Exodus 20: God Speaks to His People

There is probably not a greater story than the one of Israel coming out of Egypt. It is a story of God coming to be with His chosen people, who were suffering under a hard taskmaster, and rescuing them with a mighty, powerful hand. It is a story worth remembering, and a story that is referred to again and again throughout the Bible. It gives real meaning to God’s memorial name – He will be – He is the only One who would or could be a God for His people.

But there were conditions. God would be their God, but they must be His people. In Exodus 20, God tells the people their part of this covenant. Jesus, responding to a question of which was the great commandment in the law, summed it up: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Today it is not hard to find those who would agree with loving your neighbour as yourself. The results of not doing so are often readily apparent and have negative consequences that are easy to recognize. It’s not so easy to see the consequences of not loving God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, and as a result, it is easier to neglect. This allows for the possibility of emphasizing loving one’s neighbour over loving God. So let’s take some time in Exodus 20, and remind ourselves of these ten commandments and what they mean for us today.

I hope you will enjoy this little investigation of Exodus 20. Taking the time to soak in a portion of God’s word can be very beneficial. It allows for meditation, which allows for seeing or understanding things that you may have never noticed before, and it just lets it sink down deeper into our hearts.

You are welcome to share your thoughts, comments and questions about this study on the Facebook Group: Sisters Bible Study.