The 10 Commandments

Today
A Thirteen Lesson
Bible Class Study

a study of the 10 Commandments from the law of

Moses, compared to the covenant of Christ

by
J.S. Smith
Introduction
God revealed himself and the beginning of his will to Moses on Mount Sinai as the Exodus ended and
the wilderness wandering was about to begin. Within the law of Moses are the 10 commandments, long
remembered and revered for their simplicity and purity.
What is the place of the decalogue today? Many teach that it is still binding while dismissing the
rest of the Old Testament as antiquated. But if the Old Testament has been taken out of the way, how
could the 10 commandments continue to be in effect? This series of lessons will attempt to answer that
question and mine the New Testament of Jesus Christ for hints of the 10 commandments.

Syllabus
Lesson 1 The Giving of the 10 Commandments to Moses

Lesson 2 Are the 10 Commandments Binding Today?

Lesson 3 The First Commandment: Other Gods

Lesson 4 The Second Commandment: Graven Images

Lesson 5 The Third Commandment: Taking God’s Name in Vain

Lesson 6 The Fourth Commandment: Remember The Sabbath

Lesson 7 The Fifth Commandment: Honoring Parents

Lesson 8 The Sixth Commandment: Murder

Lesson 9 The Seventh Commandment: Adultery

Lesson 10 The Eighth Commandment: Stealing

Lesson 11 The Ninth Commandment: Bearing False Witness

Lesson 12 The Tenth Commandment: Coveting

Lesson 13 Review
 Lesson 1: The Giving of the 10 Commandments to Moses
The 10 Commandments rank as the world’s simplest and greatest legal code ever. In the minds of many,
that code is still binding upon man today, but this series of lessons seeks to debunk that theory without
casting any denigration upon the great code of Moses. In fact, the principles set down by God on Moses’s
tablet are still influential today, despite the fact that the New Testament law has replaced the Old
Testament as the code currently in force.
The giving of the Law of Moses might be compared to the Constitutional Conventions of the United
States in the late eighteenth century. A people was being gathered together in a new way and a new
law was in order. With Israel, however, the law was coming from above in a way which precluded men
from offering amendments or votes.
Three months after God had led Israel out of Egypt, she came to the wilderness of Sinai where the
nation camped before the great mountain of that name. God introduces Moses to the concept of his
covenant, about to be revealed and which required submission before blessing. The people rejoiced at
this suggested arrangement and promised their undying loyalty. Preparations were made for the
reception of the law set for three days later, with a special focus on consecration and reverence.
When that day dawned, God greeted Israel with thunder and lightning and a thick cloud on the
mountain. The sound of a trumpet announced the divine presence, reminding Israel of the greatness of
her God. With the awesome sight of this great smoky mountain before them, Moses ascended it to meet
God again.
As the 10 commandments were revealed, the people grew even more fearful of Jehovah. The great
sight before them was intended to help create godly reverence for the law Moses was bringing back, but
while he tarried, the people soon forgot their oath of loyalty. Before the tablets could be dusted off,
they had fallen into heathen idolatry by crafting a golden calf to worship as their deliverer. As Moses
arrived with the tablets of testimony and saw what sin his brother had allowed Israel to undertake,
he cast them against the mountain with anger, breaking them in pieces.
Moses punished the sinners and then received a duplicate copy of the law from God on the same
mountain. The law revealed to this point contained more than just 10 commandments, which were its
first tenets. Many other laws were part of God’s covenant with Israel; these can be studied in Exodus
chapters 21-31.

Questions

1. Why had the children of Israel been in Egypt (Gen. 45:3-8)?

•God had led the nation there to protect it from a great famine that gripped Palestine during the life
of Joseph, their deliverer.

2. Why had Israel’s comfort in Egypt been changed to servitude (Exod. 1:8-14)?

•A new king arose over Israel who did not know Joseph and the former events. Recognizing the size of
the immigrant population, he moved to ensure that they did not grow so large and powerful that they
could help an enemy force overcome Egypt from within. The burdens of slavery were added to weaken
Israel gradually.

3. How did an Israelite like Moses gain standing among the Egyptians (Exod. 2:1-14)?
•His mother refused to kill him as instructed for all Hebrew boys under Pharaoh’s law and so hid him
the rushes by the river, where he was found and adopted by Pharaohs’ daughter. He was raised in the
Egyptian palace as a member of the king’s household.
4. How did God first appear to Moses (Exod. 3:1-12)? What mission did he give the man?

•God appeared to Moses in a burning bush near Horeb, where the man learned he would lead Israel out
of Egypt and into the promised land.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 1

5. List some ordeals that befell Egypt and Israel as this freedom was attained (Exod. 4-15).

•They faced the ten plagues, the Red Sea crossing and the demise of the Egyptian force beneath their
rejoined waters.

6. The strange route out of Egypt to Canaan that Israel took is justified as necessary by God for one
reason. What is it (Exod. 13:17-18)?

•He feared they would face war with the Philistines along a direct course and so routed them more
circuitously, lest they grow feint and return to Egypt from fear.

7. The first 18 chapters of Exodus establish the courage of Israel in undertaking the escape from Egypt
at Moses’s advice, but also her fleshly weaknesses and lack of trust in God. Although war did not
overcome them, what did (Exod. 16:1-3, 17:1-3)?

•Hunger and thirst.

8. How did God want the people to regard him and his law (Exod. 19:1-9)? What was their initial
reaction (Exod. 19:8, 20:18-19)?

•God wanted them to revere him and submit themselves to his law, that he might bless them forever
as adherents to his covenant. Initially, they did fear God and desire to keep his law.

9. Where was the law given to Moses? Describe the atmosphere that day (Exod. 19:16-19).

•The law was given at Mount Sinai, shrouded in smoke and the sound of thunder, lightning and a
trumpet blast. The people trembled at this formidable show of power and might.

10. The 10 commandments are generally divided into two groups. The first four deal with man’s direct
relationship with God; the latter six deal with man’s relationship with other men. List the 10
commandments below, according to this method.
Laws For Relating to God Laws For Relating to Other Men
1. Have no other gods before Jehovah. 5. Honor father and mother.
2. Make no carved worship images. 6. Do not murder.
3. Do not take God’s name in vain. 7. Do not commit adultery.
4. Remember the Sabbath day. 8. Do not steal.
9. Do not bear false witness.
10. Do not covet.

11. How did Israel’s weakness become apparent quickly, proving that keeping even the 10
commandments would prove difficult (Exod. 32:1-18)?

•They convinced Aaron to make them an idol to worship and played the harlot with it.

12. How did the tablets get broken?

•Moses threw them down in his anger at seeing the idolatrous display of his brethren.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 2: Are the 10 Commandments Binding Today?
It will be a shocking statement to many, but the 10 commandments were never given to any people on
Earth other than the Israelites, beginning with the time of Moses. The 10 commandments, and the
entire law of Moses, were not given to Gentile nations, and moreover, the New Testament of Jesus Christ
actually supersedes that old law as it takes effect.

Questions

1. There were two parties in the Old Covenant in which Moses participated. Identify them (Exod. 19:3-
7).

•Israel and God.

2. Were the Gentiles also called to Sinai to receive the law and bind themselves to it?

•No.

