The 10 Commandments

Exodus 20

Exodus 20:1–17 ESV

And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved 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. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. “You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Last week we saw Moses reluctantly receive the call that God gave to him. Today we are looking at Moses receiving the 10 commandments from God.

The 10 commandments are the moral law of God and it serves us well to have them memorized. In the description of this episode I have a simplified list that you can screenshot to begin memorizing with. Knowing the ten commandments well and what Jesus taught about them can greatly shape our ethics and worldview. Jesus takes these commandments and shows us that they are really matters of the heart. He says that if you hate you have committed murder in your heart. This pushes us to the point of truly realizing how holy God is and how sinful we are. By the law no one enters heaven because nobody can live up to the standard of the law.

Jesus summarizes the entire 10 commandments when asked which is the greatest. He says Matthew 22.37-39 “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The entire law is summarized in a single thing, love. Today I just have the simple message of love. Love is the most powerful thing that we can do and the word of God calls us to love time and time again. Ephesians 5.2 says “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Don’t ever forget to love. This is what the entire ten commandments points to.

The love of God is balanced with his need for justice. If you have not received the love that Christ offers by putting your faith in him then you will be held accountable for your sin, for your transgressions against his commands. By being held accountable he will enact his justice through his wrath. That isn’t how it has to be though, he offers his love to all.

Next week we will look at Nadab and Abihu and see how God truly does care how we worship.