The Real Ten Commandments (Facts Instead of Traditions) – Part 3

In Part I we followed Moses on his first three trips up and down the mountain – and each time he returned without the stone tablets. In Part 2 we followed Moses on his fourth trip, on which he was given the Law of the Altar and the MISHPATIM – but no stone tablets. So, we will continue to follow Moses again and see what happens on his fifth trip. On the fourth trip, Moses was told:

“Come up to YAHWEH, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. And Moses alone shall approach YAHWEH, but they shall not approach; nor shall the people go up with him.” (Exodus 24:1-12)

Aaron is the older brother of Moses. Nadab and Abihu are Aaron’s eldest and second-eldest of the sons. Who were the seventy elders? The appearances of the word “elders” in the Bible were “the elders of Pharaoh’s house” and “the elders of the land of Egypt.” They accompanied Joseph when he went to bury Jacob (Genesis 50:7). The next appearance was the “elders of Israel,” who are first mentioned in Exodus 3:16. They are not named, but it appears that there were more than seventy. YAHWEH told Moses to bring “seventy of the elders of Israel.”

Trip #5

And Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. And they saw the ELOHIYM of Israel. And under His feet was a work of pavement of sapphire stone, and it was like the heavens for its clearness. And to the nobles of the sons of Israel He did not stretch out His hand. And they saw the ELOHIYM. And they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:9-11)

This is a very interesting and revealing account that has caused some interesting theological problems for many. Let’s review what happened in the verses above:

(1) Everyone that went up the mountain with Moses saw the ELOHIYM.

(2) He stood on clear blue pavement.

(3) He did not stretch out His hand to the 70 elders.

(4) Implied is that He did stretch out His hand to Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu.

(5) ELOHIYM and all of those who went with Moses ate and drank together.

The major theological problem this creates is related to the doctrine that “the Bible is inerrant, infallible, with no errors or contradictions.” As we saw above, “everyone saw the ELOHIYM (God),” but two verses – John 1:18 & 1 John 4:12 – state, “No one has ever seen God at any time.”

This is one of those times our BHC Guideline may come in handy:

Our beliefs will be large enough to include all the facts;

open enough to be tested;

and, flexible enough to change when we become aware of errors or new facts.

Below are some facts that are directly related to this situation:

(1) Jacob saw ELOHIYM face-to-face (Genesis 32:20)

(2) Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel saw ELOHIYM (Exodus 24:10)

(3) YAHWEH said, “No man is able to see My face and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

(4) No one has ever seen God at any time. (John 1:18)

(5) No one has ever seen God at any time.  (1 John 4:12)

The facts are these:

(1) According to two verses in the Torah – Jacob, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel saw ELOHIYM.

(2) According to one verse in the Torah – no man is able to see YAHWEH’s face and live.

(3) According to two verses in the New Testament – no one has ever seen God.

(4) The New Testament is not part of the Jewish Bible.

(5) A doctrine created by some Christian religious institutions states “the Bible is inerrant, infallible, with no errors or contradictions.”

The facts are that the Christian Bible contains all of the above; therefore, they must be included in our belief systems. Now let’s get back to Moses and see what he does next.

And Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. And the glory of YAHWEH dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And He called to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud. And the glory of YAHWEH appeared like a burning fire on the top of the mountain before the sons Israel. So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. (Exodus 24:15-18)

The Israelites standing at the base of Mount Sinai saw a burning fire on the top of the mountain. Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel had a much closer look at it. What do you think went through all of their minds as they witnessed this dramatic event – knowing who was up there? How could anyone on the mountain survive? Just imagine the discussions that must have taken place during those forty days and forty nights. Meanwhile, on top of the mountain, Moses was receiving more laws and instructions from YAHWEH:

  (1) Offerings for the Sanctuary (25:1-9)

  (2) The Ark of the Testimony (25:10-16)

  (3) The Mercy Seat (25:17-22)

  (4) The Table for the Showbread (25:23-30)

  (5) The Gold Lampstand (25:31-40)

  (6) The Tabernacle (26:1-36)

  (7) The Altar of Burnt Offering (27:1-8)

  (8) The Court of the Tabernacle (27:9-19)

  (9) The Care of the Lampstand (27:20-21)

(10) Garments for the Priesthood (28:1-4)

(11) The Ephod (28:5-14)

(12) The Breastplate (28:15-30)

(13) Other Priestly Garments (28:31-43)

(14) Instructions for the Consecration of Aaron and His Sons (29:1-37)

(15) The Daily Offerings (29:38-46)

(16) The Altar of Incense (30:1-10)

(17) The Ransom Money (30:11-16)

(18) The Bronze Laver (30:17-21)

(19) The Anointing Oil (30:22-33)

(20) The Incense (30:34-38)

(21) The Craftsmen for Building the Tabernacle (31:1-11)

(22) The Shabbat Law (31:12-17)

It doesn’t take forty-days to read the above chapters, so it is clear that Moses learned much more than the words recorded in the above chapters. It is reasonable to assume that Moses passed on much of what he learned to Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel.