3. Of all the 10 commandments, the Sabbath seems to excite the most interest in religious controversy.
Consider Exodus 31:12-18. List some clues from this passage that the 10 commandments was bound only
on Israel under the law of Moses.

a. God told Moses to speak to the children of Israel not the world at large (verse 13).

b. God called the Sabbath a sign of the covenant between him and Israel (verse 13, 17).

c. The children of Israel are specifically noted in the command as opposed to Gentiles (verse 16).

d. These tablets were given to Israel, who was not to convert the promised land, but conquer (verse 18).

4. What was Christ’s mission concerning the Law of Moses (Matt. 5:17-18)? How did he succeed (John
17:4, Rom. 10:4, Luke 24:25-27)?

•His mission was to fulfill the law and prophets, rather than a popular fear that he would attempt to
destroy them. He succeeded by fulfilling every Messianic prophecy and becoming the objective of the
law, God’s extension of grace.

5. Three major passages from Paul’s letters indicate that the law of Moses was taken out of effect upon
the establishment of the New Testament of Jesus Christ. The first appears in Second Corinthians 3:7-11.
What is meant by “the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones”?

•The law of Moses, specifically the 10 commandments.

6. In what tense—past, present or future—does the writer describe that ministry in stone?

•In the past tense.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 3

7. Of the ministry of death or ministry of the Spirit, which is declared superior?

•The ministry of the Spirit is more glorious.

8. How did Paul describe the Old Testament in 2 Corinthians 3:11? Writing before the fall of Jerusalem
and its temple, how did he describe it in Hebrews 8:13?

•He states that it was passing away, becoming obsolete and growing old, ready to vanish.

9. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians pointed out the racial separation between Jew and Gentile, meant for
relief under the New Testament. Considering Ephesians 2:11-13, could both the Old Testament and the
New Testament be in effect simultaneously? Why or why not?

•They could not be in effect at the same time because Paul states that Gentiles were strangers under the
Old but brought near by the new. The New Covenant has changed the position of the Gentiles before
God and the Jews.

10. What has Christ done with the Old Testament, which served to divide Jew from Gentile (Eph.
2:14-18)?

•He has broken down the middle wall of separation by abolishing the old law as he perished upon the
cross.

11. Under the law of Moses, only Israel was considered the people of God. Who are the people of God
today (Eph. 2:19-22, cf. Romans 2:28-29)?

•Spiritual Israel, composed of Christians, whether they be Hebrew or Gentile.

12. What does fleshly circumcision signify in God’s sight today (Rom. 2:28-29, cf. Gal. 5:6)?

•Nothing.

13. What form of circumcision brings one into God’s family today (Col. 2:11-15)?

•Circumcision of the Spirit, baptism, does this.

14. What did Christ do with the handwriting of requirements (the old law)?

•He took them out of the way and nailed them to the cross.

15. How does the priesthood of Christ prove that the law has been changed (Heb. 7:11-13)?

•Under the law of Moses, Christ could not be a priest for he was not born a Levite, but a Jew. Only by the
removal of that law could Jesus be made a priest according to a different order.

16. Although the law of Moses is no longer in effect, and its 10 commandments are thus not binding upon
Christians today, nine of them are renewed in the New Testament. Which one of them is not?

•“Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 3: The First Commandment:
Other Gods
Exodus 20:2-3 reads: “ I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.” The foundation of God’s covenant with
Israel was his exclusive right to their worship and his future blessing was dependent upon their
faithfulness to this tenet. Indeed, Israel’s demise many years later is clearly blamed on violating this
commandment.

Questions

1. Upon what great blessing did God base his claim to Israel’s exclusive and eternal praise as the 10
commandments began to be given (Exod. 20:2)?

•He pointed to the fact that he had brought them out of their Egyptian bondage.

2. Describe the conditions of the Israelites prior to this blessing (Exod. 1:8-16, 3:7).

•The new pharaoh did not respect the memory of Joseph, nor his family, and understood their growing
population to be a terrible threat to his power. To weaken Israel, he made them slaves and burdened
them with heavy tasks and rigorous labor. When this did not destroy their zeal, he instructed the
Hebrew midwives to kill any newborn Hebrew boys, although they refused. The cries of Israel came up
to God and caused him to begin delivering them from Egypt.

3. Describe the impression that the Red Sea crossing must have created in the minds of the Hebrews
(Exod. 14:1-31).

•It must have been harrowing to walk through the parted Red Sea, staring at walls of water on the left
hand and the right all the way through the passage. The spray from the sea would dampen the
pilgrims in a sort of baptism of Moses (1 Cor. 10:1-4). Watching the Egyptians approach, only to be
destroyed by those same converging waters surely impressed the people of God with his care and power
to deliver.

4. In giving this first commandment, was God acting jealously (cf. Exod. 34:10-16)? Explain.

•Indeed, God is showing himself jealous, but there is no sin in protecting what rightly belongs only to
you. As a husband is forbidden to share the romantic affections of his wife, so God cannot share his
worship with other gods.

5. What step did God command to help Israel avoid putting other gods ahead of him (Exod. 34:12-15)?

•The people were to make no covenant of survival with the inhabitants of Canaan, lest they adopt
their gods and become spiritual harlots.

6. How do the scriptures describe the following gods of Canaan?

• Molech (Lev. 18:21, Jer. 32:35): This fire god of the Ammonites had a calf face and hands stretched
forth to receive human burnt offerings.

• Ashtoreth (Judges 10:6, 1 Sam. 7:3-4): This principal goddess of the Phoenicians, also known as
Ishtar, was an object of sexually immoral worship.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 5

7. How did Elijah overcome the worshipers of an other god called Baal (1 Kings 18:19-39)?

•He entered into a contest with the prophets of Baal, which the other god failed as Jehovah worked.

8. Is the first commandment still binding on us today, as a tenet of the Law of Moses? Why or why not?
If not, may we now have other gods before Jehovah?

•No, it is not binding on us today, for the law of Moses has been taken out of the way as the covenant of
Christ has taken effect (Col. 2). We still may not have other gods before Jehovah because the New
Testament disapproves.

9. What other gods did Paul and Barnabas encounter in Lystra (Acts 14:8-13)? How did they handle the
problem (Acts 14:14-18)?

•Paul and Barnabas encountered the worship of the Greek mythological gods, Zeus and Hermes, as
their abilities and eloquence were confused with those of the myths. The preachers reacted with severe
displeasure and told the idolaters to consider the providential testimony of God and repent of their
false religion to serve the only true and living God.

10. Of what was Paul accused when he preached in Athens (Acts 17:16-18)? Which was the only God
the Athenians worshiped who was not really one of the “other gods” God condemned (Acts 17:19-31)?

•Paul was accused of preaching foreign gods for speaking of Jehovah because the Athenians only
recognized their myths. Paul pointed to the one they called the “unknown God” as the only true and
living God.

11. Nowadays, a move to tolerate all religions and celebrate everyone’s god has gained steam. Can
Christians participate in this movement by refraining from teaching adherents of other gods (1 Cor.
8:5-6)? Why or why not?

•Christians must recognize that there is only one true God and that we do people a favor by introducing
them to him and guiding them toward repenting of their false religions and accepting Jehovah.

12. Name some “other gods” which men are tempted to serve in this day.

•Allah, Gaia, Self, Buddha.

13. What are some ways in which we make “Self” an other god (Luke 9:57-62)?

•We treat God with less priority than self-service, attributing all our success to self and applying our
gifts to self-service before the divine is considered. God comes lower on our budgets of time, money and
energy because we are lovers of ourselves. We become discouraged or long for the days and ways of sin
and look back like Lot’s wife instead of pressing ahead to heaven.

