Ten Commandments, God's Love Letter

Chuckle: A man was shouting "Amen" in a certain church. One of the deacons told him he’d have to be quiet. The man said -- "But I've got religion." "Well, shut up, you didn't get it in this church," the deacon snapped.

Quote: "Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't." --Erica Mann Yong

Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called out to him from the Mountain and said, "Give these instructions to the descendants of Jacob, the people of Israel. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I brought you to myself and carried you on eagle's wings" (Exodus 19:3-4 NLT).

If you love your children deeply and are genuinely concerned for their well-being, you will set down rules and guidelines for their conduct in order to protect them from destructive behavior. You're intent is not to restrict their lives and make them miserable, but to make their lives happier and more fulfilling. Please keep this thought in mind as we begin a series of lessons on the Ten Commandments.

In our modern age, how much of the Old Testament Law is still relevant for New Testament Christians? Which, if any, of the Laws should be kept by Christians now living under Grace rather than law? Remember, Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). We must recognize that the ceremonial and sacrificial laws are no longer applicable to the church because Jesus became the ultimate once for all sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:10). However, these Commands are as relevant today as they were in Moses' day. They give us a moral and spiritual compass to live by. Even our very laws are based on the Ten Commandments.

In our "if it feels good, do it" society, where emphasis is placed on individual rights and personal freedoms, there is a growing resentment toward authority and some people are generally not receptive to commands of any kind. This attitude can creep into the Christian life if we are not careful. The Ten Commandments are more correctly termed as "A Covenant," or "Testimony" (Deuteronomy 9:9). The "Tables of the Covenant" were God's way of establishing order in his kingdom and were designed out of love for His people to lead them to lives of practical holiness.

In the covenant, God said to the people: "Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be to me a kingdom of priests, my holy nation" (Exodus 19:5-6 NLT). If you accept the commandments as your part of a covenant between God and you, rather than just a set of rules, you will begin to see them and God in a totally different light.

Listen to what God said to Moses in Exodus 19:3-4. In essence, God said, "Moses, before you give the people these commands, before anything else, tell them I love them, delivered them out of slavery, bore them on eagles' wings, and brought them to myself." What a beautiful expression of our Heavenly Father's never ending love.

Love, Jerry & Dotse