The children of Israel had been in bondage in Egypt, a heathen nation for 400 years. They had lost sight of God's commandments, therefore it was necessary for the Lord to lay them plainly before them again. Before God gave the law He identified Himself to the children of Israel. He said, "I am the Lord your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage." He whom they had already known as their guide and deliverer, who had brought them forth from Egypt, making a way for them in the Red Sea and overthrowing Pharaoh and his host, and who had thus shown Himself to be above all the god's of Egypt, is the One who was about to proclaim His law to them.

Exodus 20:3-17 List each of the Ten Commandments:

1.____________________________________________________________________

2.____________________________________________________________________

3.____________________________________________________________________

4.____________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________
6.____________________________________________________________________

7.____________________________________________________________________

8.____________________________________________________________________
9.____________________________________________________________________

10._________________________________________________________________

The law was not given exclusively for the benefit of the Hebrews, God honored them by making them the guardians and keepers of the law; but it was to be held as a sacred trust for the whole world. The precepts of the Decalogue are adapted to all mankind, and they were given for the instruction and government of all. They were spoken by God and they were written by God. Ten precepts, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, cover the duty of man to God and to his fellowman, and all based upon the great fundamental principle of love: "Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thy self; Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; Luke 10:27. In the Ten Commandments these principles are outlined in detail, and made applicable to the condition and circumstances of man.

(a) "Thou shall have no other gods before Me; Verse 3.

Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself the Source and Sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme reverence and worship. Man is forbidden to give to any other person, object or thing the first place in his affection or his service. Whatever we cherish that tends to lessen our love for God or to interfere with the service due Him, of that do we make a god.

(b) "Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or 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: thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them." Verse 4.

This second commandment forbids the worship of the true God by images or similitude. Many heathen nations claimed that their images were mere figures or symbols by which the deity was worshiped. But God has declared such worship to be sin. The attempt to represent the Eternal One by material objects would lower man's conception of God. The mind, turned away from the infinite perfection of Jehovah, would be attracted to the creature rather than the Creator. And as his conception of God is lowered, so would man become degraded.

"for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God:"

The close and sacred relation of God to His people is represented under the figure of marriage. Idolatry being spiritual adultery, the displeasure of God against it is fitly called jealousy

"Visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me:" It is inevitable that children should suffer from the sequences of parental wrongdoing, but they are not punish for the parents guilt, except as they participate in their sins. It is usually the case, however, that children walk in the steps of their parents. By inheritance and example the sons become partakers of the father's sins. Wrong tendencies, perverted appetites, and debased morals, as well as physical disease and degeneracy, are transmitted as a legacy from father to son, to the third and fourth generation. This fearful truth should have a solemn power to restrain men from following a course of sin.

Showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments:" In prohibiting the worship of false gods, the second commandment by implication enjoins the worship of the true God. And to those who are faithful in His service, mercy is promised, not merely to the third and fourth generation as is the wrath threatened against those who hate Him, but to thousands of generations.

(c) "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain."

This commandment not only prohibits false oaths and common swearing, but it forbids the use of the name of God in a light or careless manner, without regard to its awful significance. By the thoughtless mention of God in common conversation, by appeals to Him in trivial matters, and by the frequent repetition of His name, we dishonor Him. Holy and reverend is His name" (Psalm 111:9). All should meditate upon His majesty, His purity and holiness, that the heart may be impressed with a sense of His exalted character; and His holy name should be uttered with reverence and solemnity.

(d) "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, Six days shall thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shall not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."

"The Sabbath is not introduced as a new institution, but as having been founded at creation. It is to be remembered and observed as the memorial of the Creator's work. Pointing to God as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, it distinguishes the true God from all false gods. All who keep the seventh day signify by this act that they are worshipers of Jehovah. Thus the Sabbath is the sign of man's allegiance to God as long as there are any upon the earth to serve Him. The fourth commandment is the only one of all the ten in which are found both the name and the title of the Lawgiver. It is the only one that shows by whose authority the law is given. Thus it contains the seal of God, affixed to His law as evidence of its authenticity and binding force.

