The Ten Commandments (continued, again)

The last six commandments talk about our duty to other people. When Jesus summarized the ten commandments in two, the second one was

And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Matthew 22:39

Discussion questions

• What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
• What are some ways we can love our neighbor?

Now let's look at the last six commandments.

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land
the LORD your God is giving you.

"You shall not murder.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

"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."

Discussion questions

• These six commandments show us how to love our neighbors and our fellow man. Who is mentioned first?
• Why do you think your father and mother are mentioned first?
• What does it mean to murder?
• In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus even compares not being angry with someone to the commandment not to murder. Do you find it hard to not to be angry with those around you?
• What does it mean to commit adultery?
• What does it mean to steal?
• Do you ever have problems with taking things that aren't yours?
• What does it mean to give false testimony?
• Do you ever have problems telling things that are not true?
• What does it mean to covet?
• Do you ever want something that belongs to someone else?

The Ten Commandments (continued)

The first four commandments talk about our duty to God. This is much like when we read yesterday how Jesus summarized the ten commandments into just two. The first of these was

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

Matthew 22:37

Do you recall some of the ways you said you could love God?

Let's look at these first four commandments...

"You shall have no other gods before me.

"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. 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, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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. 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.

Exodus 20:2-11

Discussion questions

• What does it mean to not have any other gods?
• Can you think of anything that you sometimes love more than you love God?
• If God is a jealous God, what should you do?
• What are some things in your life that God might be jealous of?
• How do people misuse God's name?
• When are acceptable times to use God's name? (When talking to Him or talking about Him)
• What do Christians celebrate as the Sabbath day?
• What are things we can do to keep the Sabbath day holy?
• What are things we shouldn't do on the Sabbath day?

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are the rules that God gave to His people through Moses on Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments aren't all of the laws (rules) that God had for His people, but they form the basis for all of God's laws. But, Jesus simplified things even more, summarizing all of the law into just two!

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 22:36-40

The Ten Commandments neatly fit into the two commandments that Jesus told of. The first set of commandments deal with how we are to love God and the second set deal with how we are to love others.

• Why do you think the command to love God is first?
• What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind?
• What are some ways you can love God?
• What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
• How can we love our neighbor?

Let's read the Ten Commandments now. We'll start looking at them in depth later...

And God spoke all these words: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

"You shall have no other gods before me.

"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. 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, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 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. 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.

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

"You shall not murder.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

"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."

Exodus 20:1-17