The Ten Commandments were the ten
basic laws by which the Hebrew people of Moses’ time maintained their community
during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Because they had
become a nomadic people, they needed a common structure to hold them together
for survival. These ten laws were given to Moses by God which meant that they
were not just civil laws that the people made up; they were special laws
required to be kept by the nomadic Hebrews to honor God first and maintain the
community second.
When
the Hebrew people became their own Jewish nation, they kept these original laws
in order to remain holy and pure. However, being human they were not perfect,
so every person broke different laws at different times. By breaking these
laws, the people became separated from God, as well as placed under His
judgment. In Old Testament times, breaking God’s laws brought severe punishment
from God and/or the community upon the lawbreaker, commonly known as a sinner.
In
order to please God and heal the broken relationships between the sinner and
the community, different kinds of sacrifices and restitution had to be made.
Sometimes the sinner sacrificed an animal and paid back money to the person who
had been wronged. In serious cases (blasphemy, murder, and adultery) capital
punishment was applied.
In
New Testament times, God’s grace was displayed through the sacrifice of Jesus.
His death was offered as the complete means of restoring sinners to God. This
meant that actual sacrifices were no longer required. It also meant that sinners
could be repent of their past offences and pray for Christ to forgive them.
This is how we as Presbyterians deal with our sins today. We sincerely confess
our mistakes to Christ and He immediately forgives us. This is also why one of
the first prayers that we express to God in church on Sundays is a confessional
prayer. Every week, every day, every time we sincerely pray, we can begin our
lives again because our sins are totally forgiven through Christ and God’s
grace.
Please read over the following scriptures and use
the questions below them for a discussion with your parent(s).
Exodus
20:1-17
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.
5-6You 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, 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.
9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,10but 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.11For 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.
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."
Questions
Why
did God absolutely require His people to worship Him only?
What
was the purpose of commanding a Sabbath as a day of rest?
Why
should people honor their parents?
Which
of the commands do you think people break frequently?
If God
had offered an eleventh command for us today, what do you think it should be?
(e.g.
You shall not let people go hungry)
Ephesians
2:8-10
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9not by works, so that no one can boast.10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do.
Why do you think God offered His Son as the way of receiving
His grace? How does being forgiven help us to do good works for God?
Colossians
3:16-17
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach
and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with
gratitude in your hearts to God.17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Why
are Christ’s words so important for us to learn? How does His teaching affect
and influence our choices? How can we do things in His name that honor Him? Why
should we give thanks to God for Jesus?
Any
other questions that you have?
For
more information about the Ten Commandments, the following link is a good
resource:
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