The Ten Commandments Series

The epic movie The Ten Commandments was one of the most popular movies of all times. The actual ten commandments, well they are not as popular. Even if they are not as popular as the movie, the ten commandments are epic just the same.

The setting is back at Mount Sinai where Moses received his burning bush call. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. (Exodus 3:2).

It is the same location but now a year has passed from the burning bush call. It was nine months from the burning bush to the Exodus and then three months from the Exodus to Mount Sinai. What a year, the ten plagues of Egypt, the Passover, the parting of the Red Sea, Bitter water to sweet water miracle, the battle with the Amalekites, Jethro’s visit and water from the rock.

The Israelites stayed camped at Mount Sinai for almost one year. Chapter 19 of Exodus describes the great and awesome worship experience there.

God reminds his people of their covenant. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, (Exodus 19:5)

The duty of the Israelites is to keep the ten commandments. They sealed this with blood. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” (Exodus 24:6-7)

In Exodus 20 God gave the ten commandments orally to the people. No stone tablets yet.

• You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

• You shall not make for yourself an image. (Exodus 20:4)

• You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God (Exodus 20:7)

• Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8-11)

• Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12)

• You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13)

• You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

• You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

• You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16)

• You shall not covet (Exodus 20:17)

After this oral giving of the ten commandments Moses was on Mount Siani for forty days with God. There was an expanding of the law, instructions regarding the priesthood and the Tabernacle. We find this in Exodus chapters 21-31. Moses received the tablets of stone that were broken on the sight of the golden calf.

In chapter 19 before the giving of the ten commandments the Israelites heard God speak from Mount Siani. It put the fear of God in them. The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said. (Exodus 19:9).

Everyone trembled as they stood at the base of Mount Siani. On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled (Exodus 19:16).

The commandments are listed in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. There are two tablets of the ten commandments. The first are the God and Man relationship and the second are the man-to-man relationship. Our relationship with God effects our relationship with people.

Man relating to God

• You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

• You shall not make for yourself an image. (Exodus 20:4)

• You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God (Exodus 20:7)

• Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8-11)

Man relating to man

• Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12)

• You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13)

• You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

• You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

• You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16)

• You shall not covet (Exodus 20:17)

1. You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 19:3)

There is only one worthy of worship. That is God almighty. Let nothing else have the first priority of our lives we are to give to God. What an experience of worship the Israelites have had in Exodus 19. They had the fear of God in them and for the moment they know there is no other God, like God almighty.

2. You shall not make for yourself an image. (Exodus 19:4)