THE TEN WORDS

Have you ever tried to earn something that was meant to be received as a gift?

For many people, that’s how they see the Ten Commandments, or the “Ten Words” as they are called in Jewish tradition. They see them like a ladder to climb in order to reach God. But what if the commandments were never meant to be a ladder at all?

This Sunday, we continue our 12-week journey through THE STORY: How the Bible Explains Everything with Part 5: “The Commandments.” We’ll be in Book of Exodus 20:1–21.

So far in THE STORY, we’ve seen:

• The Creation – God made a good world and created humanity in His image to live under His loving rule.
• The Catastrophe – Sin spread, judgment came through the flood, yet God preserved a remnant in mercy.
• The Covenant – God walked the blood path alone, promising Abraham that He Himself would secure redemption.
• The Crossing – God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, parting the Red Sea and defeating Pharaoh’s army.

Now we arrive at Mount Sinai. Redemption has already happened. The people have already been rescued. And then — God speaks. Before a single command is given, God says: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Ex. 20:2)

Grace precedes law. Rescue comes before rules. That changes everything.

In Sunday’s message, we’ll explore three divine purposes behind the giving of God’s law:

1️⃣ To Remind Us of His Saving Grace

God did not give the law to slaves trying to earn freedom. He gave it to a redeemed people learning how to live in freedom. The Exodus (grace) came before Sinai (law).

2️⃣ To Restrain Us by His Covenant Love

The commandments are not prison bars — they are guardrails. They teach us what it looks like to love God and love neighbor. As Jesus later summarized, all the Law and the Prophets hang on those two great commands (Matthew 22:37–40).

3️⃣ To Reveal Our Need for a Holy Advocate

The thunder at Sinai terrified the people. They knew they could not stand before a holy God on their own. They needed a mediator. The law exposes our need for One greater than Moses — our Advocate, Jesus Christ.

Sinai was never the final destination in THE STORY. The writer of Hebrews reminds us: “I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds” (Hebrews 10:16). The law written on stone points forward to the law written on hearts through Christ and His Spirit.

How to Prepare for Sunday

📖 Read Exodus 19–20 slowly and carefully.
🔎 Notice what God says about Himself before He gives commands.
🙏 Ask: Do I see God’s commands as a ladder to climb — or as a covenant to cherish?
👥 Talk about it with your family or Community Group next week after hearing the sermon.
⛪ Come ready to worship.

The commandments do not save us — Christ does. But the Christ who saves us transforms us from the inside out.

Join us Sunday as we continue THE STORY.