2016 The Ten Commandments Overview Family Study Guide Objectives: Help your children list the Ten Commandments. Help your children describe how God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Help your children explain Jesus Christ's view of the Ten Commandments. Help your children explain the positive results that come from keeping God's laws. What are the Ten Commandments? Read Exodus 20:3-17. Review each of the Ten Commandments and discuss what each one means. How would you put each one in your own words? What two main "categories" could you create for these commandments? Where in the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament) can the Ten Commandments be found? What strategies do family members or friends have to help memorize the Ten Commandments? (See below on pages 5-6, the Two Hands sheets for ideas) Describe how the commandments were given. Who wrote the 10 Commandments - Moses or God? Deuteronomy 9:10 Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God. How were the Commandments first delivered? What was the reaction of the people? Read Exodus 19:17-20 and Exodus 20:18-29 After God spoke the Commandments, they were also provided in written form. o Exodus 24:12 Later, the Lord said to Moses, Come up the mountain to me. Wait there, and I will give you two stone tablets. On these are the teachings and the commandments. I have written these to teach the people. After the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two stone tablets with the agreement written on them. The finger of God wrote the commands on the stones. o Exodus 32:1-30 Why did a second set of tablets need to be made? o Exodus 34:1-4 The Lord said to Moses, Cut two more stone tablets like the first two. I will write the same words on them that were on the first two stones which you broke. Tomorrow morning come up on Mount Sinai and stand before Me. No one may come with you. No one should even be seen any place on the mountain. Not even the sheep or cattle may eat grass near that mountain. So Moses did everything just as God told him to do. What were the similarities and differences in each delivery of the Commandments? Why do you think this was the case? 1
What can we learn about the Ten Commandments from Jesus Christ? o Matthew 19:17 and Matthew 22:35-40. Christ often discussed the importance of the commandments and set an example of how to obey God. o The excerpt of the UCG study booklet, The Ten Commandments, provides a list of verses that show Christ's view of the commandments as a necessity to life. https://www.ucg.org/biblestudy-tools/booklets/the-ten-commandments/does-the-new-covenant-abolish-thecommandments o Read Matthew 5:17-43. Christ illustrated that God's commandments are not just about our actions; they are also about our thoughts and motivation. What is the purpose of God's Commandments? God gave us the Ten Commandments to help us understand how we should act towards Him and each other. What are some benefits for obeying God's Commandments? o Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." 2016 o o o Deuteronomy 5: 29 "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" Deuteronomy 30:19-20 "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Psalm 119:97-112 "You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies...i have more understanding than all my teachers...than the ancients...through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." What consequences take place when we do not obey God? o Read Exodus 32:31-35. What was the result of Israel's worship of the golden calf? o What other Biblical examples can you brainstorm that show consequences for disobedience? o What examples can you think of in your own life at home, school, extra activities, work, or church? Breaking some of these commandments is punishable by our country s laws (murder, stealing, what others?) Some are not, such as misusing the name of the Lord. Nevertheless, God expects us to follow all of His commandments as long as we live. 2
