Exodus: The Ten
God invited them into a covenant relationship with him.
Commandment #1: Do not have other gods besides me.
The Lord recognized that there are other gods in this world, but for Israel he is to be the only God they know, have, and worship.
Commandment #2: Do not make images for yourself with which to worship.
We must worship God as he is, not as we envision him or would like him to be.
Exodus 20:7-11
Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name. 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.
REVERENCE FOR THE LORD
Commandment #3: Do not misuse the name of the Lord.
The “Name” of the Lord
The personal name of God is Yahweh, translated the Lord.
Exodus 3:13-14
Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”
In the Bible the “name” of God represents the essence or person of God, as well as the character and reputation of God.
Psalm 8:1
Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!
1 John 5:13
I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Misuse the Name
We carry or bear the name of the Lord.
The commandment is about carrying his name in a way that brings disrepute or dishonor to the name of the Lord.
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Matthew 6:9
Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.
You shall not bear the name of the Lord with irreverence or disrespect.
Seriousness of Misusing the Name
There is a punishment connected to dishonoring the name of the Lord.
Exodus 20:7b
…because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.
Rest and Worship
Commandment #4: Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
Exodus 20:9-10
You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates.
We need rest.
The Sabbath is a gift from God.
Mark 2:27
The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
Exodus 20:11
For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.
Genesis 2:2-3
On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.