God has given men six days wherein to labor, and He requires that their own work be done in the six working days. Acts of necessity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, the sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for; but unnecessary labor is to be strictly avoided. "Turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shall honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure" (Isaiah 58:13). Nor does the prohibition end here. "Nor speaking thine own words," says the prophet. Those who discuss business matters or lay plans on the Sabbath are regarded by God as though engaged in the actual transaction of business. To keep the Sabbath holy, we should not even allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character. And the commandment includes all within our gates. The inmates of the house are to lay aside their worldly business during the sacred hours. All should unite to honor God by willing service upon His holy day.

"Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives thee."

Parents are entitled to a degree of love and respect which is due to no other person. God Himself who has placed upon them a responsibility for the souls committed to their charge, has ordained that during the early years of life, parents shall stand in the place of God to their children. And he who rejects the rightful authority of his parents is rejecting the authority of God. The fifth commandment requires children not only to yield respect, submission and obedience to their parents, but also to give them love and tenderness, to lighten their cares, to guard their reputation, and to succor and comfort them in old age. It also enjoins respect for ministers and rulers and for all others to whom God has delegated authority. "This says the apostle "is the first commandment with promise" (Ephesians 6:2). To Israel, expecting soon to enter Canaan, it was a pledge to the obedient, of long life in that good land; but it has a wider meaning, including all the Israel of God, and promising eternal life upon the earth when it shall be freed from the curse of sin.

(f) "Thou shall not kill."

All acts of injustice that tends to shorten life. The spirit of hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them harm (for whosoever hates his brother is a murderer); a selfish neglect of caring for the needy or suffering; all self-indulgence or unnecessary deprivation or excessive labor that tends to injure health; all these are, to a greater or less degree, violations of the sixth commandment.

(g) "Thou shall not commit adultery."

This commandment forbids not only acts of impurity, but sensual thoughts and desires, or any practice that tends to excite them. Purity is demanded not only in the outward life but in the secret intents and emotions of the heart. Christ, who taught the far-reaching obligation of the law of God, declared the evil thought or look to be as truly sin as is the unlawful deed.

(h) "Thou shall not steal."

Both public and private sins are included in this prohibition. The eighth commandment condemns man-stealing and slave dealing, and forbids wars of conquest. It condemns theft and robbery. It demands strict integrity in the minutest details of the affairs of life. It forbids overreaching in trade, and requires the payment of just debts or wages. It declares that every attempt to advantage oneself by the ignorance, weakness, or misfortune of another is registered as fraud in the books of heaven.

"Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

False speaking in any matter, every attempt or purpose to deceive our neighbor, is here included. An intention to deceive is what constitutes falsehood. By a glance of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, a falsehood may be told as effectually as by words. All intentional overstatement, every hint or insinuation calculated to convey an erroneous or exaggerated impression, even the statement of facts spoken in such a manner as to mislead, is falsehood. This precept forbids every effort to injure our neighbor's reputation by misrepresentation or evil surmising, by slander or tale bearing. Even the intentional suppression of truth, by which injury may result to others, is a violation of the ninth commandment.

(j) "Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

The tenth commandment strikes at the very root of all sins, prohibiting the selfish desire, from which springs the sinful act. He who in obedience to God's law refrains from indulging even a sinful desire for that which belongs to another will not be guilty of an act of wrong toward his fellow creatures.

Such were the sacred precepts of the Decalogue, spoken amid thunder and flame, and with a wonderful display of the power and majesty of the great Lawgiver. God accompanied the proclamation of His law with exhibitions of His power and glory, that His people might never forget the scene, and that they might be impressed with profound veneration for the Author of the law, the Creator of heaven and earth. He would also show to all men the sacredness, the importance, and permanence of His law. Never since man was created had there been witnessed such a manifestation of divine power as when the law was proclaimed from Sinai. "The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel" (Psalm 68:8). Amid the most terrific convulsions of nature the voice of God, like a trumpet, was heard from the cloud. The mountain was shaken from base to summit, and the host of Israel, pale and trembling with terror, lay upon their faces upon the earth. The power of God's utterances seemed more than their trembling hearts could bear, for as God's great rule of right was presented before them, they realized as never before the offensive character of sin, and their own guilt in the sight of a holy God.

