, faith, love, patience, meekness ”(1 Tim. 6, 10-11)... Ap. Paul in these words contrasts the treasures of the earth with the treasures of heaven.

Covetousness and avarice are indeed the root of all evil. The most close-knit families broke up when dividing the inheritance left after the death of their parents, and disputes over the inheritance led and lead to enmity between brothers and sisters. Covetousness has engendered and gives birth to thousands of marriages of convenience, which, apart from tears, give nothing to those entering into such a marriage.

Covetousness and avarice were the cause of all thefts and thefts, that is, violations of the eighth commandment “do not steal”.

Covetousness has generated most of the bloodiest wars in the history of mankind. And this same sin was the reason for the enslavement of black blacks, about the horrors of slavery, which is so well narrated in the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

St. ap. Paul calls covetousness "Idolatry" (Col. 3, 5)... Indeed, mammon easily turns into an idol, into “another god” and rivets the covetous heart to itself.

Modesty in everything - in clothes, in food, in our daily life - is the way to overcome covetousness, greed, greed, in a word, to overcome the search for more than we need. Ap. Writes well about this. Pavel in 1st Tim. 6, 6-9: “It is a great gain to be godly and content. For we have brought nothing into the world; it is clear that we cannot take anything out of it. Having food and clothing, we will be content. And those who want to get rich fall into temptation and into a snare, and into many reckless and harmful lusts that plunge people into misery and destruction ”.

Let's remember the parable of Christ about one covetous man: “A rich man had a good harvest in the field; and he reasoned with himself: what should I do? I have nowhere to gather my fruits. And he said, "This is what I will do; I will break down my granaries and build great ones, and I will gather there all my bread and all my goods." And I will say to my soul: “Soul! You have a lot of good things for many years: rest, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him: “Mad! This night they will take your soul from you; who will get what you have prepared? This is the case with those who lay up treasures for themselves, and not become rich in God ”(Luke 12: 16-21).

We must always remember the words of Christ: "What good is it to a person if he gains the whole world, but damages his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

May the Lord help us to always fulfill the tenth commandment and not to cling to our hearts to the idols of earthly treasures, so that we do not become simultaneously violators of the first commandment, which says: "I am the Lord, your God ... may you have no other gods!"

We have cited the ten commandments of God according to the text of the Bible and their accepted division in the Orthodox Catechism.

Reading the second division of the commandments of God according to the tradition of some Christian churches, we seem to notice a difference, but this difference is only apparent, since the content of all ten commandments is fully explained, both in the first division and in the second.

The fact that the fulfillment of the ten Old Testament commandments is absolutely necessary for salvation follows from the answer of our Lord Jesus Christ to the man who asked Him what he needs to do in order to inherit eternal life? The answer read: "Do you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments"... Undoubtedly, the Lord had in mind the ten commandments, since He directly cited some of them. (Matthew 19: 16-19).

1. I am the Lord thy God; Yes, you will not be bosie inii, unless Me.

2. Do not create for yourself an idol and every likeness, alike in heaven, mountain, and alike on the earth below, and alike in the waters under the earth: do not bow down to them, nor serve them.

3. They did not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

4. Remember the sabbath day, which is to keep it holy: do six days, and do all your works in them, but on the seventh day, sabbath, to the Lord thy God.

5. Honor your father and your mother, may it be good for you, and may you be long on earth.

6. Do not kill.

7. Do not make love.

8. Do not steal.

9. Do not obey your friend your testimony is false.

10. Do not covet your sincere wife, do not covet your neighbor's house, neither his village, nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any of his cattle, nor everything, since the essence of your neighbor is.

The Ten Commandments of the Law were placed on two tablets, because they contain two types of love: love for God and love for neighbor.

Pointing to these two types of love, the Lord Jesus Christ, when asked which commandment is the greatest in the law, said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is the second. similar to it: Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments is established all the law and the prophets "(Matt. 22 , 37-40).

Love god we must first of all and above all, because He is our Creator, Provider and Savior, - " We live and move and exist by it"(Acts. 17 , 28).

Next should be love for our neighbor, which is an expression of our love for God. He who does not love his neighbor does not love God either. St. Apostle John the Theologian explains: " Who says: "I love God", and the brother (that is, his neighbor) hates his own, that liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he sees, how he can love God, whom he does not see "(1 Jn. 4 , 20).

By loving God and our neighbors, we thereby discover the true self-lovebecause true love for oneself consists in fulfilling our duties to God and our neighbors. It is expressed in taking care of one's soul, in cleansing oneself from sins, in subordinating the body to the spirit, in limiting personal needs. We must take care of our health and take care of the development of our spiritual strength and abilities in order to better show our love for God and our neighbors.

Thus, self-love should not be shown at the expense of love for one's neighbor. On the contrary. We must sacrifice love for ourselves as a sacrifice for love for our neighbors. " There is no more that love, as if someone lay down his soul (i.e. sacrifice his life) for their friends (their neighbors) (John. 15 , thirteen). And love for oneself and love for one's neighbors should be sacrificed for love for God. The Lord Jesus Christ says about this: "Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whosoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever does not take his cross (that is, who refuses all life's hardships, hardships, sufferings and trials that the Lord sends, but follows an easy, lawless path) and follows me, he is not worthy of me"(Matt. 10 , 37-38).

