The Ten Commandments
Where did they come from?
God gave His people the Ten Commandments in a section of the Bible called the Old Testament. At that time, a group of people led by the prophet Moses had just escaped slavery. When Moses prayed to God for help, God gave him the Ten Commandments, which we can still follow today.
1
God wants what is best for you. If you put something else before Him in your life, it’s harder for him to bless you.
2
Anything you worship more than God is a “graven image.” Cars, clothes, sports, even our jobs are dangerous things to worship because they can go away. But God will never go away, and that’s why it’s best for us to only worship Him.
3
This can mean using God’s name like a swear word, or it can mean saying you are a Christian but not living or acting like Jesus would want you to act.
4
Sunday, or the Sabbath day, is a day we can all go to church, worship God, and learn how to be better people and Christians. Keeping it holy means doing our best to remember Him throughout the day.
5
It’s important to show our parents respect. This might look different for everyone, but we should always try to love and care for those who cared for us first.
6
A simple but important rule for anyone.
7
Men and women make promises to each other when they are married. These promises are important, and breaking them causes deep sadness. Keeping those promises help men and women have happy marriages and happy lives.
8
It is important to God that His children are honest with each other. Taking anything that doesn’t belong to you is stealing, and is against His commandment.
9
This one is about honesty. If you lie to someone, you are “bearing false witness,” and may cause harm to yourself and to others.
10
To covet means to be so jealous of something someone else has that you want it desperately. Coveting makes a person miserable and keeps them from putting God first. This commandment helps keep you from falling into this bad habit.