14. Which is the first commandment of all, according to the teaching of Jesus Christ (Mark 12:28-30)?

•You should love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

15. If you have no other god before Jehovah, what will you on Sunday mornings?

•Make provision to worship in spirit and truth, allowing nothing to interfere.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 4: The Second Commandment: Graven Images
Exodus 20:4-6 reads: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything
that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You
shall not bow down to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but
showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.” Idolatry continues to
plague spiritual Israel, though often through different means.

Questions

1. Explain the jealousy of God as it relates to worship and idolatry. Compare it to a woman’s right to be
jealous over her husband’s romantic affections (cf. James 4:4).

•God’s jealousy for the worship of all his human creation precludes any allowance for the worship of
other gods or things. Such false worship is tantamount to spiritual adultery, a sin like the physical
brand, committed by unwise associations.

2. What was going on back at the camp while Moses tarried with God, receiving this and other
commandments (Exod. 32:1-6)?

•The Hebrews gave up on Moses ever returning and begged Aaron to make them idols to go before the
nation. Aaron made them their idols, to which they attributed the Exodus escape. He then built them
an altar and proclaimed a feast day for the idols, at which the people ate, drank and played.

3. List three of four attitudes or characteristics of the people (including Aaron) that led to this hasty
descent into idolatry.

a. fear e. ingratitude
b. ignorance f. lack of trust
c. lack of faith g. dependency on the tangible
d. compromise h. materialism or carnality

4. Read Exodus 32:7-10. How does God describe the idolaters and their actions in this passage?
a. corrupted
b. turned away quickly from his will
c. stiff-necked

5. Where did they likely get at least part of the gold needed for this idol (Exod. 12:35-36)?

•God had given them favor with the Egyptian people, who allowed themselves to be plundered during
the Passover night of their gold and other valuables.

6. What punishment did God initially suggest for the idolaters?

•He wanted to consume them and start a new line through Moses.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 7

7. After Moses convinced God to relent, he met Joshua on the way back to the camp. How did Israel’s
leader react to the sight of this idolatry (Exod. 32:19-21)?

•His anger grew hot and he cast the tablets down on the mountain, breaking them. He then took the
golden calf, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder and forced the Hebrews to drink it.

8. What lesson could the Israelites have gained from the drink Moses gave them?

•They should have learned about the bitterness of idolatry against God.

9. Clearly, the second commandment prohibits what Israel did that day. Is the second commandment
still binding today as a part of the law of Moses? If not, is idolatry then permitted under the New
Testament?

•The second commandment is no more binding than any other part of the defunct law of Moses. Idolatry,
however, is currently condemned by the law of Christ, which is in effect.

10. Two phrases in Romans 1:25 identify how God feels about idolatry. Identify them below.
a. Idolatry is exchanging the truth of God for the lie.
b. Idolatry is worshiping and serving the creature instead of the creator.

11. What was Paul’s first impression of the great, historic city of Athens (Acts 17:16)? What did he do
about it?

•His spirit was provoked within him when he recognized the city was given over to idols. He
preached Jesus and courageously exposed the falseness of their idols.

12. How do we know that idolatry is condemned under the covenant of Christ (1 Cor. 6:9-11, Rev. 21:8)?

•Paul states clearly that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God. The Revelation places them in
eternal hell fire.

13. State simply the advice of Paul and John concerning idolatry:

a. Paul (1 Cor. 10:14): Flee idolatry.

b. John (1 John 5:21): Keep yourselves from idols.

14. Is an idol anything really (1 Cor. 10:19-20)?

•No.

15. Identify a few ways in which Catholicism makes regular practice of idolatry.

a. The adoration of Mary through prayers and tears before pictures.

b. The construction of statues, like that of Peter, whose foot has to be periodically repaired due to
the years of kisses placed upon it by worshipers.
c. The use of the crucifix to enhance spiritual power.

16. What form of idolatry is often the most powerful in New Testament times (Eph. 5:5, Col. 3:5)? How
can this properly be called idolatry (cf. Matt. 6:19-24)?

•Covetous is idolatry because materialism becomes a man’s god through it.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 5: The Third Commandment: Taking God’s Name in Vain
Exodus 20:7 reads: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will
not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” Modern men hear God’s name taken in vain so
frequently that it is a temptation to become accustomed to it to the point that it does not sound offensive
anymore. Although the 10 commandments are no longer in effect, as such, taking God’s name in vain is
still sin to be avoided. There are two ways in which this sin is committed—using God’s name to
validate false swearing of an oath and using God’s name in a trifling, disrespectful manner.

Questions

1. Consider Leviticus 19:12. What are the two ways in which God’s name can be taken in vain?
a. swearing by his name falsely
b. profaning it

2. What was the penalty for swearing falsely (Lev. 6:1-5)?

•The perpetrator must make restitution and add 20 per cent of its value.

3. Read Numbers 30:1-2. Was it permissible to swear oaths under the law of Moses? How serious a
matter was such an oath?

•It was permissible to swear oaths, but it was a serious matter and should always be kept.

4. Has God ever participated in an oath (Heb. 6:13-18)? Explain.

•God established his promises by swearing by himself and confirming his promises with an oath.

5. Identify the nature of the oaths in the following New Testament passages:
a. Acts 2:30: God swore through David’s pen with an oath that he would resurrect Jesus.
b. Acts 23:21: Some evil Jews had bound themselves with an oath that they would kill Paul.

c. Romans 1:9: Paul called God as witness to his prayer habits for the Roman saints.
d. Romans 9:1: Paul called both Jesus and the Holy Spirit as witness to his honesty.
e. Galatians 1:20: Paul vowed before God that he was telling the truth.

6. Read Matthew 5:33-37. An oath is defined as “a solemn affirmation or declaration, made with an
appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed, and imprecating his vengeance, and renouncing his
favor if what is affirmed is false” (Barnes Notes, Gospels, page 57). The condemnation before us in the
sermon on the mount concerns the hypocrisy of the Jews in that age through which they professed to
adhere strictly to the law, but had, in fact, assaulted it with the creation of loop holes. One of these
loop holes involved the taking of oaths in common conversation which they they did not consider to be
binding. They would swear by the temple, the head, heaven and Earth, thinking that so long a they
refrained from swearing by the name of Jehovah, perjury would not be held against them by God. It was
this corruption of oaths that Jesus was exposing, and not the taking of oaths itself. The matter of
judicial oaths is not under consideration. How did the Lord show the binding nature of all these oaths?

a. swearing by heaven: It is God’s throne

b. swearing by the earth: It is God’s footstool
c. swearing by Jerusalem: It is the city of the great King
d. swearing by the head: You cannot alter what God has created

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 9

7. Instead of seeking the comfort of loophole oaths, how should a person make promises (cf. James 5:12)?

•He should not swear oaths which he does not consider binding, choosing rather to make no oaths at
all, but simply say Yes or No.

8. Read Matthew 23:16-22. Of what sinful and baseless oath distinction did Jesus accuse men here?

•They considered oaths by the gold of the temple to be binding, but oaths on the temple itself not
binding. They also considered oaths made on the altar to be not binding, while oaths on the gift on the
altar to be binding.

9. To summarize these passages, did one really escape making an oath on God’s name by swearing only
on his temple or creation? Were such oaths thus non-binding?

•No, he neither escaped making an oath on God’s name nor the binding nature of such oaths.

