God's most important words to us - 10 commandments question?

Question

God himself is said to have only written (without the use of an intermediary) something down 1 time in history - the 10 commandments.

If we assume their order had some significance, what is the 2nd most important thing God had to say us?


Was it something bold and important like “Do not mistreat children”?

Or “Do not pretend to know things you do not”?

Or “Slavery is an abomination to God”?


What was God’s 2nd commandment?

Well of course it is Exodus 20:4 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.

It seems that about half the people knew that.


Is this really as good as it gets? Don't Cathloics and others seem to be getting along just fine with all their graven images? Is this really the best God intended for us?

Answer 1

Wether or not God wrote the ten commandments by his own hand varies form one version of the Bible to another. In several, he merely related them to Moses, who chiseled them in the stone.

The specific order of the commandments also varies between versions. In some, the second commandment is to keep holy the sabbath, in other versions, it's not to worship false idols. In a few texts, totally disregarded as heretical, there are fourteen commandments.

Answer 2

Actually,the weird thing is that there are 3 versions of the ten commandments.The first one can be found in exodus 20:2-17.At that time moses just recites them.Then,moses goes up and gets a set of stone tablets and destroys them when he sees the people worshiping a golden calf.Exodus 31:18.The only time they are actually called the 10 commandments is the version found exodus 34:14-26.Virtually every christian I've met doesn't know this.They are only aware of the first version.Check out what it actually says.Especially the last commandment: 1) Thou shalt worship no other God. 2) Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. 3) The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. 4) Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest. 5) Thou shalt observe the feast of weeks. 6) Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the Lord God. 7) Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven. 8) Neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left until the morning. 9) The first of the firstfruits of thy land shalt thou bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. 10) Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

Answer 3

Once upon a time, I read a pamphlet from ffrf.org about them. The first four were about religious things and the rest were vague enough to be useful and previously used by other societies. I read the other day that they were the same as commandments listed in the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
I also remember reading something about there being another version that wasn't as popular but not a lot was said about it. I'm pretty sure the story goes that Moses went up and got the Ten Commandments-I think there first time, he chiseled them-but on his way back, he discovered that his people had become impatient waiting on him and God so they went back to worshiping whatever the Egyptians had taught them. So, he got upset and broke them. Then he went back up and God gave him a new pair (of stone tablets).

Answer 4

Very good Suzie S. But remember, there are actually 12 commandments! When Jesus was talking to his followers about his father's 10 commandments, he told them; "And I give you 2 more commandments to keep". That makes 12. Do you remember what the 2 were? No one but Jesus has the authority to add to the original 10 commandments. So there are 12.

Answer 5

The graven image thing----and look at what Moses found when he went down the mountain---the Israelites in full-blown idol worship to a golden calf!

Idolatry is still a very big deal today. People just don't recognize it. It's more than a "graven image" that people can twist to mean anything they want to. It is when we use our religion as a "good luck charm" instead of the way God intended. It is when we place anything or anyone in the place God wants to be in our hearts, minds, lives.
Examples of modern day idols:

American Idol (and all celebrities)
TV/media/technology
Work
Sports
Money
Material possessions
Family
Church/religion (so busy "doing church" for its own sake that the focus is on that not God)

Until we get our hearts right commandment #1, we won't be able to grasp and follow commandment #2.

That's why Jesus' summary of the Greatest Commandment in the New Testament is so profound and important!!

(paraphrased)

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

BTW, the law was also given to us to prove we couldn't keep it, thus demonstrating to us our need for a Savior.

Answer 6

Relying on Jehovah is the way to go,any other path is wrong. Do not take the Lord God Jehovah for granted.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. For Jehovah is high, and yet the humble one he sees; But the lofty one he knows only from a distance.

1. Jehovah is your God Their are NO other gods.
2. Do not Worship symbols of gods
3. Using God's name for personal gain is wrong
4. Set aside a day of the week for Jehovah
5. Make you parents proud of you
6. Do not Murder anyone.
7. Do not have sex with another person's mate
8. Do not steal anything.
9. Do not tell lies about anyone
10. Do not wish for others people's possessions.

Observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things. Amen.

Answer 7

Aren't you overlooking the fact that God only commanded Israel to keep these commandments, and not all mankind?

And why tell Israel not to make these images? Because God knew that if they did, they would be worshiping them; that they would have other God's before and besides the One True God.

If you were to focus on the Spirit of the law instead of the letter, you would see and understand a much bigger picture.

.

Answer 8

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” This command is against making a idol, a visible representation of God. There is no image we can create that can accurately portray God. To make an idol represent God is to worship a false god.

Answer 9

2). Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

Have you ever put a material thing like money, a car, or a career ahead of God?

Did you ever have your own beliefs about God rather than the ones that are revealed in the Bible?

If so, you are an idolater - you have broken God's 2nd commandment.

Answer 10

You mean 11th, right?

“Do not mistreat children” everybody knows children are a heritage, it was not necessary but obvious.

“Do not pretend to know things you do not” or hypocrisy........of course the Lord hates hypocrites!

“Slavery is an abomination to God” slavery was a job. With your 20th or 21st century mind you are looking at the bible.............you can't do that. There were good masters and bad masters. A Christian is a slave to God, that is not bad but a privilegde. I am honored to be a slave to Christ!