As we’re considering them in our evening services, for a few days we turn to the Ten Commandments. These were given by God to Moses at Sinai immediately after the Children of Israel left Egypt. These commandments show how a people set free from slavery, and for us set free from sin, should live. The commandments are to be kept not to earn our way to heaven, but rather to show our thankfulness for the salvation we receive by grace through Jesus and His death on the cross. They highlight where true freedom is found; it is found as we submit to God’s will.

When you consider the manner in which the commandments were given, with the thunders, lightnings, thick cloud, fire and very loud trumpet blasts which caused the people to tremble (19 v16), then we see that the giving of these commandments was no ordinary event. The way the commandments were given, highlights that they are from an awesome God and we need to treat them with the greatest seriousness possible.

Unlike the other commandments, the ten commandments were written with the finger of God (Exodus 31 v18) and placed in the Ark of the Covenant in the holy of holies (Exodus 40 v20) to point to how they reflect the character of God. God’s character doesn’t change; therefore, His Ten Commandments do not change and what God expects of us does not change.