And He gave to Moses, when He finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of ELOHIYM. (Exodus 31:18)

Finally, we discover the time and place that Moses first received two stone tablets – eleven chapters after chapter 20 -- the traditional account said to be the giving of the Ten Commandments.

Let’s take another look at the above verse above, because it contains some very interesting and important terms:

(1) tablets of the testimony – an everlasting memorial testifying to the covenant that had been made between YAHWEH and Israel. (Cassuto, p. 405)*

(2) written by the finger of ELOHIYM – The text is worded with great care: Scripture does not state, “written by the hand of YAHWEH,” but “written by the finger of ELOHIYM,” in order to inform us specifically that the writing was of Divine character. The phrase “finger of ELOIYM” occurred earlier already (Exodus 8:15) as “a general allusion to the Divine power.”  (Cassuto, p. 405)*

And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand, tablets were written on two sides; on this and on that, they were written. And the tablets were the work of ELOHIYM, and the writing was the writing of ELOHIYM, it was engraved on the tablets. (Exodus 32:15-16)

The above description helps us visualize the approximate size and weight of the tablets. They were neither large nor thick, but could be carried by Moses in his hands. They were not huge tablets like the stone monuments set up for all to see – for example, the stele of Mesha, king of Moab, which were slabs that no human being could carry in his hand. They were tablets like those on which were inscribed or engraved, in letters of moderate size, records and documents intended for preservation in archives or libraries. (Cassuto p. 418)*

SOURCE

And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, nor the noise of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing I hear.” And it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing.  And Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. (Exodus 32:17-19)

Moses brought the stone tablets down the mountain, but before he read them to the people he smashed them against the foot of the mountain.  So, this means at least one more trip up the mountain will be required.

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*A Commentary on the Book of Exodus by U. Cassuto © 1987 The Magnes Press, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.

The Real Ten Commandments (Facts Instead of Traditions) – Part 2

Let’s continue our search for the Real Ten Commandments. In Part 1 we discovered the following:

(1) When the “traditional” (institutional) versions of the Ten Commandments were given Moses was standing at the base of the mountain with the people – not on top of the mountain.

(2) There were no references to two stone tablets in Exodus chapters 19 or 20.

(3) The words “Ten Commandments” did not appear in Exodus chapters 19 or 20.

Don’t you find it amazing that even with the above facts, millions of Bible readers picture Moses standing on the top of Mt. Sinai holding two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments every time they hear or read Exodus chapters 19 & 20 – even though nothing supports that image in the biblical text?

However, in their defense, every religious institution projects that image through their commentaries, doctrines & teachings (that I know of). And, in addition, many publishers of English translations of the Bible insert chapter headings and pictures with that image in their publications. And, of course, for those of us who attended Sunday School as kids, we colored lots of pictures of Moses standing on that mountain.

In Part I we followed Moses on three trips up and down the mountain – and he did not return with the stone tablets. So, now we will pick up the story immediately after Moses and the Israelites heard the words that are called the traditional Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, while they were standing together at the base of the mountain.

Now all the people saw the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. And the people looked and they trembled and they stood at a distance. And they said to Moses, “You speak with us and we will hear; and do not let an ELOHIYM speak with us, lest we die.”

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, because in order to test you, the ELOHIYM has come so that His fear may be upon your faces, so that you may not sin.” 

Trip #4

And the people stood from a distance, and Moses approached the thick darkness where the ELOHIYM was. (Exodus 20:18-21)

(You may want to review my comments on the use of ELOHIYM and YAHWEH in Part 1 before you continue. An interesting side note to the above verses is the use of “the” ELOHIYM and “an” ELOHIYM. We will have to wait an address that subject later.)

