1 And gods spoke all these words, saying,
2 "I am YHVH, your god, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
"You shall have no other gods before me.
The teaching of this first commandment is that YHVH is the only being. Just as he told Moses from the burning bush: I AM THAT I AM (Eheieh Asher Eheieh). Whatever is, therefore, is YHVH. There can be no other thing outside of YHVH. When we love YHVH first, we love all creation and keep everything in balance. When we love something else such as money, fame, or security we are out of balance, we make poor choices, and peace and happiness allude us.
3 "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
4 you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, YHVH, your god, am a jealous god, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
5 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
We are here told not to set up and worship graven images. But these images may be mental as well as physical. In fact the reference to those things in heaven, on earth or under the sea refer to spiritual, intellectual and subconscious images. Worship means to assign great worth to. Graven means carved or firmly fixed in mind. We are talking about images or ideas that we create - false beliefs. Based on our judgments or people or events, they are the cause of most of our physical and emotional attachments which hold us back from enlightenment.
6 "You shall not take the name of YHVH, your god, in vain; for YHVH will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
The word name in the Bible is a symbol for nature. Do we really believe in the nature of YHVH, or do we accept it only on an intellectual level? Since YHVH, or the Law, is completely impersonal, we will receive to the extent of our belief. In that respect, the Law will not hold us guiltless. We must believe in the nature of YHVH, which is love in order to partake thereof.
7 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
8 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work;
9 but the seventh day is a sabbath to YHVH, your god; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates;
10 for in six days YHVH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore, YHVH blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
Seven is the number of perfection, a completed and perfect spiritual journey. The family represents the thoughts, intellectual, the son, subconscious, the daughter, the manservant and the maidservant represent those thoughts that serve us, the animals are our sensual thoughts, and finally, the stranger represents new and strange thought. This is a very lengthy way of saying, "Let go, and let God." There is a point when we have done all we can, represented by the six days. And on the seventh, we must allow for the universe, God of the Hierarchies, time or whatever you choose to call it, to complete the work and bring about success. One of the most powerful things about prayer, is that it causes us to "let go."
11 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which YHVH, your god, gives you.
Literally, this is an easy one to understand. But taken symbolically, it contains a very powerful message. The father represents the intellectual consciousness. The mother represents the emotional or heart consciousness. It is the two in balance or harmony, which when combined and working together will enable us to lead a balanced life. The land that we shall long be upon and which was given us, is the state of consciousness that results from this harmony.
12 "You shall not kill.
A murderer kills only the body. But what about killing the spirit by the way we treat others, especially those who answer to us? What about killing initiative and self confidence? What about the death of the soul? Criticism and condemnation are also killers. Hate, Jealousy and Anger can also kill.
There is another idea here as well. The law of transmutation indicates that we are not to kill negative and destructive thoughts and emotions. Instead, we are to replace them with positive and loving thoughts and emotions. For nature abhors a vacuum. Again, "Thou shalt not kill."
13 "You shall not commit adultery.
To understand the deeper meaning of this commandment, we must consider the meaning of the spiritual marriage. The spiritual marriage which is referred to in several places in the bible, has to do with the marriage of the intellect of conscious mind to the soul or heart consciousness - the union of the conscious with the unconscious. To commit adultery on this level is to be untrue to the soul that is our source of truth and love.
14 "You shall not steal.
We know that from the law as Yeshua stated it, "As you sow, so shall you reap," that stealing will not benefit you. For it is clear you will never get to keep anything unjustly gotten. Since we are co-creators with YHVH, we have no need to steal. This is true not just of material things, but also of emotions and thoughts. To take love, kindness or any other good thing from someone without reciprocating in some way is another form of stealing.
15 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
False witness includes gossip, dishonesty and false judgments. These are obviously potentially harmful actions. But the most harm is not to the intended target but to the instigator. Every negative or judgmental thought we have has a harmful impact on us at a deep emotional and physical level. It is our health that will suffer, both physical and emotional. The pain in the pit of your stomach, the tension in your neck and shoulders the headache, and the backache the heartburn and on and on may all be related to your negative thinking - the negative judgments you make about other people, events and conditions. Remember, our experience is not what happens to us, but what we interpret those events to mean.
16 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's."
As with "thou shalt not steal," when we understand truth, we know that we have every opportunity to have anything we want. We have no need to take from someone else. There is no limit to the gifts that are available to us. It is for us to desire enough to take the actions necessary to earn our own rewards. For "all things will be added unto us."
17 Now when all the people perceived the thunderings and the lightnings and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled; and they stood afar off,
18 and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will hear; but let not gods speak to us, lest we die."
Over and over again in the Bible, the presence of YHVH is accompanied by Light or lightning. YHVH is the Light that comes out of the darkness; out of the cloud. But to look upon YHVH or come into divine presence before one is totally prepared, is dangerous. For the power of the Light is deadly to everything impure.
19 And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for the gods have come to prove you, and that the fear of them may be before your eyes, that you may not sin."
20 And the people stood afar off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where the gods were.
21 And YHVH said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.
This is an indication that YHVH spoke to Moses from a place from deep within himself. Later in the New Testament, we are told by Yeshua that the Kingdom of Heaven is within. YHVH said that the people should not make any gods of silver or gold. He said that they must build their altars of earth or unhewn stone; for if it is tooled, it is polluted. They must not "go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon."
22 You shall not make a god of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves a god of gold.
Silver and gold are among the most valuable of material things. But even the most valuable material things pale in comparison with spiritual things. And spiritual things must always rank above the material if we are to be successful as human beings. Silver and gold also represent the duality of nature, the two pillars of masonry, the sun and the moon, the mind and the heart. Perhaps there is also a meaning here that we should not make a god of one or the other, for the two opposites must be brought into harmony in order to find inner peace; "the peace that passeth all understanding."
23 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.
An altar of earth symbolizes the stabilizing of the spiritual consciousness, which is brought about by the continued subjugation of the animal instincts. Doing this continuously causes the multiplication of pure spiritual energy and consciousness within the individual. This multiplication of power and consciousness is the blessing that is promised.
24 And if you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones; for if you wield your tool upon it you profane it.
25 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.'
Going up to the altar naked, refers to attaining to spiritual things before one is prepared. For the person seeking spiritual attainment must pass through a thorough preparation, purifying carnal passions and emotions before entering the inner sphere of the soul.