Religion Essay Example: Ten Commandments

The reason God gave the Ten Commandments is for the well-being of humankind. This is seen where God tells the Israelites that the reason He gave them the Ten Commandments is that of the undying love for them. In today society, we can see the essence of this scripture as the commandments has helped prevent so much evil and in return give us so much love, happiness, and unity. The Ten Commandments can be said to be an empirical law that can result in both benefits for the obedient and huge penalties for the disobedient including death. This essay aims to lay down the Ten Commandments and the various ways in which human beings can honor them and the relationship between the laws and Jesus Christ.

The first commandment

In the first commandment, God speaks to the people of Israel by letting them know that He is the Lord that broke the York of slavery in Egypt. Therefore, they should worship no other gods before Him (Ex.20:1-6 NIV). Humankind can make an idol from many things such as their desire for material possessions and relationships. This commandments key message is that anything that comes before ones relationship with God is an idol and without this first commandment the other nine seize to have any meaning.

The second commandment

They should under no circumstance make themselves an idol or any graven image (Ex.20:4-5). It is in this commandment that one of the attributes of God is highlighted. God is a jealous God and punishes children for the sins committed by their forefathers up to the third generation. God proves Himself more excellent and far more superior to any being through the countless miracles He performed through Moses in Egypt. He also wants to bless the human kind, but all this comes with conditions of the accepting Him as their Lord and Savior first.

The third commandment

The third commandment entails Gods instructions to humankind pertaining the use of His name. It states that the name of God should not be misused, whoever misuses it shall not be held guilty less (Deut.6:11). It should be noted that before this, God allowed the Israelites to swear by His name especially in making oaths but Jesus made instructions to his followers that they should discontinue using Gods name in vain. They should let their yes be yes and no be no (Matt.5:33, 37).This not only applies to false swearing but any kind whatsoever. Swearing is entrusting God as a witness, and since humankind is weak, they sometimes fail to uphold their word, therefore, meaning Gods Name will be miss represented.

The Fourth Commandment

Its purpose is ensuring that humankind honors the Sabbath day and keeps it holy. When God finished creating the earth and human creation, he rested on the seventh day. He blessed the day and made it holly for the sole reason that it is on this day that he rested after completing His work of creation (Genesis.1:26). In real life, it is God that established the weekly cycle of working for six days and no work being done on the seventh day. This day should be considered a fundamental aspect of Gods worship order line. Judging from history both the secular and the Bible, the apostles together with the early churches keenly observed the Sabbath, therefore, it is important if not essential that all Christians observe this holly day.

The fifth commandment

This commandment stipulates that people should honor their mother and father to live a longer life on earth (Ex.20:12). This should be honored by both minor and adult children. The same way Christ honored His father is the same way all mankind should. However, this commandment is restricted to honoring those acts that are in line with the will of God. The Bible contains a tone of examples of how children honor this commandment which is shown in the way Jesus Christ interacted with His Father.

The Sixth Commandment

Human kind is forbidden from taking another persons life since God is the only one with the full authority to not only give but take away life(Ex.20:13 NIV). Ending someones life is considered to be the most grievous offense. If one commits a theft, the stolen good can always be returned however it is impossible to return ones life. Jesus says that the utmost gift a man can give is His own life, therefore, the greatest thing a human being can lose is his life. This commandment has exceptions as in the case where murderers are punished for the offense by being put to death. This is power given to people who upheld the law and the government. To prevent such an act from taking place, God urges his people to practice forgiveness and reconciliation (Matt.6:14-15). Everyone that accepts Lord as Christ and Savior has the Gods Holly spirit which in turn gives them the ability to love even their enemies.

The Seventh Commandment

This commandment relates to the sacred institution of marriage. During creation, God brought Adam and Eve together and said that a man should leave his mother and father and be joined to His wife, and together they become one flesh(Gen.2:24). Both spouses have roles to play to ensure there is harmony in the union. God, therefore, goes ahead and commands the Israelites against committing adultery (Ex.20:14). Adultery and all forms of sexual sin are forbidden by God since marriage should be a pure, permanent and sacred institution, and failure to honor this penalty of death is granted.

The eighth commandment

In todays society, insecurity is very rampant, and that is why individuals are forced to use locks, safes, and alarms among others in protecting both the public and private stuff from theft. This is an extremely sad cue that the eighth commandment is continuously being broken. God commanded the Israelites to refrain from theft (Ex.20:15). People have their ill gendered reasons for stealing which includes hunger, laziness and others steal for the sole purpose of acquiring something out of nothing. Greed is the major reason for most theft as people desire that which they cannot have. The penalty for kidnapping was theft while that of stealing was a restitution of the property plus a fine. It should be noted that the act of borrowing something without the intent of returning it is considered as stealing. Extortion, fraud, and deceit are also a part of what is forbidden in the commandment.

The Ninth Commandment

This commandment states that it is forbidden to give a false testimony concerning ones neighbor (Ex, 20:16). Going against this has been the primary cause of doubt, misgiving and the feelings of insecurity from one generation to another. Human beings are not honest at all times because of lack of perception and recall, and that is the reason God put in place a safety measure where cases should be solved by hearing the testimony of two or three individuals. The sole reason for this is the protection of the innocent who cannot exonerate themselves, from an inability to recall or those with malicious agendas against the person. Telling untruth knowingly with the intent to deceive is a matter punishable by death.

The Tenth Commandment

During creation, God gave Adam and Eve access to their most basic needs such as food, shelter, and water. He moreover gave them unlimited access to their creator but still, they were greedy, and that is why they ate from the forbidden tree. This gave us a hint of the human nature of non-satiety. Most individuals cannot be contented with the little they have in life. It is for this reason alone that God gave the tenth commandment that states that human beings should not covet their neighbors house, wife, servants or belongings. It should be noted that the way to godliness is through contentment which is the exact opposite of covetousness. Another important point is that to have the love that comes from the Holy Spirit is an essential gift anyone can own as it overcomes covetousness.

How these commandments relate to Jesus Christ.

From the first chapter of John, Christians understand that Jesus Christ gave the Ten Commandments since the one who gave them is He who became Jesus Christ. The truth of the matter is that the God of the Old Testament who created heaven and earth and everything in it is Jesus Christ in the New Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus continues to explain and expound on the Ten Commandments through his teachings. Jesus came to fulfill the law by magnifying the law to show humankind its full benefits and goodness. He brings the whole religious significance and intent into focus.

Work Cited

McGrath, Alister E. Niv Bible Commentary. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1996. Print.