Exodus 20:3-17. The Ten Commandments

Choice 1: Exodus 20:3-17. The Ten Commandments

1. Read Exodus 20:3-17 and make a list of the Ten Commandments. Read Matthew 22:36-40, and identify what the Lord said were the two “great” commandments. Verse 40 states that “all” other commandments are part of these two great commandments. Place each of the Ten Commandments within one of these two great commandments by writing “love God” or “love neighbor” next to each of the commandments on your list.

Love God	Love neighbor
1.     Thou shalt have ano other bgods before me.	5. aHonour thy bfather and thy cmother:
2.     Thou shalt anot make unto thee any bgraven cimage	6. Thou shalt not akill.
3.     Thou shalt not take the aname of the Lord thy God in bvain;	7.  Thou shalt not commit aadultery.
4.     Remember the asabbath day, to keep it bholy.	8.  Thou shalt not asteal.
	9.  Thou shalt not bear afalse witness against thy bneighbour.
** on a deeper sense, I think 5 should also be under “love God” because learning how to truly love our parents. Parents might seem to always be in our case because they care for us. God cares for us a lot. Learning to respect our earthly parents can help us in some degree in understanding God.	10.  Thou shalt not acovet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s bwife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

2. List three of the commandments from Exodus 20:3-17 that you feel are most commonly neglected by the world. Read the Institute Student Manual commentary for those three commandments (pgs. 127-34). Write a paragraph about what a difference it would make in the world if all of God’s children kept these commandments.
   
   

The first thing that came to my mind was the first commandment. There are many things the world requires of us in able for us to survive. In the process, there is a tendency to get too caught up trying to keep up and forget about the Lord. Although most of what we do is not unrighteous, putting anything before the Lord can become a “false god.”

The second that I thought is pretty prevalent in today’s world is committing adultery. I like what the manual said about man is to reproduce… but we are not “like the animals that are led by mere instincts.” God gave us power to have full control over this procreative power. What the world want God’s children to do is to abuse this power. If we are led to act out of instincts, how different are we from the animals which God appointed man to rule over?

Third is the tenth commandment, thou shall not covet. Coveting means to desire of something not yours. It leads the person not only to lose self-worth but it can also lead to other sins. Like what the manuals indicated, those who coveted a neighbor’s wife ended committing adultery. Those who coveted a neighbor’s treasure, led that person to steal. If a person would be content of what he have and be happy for his neighbors then coveting will not be an issue. I guess there’s a thin like between admiring and desiring what is not yours. Desiring to become better without another person’s expense is a righteous way to better ourselves in my opinion.