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Exodus 20 – The Flow of the 10 Commandments
The flow of the 10 Commandments teaches lessons as much as each separate command.
Noticeably, the first four represent the First Great Command. If you will indulge a little rewording but not redefining:
1. If you put God first, you won’t defile God by putting other gods in front.
2. If you put God first, you won’t defile God’s image by making it less than it is with inadequate images.
3. If you put God first, you won’t defile God’s name by using it in lies, meaningless promises, and as a by-word.
4. If you put God first, you won’t defile God’s day which He now shares with you to honor His name, worship in His way, and only worship Him.
The point in the first four is, everything begins with God.
When we come to the 4th-10th commands, they represent the Second Great Command. Please notice where the beginning point is –
5. Honor your father and mother. The home is the beginning point of a solid character. Society begins with the family.
If you will again permit a little rewording:
6. If you honor your parents, you will honor and value others, so that you will not murder.
7. If you honor your parents, you will honor your own wife and family, so that you will not commit adultery.
8. If you honor your parents, you will honor other people’s possessions, so that you will not steal.
9. If you honor your parents, you will honor the truth, so that you will not bear false witness.
10. If you honor your parents, you will honor contentment, so that you will not desire what is not yours and therefore will not lie, steal, commit adultery, or murder in order to get what does not belong to you. Your parents taught you better than that.
Everything else begins in the home.
Just as commands 2-4 are all about respecting God by putting God first so are commands 6-10 about honoring what our parents taught about respecting others.
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