The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Richard P. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Research on the Ten Commandments
"Big chapters!" he shouted. "Yup, that's my Dad," I thought. He was grilling me and my nine brothers and sisters as to where to find the Ten Commandments in the Bible. I knew they were in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5; but most of my siblings did not. This grilling was designed to teach us about the "Big Chapters" in scripture. These chapters include huge events like: creation, the fall of man, the Tower of Babel, the flood, and other pivotal events – events like the Ten Commandments. The advantage to knowing these chapters is that you can outline, in a very accurate manner, what goes on in the Bible.
Exodus 20 is one of the biggest chapters in Scripture. It outlines the law for the Israelites as they wander through the desert on the way to the Promised Land. The guidance is given for a very specific purpose: to keep the Israelites out of slavery. After being slaves to the Egyptians, this system was meant to prevent them from going back to such a low state.
The Ten Commandments also come with a series of blessings. It's not just a list of "do NOTS." Plenty of good reasons for following them are provided as well.
The first commandment is unique in that it doesn't really give a specific order. It is: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
The next commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me," doesn't outline a blessing, but it gives a qualification to "ascribe" to the blessings scattered throughout the rest of them. "You shall not make for yourself an idol...for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God" includes the curse and the blessing, "punishing the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." As epigenetic studies show, certain traits (not necessarily physical) do carry on for a few generations. These include the increased capacity to: smoke, overeat, sleep too long, become inactive, think slowly, and more. This is not an excuse for indulgence in these worldly activities, but those traits are there. Like the curse, the blessing affects more than just you and can stay true "for a thousand generations."
Not profaning the name of the Lord your God is the next commandment. There's no specific blessing, but the book of James later talks about the benefits of keeping one's tongue "bridled." This commandment, however, mentions that God won't hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.
"Honor the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" is next. God designed us to worship Him, which means that we work a lot. Sometimes we enjoy it, sometimes we don't, but regardless God decided to clarify what he meant here. He talks about who has to keep the Sabbath, how to keep it, and why he put it there. As for a blessing, Scripture mentions that He blessed it himself; a day of rest and a day of focusing on God. Later Christ said "I am the Sabbath!" It is the only commandment that Christ doesn't reaffirm during his lifetime.
Next we have, "Honor your father and your mother." He promises long life in the "land the Lord is giving you." That is a short but powerful blessing. It's followed by a succession of short commandments: "you shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal." Then we have a passage forbidding us to be jealous of someone else's wife, servants, work, or "anything that belongs to your neighbor."
There are some powerful promises in the "Big Ten" but they're often missed. We hear the rules, agree with most of them and continue on our merry way. That's why my Dad wanted us to know the big chapters, and specifically where to find these commandments. Scripture states, "Train a child in the way he should grow and when he is old he will not turn from it." By ensuring that we know the contents of the Ten Commandments and where they are to be found, my Dad is helping to ensure that each of his 10 children can claim every blessing found in those good and true words.
