Continueing the Bible Study on the Ten Commandments:

 The 3rd Commandment is: Do not take God's name in vain.

What does 'in vain' mean? What is God's name? Why do you think this commandment is put on this list?
What was the Old Testament penalty for blasphemy? Answer: death by stoning.
Did Jesus address this commandment in any way? Answer: the Lord's Prayer (Hallowed be Thy Name)
How can we keep this commandment?

The 4rd Commandment is: Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.


What are the reasons given in Duet. and Exodus for this commandment?
Why do we celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday? What do you think of the argument about celebrating it on Saturday instead?

An interesting bit of trivia - China tried to implement a 10-day work week, but failed. Every society revolves around a 7-day week.

What did Jesus teach about the Sabbath day of rest? Read Mark 2:27

We tend to, in this modern day, treat this commandment as the least important. What do you think of this statement? What do you think God thinks of how we use our 'day of rest'?

How can we keep this commandment? How can we improve in this?

The 5rd Commandment is: Honor your Father and Mother

What does this mean? What encompasses 'honor'? (respect, gratitude, obedience, etc.)
Why do you think God felt it was important enough to put in this list? 
This is the only commandment with a promised reward attached. Why?
How did Jesus expand on this commandment? Who did He saw were his Mother, Brothers, family? (Matt. 12:46-50)
How can we keep this commandment?

Ten Commandments Study Part 1

If you had to describe to a non-believer what the Ten Commandments were, how would you do so?

Can you list out all 10?

Start with Reading the Entire 10 Commandments section of Exodus chapter 20 & Deut. 5

And God spoke all these words:

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

³ “You shall have no other gods before^[a] me.

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “You shall not murder.

¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Interesting Factoid: In Jewish Tradition, all ten Commandments were written on both of the two stone tablets - as if a copy for each party of the covenant. 

Another interesting note is that these commandments start with our relationship with God, then move onto our relationship with others. Why do you think that is? Answer: Our relationship with God is both most important and only with a correct relationship there can we have correct relationships with others. 

Then talk about each Commandment.

What does it mean obey 'You shall have no other gods before Me'?

All sin "serves some other god, obeys another commander: the world or the flesh or the devil

What about superstition? Such as Palm reading, horoscopes, astrology, etc. 

Although not Catholic, I do appreciate a great deal of their theological work and this is there interpretation of the above:
The Catechism attributes these actions to a "desire for power over time, history, and in the last analysis, other human beings as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers." All of which are sinful actions.
Did Jesus ever reference this Commandment specifically? See the Greatest Commandment "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength." Matthew 22:37.

How can we live out this commandment today?


Moving on to the 2nd Commandment:
What is a 'graven image'? Would any 'picture' qualify?
I would interpret this to be defined as images that are meant to contain God. As if He (or a lesser 'god') were able to live in such a thing. Or that a image is to define Him (like a painting becoming the definition of God's appearance).
What Biblical examples of carved images seem to have been acceptable? The Temple was decorated in pomegranates. The ark has cherubim on it. And later Solomon created a 'sea' on the backs of oxen. So animals and vegetables, and even angelic beings, when not worshiped, seem to be acceptable.
The Eastern Orthodox churches (and some other denominations) use Icons throughout the church and during church services. What do you think of those?
According to a priest I spoke to, such art is to act in the same way as a modern power-point presentation - it just focuses the worshiper's attention to a specific idea or concept. It is not meant to be an object of worship in and of itself.

How can we live out this commandment today? 

...To be continued...