10. On what occasion did Jesus accept a judicial oath (Matt. 26:62-64)?

•He spoke under oath when the high priest demanded to know if he was the son of God.

11. Ancient Jews so feared profaning God’s name that they refrained from using it all, substituting other
words whenever they came to it in scripture even. Today, the abuse of God’s name is so common that few
even take notice anymore. What are some ways in which people use God’s name in a trifling way?

•They exclaim “Oh, God,” without any intent of actually calling on his name, or hiss, “Jesus Christ”
when something goes wrong, without any glory meant for the holder of that name. Too many steal God’s
right of vengeance and eternal judgment, though in word only, by saying, “God damn you” or “God damn
it” against those that have offended them.

12. Some are unaware that God’s name has been corrupted into euphemisms, which also cause the
speaker to take God’s name in vain. List some euphemisms for God and Jesus that are used as
exclamations of joy or anger without thought to the divine.

•Gosh, Golly, Gee, Jeez, Goldarned.

13. Read Matthew 12:35-37. How does this passage condemn using God’s name in a trifling manner?

•God will judge every idle word that men speak out of the wickedness of their unconverted hearts.
They will condemn themselves by speaking of God without thinking of God.

14. On what basis is it sinful to take God’s name in vain—the 10 commandments or the teaching of
Christ for the New Testament?

•The teaching of Christ for the New Testament.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 6: The Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath
Exodus 20:8-11 reads: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do
all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you,
nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your
stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea,
and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and
hallowed it.” The Sabbath was an important part of the old law and one that first century Jews clung to
sentimentally and avidly. As a part of the law of Moses, however, it is no more in force today than any
other part of that code. Protestantism has clouded the issue by calling Sunday the “Christian
Sabbath,” which it in no way is.

Questions

1. On what day of our week would the Sabbath day fall?

•Saturday.

2. To what group of people was the Sabbath given, according to Exodus 31:13-17? Are you a member of
this group of people? How does Ephesians 2:11-12 prove that Gentiles were not made part of this
covenant, as Israel was?

•The Sabbath command was given to fleshly Israel. Gentiles were not born into this covenant and thus
were not made parties to it. Ephesians 2:11-12 shows that Gentiles were strangers to the covenant of
promises and commands, which included the Sabbath.

3. Consider Exodus 31:16-17. What was the purpose of the Sabbath observance? What was to be its
duration for the nation of Israel?

•The purpose of the Sabbath observance was to create a sign between God and Israel of the covenant. It
was to endure forever.

4. How long was the Aaronic priesthood to endure (Exod. 40:15)? Is it still in effect today (Heb. 7:11-
13)?

•The Aaronic priesthood was also to continue forever, but that time frame was limited to the duration
of the covenant, affected by Israel’s unfaithfulness and God’s decision to divorce her. As the endless
priesthood came to an end with the covenant, so the Sabbath came to an end the same way.

5. What was the penalty for working on the Sabbath (Exod. 35:1-3)? If the Sabbath is still binding
today, would not the penalty for Sabbath-breaking also be binding?

•Death was the penalty for breaking the Sabbath. If the observance is still binding, there is no reason
to believe the penalty is not as well.

6. Read Numbers 15:32-36. Was stick-gathering considered work? How do you know? Will you carry
sticks or stones this Saturday?

•It was considered work for Moses and Aaron sentenced such a man to death by stoning for gathering
sticks on the Sabbath. I will carry neither, for the Sabbath is not binding, nor is the penalty.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 11

7. Read Numbers 28:1, 9-10. What does God make a part of the Sabbath day observance here? If the
Sabbath day is still in force today, how can this observance be out of effect?
•God enjoins animal sacrifice upon Israel as part of her Sabbath observance. The Israelites were each to
take two unblemished lambs in the their first year and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain
offer, mixed with oil as a drink offering, and offer them as a special Sabbath burnt offering. If the
Sabbath is still in effect, this rite must also be enjoined upon all.

8. The rabbi’s interpretation of Sabbath law included travel as a form of work and thus strictly limited
how far a Hebrew could travel on the seventh day of the week, even to worship (Acts 1:12). Using
Joshua 3:4 as a guide, they estimated that a distance of 1000-1200 yards was the maximum allowable.
Still, many loop holes were created to extend this distance slightly. If the Sabbath is binding and we
moved our weekly assembly to Saturday, how many members of this church could attend in this
building without violating the distance interpretation?
•Answers will vary from church to church, usually approximating zero unless the preacher’s family
happens to live on adjacent land. Three members of the Wonsley Drive church would qualify; the rest
would have to investigate the rabbinical loop holes.

9. Did Jesus observe the Sabbath according to the law or was he a violator of the law (1 Peter 1:19, Heb.
4:15, Acts 13:27-28, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 John 3:5)?

•He kept the law of Moses perfectly, including the actual law regarding Sabbath observance.

10. Why then did the Jewish leaders often object to him on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1-14, 15:7-9; cf. Matt.
27:18)?

•They were adhering to their traditions which had built up like grime around the truth of the law of
Moses. Doing good was not forbidden, for healing and rescuing were not works to make a livelihood.
They envied Jesus and sought to indict him any way they could.

11. Read Luke 13:10-17. How did Jesus show their hypocrisy in accusing him of breaking the Sabbath
(cf. Matt. 12:11-12)?

•He noted how the Jews were in the habit of tending to their animals on the Sabbath and yet they had
the gall to find fault with him for healing a sick person. He also showed how they would rescue an
injured animal on the Sabbath but object to rescuing an injured person.

12. How does Colossians 2:16-17 prove that the Sabbath is not binding upon Christians?

•It commands that we allow no one to judge us regarding elements of the defunct law of Moses, including
the Sabbath, because they were merely shadows of the substance of Christ in which we now live.

13. Why did the early Christians do so much preaching on the Sabbath (Acts 13:43, 18:4)?

•They were attempted to find and convert religious-minded Jews and no better time than the Sabbath
existed for this, nor any better place than the synagogues where they gathered.

14. On what day of the week did the early Christians assemble for worship (Acts 20:7)?
•The first day of the week, our Sunday.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 7: The Fifth Commandment: Honoring Parents
Exodus 20:12 reads: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land
which the LORD your God is giving you. Israel’s heritage in Canaan became a Hebrew axiom, proving
that the divine blessing was dependent upon the people’s submissiveness. The fifth commandment
marks a shift from responsibilities directly toward God to those toward other people. Although the 10
commandments are no longer binding upon men today, as such, the doctrine of Christ updates a person’s
responsibility toward his parents for the final dispensation of time.

Questions

1. What comment upon this commandment does Moses make in Deuteronomy 27:16? Define “contempt.”

•Moses commanded the Levites to have the people answer “Amen!” to expressions such as “Cursed is
the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.” Contempt is a lack of respect of willful
disobedience.

2. What was the Old Testament penalty for cursing one’s parents (Exod. 21:17)? If the law is still
binding, would the penalty also be binding on us today?

•The penalty for cursing one’s parents was death. If the law is still binding, the penalty must also be.

3. Since the law of Moses has been taken out of the way, are children now permitted to curse and show
disrespect to their parents? On what basis do you state your answer?

•Of course not. On the basis that the New Testament condemns such behavior.

4. The Pharisees of Jesus’s day did lived under the law of Moses. How did they violate the fifth
commandment without actually pronouncing a curse upon their parents (Matt. 15:1-9)?

