SHOULD WE FOLLOW THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?

Most people believe we should keep the Ten Commandments today. But what does the Bible say? Let it answer!

The Ten Commandments were given to the Israelites on Mt. Sinai after they left Egypt (Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 9:9-10). Deuteronomy 5:2-3 says, "The Lord our God made a covenant with US in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day." This was a new law God had given. This law had not been given to their fathers (ancestors). It was only given to the children of Israel!

The command to observe the sab bath (the 4th commandment) had never been given before Mt. Sinai (Nehemiah 9:13-14) and consequently, was not to be observed by any people except Israel for it had not been given to them. Though this is contrary to the belief of those who say "Sabbath keeping" was given earlier, the Bible says otherwise. The 10 commandment law was made only with the house of Israel and no one else. It did not include Gentiles unless they became converts to the Jewish faith! Therefore, even if the Old Testament had not been done away in Christ (Hebrews 10:9), it would not be binding on Gentiles today (including "sab bath keeping"). It never has been!!!

Jeremiah 31:31-34 reveals the Old Law was only temporary in that God would one day give a New Law: "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel...not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt." Notice, the new law would be different than the old law. Jeremiah's statement was made 900 years after the Law was given and 600 years before Christ. The Hebrew writer quotes this passage from Jeremiah and applies it to Christ being "the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second" (Hebrews 8:6-13).

Jeremiah 31:31-34 further states some differences between the Old and the New. The old law was written on stone, the new law would be written on a person's heart — the old did not provide forgiveness of sins whereas the new would.

The Ten Commandments were part and parcel of the Old Testament and have not been binding since Jesus died on the cross nearly 2,000 years ago. Christ at that time gave a better covenant which was established upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Jeremiah 31:31-34 prophesied the Old Law would be replaced by a New Law. We can read of its fulfillment in Hebrews 8:6-13. What happened to the Old Testament? The New Testament tells us! Notice these verses from Hebrews. "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first OLD. Now that which DECAYETH and waxeth old is ready to VANISH AWAY" (Hebrews 8:13).

"For there is verily a DISANNULLING of the commandment going before for the WEAKNESS and UNPROFITABLENESS thereof (Hebrews 7:12). "For the law having a SHADOW of good things to come, and not the very image of the things..." (Hebrews 10:1). "He TAKETH AWAY the first, that he may establish the second" (Hebrews 10:9). "There is made of necessity a CHANGE also of the law" (Hebrews 7:12). In Colossians 2:14 we read, "BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and TOOK IT OUT OF THE WAY, nailing it to his cross." "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are NO LONGER UNDER a schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:24-25).

WHEN did all this take place? The Old was taken away and the New ushered in when Jesus sealed it with his shed blood on Calvary. "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament...For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth" (Hebrews 9:15-17).

What then was the purpose of the Old? "It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come..." (Galatians 3:19). The "seed" is Christ (Galatians 3:16). The Old was only given to keep the nation of Israel "in check" until Christ came. Having come and fulfilled it, he took it out of the way and gave a new law. All men today live under the new, not the old. Are you obeying it? Read Hebrews 11:6; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:10; Mark 16:16.

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