God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai to serve as principles of moral behavior for the human race. The Ten Commandments of God are the foundation of the moral code and legal system of justice for Western Christian civilization. The architecture of the U. Supreme Court building reflects this biblical foundation. At the center of the sculpture over the east portico of the Supreme Court Building, there is the image of Moses holding the two tablets of the Ten Commandments; these are also engraved over the chair of the Chief Justice and on the bronze doors of the Supreme Court.
Using these fundamental principles -- sometimes called the Decalogue "ten words" -- as a mirror of the mind of God, it is clear that because He is our Creator, God has claims upon every facet of our lives. God does not want us to be mere soulless slaves of the law or slaves to a divine despot. Even a superficial reading of the Ten Commandments makes clear that these principles correspond to humanity's central needs.
They are not an impossible set of demands. They are not meant for angels or a very few people of superior piety while the rest of us have to pass through purgatory for our inability to observe them properly. A sad relic of this mistaken belief exists in Rome, not far from the American embassy. On the level just below the sanctuary of the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione is a little arched corridor.
Along this corridor are five small alcoves whose floors are covered with dirt from the Holy Land. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness lie. You shall not covet. The Ten Commandments were written in stone by the very finger of God Exodus Exodus And he gave to Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him on mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
Most Bible scholars believe they were written between and B. But if the people who lived before this time had not known the commandments of God, how could they understand what sin was and what behavior God expected of them? The apostle Paul reminds us we need the law in order to understand what sin is.
Is the law sin? Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Languages Study in More Languages. Ten Commandments List. You shall make no idols. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Keep the Sabbath day holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Related Questions. Ask a Bible Question. Do you have a Bible question? Our team will gladly respond to your questions with Bible based answers.
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