Thirteen Commandments

At Eden, Adam and Eve turned from God's design and order, deciding their own eyes offered a clear view and their own minds could provide a reliable critique of what was safe and good to do. What followed was a mixed bag (Number One son killed Number Two son) but there is undeniable progress on display in the early history of man recorded in the Bible. Why wasn't that good enough?

Job, considered by many scholars to be the oldest book in the Bible, can be seen as a first response to the rebellion at Eden. You think you can discuss the basic principles guiding My Decisions?, God asks Job. You don't even understand all you can see! Indeed, God brags on Job initially precisely because Job is such a trusting servant. In the end, this is the position Job chooses to retain. It is the opposite position to the one bequeathed us by Adam and Eve.

When Moses has led the children of Israel out of their Egyptian slavery, God is ready to spell out His guidance for mankind. The very first commandment deals with the question of Who we are to listen to and obey. And everything flows from that.

The Rev. Rick Hoover takes us through the Ten Commandments Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai, the two commands Jesus said summed them up, and the additional "new commandment" that Jesus delivered to his disciples at the Last Supper. Are they meant to define boundaries of behavior? Or are they better understood as the best orientation toward greater fulfillment in life?

"Such a great book! You have written a wonderful account of Jesus' teachings." - Jacki Nash