The Big Ten
This sermon is not about football and their Big Ten, but the story about our
Big Ten- The Ten Commandments.
Two months after leaving Egypt the Israelites arrived at the desert near
Mount Sinai where they set up camp at the foot of the mountain. Moses
went up the mountain to meet with the Lord God, who told him to say to the
people: You saw what I did in Egypt. Now if you will faithfully obey me, you
will be my very own people. Moses went back to the people and they
promised to do everything the Lord had commanded. The Lord said to
Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud and let the people hear me speak
to you. The Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai
God said to the people of Israel:
1. I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where
you were slaves. Do not worship any god except me.
I think the first commandment is pretty clear. We should praise the Lord and
proclaim God’s love for us in the morning and His faithfulness at Night.
Through our joys and trials, we can praise God, knowing that He cares for
us.
2. Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the
ocean under the earth. Don’t bow down and worship idols. I am the
Lord your God and I demand all your love. If you reject me, I will
punish your families for three or four generations. But if you love me
and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of
generations.
Just a few days before the people had promised to do everything the Lord
commanded. This was the first commandment they failed to observe. For
us there are many things that we worship that are not just idols. Time,
money and many distractions in our lives that keep us from loving God as
we should. More about the second commandment in the sermon.
3. Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your God, and I will punish
anyone who misuses my name.
Other Biblical versions of this Commandment say- do not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain or in an irreverent, disrespectful manner. When you
take the Lord’s name in vain, you are not honoring, adoring or worshiping
God.
4. Show respect for the Sabbath Day it belongs to me. You have six
days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week
belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day- not you, your
children, your donkeys or any other animal, not even foreigners who
live in your towns. In six days, I made the sky, the earth, the oceans,
and don’t make your slaves do any work. This special day of rest will
remind you that I reached out my mighty arm and rescued you from
slavery in Egypt.
I love this commandment because it has a special meaning to me. I want to
introduce you to my family on my mother’s side who have been on our
prayer lists. The first picture is my grandmother Hendrika van den Hoorn
married to Gerrit van den Hoorn. The second picture is my mother’s family
left to right: My mother, Aaltje/ Ellie who had 2 daughters Eibertje and
Gerda. Next is her brother Maas who had 3 children, my cousins: Gerrie,
Henny and Jan. Gerrie is married to Ap who has lung cancer, their daughter
Gerrie has breast cancer and their son Maas is a brain and Esophageal
Cancer survivor. My grandmother is next and then my mother’ s brother,
Henk whose son is Gert who also has had treatment for cancer. Last is my
mother’s sister Heintje who had 2 children Wouter who is receiving palliative
care with lung cancer, his sister Henny lost her daughter Henrietta to breast
cancer. I have no idea of the date of this picture but it is after 1933 when my
grandfather died- and my grandmother started wearing a black dress. The
next picture is my grandmother’s house where I was born. We came to the
USA in 1950, went back for our first visit in 1956 when I met my
grandmother for the first time. In 1960, My grandmother boarded a ship to
visit us. She stayed with us for a few months. In 1960 we had the Blue
LAWS. Blue laws restricted certain activities which included shopping, work
and alcohol sales—on Sundays. My grandmother believed in obeying the 4 th
commandment. On Saturday, she would peel the potatoes, carrots or
whatever for dinner on Sunday. She did no work on Sunday. My father built
our house in 1960 and we did not have a dishwasher. MY sister and I often
wondered how come they did no work but we had to wash the dishes and
clean up the kitchen after dinner.
5. Respect your father and your mother, and you will live a long and
successful life in the land I am giving you.
This is the only commandment with a promise.
6. Do not murder.
Or Do not Kill. In the Old Testament, Safe Towns were established for
people who accidently killed someone. The judges would have a trial to
determine if the person was killed accidentally and not guilty of murder.
7. Be faithful in marriage
Other Biblical versions say do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not tell lies about others.
Other Biblical versions say “Do not bear false witness against your
neighbor.” A number of years ago, one of my best friends had an aneurism
and spent months in physical therapy to recuperate from that ordeal. We
were having lunch and she gave me the best compliment. She said, “Gerda
I know you will tell me the truth. Am I different now than before I had the
aneurism.” I said yes, you are different. Sometimes when we are talking
and you stop and I know you are looking for the right word but it’s not
coming to you. Do you think that’s what is happening. Yes, That is what’s
happening to me. Do not lie but speak the truth in love. Ephesians 4:15
10. Do not want anything that belongs to someone else. Don’t
want anyone’s wife or husband, house, land, slaves, oxen, donkeys or
anything else.
Don’t covet, desire or wish enviously for possessions from others.
The Lord told Moses to come up on the mountain, and he stayed 40 days
where God gave Moses 2 flat stones where he wrote down the laws the
people must obey. When Moses came down, he found the Israelites had
made a golden calf having disobeyed the 2 nd commandment. Moses was so
angry he threw down the tablets and broke them into pieces. He pleaded to
God to forgive the people and goes again up to the Lord and gets a second
set of Commandments which I used in my sermon from Deuteronomy. Do
they sound the same? These stones were put in an Ark and the people
carried it with them till they arrived at the promised land. Moses reads the
same Laws before the people cross the Jordan River. Deuteronomy 5: 6-21.
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and
when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Jesus said in Matthew 5: 17-18, “Don’t suppose that I came to do away with
the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give
them their full meaning. Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise
you that not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law.
The Ten Commandments are principles for us to follow. In Ephesians 5: 1-2
Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as
Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…..
When the rich man asked Jesus what he had to do to have eternal life,
Jesus said he must obey God’s commandments.
When Jesus was asked what is the most important commandment in the
Law, Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and
mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most
important commandment is like this one. And it is, Love others as much as
you love yourself. All the Laws of Moses and the Book of the Prophets are
based on these two commandments.
The other day in my daily devotions was this poem;
I am my neighbor’s Bible,
He reads me when we meet,
Today he reads me in the house,
Tomorrow in the street.
He may be relative or friend,
Or slight acquaintance be,
He may not even know my name,
Yet he is reading me.
Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make
you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. Everything in
the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping
people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The
Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. 2 Timothy
3:16-17
Set an example for other followers by what you say and do, as well as by
your love and faith. 1 Timothy 3:12
Amen