After the people of Israel agreed to do all that God had spoken, God gave to Moses His Ten Words. We went through God’s first word, which declared who He is as their God–the God who rescues, saves, and delivers. God’s second word dealt with having no other “gods before Him,” which after their recent Egypt experience and their plethora of gods made perfect sense. We now look at God’s other words to His people.
Sometimes, the question comes up as to why they are the “Ten Commandments” (really Ten Words) when the text of the Ten Words doesn’t say that there are ten. We know there are ten because Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 10:4 tell us so.
- Exodus 34:28: He wrote on the tablets the word [davar] of the covenant–the Ten Words [davarim].
- Deuteronomy 10:4: Yahweh then wrote on the tablets the same inscription [miktav], the Ten Words [davarim].
Read Exodus 20:3
– Discuss the idea behind what’s in a name (for example, “Stop in the name of the law!”)
This verse literally reads: “Do not carry the name of Yahweh, your God, into the emptiness.” To make sense of this, we need to understand the Hebrew idea of “glory,” which is the opposite of “in vain” or “emptiness.” Kavod, the Hebrew for “glory,” has the idea behind it of mass, volume, weight, or substance. So, taking God’s name in vain is acting or speaking in a way that “shrinks” who He is, even lessening His glory into perceived nothingness.
– Individually, how do we act or speak that lessens who God is?
– In worship, do we act corporately in a way that may do that?
Read Exodus 20:8-11
Literally: “Remember the Sabbath day to holy it.”
– What does “Sabbath” mean?
– How were the Israelites “to holy” the Sabbath Day?
– What spiritual point was God making by having the Israelites not work on the Sabbath?
– How does this principle help us understand the nature of worship?
– Who then is primary doer in worship? Who are the secondary doers?
Colossians 2:16-17: Let no one judge you about food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days. These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah.
Hebrews 4:9-10: So you see that a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. For the one who enters God’s rest also rests from his works, just as God did from his.
– How do we know the principle of being brought into God’s rest is still to exist for us as long as we live in this creation?
God Words as It Relates to Others
Read Exodus 20:12
– Discuss.
Read Exodus 20:13
– This verse say not to “kill,” not “murder.” What is the difference?
– What does this say about those situations where killing is authorized?
Click here to go to Lesson 13.
