Beyond the Weekend

August 25 | The First Four

August 25, 2016

Exodus 20.1-11

As we come toward the end of the week, we’re also nearing the end of our reflection on the series 10 and the Ten Commandments. We’ve spent the past eleven weeks looking at Israel’s (and, by inference, ours as well) responsibilities to God (Exodus 20.1-11) and to each other (Exodus 20.12-17). We’ve learned that it was “Rescue first, rules second.” Our relationship with God precedes the rules. The rules are in response to his rescuing.

The first four of the Ten address our relationship to God: no other gods, no images, don’t misuse God’s name, and remember the Sabbath. Newly rescued from Egypt, and coming from a god-saturated (idol-saturated) culture, the Israelites needed to know how to respond to their Rescuer. We need the same. Rescued from sin, in a culture saturated with false “gods,” we need to learn how to respond to God. These verses give us the framework for our response.

During these eleven weeks, we’ve encouraged you to memorize all of the Ten Commandments. Today, recite the first four (using the abbreviated version above if you need it!). May God use these four to continually reshape your response to him and his love for you.

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