•They created a loophole in the law of Moses by pitting two commands against one another and
needlessly sacrificing the one they disliked with a smokescreen created by feigned devotion to the
other. In this case, they declared whatever part of their wealth that could have aided their parents
to be “Corban,” a temple gift to God. Thus they spent their other money as they pleased, gave the usual
amount to the temple, and thoroughly neglected their parents. By so doing, they hypocritically made
the command of God of no effect in order to magnify their traditions and self-serving interpretations.

5. Consider the list given in Romans 1:28-32. List three sins in this passage that people of the world
would consider the most heinous. Answers will vary.

a. Sexual immorality
b. Murder
c. Maliciousness

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 13

6. Disobedience to parents is included in this list. How does God rate the awfulness of this sin here or in
any passage, as compared to other sins?

•God makes no such comparisons, but simply groups all these sins together in a laundry list of
wickedness. Men tend to rank sins, but God sees all sin as insulting and wicked.

7. How does verse 28 then describe disobedience to parents, among other sins?

• This sin shows a lack of retention of God in one’s knowledge, evidence of a debased mind, and is a
thing which is not fitting.

8. What penalty does God pronounce as fitting for one who is disobedient to his parents?

•Death.

9. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5. What does Paul recommend we do to those who prove themselves disobedient
to their parents?

•We should turn away from such people.

10. When is it right to disobey one’s parents (Acts 5:29, Eph. 6:1)?

•In a situation in which a parent commands something sinful, a child is not bound to obey, but should
submit to God first. A parent, who, for example, tells a child not to attend worship services, is
commanding something sinful and in violation of God’s law. Such a command should be rejected if at all
possible.

11. How does the Holy Spirit suggest we learn to show piety at home (1 Tim. 5:3-4)?

•We should care for our parents and grandparents if they become aged or sick and are unable to care for
themselves.

12. How does Paul express the seriousness of neglecting one’s parents (1 Tim. 5:8)?

•“If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially those of his household, he has denied the
faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

13. List some ways in which we can show honor to our parents.
a. Maintaining contact with them even after we have moved away.
b. Thanking them for raising us well when we were children.
c. Honoring them in their old age and not casting them aside when ill health slows their faculties.
d. Younger children, still at home, should use respectful language to and about their parents.
e. Younger children should show submission by accepting their parents’ will without moaning or
arguing.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 8: The Sixth Commandment: Murder
Exodus 20:13 reads: “You shall not murder.” This command seems to be the simplest of all and yet
the Old Testament is filled with bloodshed. The sixth commandment did not condemn the killing of
animals, for sacrifice was also commanded. Nor did it condemn killing within warfare or capital
punishment. The sixth commandment condemned killing people in more common settings, and although
the 10 commandments are not binding upon Christians today, the prohibition against murder has
actually expanded to cover its root causes as well.

Questions

1. Describe the first murder in Bible history and its root cause (Gen. 4:1-12).

•Cain killed his brother, Abel, because Abel’s gift was lawful and accepted by God and Cain’s was not
lawful and was rejected. Cain was envious of his brother and resentful of his success and so killed him
out of those emotions. God condemned Cain, but did not execute him.

2. Describe the punishment for murder enacted by God in the covenant with Noah (Gen. 9:6).

•A murderer was to be executed for his crime.

3. How was negligence that led to a person’s death punished (Exod. 21:28-29)?

•Negligent homicide was also punished with the execution of the negligent person.

4. How would mob “hit men” have fared under the law of Moses (Deut. 27:25)?

•They would have been executed as well.

5. Did God recognize life in the womb as worthy legal protection (Exod. 21:22-24)? If so, how?

•God provided that the accidental murder of a baby in the womb be punished with the same penalty as
any other murder.

6. On what basis can we condemn the sin of murder today?

•It violates the New Testament of Jesus Christ.

7. Read Matthew 5:21-26. The gospel of the kingdom which Jesus was teaching provided for an assault
on the root cause of murder. Verse 22 exposes things that lead to homicide. List them.

a. anger with a brother without cause

b. calling a brother names (Raca means empty-head, and would apply to all name calling)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 15

8. When disputes arise between brethren, what steps does Jesus recommend in the interest of resolution,
according to the following passages?

a. Matthew 5:23-24: Before you go to worship, work out disputes with a brother.
b. Matthew 5:25: Settle things with an adversary before the matter reaches a judge.
c. Ephesians 4:26-27: Do not let the sun set on your anger, but work it out with your brother quickly.

9. The apostle John reflects his master’s doctrine concerning the expansion of the murder prohibition.
What sin does he equate with murder (1 John 3:14-15)?

•Hatred for a brother.

10. Would this prohibition include feelings of apathy toward a troubled brother (1 John 3:16-18)?

•Yes.

11. What was the penalty for murder under the Old Testament law of Moses? What is the penalty
under the New Testament law of Christ (Rev. 21:8)?

•Physical execution was prescribed under Moses; spiritual death comes under the law of Christ, though
presumably also under Moses.

12. In ancient Israel, the civil and religious codes were one in the same. The law of Moses provided both
sets of laws, interconnected and indivisible. Under the law of Christ, civil and legal matters are left to
the state, for many different nations would claim members of Christ’s spiritual and invisible kingdom.
What provision does the New Testament make so that states may execute murderers (Rom. 13:1-7)?

•Romans 13 states that governing authorities do not bear the sword in vain and thus may become a
terror to evildoers even through execution of capital criminals.

13. Abortions today are most often performed as a means of birth control. On overwhelmingly rare
occasions, abortion is performed due to rape, incest, or threat to the mother’s life. Judging from the
scriptures in this lesson (especially the principles set forth in Exodus 21:22-24), should abortion fall
into condemnation as murder under the law of Christ? Why or why not?

•Yes, for abortion is the murder of human life, which God has shown himself to recognize even in the
womb.

14. Is it murder to kill a nasty spider, a tasty cow, or other animal (Gen. 1:26, Acts 10:12-13)? Is it
murder to kill an elderly person with a special machine, if the person has requested that he be killed?
Is any sin ever justified if both parties agree to its commission?

•It is not murder to kill an animal, but it is murder to kill a person, even one who has agreed to the
killing. No sin is ever justified because both parties agree.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 9: The Seventh Commandment: Adultery
Exodus 20:14 reads: “You shall not commit adultery.” God’s marriage regulations began in the
Garden of Eden, but were cast aside not long after. Even the most spiritual of people in the Old
Testament can be found with plural wives, concubines, prostitutes and in other immoral activity. When
Jesus came, however, all the moral confusion surrounding human sexuality was put in perspective and
the Eden Ideal was lifted up once more. The seventh commandment is no longer binding upon mankind,
but the doctrine of Christ renews the divine mandate concerning adultery.

Questions

1. What was the penalty for violating the seventh commandment (Lev. 20:10)? If the 10 commandments
are still binding today, would the penalty also be binding?

•Death was the penalty for violating the seventh commandment and if the 10 commandments are
binding today, it is only logical that the penalty would also be in force.

2. What is the penalty for adultery under the New Testament of Jesus Christ (Rev. 21:8, Eph. 5:5)?

•Eternal death in the lake of fire, Hell.

