Exodus 20:1-17 — The Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Once, when I was six years old, I was sick and was prescribed some medicine by my doctor. Unfortunately, I was allergic to this medicine; it made me hyperactive. So instead of staying in bed all day I started shouting and running around the house. I was so annoying that my parents gave me a “time out”.
I screamed as they put me in my room. After a half hour my father came to check up on me. As he approached my door he heard, not screaming, but a ripping sound. When he entered my room he realized that I was ripping the wallpaper off the walls!
In today’s scripture passage we read the Ten Commandments. It’s interesting that in receiving The Ten Commandments the Israelites not only were given rules for life but also gained deep insights into the very nature of God. God’s not just telling them what not to do; He’s also letting them know who He is.
He’s revealing himself by saying: I give you freedom (v.2), I am all you need (v.3), I am jealous and punish those who hate me (v.5), I lavish love on those who love me (v.6), My Name is awesome (v.7), I want us to have a consistent relationship (v.8-11). I created you to love your parents (v.12). I want you to value life, marriage, hard work, honesty and to have unselfish relationships with others (v.13-17).
I wasn’t being malicious in destroying my room—I was under the influence of an allergic reaction—I just didn’t know any better. When I saw the anger on my fathers face and heard the power in his voice I stopped my destruction. My father taught me these things not just by saying “Don’t rip your wallpaper!” but by showing me who he was, what he valued and who he wanted me to be.
Youth Department 