Who wrote the Ten Commandments? When Moses went up atop Mount Sinai, did he chisel out the Ten Commandments himself since he knew the people were violating the precepts of God? Or did God write them?
Hear what the Bible says about the matter (this is Moses writing):
"At that time the Lord said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden ark. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the ark” (Deuteronomy 10:1-2, NIV).
The First Ones
Did you catch that? Moses had already received the Ten Commandments once but he broke them! Why would he do such a thing? The Bible does not tell us why, but that doesn't mean we cannot figure out a reasonable explanation.
Obviously, Moses is angry when he comes down from Mt. Sinai. But why? It is likely because while Moses was up there, and the pre-incarnate Christ is writing the Covenant with his finger on the stone tablets, his brother Aaron below had made two golden calves as idols for the people to worship. Anyway, this is likely why Moses broke the first two tablets and had to make another trek up the mountain to receive them again.
The Ten Commandments
We have all seen and/or read them. The first four have to do with our relationship with God: loyalty, worship, reverence and sanctification and relationship.
The next six are how we are to behave towards our neighbors: respect for our parents, respect for human life (do not murder), keeping our relationships with our wife or husband pure (no adultery), honesty (do not steal), about telling the truth (don't lie), and finally, about being content with what we have as opposed to coveting what others have.
Romans chapter 6 summary
In this chapter, Paul is speaking to Christians. In the previous chapter he had said that we are no longer under the law of Moses, and that God's grace would always increase to cover our sinfulness.
In other words, we who believe have died to sin and are a new creation. As such, we are not to go on sinning like unbelievers. Rather, as new creations in Christ, we should live as if we were slaves to righteousness, because in a way, that is precisely what we are.
Romans chapter 7
Here, Paul is not speaking to Christians. He is speaking about the law and what it is unable to do and able to do. We read:
"What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law" (Romans 7:7, NIV).
Paul goes on later in the chapter and writes:
"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it" (Romans 7:14-20, NIV).
Who is I?
Who is the I in these verses? It's not Paul; he's a believer and is already dead to sin. Yes, he still sins like we do, but it is the promise that our sins have been forgiven and that in glory we will no longer sin.
So Paul is speaking to those who are trying to keep the Ten Commandments. He is showing them two things: 1. It is impossible to obey all of the commandments; and 2. He is showing them that they need Jesus to set them free from the law of sin and death.
X-Ray machine
Let's use an analogy here to get a better understanding. Let's suppose we have this persistent back pain that at times nearly cripples us to the point we can barely get out of bed or walk. Of course, we would go see a doctor and find out what's what.
A good physician would order an MRI or an x-ray (or both) to determine the problem.
Let's say the doctor says we have bulging or ruptured (herniated) disks and require surgery. Would we curse the x-ray machine or the MRI machine for revealing our problem? Certainly not. In the same manner, then, the law reveals to us our sin and we should not curse it for revealing our sinful nature.
A problem
Some preachers and teachers believe that the new covenant with Christ makes the law of no effect. But they are sadly mistaken. We read from Jesus and His Sermon on the Mount:
"For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished" (Matthew 5:18, NIV).
Why is this so? First, it is meant to show those who remain unbelievers what sin is and point them to Jesus for forgiveness.
Second, Jesus summed up the law by saying: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27, NIV). This covers the first 4 commandments and the final six.
Be encouraged!
Those of us who have been justified as righteous in God's eyes because of our faith still have work to do. We must live in the spirit and put away the fleshly desires of our deceitful hearts.
We are to live holy lives. Yes, we will sin but by obedience we will sin less. So be encouraged! If you are in Christ as a believer by faith alone, you are no longer at war with God and He is no longer angry at you and I. Let's strive to live holier lives for the cause of Christ and lift Him up.
Free images here are from https://pixabay.com/
Yes. Christ died to take away our sins. All we need do is believe and determine not to sin by His grace