3. Leviticus 18 describes a number of forms of sexual immorality which were condemned under the law of
Moses. List those that appear in the following verses:
a. Lev. 18:6-18: Incest

b. Lev. 18:20: Simply adultery committed with another man’s wife

c. Lev. 18:22: Homosexuality

d. Lev. 18:23: Bestiality

4. What did Jesus do when the Pharisees challenged him to judge a woman caught in the very act of
adultery (John 8:2-11)? Did this action show tolerance of adultery or validation of what was sin?
•Jesus refused to sentence her to die because he recognized he did not possess any civil authority as a Jew
in the Roman empire. He, however, clearly identifies her adultery as sin, something to be stopped, and
filthy no matter who engages in it. Christ’s law would in no way tolerate adultery, but the kingdom of
Christ would not make and enforce civil law, but moral.

5. The most noteworthy case of adultery in the Bible involved King David and the wife of one of his
generals. Read 2 Samuel 11:1-17. This episode reveals much of what leads to adultery and what often
follows it. Answer the following questions about it.
a. What did Bathsheba do, negligently or not, that led to the adultery (verse 2)?
•She bathed in a place in which she could be seen.

b. What mistake did David make when he saw Bathsheba for the first time that night?
•He chose to behold her beauty as she bathed, rather than forcing himself to look away.
c. How did David initially attempt to cover up his sin and its evidence in Bathsheba’s womb
(verses 6-11)? How was he foiled in this cover up plan?
•David called for Uriah and sent him to his home, in the reasonable hope that he would lie with
his wife and that Uriah would just assume that the child in Bathsheba’s womb was his own.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 17

 d. How did David attempt a cover-up a second time (verses 12-13)? How was he foiled?
•He got Uriah drunk in the expectation that he would go home to be with his wife, but Uriah
stayed true to his principles and rested with the servants of the king instead.

e. How did David finally succeed in making certain Uriah would never find out that David had
been with his wife (verses 14-17)?
•He had Joab put Uriah in a vulnerable position in the battle and then retreat from him, so that he
was killed.

6. This case seems to be an extreme one, but in fact, it well illustrates all the immorality that surrounds
a case of adultery. List some ways in which adultery damages society today.

a. divorce
b. domestic abuse and even murder result as one spouse is scorned
c. children are invariably harmed by not being raised by both father and mother in one home
d. children hear justifications for adultery and are thus taught that it is understandable sometimes

7. How did the doctrine of Christ go deeper than what was taught concerning keeping the seventh
commandment (Matt. 5:27-30)?

•Christ taught that merely looking on a woman in order to lust for her was tantamount to adultery in
the heart, and due as much prevention as actual adultery. Anything that facilitates lust and its
product, adultery, was to be deemed expendable that the soul might not be lost in hell.

8. Read Matthew 19:1-10. Moses had instituted a special allowance that made no-fault divorce
possible. (Deut. 24:1-4), and the Pharisees’ question turned on continuing that beloved privilege to put
away the wife of one’s youth. Did Jesus continue this allowance into the New Testament? To what
ideal did he point as the hallmark of his doctrine and law on marriage?

•Jesus did not continue the Mosaic allowance in the New Testament, upholding the Eden Ideal instead:
one man for one woman for life.

9. What single ground is mentioned as justifying divorce and allowing the wronged party to remarry in
the Lord?

•The sexual immorality of one mate allows the other to put him away and remarry in the Lord.

10. Did his disciples perceive this doctrine to be stricter than under the law of Moses, about the same, or
looser (see verse 10)?

•It is obvious that they perceived his doctrine was stricter, for they figured it was better to live single
than risk such an outcome in marriage.

11. What does 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 say about the importance of sexual morality for Christians?
•Sexual morality is a sign of sanctification and falling into adultery or other forms of immorality is
evidence that one is rejecting God.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 10: The Eighth Commandment: Stealing
Exodus 20:15 reads: “You shall not steal.” Property rights are an important facet of the American
democracy and system of self-government by the people and this sentiment dates back to the seventh
commandment of the law of Moses. Stealing violates personal property rights and leads to anarchy
within society. Although the seventh commandment was done away with as part of the Old Testament
law of Moses, the prohibition against stealing is renewed under the New Testament law of Christ.

Questions

1. Exodus 22 enlarges upon the seventh commandment, dealing with hypothetical cases of theft. Answer
the following questions from these cases:
a. What was the restitution standard when a rustler was caught (verse 1)?
•He must restore five oxen per stolen ox and four sheep per purloined sheep.
b. How was a property owner who killed an intruder during the act punished (verse 2)? Was a
property owner guiltless who later hunted down an intruder and killed him (verse 3)?
•He was not punished for shedding the blood of a thief during the act, but was guilty of murder if
he killed him at a later time for this cause.
c. Is this an example of stealing in verse 5? Why? How could something like this happen today?
•It is an example of stealing because a man has allowed his animal to graze another’s field. Today,
one could allow his child into a neighbor’s field or orchard to steal fruit, for example.
d. What care should be exercised when holding another’s property for safe keeping (verses 7-13)?
•Extra care should be taken when holding another’s property, so that it is not be stolen or damaged.

2. Leviticus 19:13 condemns those who cheat their neighbors. Understanding that our neighbors are more
than just those people who live on our street, how is it possible to cheat your neighbor today?

•Neighbors are cheated when we deal fraudulently with them concerning the sale of cars and houses,
stealing newspapers in the morning, stealing cable, etc.

3. How did Rachel become a thief (Gen. 31:19-35)? What effect did her sin have on those around her?

•Rachel became a thief by stealing her father’s household idols, which endangered her family and
introduced a form of idolatry to Israel that the nation would battle forever.

4. Consider Joshua 7. Why was God so angry with Israel that he allowed them to lose the battle of Ai?

•God was angry with Israel because Achan had coveted the booty of Jericho and stolen what God told
the people to avoid.

5. Did Achan confess his sin willingly? What did he call the root cause of his crime?

•Achan confessed only when clear that Joshua knew he was guilty. He traced his theft to the
covetousness he felt upon seeing the treasures of Jericho.

6. What effect did Achan’s crime have on Israel (Josh. 7:25)? What was his punishment?

•Achan’s sin brought trouble on Israel which caused the nation to stone him for his theft and
carelessness.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 19

7. What is the effect on our society because of theft?

•Theft increases distrust and dishonesty and leads to the premature deaths of thousands of people
every year, both innocent victims and their assailants. Theft fills prison cells, where guilty people
succeed in living off the innocent as guests of the taxpayer. Theft brings shame on parents and guilt on
souls.

8. In times of economic downturn, situation ethicists argue that a certain amount of stealing is
justifiable. Stealing bread is rationalized as a crime of necessity. Does the commentary on the seventh
commandment found in Proverbs 6:30-31 justify theft under certain circumstances?
•No, this commentary states that although people may empathizes with the thief’s motivation, the
law of restitution can not be circumvented. The theft is still criminal and sinful.

9. Judas Iscariot is perhaps the most famous traitor in history, but many do not realize that he was also
a thief. Describe the depths to which he went as a thief (John 12:1-6).

•Judas Iscariot went so far as to steal from the treasury of Jesus and his disciples, allowing the others to
think that he was busy spending money on the poor. In John 12, he expresses outrage that Mary would
“waste” expensive oil of spikenard by anointing Jesus with it, using charity as an excuse.

10. How can a love of money lead disciples to betrayal (Titus 1:12-16)?

•Disciples may profess their faith in the mouth, but deny Jesus by laziness and gluttony.

