Moses: 10 Commandments

God helped Moses free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. They were going to the Promised Land. After they had been traveling for about three months, God spoke to Moses. He told Moses that He would come to the people in a dense cloud. The people would hear Him speaking. They would put their trust in Moses.

God loved His people. He wanted them to be good and holy people. So He prepared for them a set of commandments to follow. God told Moses to gather all the people at the foot of the mountain. The people gathered, but they were frightened.

 They had never heard God speak before. God said if the people touched the mountain they would be killed. God told Moses to come up the mountain. Moses went. God told Moses 10 rules that the people were to follow to show their love for God. He wrote them on two stone tablets. 

Moses was on the mountain for forty days. The people got tired of waiting for him to come down. So they made a golden calf and worshiped it instead of the one true God.

When Moses came down from the mountain, he saw the people dancing, singing, and worshipping the golden calf. Moses was very angry. He threw down the stone tablets, and they broke into pieces. Many people were punished or killed for worshipping the golden calf.

God wrote the Ten Commandments a second time on two stone tablets. Then Moses took the tablets to the people. He read them God's commandments: Love God with all your heart; worship only God; keep God's name holy; keep the Lord's day special. These first four commandments taught the people how to show love for God.

The next six commandments taught the people how to show love for each other: Obey your father and mother; do not kill; be faithful in marriage; do not steal; do not lie; do not be jealous of what others have. The people heard all God's commands. They promised to obey the Lord.



(Exodus 19-20, 32-34)


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