Moses entered the smoke that covered the mountain to go up and speak with the ELOHIYM for the Israelites:

And YAHWEH said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel:

‘You have seen from the heavens I have spoken with you. You shall not make with Me ELOHIYM of silver and ELOHIYM of gold; you shall not make for yourselves. An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I bring to memory My name, I will come to you, and I will bless you. And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; because when you use your tool on it, you profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not uncovered on it.’” (Exodus 20:22-26)

The first thing YAHWEH revealed above to Moses is called the “Law or of the Altar.” It is important to understand that the things that are often called “laws” in this context are also “instructions.” The next group of laws & instructions YAHWEH will reveal to Moses is called “The MISHPATIM” (The Judgments):

  (1) Laws Concerning Hebrew Slaves (21:2-11)

  (2) The Laws Related to Violence (21:12-27)

  (3) Laws Related to Damages Done by Animals (21:28-36)

  (4) Laws Related to Property (22:1-15)

  (5) Moral and Ceremonial Laws (22:16-31)

  (6) Laws for Justice (23:1-9)

  (7) The Law of Shabbats (23:10-13)

  (8) Laws of the Three Annual Feasts (23:14-19)

  (9) Instructions to Obey YAHWEH’s Messenger (23:20-33)

(10) Instructions to Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, & the seventy of the elders of Israel (24:1-2)

And Moses came and told the people all the words of YAHWEH and all of the MISHPATIM. (Exodus 24:3)

Moses has completed four trips up and down the mountain -- and we still haven’t seen or heard anything about two stone tablets or the Ten Commandments.  Maybe we will discover them on Moses’ Fifth Trip in the next blog.

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The Real Ten Commandments (Facts Instead of Traditions) – Part 1

For the past 10 blogs I have been writing about the “FourVersions of the Ten Commandments.” I have compared the Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and the BHC versions of the Ten Commandments that are recorded in Exodus 20. 

What would you do if you discovered that something you believe – and a lot of other people believe -- is wrong? I created the BHC Guideline to help us navigate through situations like this.

My belief system will be large enough to include all of the facts,

open enough to be tested,

and flexible enough to change when errors or new facts are discovered.

When I created this guideline over 25 years ago, I had one goal in mind – discovering the truth.  Beliefs are memes – information in the mind of an individual – that are not sensory perceivable, unless a person reveals them to others. Facts are sensory perceivable and can be examined and measured by anyone. Beliefs are an essential requirement of life, because no one has all of the facts about everything. However, if we are committed to finding the truth, there will be many times that we uncover facts that prove some of our beliefs are wrong. It is at those moments we discover whether we are really committed to finding the truth or not -- we will either change our beliefs or ignore the facts. However, there is something that you must understand about the power of our belief systems. Our beliefs have the power to change what we actually see with our eyes.

At the Hanover Institute in Germany in the late nineteenth century, an experiment was conducted. Subjects were asked to put on goggles that had inverting lenses, which, when the subjects looked through them, the world appeared upside down.  The purpose of the experiment was to see how they responded to this unusual situation. Would the subjects respond by learning how to adjust to "upsidedownness?"  It would seem that these goggled subjects would have a great deal of difficulty trying to walk down steps or negotiate street crossings.

How did the subjects deal with the upside‑down‑vision problem?  Amazingly, even though some took a short time while others took many hours, they all who ultimately reported to the experimenters that the world was right side up. Their solution was simple: Turn the information right side up!  Somehow they were able to unconsciously search out the vision‑control mechanism inside their brains and "click the switch" that turned the information 180 degrees around! 

To put it another way, when confronted with the choice of creating new rules to deal with the upside‑down information or keeping the old rules and altering the images they saw, the subjects subconsciously kept their old rules and changed the data. 

This simple experiment is a very powerful demonstration of our subconscious ability to manipulate the physiological information coming into our minds.  Who would have guessed that memes (beliefs) could dramatically alter sensory input?  Memes are so powerful they can even make us even see things that are not there.

An avid scuba diver quite often dove to the depths of 100-150 feet to check out fish traps he had off the coast of Miami Beach.  Because that area is well trafficked by expensive yachts, lots of garbage is strewn along the ocean floor, especially beer cans.  His problem had been caused by the fact that when he saw Budweiser beer cans down at the 150‑foot level, he clearly saw their red labels. Why did that bother him?  According to the physics of light the color red cannot penetrate through 150 feet of water.  All that you have left at that depth are green and the few other colors far toward the ultraviolet end of the spectrum.  The color red cannot be seen at that depth!  That is what bothered him -- he knew he shouldn't be seeing red, but he was.  So, how was he able to see a color that could not be seen?  He saw the red label because he knew the correct model of the Budweiser beer can.  That is, he knew the color it was supposed to be, and, in order to make what he was seeing fit the rules, his mind literally added the unseen colors. 

In the two examples above, the people involved in the experiences had memetic models that produced a set of rules for how something should look. When the data from their own eyes didn’t agree with those models, their minds subconsciously altered the data to make it conform to their models. In other words, they literally saw their beliefs instead of the facts. Billions of Bible readers have done, and still do, the same thing. When they read the words of their Bibles they see belief models they have been taught, instead of what the words actually say – like the words of Exodus 20 being the story of the Ten Commandments or the serpent in the Garden in Eden being Satan.