11. Are the following examples of theft? Explain.

a. Copying another’s written material into your report without giving credit.
•Yes, for you are stealing that one’s work and the credit that should go with it.
b. Reporting less income than is true on your income tax return.
•Yes, for you are stealing from “Caesar.”
c. Using two copies of a computer software program when the license only allows you one.
•Yes, for you only paid for one use and are stealing the second from the writer and publisher.
d. Accepting more change than is proper due to clerk error when paying for something.
•Yes, for you are willfully taking what you know belongs to the store.
e. Pocketing a dollar bill that you saw fall from an unaware person’s hand.
•Yes, for you purposely did not return property to the rightful owner, although you knew it.
12. What do the following passages say about those who bemoan thugs who rob banks and mug innocent
people, but themselves will cheat on their taxes, steal cable television or violate copyright laws
a. Matthew 23:14: Such people are hypocrites.
b. Romans 2:21-24: They are giving outsiders reason to blaspheme.
c. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: Thieves will not inherit the kingdom of God.
d. Ephesians 4:28: Thieves should be converted and work instead that they might share.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

20 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 11: The Ninth Commandment:
False Witness
Exodus 20:16 reads: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” False witness is rooted
in lying and antipathy toward others but is expressed directly when called to speak under oath. A
system of civil justice is dependent upon the general honesty of the citizenry and society itself is
terribly harmed when trust does not reign. False witness is an assault on Christ’s “golden rule” about
doing unto others as you have them do to you.

Questions

1. Read Exodus 23:1-3. False witness like this can occur outside the courtroom. How might we be guilty
of circulating false reports in everyday life (Prov. 10:18)?

•Slander, gossip and tale-bearing are examples of ways in which people circulate false reports outside
the courtroom.

2. Some people justify dishonesty in legal matters if it benefits a needy person. Is false witness ever
justified (cf. Lev. 19:15)?

•False witness is never justified, even if it seems to be helping a poor person.

3. Read Leviticus 6:1-7. List the five areas in which a person could bear false witness listed here:

a. lying to his neighbor about a thing in his safekeeping

b. lying to him about a pledge
c. lying to him about a robbery
d. extorting money from him
e. lying about something he found which belonged to his neighbor

4. What two parties are offended by false witnessing?

•God and the person whom you intend to defraud.

5. What was the penalty for a convicted false witness?

•A convicted false witness was compelled to restore what he gained, add 20 per cent of its value, and
then also make a trespass offering to God of an unblemished ram.

6. How was God often involved in cases of false witness (Lev. 19:11-12)?

•The perjurer would often try to prove his honesty by swearing by the name of God.

7. Read Deuteronomy 19:15-21. How many witnesses were required to establish a matter?

•Two or three witnesses.

8. What penalty was due a false witness in a case in which a man was criminally accused?

•He would receive the same punishment that the accused would have received. This penalty could go
all the way to execution.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 21

9. How did God describe false witnessing in Proverbs 6:16-19. In what company did this sin fall?

•God called it an abomination and classed it here with murder and lying.

10. To what three things does Proverbs 25:18 compare a false witness? Explain.

•A false witness is likened to a club, a sword an a sharp arrow. In other words, he is a terrible and
offensive weapon that causes much damage.

11. At its root, false witness is a willingness to tell lies for selfish gain, self-promotion or protection.
What do the following passages say about telling lies and selfishness?

a. Ephesians 4:25: We should put away lying and speak only truth with our neighbors instead.

b. Philippians 2:3-4: We should esteem others better than ourselves and look out for their interests
and not just our own.
c. Proverbs 22:12: Lying lips are an abomination to God, but he delights in those who are truthful.

d. Revelation 21:8: All liars shall have their part in the second death.

12. Why is bearing false witness sinful today—because it violated the ninth commandment of the law of
Moses or because it violates the New Testament of Jesus Christ?

•It is sinful today because it violates the law of Christ.

13. Read Matthew 15:16-20. Why is it especially significant that bearing false witness is said to
proceed from the heart of a man?

•Because it shows that bearing false witness cannot be diminished in importance to a sin of necessity or
noble objective justifying dubious means. Bearing false witness shows a heart that is corrupted.

14. Read Luke 3:7-14. What did John tell the soldiers to do as fruits of repentance? What then is true of
a Christian today who tells lies?

•John told the soldiers not to intimidate or accuse falsely and to be content with their wages. A
Christian who lies today is showing that he is behaving like the old man of sin that should have been
crucified and buried at his conversion.

15. List some common ways in which people tell “little white lies” today.

a. Telling telephone callers that someone there is not there.

b. Telling children fables to avoid telling them the truth.
c.
d.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 12: The Tenth Commandment: Covetousness
Exodus 20:17 reads: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s
wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your
neighbor’s.” The tenth commandment exposes the jealousy and discontentment of heart that leads
people to desire what belongs to another to such an extreme that hearts are corrupted and hands are
soiled with sin. Covetousness is sinful under the New Testament law of Christ as well as having been a
violation of the defunct law of Moses.

Questions

1. According to Proverbs 1:19 and 15:27, what does greed for gain accomplish? Explain.

•It takes away the life of its owners and troubles his own house, because it consumes one’s existence
with seeking material gain at the expense of spiritual ambition in service of God. Greed for gain causes
one to work and worry himself into an early grave and to destroy his priorities in favor of the material.

2. Envying the wealthy is ancient sport and it is widely practiced today. According to Proverbs 23:4-5,
why is the yearning to be rich foolishness?

•Riches are fleeting, and unable to buy true happiness and spiritual fulfillment. Those who overwork
just to attain riches are occupying their time in an ultimately fruitless way. They should cease.

3. Explain the wisdom of the following statement from Proverbs 30:8: “Give me neither poverty nor
riches—Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny you, And say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.”

•In terms of material possessions, wisdom says that moderation is best. The poor are tempted to curse
God for not blessing them better and the rich are tempted to forget who has blessed them with much.
Moderation and contentment guard against both extremes and their pitfalls.

4. Consider Ecclesiastes 5:10. Will a person given to covetousness ever be satisfied? Why or why not?

•A covetousness person will never be satisfied so long as he indulges his greed through sacrificing all in
the name of gain. Not until he learns contentment will he find satisfaction in life.

5. Describe what resulted from the covetousness of the following Old Testament characters:
a. King David (2 Samuel 11:1): David coveted the wife of Uriah, committed adultery with her and
then murdered him to cover up his sinful crime. David was shamed before Israel for his sin.
b. King Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-4): Solomon’s fetish for foreign women led him to intermarry illegally
with pagans and accept their idolatry.
c. King Ahab (1 Kings 21:1-14): Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard and eventually killed him to get
it, on Jezebel’s advice.
d. Achan (Joshua 7:1-9, 20-26): Achan stole the forbidden booty of Jericho and caused Israel to lose
her next battle in Ai. Achan was found out and his entire family was stoned because of his sin.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 23

6. Explain the significance of Matthew 6:19-21 as it touches on the sin of covetousness.

•A man’s heart is always located with the thing he treasures most. If his treasure is earthly wealth,
his emotions and affections will be tethered to this planet. If his treasure is spiritual and entrusted to
heaven, then his emotions and affections will always lead upward.