I will give some text, state which commandment is involved.
Genesis 31:19 _________________________________________________________
Genesis 2:1-4 _________________________________________________________
Genesis 4:8-11_________________________________________________________
Genesis 38:24__________________________________________________________
Genesis 39:7-9 ________________________________________________________
Genesis 44:8 __________________________________________________________
Genesis 27:1-29 _______________________________________________________

3. Deuteronomy 4:12,13 Fill in the blanks: And the Lord _________ unto you out of the __________ of the _________ ye heard the ________ of the _________, but saw no __________: only ye heard a ____________, and He ________ unto you His ________, which He _________ you to perform, even _________ ________, and He __________ them upon two __________ of __________.

4. How many times did the Lord write the Ten Commandments? Deuteronomy 10:1-4 5. Where did Moses put the two tables of stone which the Ten Commandments were written on? Deuteronomy 10:5. ___________________
6. What was the condition of the weather when the Lord descended on Mount Sinai to give Moses the Ten Commandments? Exodus 19:16 ___________________________

7.What natural phenomenon occurred when God gave His law, When He died on Calvary, when He arose from the dead, and as He is about to return the second time? Exodus 19:18; Matthew 27:51; Revelation 11:15-19. __________________________

8. What did the Lord promise Israel would be the results of obedience to Him? Deuteronomy 7:14. _____________________________________________________

9. Fill in the blanks: Psalms 1:1 2 Blessed is the man that ___________ not in the __________ of the __________ nor _________ in the way of ___________, nor sitteth in the __________ of the ____________; But his delight is in the ________ of the Lord, and in His __________ doth he __________ day and night.

10. Fill in the blank: Romans 7:12: Wherefore the __________ is holy and the ____________ holy and ________ and good.

11. How can we know that we know God? 1 John 2:3. _________________________
12. If we say we know Him and keep not His commandments, we are what? 1 John 2:4 __________________________________________________________________
13. There is no such thing as keeping part of God's commandment; What does the Bible say of such a person? James 2:10. ________________________________

Keeping the law or commandments is the duty of man. That includes all races-Jews and Gentiles. If it was only the Jews duty to keep the commandments, the Lord would not have destroyed the Amorites, Philistines etc. They were destroyed because the cup of iniquity was full before God.

14. What did the Lord say we must do if we love Him? John 14: 15: ____________________________________________________________________

15 Some people say the law was nailed to the cross: what did Jesus say to such a suggestion? Matthew 5:17 Fill in the blanks: Think not that I am ________ to _________ the ________ or the _________, I am not destroy but to fulfill.

16. The ark in which the Ten Commandments were placed in the time of Moses was a pattern of that which is in heaven. What did John see when the temple was opened in heaven? Revelation 11:19. ____________________________________________

17. Fill in the blanks: Revelation 22:14, Blessed are they that do His __________, that they may have the right to the _______ of _______ and may _________ in through the ________ into the city.

The great principles of God's law are embodied in the Ten Commandments and exemplified in the life of Christ. They express God's love, will and purpose concerning human conduct and relationships, and are binding upon all people in every age. These precepts are the basis of God's covenant with His people and the standard in God's judgment. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit they point out sin and awakens a sense of need for a Saviour. Salvation is all of grace and not of works, but, its fruitage is obedience to the commandments. This obedience develops Christian character and results in a sense of well being. It is an evidence of our love for the Lord, and our concern for our fellowman. The obedience of faith demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives and therefore strengthen Christian witness.

The law of God is from eternity to eternity. His law was always available to man. That is why when Cain killed his brother Abel way back there in Genesis chapter 4, it was a sin. That is why the Lord had to destroy the world in the days of Noah.

In every age the Lord always look for a people who are willing to do what is right.
Abraham had already established himself as a worshiper of the true God; therefore the Lord was able to established His covenant with him. There were always people on the earth who kept the commandments of God; Noah and his and his family were saved and that entire world was destroyed because he obeyed God and they did not. That is why Lot and his daughters were not consumed in the fires of Sodom. From Genesis to Revelation there were always a people who kept the commandments of God.

God is counting on me and you to be His representatives here on the earth in these last days.. We could be a Abraham or a lot. Let us by His grace "keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13 last part.

My prayer is that you will give your life to God today and keep His commandments.. For tomorrow just might be too late.