The Deep Spiritual Meaning of the Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5

1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,

5 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,

6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

11 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.

12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

14 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, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19 Neither shalt thou steal.

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

22 These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;

24 And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.

26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

27 Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

28 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.

29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

30 Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.

31 But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.

32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

Exodus 20

1 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 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.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 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:

11 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.

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13 Thou shalt not kill.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

The Ten Commandments are a transcript of God’s holy character and a "royal law of liberty" that governs both the outward actions and the deepest intents of the heart James 2:8-12ST October 17, 1895, par. 6. While the letter of the law is binding, the faith of Jesus explains its spiritual import, revealing that these precepts are based on the eternal principles of love for God and love for our neighborARSH February 28, 1854, page 44.8.

The First Table: Our Relation to God ☁️

• First Commandment: To have no other gods before Jehovah means giving Him the supreme affection of the heart; allowing anything—such as the love of money or Mammon—to come between the soul and true service to God is a violation of this principle Exodus 20:3SITI December 23, 1903, page 4.6.

• Second Commandment: This precept forbids not only physical idols but also the mental substitution of our own ideas or standards for the divine character, which leads to a misrepresentation of the Father and Jesus Christ Exodus 20:4-6ST October 17, 1895, par. 6.

• Third Commandment: Keeping God's name holy involves more than avoiding profanity; it requires a life that does not dishonor the Lawgiver through hypocrisy or a carnal mind that is not subject to His law Exodus 20:7Te 164.3+1.

• Fourth Commandment: The Sabbath is the "seal of the living God" and a memorial of His creative power, intended to keep the true God before the minds of men so they do not forget their Creator Exodus 20:8-11LDE 124.1+1. Spiritually, it signifies a rest from our own works to abide in the sanctification that comes only through obedience to the truthRH February 22, 1881, par. 14.

The Second Table: Our Relation to Man 🤝

• Fifth Commandment: This is the first commandment with a promise, teaching that honoring parents is a training ground for Christian politeness and nobility of soul, eventually leading to an inheritance in the new earth Exodus 20:12YI September 1, 1873, par. 12.

• Sixth Commandment: The spiritual meaning of "Thou shalt not kill" extends to the heart; harboring hatred or a spirit of revenge is an interference with the right to life and liberty that God grants to all Exodus 20:13AMS May 1, 1889, page 113.19.

• Seventh Commandment: All sin has its seat in the mind, and Jesus explained that an impure look or the cherishing of lustful desires constitutes adultery in the heart Matthew 5:28SOAP 7.4+1.

• Eighth Commandment: Prohibition of theft involves respecting the property and rights of others; it is a principle of civility that the state may protect, but spiritually it requires a heart that is not polluted by avarice or fraud Exodus 20:15TDC May 10, 1889, page 4.1+1.

• Ninth Commandment: Bearing false witness includes any form of deception or misrepresentation; to be truly sanctified, the heart must be in harmony with the truth, for "he that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar" 1 John 2:4ARSH August 22, 1865, page 94.20.

• Tenth Commandment: This precept is a discerner of the "thoughts and intents of the heart," showing that the law is spiritual and forbids the internal desire for that which belongs to another Romans 7:7PTUK October 8, 1891, page 329.2+1.

The Standard of Character 🏆

Ultimately, the ten commandments are the standard by which God will judge every work and every secret thingPTUK October 8, 1891, page 329.2+1. True obedience is not a legalistic burden but a result of the "law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus" writing these holy statutes upon the heart and mind Hebrews 8:10ARSH January 31, 1854, page 11.18. By looking into this "perfect law of liberty" as into a mirror, we discern our moral defects and are driven to Christ for the grace to reach His perfect standard James 1:25ST October 17, 1895, par. 6+1.

Yes, all ten of the commandments in the holy, just, and good law of God remain in full force and are the binding obligation for all Christians and every member of the human family todayST February 10, 1888, par. 4+2. This law is a transcript of the character of Jehovah and is as immutable and unchangeable as its divine AuthorPH169 1.3+2.

The Perpetual Obligation of the Law ⚖️

• An Unchangeable Standard: The death of the Son of God on the cross is the ultimate demonstration of the immutable character of the precepts of Jehovah; if the law could have been changed or abolished to save the sinner, Christ would not have needed to dieST February 10, 1888, par. 4+2.

• Universal Scope: The same great laws that guide the stars and atoms control human life, and only by living in harmony with the Creator’s will can the soul find its true sphere of actionCG 55.2.

• A Standard for All Generations: From the beginning in Eden, through the time of the patriarchs like Abraham and Noah, to the present day, God has held all men amenable to the requirements of His perfect lawARSH December 25, 1856, page 61.3+2.

• The Gospel and the Law: Faith in Jesus Christ does not make void the law but establishes it; Christ ministers the keeping of the law in the life of the believer, for He did not come to destroy but to fulfill it Matthew 5:17-19+1PH169 1.3+1.

The Standard of the Final Judgment 📖

The outer actions and the inner life of every human being will indeed be judged by the Ten Commandments7BC 986.6+2.

• The Moral Mirror: The law acts as a moral mirror that makes plain the imperfections of character and the true condition of the heartST February 10, 1888, par. 4+1.

• The Books of Record: When the judgment sits and the books are opened, every man will be judged according to the things written in those books, with the Ten Commandments serving as the rule of life and the standard of character Daniel 7:9-101BC 1109.3+2.

• The Prerequisite for Life: In the final account, it will be seen that obedience to the perfect law of God is the prerequisite for salvation, and by its righteous principles, men will receive their sentence of life or death1BC 1109.3+1.

• No Excuses for Sin: In that day, the tables of stone, hidden by God and written with His own finger, will be presented before the world so that none will find an excuse for transgression1BC 1109.3+1.

• The Verdict of the Lawgiver: Only those who have allowed the righteousness of the law to be fulfilled in them through the Spirit will be accepted as heirs of eternal life Romans 8:4ST February 10, 1888, par. 4+1.

The Call to Obedience ✨

Genuine sanctification is nothing less than implicit obedience to every requirement of God, as the keeping of all the commandments is the expression of a heart in harmony with His willST February 10, 1888, par. 4+2. Those who love God with all the heart will naturally love and honor all His commandments, including the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, which remains a perpetual sign of His authority and creative power5MR 88.1+2. As it is written, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" Revelation 22:14.