Exodus 20:1-7
1Then God spoke all these words: 2I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall have no other gods before me. 4You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
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This passage is part of the story of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai. Here, God gives the first two commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me, and 2) You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord, your God…
We think that God wants us to stay loyal and faithful to God, and to everyone.
One question we have: God is self-described as “jealous” in the passage. Is jealousy a sin? Why would God be jealous? And what would make God so angry that God would punish children for the iniquity of their parents? Seems like an overreaction.
A second question we have: What does it mean to use God’s name in vain? Is it as simple as not saying, “Oh my God,” or does it go deeper—things like not using God or your faith to coerce someone to do something, or not weaponizing your faith for your own personal/political gain.
Prayer: God, you recognize that we are all both fully saint and fully sinner. Help us to follow all of your commandments—in context—as faithfully as we can, and forgive us when we fall short. Amen.
—Confirmation Students