Exodus 19:1 to 20:21 God gave the Ten Commandments in love to show us how to love him and love others. Understand the reverence of God's holy appearance at Mount Sinai. Identify the two tables of the law: loving God (1-4) and loving our neighbor (5-10). Recognize that God's law is a holy mirror that leads us to see our need for Jesus. Three months after leaving Egypt, Israel arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai. God invited them into a sacred covenant to be his treasured possession and a holy nation. Thunder and Lightning on Sinai Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire. Thunder crashed, flashes of lightning lit the sky, and the loud blast of a heavenly trumpet grew louder and louder! The whole mountain trembled violently. The people saw that God is holy, mighty, and pure. The Words of Life God spoke the Ten Commandments with his own voice: 1) Worship no other gods; 2) Make no idols; 3) Do not misuse God's holy name; 4) Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Keep marriage pure; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not lie; 10) Do not covet what belongs to others. Written by the Finger of God Moses went up into the thick cloud, and God wrote these ten commandments on two stone tablets with his own finger. The commandments are like protective guardrails on a mountain road: they show us how to love God with all our heart and how to live in peace and kindness with our neighbors. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart... and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37 to 39 What mountain did God descend upon with thunder and fire? Mount Sinai Mount Ararat Mount Carmel Mount Hermon Mount Sinai Exodus 19:18 tells us that Mount Sinai was completely covered in smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire. How are the Ten Commandments divided in focus? The first four teach loving God; the last six teach loving our neighbor All ten are about building boats They are only for kings They are only about food The first four teach loving God; the last six teach loving our neighbor Commandments 1-4 focus on our relationship with God, and 5-10 focus on loving our fellow human beings. How were the Ten Commandments inscribed on the stone tablets? Written by the finger of God Carved by a stonecutter with a hammer Painted with ink Cast in bronze Written by the finger of God Exodus 31:18 tells us the tablets of stone were inscribed by the finger of God. Choose one commandment to practice with joy this week: honor your parents with cheerful obedience, or speak only the truth with kindness. Holy Father, your law is good, pure, and true. Thank you for showing us how to love you and how to love our neighbors. Forgive me when I fall short of your holy standards, and help me to love like Jesus every day. In Jesus' name, Amen. Why are guardrails on a dangerous winding road a gift of love? How are God's commandments like guardrails? How did Jesus summarize all the commandments in Matthew 22? Explorers discover that God gave the Ten Commandments to guide his redeemed people in holiness and love, pointing us to our need for Christ. Show a road sign (like a STOP sign or speed limit). Ask: Why do we have traffic laws? To protect people from crashing! God's laws protect our hearts and lives. Can anyone keep all ten commandments perfectly? No one except Jesus! The law shows us that we need a Savior to forgive us and change our hearts from the inside out. 5 min Hook & Prayer, 12 min Interactive Narrative, 8 min Memory Verse Unscramble, 5 min Quiz