God made the Israelites his people by saving them through the Red Sea. He led them by the pillar of cloud and fire, and then claimed them at Sinai. Before He gave them the Ten Commandments, He reminded them that He is the Lord their God, who brought them out of slavery in Egypt.
For the Israelites, the Ten Commandments and the laws that followed them described the kind of people God wanted them to be. These commandments are a summary of the whole of God’s law, showing them how to love the Lord with all their being and their neighbors as themselves. When they lived this way, it would be a testimony to the nations around them of who their God is.
In the same ways, God loves us, so He saves us in Baptism through water and His Word. At the font, God rescues us from the kingdom of darkness, gives us His Name, and brings us into the family of Christ. We do not work our way into His household — He brings us in. At Sinai, God wasn’t simply giving laws. He was giving Himself — His rescue, His name, His promises, and a way of life shaped by love.
So now, when teaching children the Ten Commandments, we can say to them: “This is how God wants us to live.” But there is much more to it. The commandments show us how to thank God for making us His children. They are the everyday pattern of gratitude, the way redeemed people live in the world.
Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog
The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana
©2026 Robert E. Smith. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@msn.com
