The Ten Commandments with Two Purposes

The Ten Commandments had the purpose of bringing to light the best things humankind needs to survive and fulfill their purpose on earth. In this article I bring to light a little discussed observation.

God wrote with his finger on two tablets the following:

Tablet one:
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy

Tablet two:
1. Honor thy father and thy mother
2. Thou shalt not kill
3. Thou shalt not commit adultery
4. Thou shalt not steal
5. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
6. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house

God did not have to write the ten commandments on 2 tablets. These were on 2 tablets for a purpose because they are commandments that help not just the physical part of us but also our spiritual side.

Some would have us concentrate on just the physical aspects of ourselves and keep the spiritual side in the background. The fact that God has given us commands to help us with both sides lets me know that we do need to have the same attention to our spiritual well being as well as our physical.

On the other hand there are those that would discount the 10 commandments because they see it as part of the Mosaic law that ended due to Christ's sacrifice. As stated earlier, the 10 commandments were written in stone by God himself. It isn't likely that these laws are any less in effect than at the time he wrote them. The ceremonial instructions, of course, would no longer be in effect.

For arguments sake, lets see what Jesus said about this very subject. Jesus was asked about the most important commandments. Take a look:

Mark 12:28-33...
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."

Notice first that Jesus didn't specifically mention any of the 10 commandments. Secondly, notice that the two commandments that Jesus related were consolidations of the first four commandments and the last six commandments. Third, notice Jesus' emphasis points to the first four commandments concerning our spirituality or relationship with God. Fourth, notice that Jesus takes nothing away from the ten commandments but gives it depth while at the same time making it simpler to understand and apply. Finally notice that Jesus caps off these by saying there were no commandments greater than these which, if not listening correctly, you would think that Jesus commandments were greater than the commandments God wrote in Moses day. If you look, you will realize that Jesus is restating the greatest commandments that God had given mankind. So there really are no commandments greater than those that were given to us directly by God's finger.

These commandments are important to study because they do relate to the unique nature humans hold because we can utilize both the physical and spiritual world. We access the physical world naturally. We access the spiritual world through prayer and Holy Spirit but only toward God through His son Jesus Christ.

It is funny that most people tend to focus on their material existences and relegate their spiritual health to a secondary function. We should be whole and recognize these two sides to us as humans and find ways to use and develop both sides everyday.