What would you say if I told you that the Four Versions of the Ten Commandments I have been writing about are not “THE” Ten Commandments? I bet that triggered a lot BS alarms. Beliefs that have hardened into “traditions” over many centuries are very difficult to correct. Think about all of the books that have been written, stone monuments that have been made, Supreme Court cases that have been tried, etc. that claim the words of Exodus 20 are the Ten Commandments. As you read this series of blogs, don’t let your mind trick you by replacing the facts with the BS models you have been taught. In this series of blogs we are going to follow Moses up and down Mt Sinai until he receives two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments. Or, to put it another way, we are going to let the Bible tell its own story – regardless of whatever BS we might have stuck in our brains.

One final note before we start following Moses. I will use transliterations of the two Hebrew words below when they appear in the text (transliterations are below each word). (See our How to Transliterate Hebrew Words -- Part 1 & Part 2)  ELOHIYM is the word usually translated God, god or gods. YAHWEH is the name of an ELOHIYM. One of the great disservices English translators have done is translating these Hebrew words “Lord God.” Its has created a tremendous amount of confusion and keeps readers from being able to see what the ancient text actually says.

YAHWEH

ELOHIYM

Now let’s read 19:1 - 20:21.

In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the wilderness of Sinai. For they traveled from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there before the mountain. (Ex. 19:1-2)

Trip #1

And Moses went up to the ELOHIYM. And YAHWEH called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall become for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” (Ex. 19:3-6)

And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and he put before them all these words which YAHWEH had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, “All that YAHWEH has spoken we will do.” (Ex. 19:7-8a)

Trip #2

So Moses brought back the words of the people to YAHWEH. And YAHWEH said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a darkness of clouds, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may be faithful to you forever.” And Moses told the words of the people to YAHWEH. And YAHWEH said to Moses, “Go to the people and set them apart today and tomorrow; and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day YAHWEH will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely die. Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.” (Ex. 19:8b-13)

And Moses went down from the mountain to the people. Moses set the people apart, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.” And it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thundering and lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of shofar was very strong, so that all the people in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet the ELOHIYM, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because YAHWEH came down upon it in fire and its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled exceedingly. And it was the sound of the shofar long and became louder and louder. Moses spoke, and the ELOHIYM answered him by a voice. And YAHWEH came down upon Mount Sinai, to the head of the mountain. (Ex. 19:14-20a)

Trip #3

And YAHWEH called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And YAHWEH said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to see YAHWEH, and many of them fall. And also, the priests, those approaching to YAHWEH, shall separate themselves lest YAHWEH burst forth among them.” And Moses said to YAHWEH, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and set it apart.’” And YAHWEH said to him, “Away! Go down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to YAHWEH, lest He burst forth among them.” (Ex. 19:20b-24)

            

And Moses went down to the people and spoke to them. (Ex. 19:25)

The Giving of the Traditional Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-17

Make sure to note that Moses is standing at the base of the mountain with the people and is not on the mountain. Nothing is said about two stone tablets.

When the words traditionally called the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) were given, Moses was standing at the base of the mountain with the rest of the people. There have been no references to two stone tablets or anything called the “Ten Commandments” in this context. Take another look at Exodus 19 & 20 in your Bible. The tablets of stone aren't there -- yet everyone projects them into that account! 

Our goal is to let the biblical texts tell their own stories, but to do this we must be aware of traditions like this one which have the power to make us believe that words are in the account that simply aren't there. We will continue our search for the real Ten Commandments in the next part of this account.

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Four Versions of the Ten Commandments: The Tenth Commandment

This is the tenth in a series of blogs that presents four versions of the Ten Commandments (based on Exodus 20). Each blog presents a commandment from the sources listed in chronological order below:

(1) Rabbinic Judaism (200 CE)

(2) Catholicism (325 CE)

(3) Protestantism (16^th century CE)

(4) Biblical Heritage Center (analysis completed in 2014 CE)

The Tenth Commandment

Rabbinic Judaism

You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Catholicism

You shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.

Protestantism

You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Biblical Heritage Center

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

Don’t keep this information to yourself – share it with others. The next time someone says something about the Ten Commandments, be sure to ask which version.

CLICK HERE to read our blog on the FIRST COMMANDMENT.

CLICK HERE to read our blog on the SECOND COMMANDMENT.

CLICK HERE to read our blog on the THIRD COMMANDMENT.

CKICK HERE to read our blog on the FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

CLICK HERE to read our blog on the FIFTH COMMANDMENT.

CLICK HERE to read our blog on the SIXTH COMMANDMENT.

CLICK HERE to read our blog on the SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.

CLICK HERE to read our blog on the EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.

CLICK HERE to read our blog on the NINTH COMMANDMENT.

Shalom & Be Empowered!

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