Decalogue

Build Connection

Do you know what the Ten Commandments are? Do you know why they were given? Do you abide by them?

Create Tension

What if I told you most of what you thought about the 10 commandments was wrong?

Provide Solution

Exodus 20:1–17 (NLT):

Then God gave the people all these instructions:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

3 “You must not have any other god but me.

4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You must not murder.

14 “You must not commit adultery.

15 “You must not steal.

16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

Did you know what we call the 10 commandments are not given as commandments but are stated as 10 words given to the Israelites by God?

The term Decalogue was given to them. It comes from two words; deca-10 and logos-word. The best understanding is to view these as 10 statements given by God.

So if they are to be viewed as statements, what is their purpose? To understand their purpose we need to know the situation in which they were given…so, what was it?

The Israelites had just spent 400 years in slavery. That’s anywhere from 15-20 generations.

Every child grew up bing taught how to be good slaves.

little girls were taught how to act so they would not be taken advantage of.

children were taught how to act so they would not be beaten

They were taught how to worship the Egyptian gods so as not to offend and receive punishment

they were taught what was expected from those in authority and how to satisfy their expectations

They never lost their identity as the people of Yahweh but it became skewed. They were God’s people growing up learning how to be good slaves to evil masters.

Knowing this what was God trying to say in the Decalogue? He was teaching them how to live as free people to a loving God.

When asked what the greatest commandment was Jesus didn’t quote any of the decalogue. Instead we read in

Matt 22:34-40

34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 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.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

When you look at the Decalogue in relation to God and others you see something amazing…the first five commands deals with how we respond to God and the last five respond with how we deal with our neighbor.

First 5

worship God alone

not idols

don’t misuse his name

remember the sabbath

honor father and mother

Second 5

don’t murder

don’t commit adultery

don’t steal

don’t testify falsely

don’t covet

So why did God not quote these commands, because he knew that you could obey the commands of God without loving him…

Encourage Change

Do you truly love God?

Do you truly love your neighbor?