Exodus 20 — Sketch
The 10 Commandments
Big Idea:
God gives Moses the Ten Commandments:
The Israelites must worship only God. (They should have faith in God.)
They must not have any idols. (They should be faithful to God.)
They must not misuse God’s name. (They should represent Him well.)
They must remember the Sabbath. (They should rest.)
They must honor their parents. (They should be respectful.)
They must not murder. (They should be peaceful.)
They must not commit adultery. (They should be faithful in marriage.)
They must not steal. (They should be generous.)
They must not lie. (They should be honest.)
They must not covet. (They should be thankful.)
God tells the Israelites that fearing Him will help keep them from sinning.
God then has them build an "altar of earth" for a sacrifice to Him.
Jesus in This Chapter:
These are the beginnings of more than 600 laws God gave to Israel. Civil laws kept order within Israel as a political nation. Ritual laws instructed the priestly sacrificial system. And these laws — the moral laws — direct us in living as God’s people.
Because we are not a part of the political nation of Israel, the civil laws aren’t relevant to us. And because Jesus is our ultimate sacrifice, neither are the ritual laws. But the ethical laws — the Ten Commandments and the Greatest Commandments — do still apply to us because Jesus reinstated them.
Here’s the thing. By putting our faith in Jesus, we are made innocent of breaking ANY of these laws — civil, ritual, or ethical — because Jesus fulfills them all for us.
(Originally drawn October 1, 2010)