The Ten Commandments Going Public ~ Bible Study blog for August 28

In our study tonight, the wilderness journey brings the Israelites to Mt. Sinai, where they receive the Ten Commandments, which are God’s covenant with his people.  The people happily promise to obey all the Words of the Lord.  We all know that they will not keep their promise.

We lamented the ways in which God’s Commandments are constantly being broken, and the widespread increases in crime, violence, promiscuity, and vulgarity.  We further lamented that the removal of prayer and Scripture reading from public schools, and the cultural changes that have displaced the church as central in community life.  Even as the Ten Commandments are of utmost importance to community life, efforts continue to see them removed from public spaces. 

The easiest solution to society’s ills would be to recreate the past, which of course cannot be done.  There will never again be Scripture reading and teacher-led prayer in public schools.  It is indeed sad that not all persons share the faith that is so precious and meaningful to us.  That being said, the need for the Body of Christ to teach God’s Word to our children has never been greater.  It is up to churches and families to teach and proclaim God’s Word, especially to our children.  Since church participation is no longer a given, it is up to us as the Body of Christ to serve our community’s children and their families. 

Already, our congregation serves children and families with Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, the junior & senior high school youth group, clothing closet ministry, the fall safety day, and the Easter Egg hunt.  The most important thing we can do is bring children to our church.  Not only will the children learn the commandments, they will learn that they are created in God’s image and are precious in God’s sight, regardless of their race, gender, appearance, economic circumstance, or family background.  They will learn that they are loved and forgiven unconditionally.  By so doing, prayer, Scripture, and Christian faith will be in our public schools—because our children know and love Jesus Christ. 

Another way for God’s Word to exist in the public square is for us as the Body of Christ to enact God’s will by caring for the poor and most vulnerable among us.  Reality is that we are living in a time when the gap between the rich and poor grows greater by the day.  There are so many who are “working poor;” laboring diligently in difficult jobs that are vital to our lives.  God’s will is for us to be our neighbor’s keeper, do everything that is in our power to help meet their needs, and work together for change in our society so that there will be no poor among us (cf. Deuteronomy 15:4). 

We will indeed see as we continue our journey through God’s Word, that obedience to God is lived out not just as merely a matter of worship, but living in love for the neighbor.

Our next Bible study will be Thursday, September 11.