2016 Suggested Family Discussions: ü "The Golden Calf" Discussion: After reading Exodus 32 as a family, watch the "golden calf scene" from the 1956 Cecil B. DeMille version of The Ten Commandments: o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yetnmqtlyi o Or longer segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idxrtpmcckg Discuss the following questions: 1. How do you think God must have felt about the Golden Calf incident? 2. Discuss the following two quotes from the movie where Moses says: a) There is no freedom without the law (read 2 Peter 2:19; John 8:32) b) Those who will not live by the law shall die by the law! (read Deuteronomy 30:15-20; James 1:12-15) (While these statements are not direct bible quotes discuss why they reflect biblical principles and how they apply to us.) 3. Why do you think, You shall have no other Gods before me is the first commandment? ü Keeping the Law: Is there a difference between the Ten Commandments and other laws in the Bible (such as food laws, Holy Days, tithing, retribution, etc.)? ü "Apply It" Discussion: Your friend at school says to you, "Why do you keep trying so hard to keep those old commandments? That's the Law of Moses that was nailed to the cross, so the law won't save you, Jesus does. Just accept Jesus and be thankful for grace." How could you respond? Additional Resources for Your Family Studies: ü ü ü UCG Study Booklet The Ten Commandments https://www.ucg.org/bible-studytools/booklets/the-ten-commandments UCG Beyond Today Bible Study Series The Ten Commandments https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-bible-study/ten-commandments UCG Study Guides: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/teen-bible-study-guides/teen-bible-study-volume-3- the-ten-commandments 3
2016 Possible Classroom Activities: 1. Make Your Own Tablets: (this might be a good on-going project) Use cardboard or another hard paper material to cut out stone tablets one set for each child. Then you will need to print out the 10 commandments ahead of time, one set for each child. Have the children cut the commandments into strips of paper (one commandment on each strip). Then have the children place the commandments in the correct order onto their tablets. Be sure to check that the order is correct before they glue them onto the tablets. (Note: You might make a poster with the commandments and post in your class area each time. The children can check for themselves to make sure the commandments are in the correct order.) 2. Ten Commandments 2 Hands Activity. See two ideas below. This is a way to memorize the commandments. 3. There are additional activities and handouts on pages 7-12. 4
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THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (EXODUS 19:20-20:22) 2016 K-2 N H V Q T M G Z E I Q Y L J X E N B F Y G D K F O R Y S J P I G Q H L F E K J T I O V H J G X Y P I H T R A E H M M T H H G F L E S R U O Y L O A G G B R E J O A P Q T A S S N N E O Q L T V W Z J E N T E Z E U R I N B Q X C B J R T S S R W S S T N E M D N A M M O C T D Z P V I Z D O G Z P F L H S W K H D N I M C B Z I A U M E L B Z Q A U P Q R K Q E O M A O M O U N T S I N A I V S S W R Z I T M A E I B C D O F V L D F V A X N S W K T J L V O Z Y COMMANDMENTS GOD MIND MOSES SOUL STRENGTH HEART MOUNT SINAI TEN LORD NEIGHBOR YOURSELF LOVE 8
2016 WRITE DOWN THE LETTERS IN THE BOXES AS YOU COME TO THEM ON THE LINES BELOW. 9
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (EXODUS 19:20-20:22) 2016 3-12 D S P G X Q M B D N U Z V F G X T K F L V J C Q E Q I Z F S P I N B P P O P O P A F P C K H O F A H W I P L C R J R L K I P Q F Y F X W B U S D Y A V E D Z K R Z K X C B O K H T G N E R T S M L S I E P A V J Z I E M T S C M S E U H O T Q N M R L K U S Y Y E Y O Z G O I Y V V S A E K I T F H T L N U P P N Z M Y E G S I O H J R J H T N N J R Z M I N D N W O P G I C A U Q E T E N F V W C P E Q D E Q E T J E L U S N R M M U Y L I M L K Z F X J H H K I Z D M D D D Z G N B P A P R F H L V N F Q L E Y E N H W S P V G E C J B Q A B U V C U I T B A C C R G S U G M C I O D M L V W O O W U M N Y Y A V O D G H B C N S O G R S E G A M R Q U F W E O Y Y Z V F L E S R U O Y P O D L I J H H G D R S R S F B L E F Z C E C S U V E G O G D L S K Z L M B Y S M M O Y H H I Q F C Y B B L A O E D I D C V O X I Y COMMANDMENTS GOD MIND MOSES SOUL STRENGTH HEART MOUNT SINAI TEN LORD NEIGHBOR YOURSELF LOVE 10
2016 My Time Manager Name: How many hours/minutes a day do you: Time How many hours/minutes a day do you: Time Daily Total Play video games or watch TV? Spend in school? Spend with Friends? Study or do homework? Prepare and eat meals? Talk on the phone or text message? Commute to and from school? Do chores? Spend online or on the computer? Study the Bible, Pray or Think about God? Spend in extracurricular activities? Sleep? Get showered and dressed? Do other things? TOTAL TOTAL 24 hours What does the way I spend my time say about me? How could I spend my time more constructively? 11
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