The Giving of the Decalogue
And God spoke all these words, saying:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
The First Commandment
Discussion Questions
• What/whom do you fear?
• What/whom do you love?
• What/whom do you trust?
Sundays that deal with the First Commandment: Trinity 15
The Second Commandment
Discussion Questions
• What’s in a name?
• The First Commandment taught us about having the right god. What does the
second commandment teach us?
• How is the explanation to the Second Commandment connected to the First?
• What is the basic structure of the explanation?
Sundays that deal with the Second Commandment: Trinity 8
The Third Commandment
Definitions:
• Sabbath = rest (Hebrew)
• Sabbath day = 7th day of the week (Saturday)
Discussion Questions
• Why do we work?
• Why do we take time off from work?
• The First Commandment taught us about having the right god; the Second taught
us to use His name. What does the Third teach us?
Sundays that deal with the Third Commandment: Sexagesima
The Fourth Commandment
Star Wars and the Fourth Commandment
Discussion Questions
• What are your vocations?
Sundays that deal with The Fourth Commandment: Epiphany 1
The Fifth Commandment
Discussion Questions
• What is the difference between killing and murder?
• What is at the core of murder?
Sundays that deal withThe Fifth Commandment: Trinity 6, Trinity 22,
The Sixth Commandment
Sexual sins and Sexual temptation
Definitions
• Adultery = sexual activity that breaks an existing marriage
• Fornication = all sexual activity outside of marriage
Discussion Questions
• Adultery was the chief sexual sin among the Jews – is that true for our society?
• Why do you think this commandment comes at this point among the ten?
Sundays that deal with the Sixth Commandment: Epiphany 2
The Seventh Commandment
Discussion Questions
• What is a steward?
• Why has God given you property and gifts?
Sundays that deal with the Seventh Commandment: Trinity 5, Trinity 9
The Eighth Commandment
Discussion Questions
• According to this commandment, can you say something truthful that is
nevertheless a sin?
• What should we do when we hear an evil report?
Sundays that deal with the Eighth Commandment: Trinity 4
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments
Important definition
• To covet = the selfish desire to have or possess something or someone that is not
given to you by God.
Discussion Questions
• The commandments on coveting point us back to the First Commandment. How?
• What is the opposite of coveting?
Sundays that deal with the Ninth and Tenth Commandment: Laetare