Scripture: Exodus 20:1-2

What are the Ten Words? We read in Exodus 20:1, “And God spoke all these words.” “Words is referring to the Ten Commandments God spoke on Mount Sinai to Moses. God’s Ten Commandments are found in the rest of Exodus 20 and also in Deuteronomy 5.

Because these commandments are unnumbered in the Bible, there have been several ways these 10 Words have been numbered, but it doesn’t matter how you number them - what matters is whether you listen to them or not.

Exodus 20:2 God continues, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”  He is saying He’s the Israelite’s Deliverer from bondage in Eqypt.  We can also see this truth throughout Scripture as well when God promised to send a Savior and then sent the Messiah, Jesus Christ to Deliver His people from the bondage of sin.
 
Deliverance - God is the One who saves and all commandments flow from this statement of God’s deliverance for His children.

It’s not that we are saved by obeying the commands. It is God who saves us.  He is the Deliverer but in response to His work we desire to do what His 10 Words teach.

We cannot earn His favor, rather it’s God that has shown us His favor by being our Deliverer.  Deliverance is at the heart of all 10 Words.

Two dangers around the Ten Words:
    ⁃    Pride.  Thinking we have been good, or at least better than others. Or that we can earn God’s favor, but we ALL have sinned which means we all need to be rescued. We need a Savior because we cannot measure up to a holy God. (We are not measured against others, the measure is against a perfect, holy God and we all have failed) Only Jesus has obeyed the Father fully. Only Jesus lived the perfect life we could not. Only Jesus the perfect Lamb could shed His blood for our sin and save us.

    ⁃    Rebellion. Some of us refuse to believe there is a god. Others do what they think is “good.” Others may even question is there really good and bad and choose to ignore anything or anyone that says differently. The religious also rebel in thinking that “if God loves me and Jesus came to die for me, than I’m saved by His grace through faith so sin is not that big of a thing - I can do what I please, it doesn’t really matter because I’m saved.” But this too is deception and it is rebelling against the plan and purpose of God.

What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments for those who know God and trust in Jesus?  What about the unbeliever, how do these commandments speak into their lives.

God desires to call us ALL to the truth, to deliver us all from bondage to rebellion and foolishness and pride. His desire is to have us come face to face with Him and His love for each one of us.

Consider God’s commandments as an Owner’s Manual, like an owner’s manual for your car. The car’s maker tells the best ways to care for the vehicle. The Ten Commandments are God’s Owner’s Manual for His people. This “manual” shows us how to care for what our Maker made, how to live well, how to live as a thank You note to God.

Understanding God as our Deliverer, through faith in our Savior, changes how we look at the Commandments. Rather than a list of “dos” and “don’ts” we see them as God’s way of showing us how to have a meaningful life for all and to help us create a meaningful culture for all.

Our Maker knows what’s best for us.  His words give direction and purpose for our lives.

How does God use the Ten Commandments?
    1.    As a CURB - to keep us on the right path.
    2.    As a MIRROR - to show us our faults. As a mirror we see how we need a Savior, especially in a culture that is so far off the narrow path.
    3.    As a GUIDE - for Him to lovingly direct His will over our sinful nature.

The Ten Commandments are a response to God’s deliverance and we can look at them as the Owner’s Manual spoken by our Maker.

Will we use this Owner’s Manual and will we let it be our curb, mirror and guide that points us back to the truth of our need for a Savior?

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