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Moses and the Ten Commandments

God gives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
Contributed by Moody Publishers
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, German, Hindi
1
The mountain of Sinai will always be remembered by the people of Israel for a very important reason. It was here they heard the mighty voice of God speaking the Ten Commandments. – Slide 1
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The nation of Israel had been chosen by God to be His people acting as His messenger to the world. Under their great leader Moses, God was taking them from Egypt to the beautiful land of Canaan. – Slide 2
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But the Israelites weren’t ready for the Promised Land. Like other people they had sinful hearts, they always wanted their own way and when they couldn't have it, they were rebellious and disobedient. – Slide 3
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If the Jews were to be known as God's chosen people, they must learn to live in a way that would honour him and be obedient to his laws. – Slide 4
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If Canaan was to be a place of peace and happiness for God's people then the law of the land must be his law based on his holiness, truth and justice. – Slide 5
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So at the Lord's bidding, the Israelites made camp at a broad plain at the foot of Mount Sinai. – Slide 6
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And Moses their leader went up the mountain alone to hear what God had to say to his people. Suddenly, Moses heard the voice of God speaking to him. – Slide 7
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As Moses listened, God said, ‘This is what you shall to say to the people of Israel. You have seen with your own eyes how I brought you out of the land of Egypt and what I did to the Egyptians when they tried to take you back into slavery. – Slide 8
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‘Now if you will obey my voice and do as I command, you shall be a special people unto me a holy nation.’ – Slide 9
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When Moses came back and told the Israelites what God had said the people promised all that the Lord has spoken we will do. – Slide 10
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Then Moses told them God had said that in three days he would come down on Mount Sinai and they would hear him speak. They must get ready for this tremendous event, so the people began to prepare. – Slide 11
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First, they fenced in all the cattle, for God had warned that even the animals would die if they touch the Holy Mountain. – Slide 12
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Then they washed all their clothes to get them free from the dust and dirt of the desert. – Slide 13
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Finally, they scrubbed and washed themselves as clean as they could possibly get, so they would be ready to meet with the Lord. – Slide 14
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Then came the third day, early in the morning a thick black cloud appeared on the mountain. – Slide 15
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The people trembled with terror, for they knew the moment had come to meet with God. – Slide 16
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Carefully they followed as Moses led them outside the camp and they stopped at the foot of Mount Sinai. – Slide 17
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What a sight there was before them. The mountains smoked like a great Furness. It quaked and trembled in a frightening way. The Lord descended upon it in fire – Slide 18
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The people waited in fear and wonder. – Slide 19
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Then out of the smoke and fire, God spoke and the words were plain and clear. – Slide 20
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‘I am the Lord your God who has brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. – Slide 21
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‘You shall not make any graven image. – Slide 22
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‘You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain. – Slide 23
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‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. – Slide 24
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‘Honour your father and your mother. – Slide 25
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‘You shall not kill. – Slide 26
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‘You shall not commit adultery. – Slide 27
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‘You shall not steal. – Slide 28
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‘You shall not bear false witness. – Slide 29
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‘You shall not covet.’ – Slide 30
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As they heard God's voice and the words He spoke, the people began to act strangely. – Slide 31
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Would they be destroyed by the fire and thunder in the smoking, quaking mountain? – Slide 32
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The sin in their hearts made them afraid of God, so they moved back away from the mountain. – Slide 33
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The leaders came to Moses and said, ‘If we hear God speak again we will surely die. You speak with us and we will hear but don’t let God speak with us or we will die.’ – Slide 34
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The people promised that they would obey the words the Lord had spoken – Slide 35
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So Moses went alone into the thick darkness to tell the Lord what the people had promised. – Slide 36
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God said to Moses, ‘The people have spoken well. Oh that their hearts were like their words and that they would fear me and keep my commandments that it might be well with them and their children forever. – Slide 37
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So Moses stayed on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights, while God talked with him, giving all his laws and judgements. – Slide 38
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Then, to confirm the words he had spoken to the people, God gave to Moses tablets of stone on which God Himself had written the ten commandments. – Slide 39
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While Moses was up on the mountain the people down below quickly forgot what they had promised. Just a few days after they had heard the mighty voice of God and seen His glory and power, they turned again to their wicked and deceitful ways. – Slide 40
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They even made an idol and began to worship the lifeless image of a golden calf saying, ‘This is the God who brought us out of Egypt.’ Already they had broken the first commandment, which they had so recently received. ‘You shalt have no other gods before me.’ – Slide 41
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Hearing the law from Almighty God did not change these people. They were still sinful and rebellious. The purpose of the law was to show the people God's holiness and how to live right. The law itself could not change their hearts. – Slide 42
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When we look at the law, we realise how holy God is and how sinful we are. To be forgiven we must turn in faith to his son Jesus, who paid the penalty for our breaking of the law. The Bible says that the law is like a school teacher to bring us to Christ that we might be made right with God by faith’. Galatians 3.24 – Slide 43
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Slide 44