7. How does a covetous heart interfere with one’s discipleship, according to the following passages?

a. Matthew 6:24: One who tries to serve God and money will find his affections divided and an idol
sharing the throne of his heart with almighty God, until God is finally pushed away.

b. Matthew 6:31-34: Worry over things that God knows we need reveals cracks in our faith and
leads us to make decisions which place matters of faith beneath matters of the flesh.

c. Matthew 13:22: He who receives the seed of God’s word but is a covetousness man finds it choked
out by the deceitfulness of riches, causing him to be unfruitful.

d. James 4:1-4: Those who allow their desires to overcome them go to war to obtain their wishes and
find themselves cut off from God.

8. Read Luke 12:13-15. In what should one’s life consist (verse 21)?

•One’s life should consist in being rich toward God, by hearing the word of God and obeying it.

9. To what does Paul liken covetousness in both Colossians 3:5 and Ephesians 5:5? Explain.

•Paul compares covetousness to idolatry, because a love of things makes them a god, served and
worshiped as surely as any creation of gold or wood.

10. How does Paul describe the blessings of contentment (1 Tim. 6:6-10, Phil. 4:11-13)?
•Contentment is great gain because it places material things in a proper perspective and allows a
person to focus on the things that matter most and are eternal. Contentment allows us to do all things
through Christ who strengthens us, that we might withstand the sorrows and loss of those who dwell
on earthly gain.

11. What advice does Paul give the rich so that they might not fall into covetousness (1 Tim. 6:17-19)?
•They should learn not to be proud or reliant upon their riches, but to share and do good with their
blessings.

12. Identify the greedy people and what they coveted in the following passages:
a. Acts 24:24-26: Felix coveted a bribe from Paul.
b. Acts 19:12-27: Demetrius coveted the gain of his idol making trade more than truth.
c. Acts 16:16-19: The slave girl’s owners coveted their income after Paul exorcised her demon.
d. Matt. 19:16-22: The rich young ruler departed from Jesus because he could not give up his idols.
e. Matt. 26:15-16: Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
f. Matt. 14:1-7: Herod coveted his daughter-in-law when she danced enticingly.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24 J.S. Smith
 Lesson 13: Review
The 10 commandments rank as the world’s simplest and greatest legal code ever. In the minds of
many, that code is still binding upon man today, but this series of lessons was intended to debunk that
theory without casting any denigration upon the great code of Moses. In fact, the principles set down by
God on Moses’s tablet are still influential today, despite the fact that the New Testament law has
replaced the Old Testament as the code currently in force.
Nine of the 10 commandments are clearly echoed in the doctrine of Christ; only the Sabbath
observance is not enjoined upon Christians today as a part of the new law. It is important for Christians
to make distinctions—rightly divide—the old law from the new, for many unscriptural acts result by
seeking convenient authority from Moses when Christ will not condone it.

Questions

1. List the 10 commandments.

1. Have no other gods before Jehovah.
2. Make no carved or graven images to God.
3. Do not take God’s name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honor your parents.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not bear false witness.
10. Do not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

2. Which commandments was Israel violating while God was giving Moses the 10 commandments?
How?

•They were violating the first and second commandments by creating a god to go before them in
Jehovah’s place and forming an idol from gold to epitomize it.

3. There were two parties in the Old Covenant in which Moses participated. Identify them (Exod. 19:3-
7). Were the Gentiles also called to Sinai to receive the law and bind themselves to it?

•Israel and God were the only parties to the old covenant. Gentiles were not called to bind themselves
to the law of Moses, except as they moved to become proselytes.

4. What was Christ’s mission concerning the Law of Moses (Matt. 5:17-18)?

•His mission was to fulfill the law and prophets, rather than a popular fear that he would attempt to
destroy them. He succeeded by fulfilling every Messianic prophecy and becoming the objective of the
law, God’s extension of grace.

5. How do the following passages show that he succeeded?

a. 2 Corinthians 3:7-11: This passage helps to establish the abolition of the 10 commandments, “the
ministry of death, written and engraved on stones.”
b. Ephesians 2:11-11-16: Jesus broke down the wall of separation, the law that demanded racial
segregation and made Jews special.
c. Colossians 2:11-15: Jesus nailed the old law, “the handwriting of requirements against us,” to the
cross and took it out of the way.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 10 Commandments Today 25

 d. Hebrews 7:11-13: Under the law of Moses, Christ could not be a priest for he was not born a Levite,
but a Jew. Only by the removal of that law could Jesus be made a priest according to a different order.
6. Although the law of Moses is no longer in effect, and its 10 commandments are thus not binding upon
Christians today, nine of them are renewed in the New Testament. Which of them is (are) not?

•“Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy” is the only command not renewed.

7. The first four commandments reveal the jealous nature of God. For what was God jealous? Is he still a
jealous God (Matt. 6:24, James 4:3-5, Luke 9:57-62)?

•God is still jealous today for our worship, service, devotion and priority in life. No man can truly serve
God and some other god, for he who attempts to make friends with the world makes himself an enemy
of God and is not fit for the kingdom because his priorities are wrong.

8. List some of today’s most popular idols.

a. self is the most popular d. things like houses, cars and boats
b. money e. popular acceptance
c. Catholic images f. false gods like Gaia and Allah

9. Review Lesson Six in this series. The Sabbath day is more than just the last day of the week, it was
defined by certain practices enjoined upon the Jews. List some of them. What was the penalty for
violating any of these commands?

•Doing any work, including the gathering of sticks was forbidden. The Israelites were each to take two
unblemished lambs in the their first year and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offer,
mixed with oil as a drink offering, and offer them as a special Sabbath burnt offering. The rabbi’s
interpretation of Sabbath law included travel as a form of work and thus strictly limited how far a
Hebrew could travel on the seventh day of the week, even to worship (Acts 1:12). Using Joshua 3:4 as a
guide, they estimated that a distance of 1000-1200 yards was the maximum allowable. Death was the
penalty for breaking the Sabbath. If the observance is still binding, there is no reason to believe the
penalty is not as well.

10. Is the Sabbath observance binding on God’s people today?

•No.

11. Is capital punishment “murder,” forbidden by the Old Testament?

•No, for capital punishment was commanded as a remedy for murder and other sins.

12. What does it mean to bear false witness?

•It means to lie, especially in a legal proceeding.

13. To what does the New Testament compare covetousness?

•Idolatry.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

26 J.S. Smith
 Other Class Material By This Author
A Passage Through the Old Testament

OT1 In The Beginning OT5 Israel and Judah

OT2 From Egypt to Canaan OT6 The Major Prophets
OT3 Taming Canaan OT7 The Minor Prophets
OT4 The Throne of David OT8 Wisdom Lit./Post-Exile

A Passage Through the New Testament

NT01 Harmonized Gospels NT07 Prison Epistles

NT02 Acts of the Apostles NT08 Preacher Epistles
NT03 Early Epistles NT09 Hebrew Epistle
NT04 Liberty Epistles NT10 Minor Epistles
NT05 First Corinthians NT11 Revelation to John
NT06 Second Corinthians

Topical Studies

Biblical Typology Sermon on the Mount

Brotherly Love Special Studies
Characters of The Acts The 10 Commandments Today
Characters of The Old Testament The Church of Christ
Great Themes of Isaiah The Life and Times of Jesus
New Testament Churches The Spirit World
Parables of Jesus Works of Flesh-Fruits of Spirit
Proverbs: The Beginning of Knowledge

J.S. Smith
Fort Worth, Texas
Electronic Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.electronicgospel.org
© 2000 All Rights Reserved

Reproductions may be freely made and used, provided proper credit is given to the author and no
charge is ever made in association with this material without the express written consent of the author.