God’s voice, Our Obedience
To round up January 2026, I want to share a few thoughts on the Ten Commandments. I know for some of us they can feel distant—like rules written for another era. If the commandments feel close to you, I’m genuinely grateful—and I hope this reflection brings them closer to the rest of us too. 🙏
What if the Ten Commandments were never meant to feel distant or impersonal? What if they were not simply written laws etched in stone—but the sound of God’s own voice echoing through a trembling crowd?
God’s voice continues to speak to us today—not only through Scripture, but through His creation. Who can hear the thundering crash of waves on the shore and not sense the power of the One who made the sea?
Who can feel the gentle patter of rain on the roof and not be reminded of His tenderness?
Creation still testifies to the Creator, calling us to listen and respond in faith.
Bible reading 📚
Exodus 20:1-2 NIV
[1] 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.
Reflections 🙌
Exodus 20 invites us to see the commandments not as cold rules, but as the outcome of a holy encounter between God and His people.
God Spoke — and the People Heard
In Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments are not quietly handed to Moses in private. God speaks them aloud to all the people of Israel.
“And God spoke all these words…”
(Exodus 20:1, NIV)
The people hear His voice, are overwhelmed by holy fear, and plead with Moses to stand between them and God.
“Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”
(Exodus 20:19, NIV)
What we often assume was second-hand instruction began as a direct divine encounter.
Before any command is given, God reveals who He is:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
(Exodus 20:2, NIV)
The Law begins not with demand, but with deliverance.
Grace comes before instruction.
Relationship precedes obedience.
The First Five: God and Family ❤️
1. “I am the Lord your God.”
The God who rescued Israel from slavery is the same God who saves the world through Jesus Christ.
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:8)
He is Redeemer before Lawgiver.
2. “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
God calls for undivided devotion. His jealousy is not insecurity—it is covenant faithfulness.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.”
(Deuteronomy 6:5)
3. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.”
God’s name carries His character. To treat it lightly is to forget the weight of His holiness.
“Holy and awesome is His name.”
(Psalm 111:9)
4. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”
The Sabbath points us back to the Creator—not creation.
“By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested.”
(Genesis 2:2)
Rest is an act of trust.
5. “Honor your father and your mother.”
From the beginning, God established family as foundational.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
(Ephesians 6:1)
Honouring parents shapes how we live within authority, love, and community.
These first five commandments reveal God’s desire for right relationship—with Him and within the family.
The Second Five: Loving Others
6. “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)
7. “You shall not commit adultery.” (v.14)
8. “You shall not steal.” (v.15)
9. “You shall not give false testimony.” (v.16)
10. “You shall not covet.” (v.17)
These commands shape how we live together. They protect life, faithfulness, truth, and contentment. They guard community from the destruction that flows out of unchecked desire.
Fulfilled and Summarised in Christ ✝️
Jesus beautifully gathers the heart of all ten commandments into two:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
“And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:37–40)
Jesus does not abolish the Law—He fulfills it.
Love for God and love for others were always the foundation beneath every command.
A Life in Alignment
When our relationship with God is aligned, our relationships with others begin to follow. Peace and harmony are not forced; they are the fruit of rightly ordered love.
James reminds us where misalignment leads:
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
(James 4:1–3)
The commandments gently expose this disorder and invite us back into God’s design:
love Him fully, and love others well.
Prayer 🙏
Lord God,
You spoke, and Your people trembled—yet You spoke in love.
Remind us that before You asked for obedience, You revealed Yourself as Redeemer.
Search our hearts and expose the idols we cling to.
Teach us to honour Your name, to rest in Your presence, and to remember You as our Creator.
Align our hearts with Yours, so that our love for You overflows into our love for others.
May we live not from fear, but from faith—
not striving, but surrendered.
Spoken to by You. Obedient through grace.
In Jesus’ name, Amen 🙏
To God be the glory always 🙏❤️
Idau Hahine 