The last artifact in the Ark of the Covenant is the two tablets of the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses. The following are the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17):
You must not have any other god but me.
You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or graven image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God.
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Honor your father and mother.
You must not murder.
You must not commit adultery.
You must not steal.
You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
You must not covet your neighbor's house.
God gave Moses the Ten Commandments to direct the people of Israel on how they should live on this earth. They should be different from other people groups on this earth because they belong to God.
The Ten Commandments are divine instructions that should be followed daily to avoid sinning against God. Despite this, the nation of Israel failed to obey the Ten Commandments, leading them to be guilty of their sins. Sin carries the consequence of death, so they had to offer animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins. As a result, the people of Israel made daily offerings of animals on the altar of burnt offerings. When Jesus came to save us from our sins, He fulfilled the Law for us. Jesus said, "Do not think that I have to abolish the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17)." Since Jesus fulfilled the Law for us, we do not need to follow the Ten Commandments to be saved. We are saved only by believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
We still need to obey the Ten Commandments, not to be saved from our sins, but to understand how to walk in God's ways and live according to them.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is the importance of the Ten Commandments? Do I still need to obey the Ten Commandments to be saved? How can I be saved from my sins?
Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for the Ten Commandments because, through them, I understand how you want me to live. I am not saved by following the Law; I am only saved by my faith in my Lord Jesus because He has already fulfilled the Law for me. Thank you, Jesus, for fulfilling the Law for me and dying for my sin so that I can be forgiven and saved. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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