BibleProject | The 10 CommandmentsSample

The 10 Words of Life

You’ve read and reflected on the 10 Commandments. Now, think back to our first day, where we noted how the Hebrew Bible never actually calls them the “10 Commandments” but the “10 words” of God (Exod. 34:28; Deut. 4:13, 10:4).

Understanding them as 10 words from God reminds us that they are God’s voice and wisdom, not 10 rules to check off a list. Instead, like today’s final video reminds us, they lead us into a deeper, richer kind of life.

These words help us better understand the story of Scripture, and they also spur us to wonder: Who is God? What does it mean to be created in God’s image? Can I trust God to complete the good work he started? These 10 words open our eyes to new ways to live out God’s word.

They give us glimpses into God’s bold vision for humanity, a society where people are free from enslavement and where they honor elders, preserve life, care for the vulnerable, commit to loving God and others generously, and take joy in choosing God’s will.

“May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” Jesus prays to the Father (Matt. 6:10). May we pray likewise, and may we live as God’s partners, seeing the 10 Commandments as 10 matters of cosmic importance that God gave to help us live together in peace and genuine love.

Reflection Question:

• Try flipping each command over, reading it less as a prohibition and more as an opportunity to choose what’s right. For example: “Do not kill” can be flipped to say, “Protect and preserve life.” Try that same inversion with each command, and you’ll have much to continue pondering and practicing.