Ten Commandments - Part 1

Ten Commandments - Part 1

The Ten Commandments, as we all know, are the ten primary commandments given to Moses when he was on Mount Sinai. These Ten Commandments then became the basis of all moral law for the Hebrew people, which eventually totaled 613 commandments. The first ten commandments constitute what is called Divine Law; the remaining 603 became the Moral Law of the Hebrew people, including liturgical, sacrificial, and criminal laws. The Ten Commandments, however, can be divided into two categories based upon to whom the commandment is directed. The first three commandments are directed toward God alone; the other seven are directed toward other people, but are still an offense against God when they are broken.

The Ten Commandments - Part 1

The First Three Commandments:

• I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.
• You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
• Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.

"I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me."

This is a direct statement by God declaring who He is and establishing His authority over us. This commandment establishes for the Hebrew people exactly who their God is, which was a question they had after spending their entire lives under the rule of the polytheistic Egyptians. This commandment makes clear who their God is, and the second half makes clear that they are not to worship anything else, as there is no other God besides Him. This is an explicit commandment against idolatry—giving to any creature, statue, image, or man the supreme worship and adoration, or latria (Latin for worship due to God alone). This can be clearly demonstrated when Moses returned to the people at the bottom of Mount Sinai and saw that the Hebrew people had fashioned a golden calf and declared that this bull was the god that had freed them from Egypt and was deserving of worship.

A common objection toward the Catholic Faith concerns this commandment regarding idolatry. As Catholics, we have statues, art, and iconography depicting Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and other Saints (both angelic and human). However, as Catholics we neither adore nor serve these depictions with supreme worship. In fact, not all heavenly or earthly depictions are wrong, as God later commanded that an ark be constructed which was covered with heavenly and earthly depictions. The ark was not worshipped with the supreme worship and adoration (latria) that is due to God alone. However, the Ark of the Covenant was honored with high reverence, as on the mercy seat was God, and in the ark were the commandments of God. This type of reverence is called dulia. The altar in the Temple of God in Jerusalem was also adorned in great detail with heavenly and earthly depictions, by the command of God. The Temple was honored, again in the dulia sense.

Catholics revere the Saints due to the way that Christ acted through them. We do not give latria, but dulia to the Saints, and hyperdulia to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This means we give the highest respect toward her because she carried and gave birth to God.

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."

This commandment concerns the sacredness we must hold regarding the Name of God. We must not be irreverent with His name. We are also called not to blaspheme against His name, nor anything that is made sacred in His name—such as the Church, the Sacraments, Scripture, or the Saints. Nor should we take or make false, unnecessary, or unlawful oaths in His name.

"Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day."

With this commandment, we are to keep holy the Sabbath. We keep this day holy by focusing on acts of worship (latria) toward God. In accordance with one of the precepts of the Church, we are to attend Mass on Sunday and on any holy day of obligation. Holy days of obligation are days that are made holy by remembrance of a specific act in Christianity, such as Christmas.