If a person loves God first of all, then naturally he cannot but love his father, mother, children, and all his neighbors; and this love will be sanctified by divine grace. If a person loves one of them, without love for God, then such love may even be criminal, for example, such a person, for the well-being of a beloved friend, can deprive others of the welfare, be unfair to them, cruel, etc.

So, although the entire Law of God is contained in two commandments of love, in order to better understand our responsibilities to God and our neighbor, they are divided into 10 commandments. Our obligations to God are prescribed in the first four commandments, and our obligations to our neighbors are prescribed in the last six commandments.

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 (Ex. 20, 2-17):

1. I am the Lord your God ... May you have no other gods before Me.

2. Do not make yourself an idol and no 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 take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who utters His name in vain.

4. Work six days, and do all your works; and the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God.

5. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days on earth may be prolonged.

6. Don't kill.

7. Don't commit adultery.

8. Don't steal.

9. Do not bear false testimony 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 this main God's law with his heart will not be able to accept either Christ or His teachings. He who does not learn to swim in shallow water will not be able to swim at depth, for he will drown. And whoever does not learn to walk first will not be able to run, for he will fall and break. 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 syllables will never be able to read fluently and speak eloquently. And whoever does not lay the foundation of the house first, it will be in vain to try to build a roof.

I repeat: whoever does not observe the commandments of the Lord given to Moses will knock in vain at the door of Christ's Kingdom.

FIRST COMMANDMENT

I am the Lord your God ... May you have no other gods before Me.

It means:

God is one, and there are no other gods besides Him. From Him all creatures originate, thanks to Him they live and return to Him. All strength and power abides 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 is crawling, a fish is swimming and a bird is flying, then this is thanks to God. The ability of a seed to grow, a grass to breathe, a person to live is the essence of God's ability. All these abilities are the property of God, and every creature receives its ability to exist from God. The Lord gives everyone what he considers necessary, and takes it back when he considers it necessary. 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:

“Merciful God, inexhaustible, the only source of strength, strengthen me, the weak, give me more strength so that I can better serve You. God, give me wisdom so that I do not use the power I received from You for evil, but only for the good of myself and my neighbors, to magnify Your glory. Amen".

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

Do not make yourself an idol and no image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth.

It means:

Do not deify creation instead of the Creator. If you climbed a high mountain, where you met the Lord God, why would you look back at the reflection in a puddle under the mountain? If a certain man longed to see the king and, after long efforts, managed to appear before him, why then should he look left and right at the king's servants? He can look around for two reasons: either because he does not dare to appear face to face with the king, or because he thinks that the king alone cannot help him.

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who utters His name in vain.

It means:

What, are there really such people who dare to remember without reason and need a name that causes awe - the name of the Lord God the Most High? When the name of God is pronounced in heaven, the heavens bow down, 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 remember the Holy Name of God without spiritual trepidation and without deep sighing from longing for God?

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

Work six days, and do all your deeds; and the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God.

It means:

For six days the Creator created, 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 come out of eternity. This mystery is great ... (Eph. 5:32), and it befits more to think about it than to speak, for it is not available to everyone, but only to God's chosen ones.

FIFTH COMMANDMENT

Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days on earth may be prolonged.

It 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 praise. Bow down and give praise to everyone who has known the Highest Good in this world before you.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT

Dont kill.

It means:

God breathed life from His life into every created being. Life is the most precious wealth given by God. Therefore, the one who encroaches on any life on earth raises his hand against the most precious gift of God, moreover, against the very life of God. All of us who live today are only temporary carriers of the life of God in ourselves, keepers of the most precious gift that belongs to God. Therefore, we have no right, and we cannot take away the life borrowed from God, neither from ourselves nor from others.

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

Do not commit adultery.

It 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.

It means:

Do not grieve your neighbor with disrespect for his property rights. Do not do as foxes and mice do if you think you are better than a fox and a mouse. The fox steals, not knowing the law of theft; and the mouse gnaws at the barn, unaware that it is hurting anyone. Both the fox and the mouse understand only their need, but not someone else's loss. They are not given to understand, but it is given to you. Therefore, you are not forgiven that foxes and mice are forgiven. Your benefit should always be subordinate to the law, it should not be to the detriment of your neighbor.

THE NINTH COMMANDMENT

Do not bear false testimony against your neighbor.

It means:

Do not be deceitful to yourself or to others. If you lie about yourself, you know yourself that you are lying. But if you slander someone else, the other one knows that you are slandering 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.

It means:

As soon as you desired someone else, you have already fallen into sin. Now the question is, will you come to your senses, will you come to your senses, or will you continue to roll down an inclined plane, where does the desire of a stranger entice you?

Desire is the seed of sin. A sinful act is already a harvest from the sown and grown seed.