Exodus 20:1-6 “And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.’”
Today’s Old Testament One Year Bible devotional contains the delivery of Israel’s moral code of conduct widely referred to as the Ten Commandments. The “aseret hadevarim,” The Decalogue, literally the “ten words,” are foundational to this culture without king or human leadership as neighboring nations. Israel would be led by the Lord who brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage (v.2). Here are the “ten words:”
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not commit murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
The Decalogue is reflective of Jesus’ words in yesterday’s devotional that simply say, “Love God, Love People.” The Lord also used them in telling the rich young ruler what he needed to do to inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22). The first four have to do with our relationship to God and the last six have to do with our relationship to others.
There are no punishments listed for not keeping a particular commandment. The motivation for adherence is simply out of devotion for the Lord who has delivered us from bondage. May we serve Him and obey Him, not because we want to escape hell’s fire, but because He loves us and we love Him and we are thankful for what He’s done for us.