Introduction: Think about the Lord’s Prayer. What is the first point of the prayer? It is to give glory to God. What is the next point? It is that God should return soon, but in the meantime His will should be done on earth as it is in heaven. Is this a pattern of the exodus from Egypt so far? God’s great glory is shown over the Egyptians. Then the people travel to Mount Sinai to learn about God’s will and how it should be done on earth. Let’s dive in and learn about the will of God for His people!

I. The Orientation Meeting

A. Read Exodus 19:1-2. How long did it take for the Hebrews to arrive at the foot of Mount Sinai? (Two months. The JFB commentary calculates 50 days. That links it to the Feast of Pentecost.)

1. Why go there? (It is not on the route to Canaan. God has something different in mind than just making the journey directly to the promised land.)

B. Read Exodus 19:3-6. What promise does God give to the Hebrews? (If they obey, they will be His treasured possession.)

1. What kind of obedience does God require? (“Obey Me fully.”)
2. What do you think it means to be God’s “treasured possession?”
3. Where is Moses for this conversation? (He is on the mountain with God!)

C. Read Exodus 19:7-8. How do the Hebrews respond? (They agree to do everything God requires.)

1. Does this response seem credible to you?

II. Preparing for Instructions

A. Read Exodus 19:9 and Exodus 19:12-13. How does Moses differ from the rest of the people? (God is going to speak only with him. If any of the other people approach or touch the mountain they must die.)

1. How would you view Moses if you were one of the Hebrews?

B. Read Exodus 19:14-18. Why do you think God took this approach with the people? They had to be consecrated, and then they trembled.

1. Why do you think Jesus came to us in a much different way?
2. How should we approach people with God’s message today? (We know that all except two of those terrified people died in the desert. They never entered the promised land. That suggests this approach could use further consideration. My concern is that today we fail to adequately promote the glory, power, and danger of God.)
3. Think back to Exodus 19:5, where God promises the people will be His “treasured” possession. Would you want such a powerful being on your side?

III. Ten Commandments

A. Read Exodus 20:1-7. How would you summarize these commandments? (Read Matthew 22:36-38.)

B. Read Exodus 20:8-11. Is this commandment about loving God or loving ourselves? (Read Mark 2:27-28 to see how the Lord of the Sabbath understands it.)

C. Read Exodus 20:12-17. How would you summarize these commandments? (Read Matthew 22:39-40.)

1. Notice that Exodus 20 lists the Ten Commandments as commands, but Jesus calls them acts of love in Matthew 22:36-40. How would you reconcile these two descriptions?

D. Read Deuteronomy 4:1-2 and Deuteronomy 12:32. Can you explain the logic of this instruction about the Ten Commandments? (Anyone who adds to God’s law or subtracts from the law puts himself in the position of God.)

1. What do you most commonly observe: people adding commands or saying that some commands do not apply to us?
2. I listened to a small part of a sermon where the preacher seemed to argue that the church let down the younger generation by limiting them by applying the law. Is the law a limitation? If so, how is it fair to refer to it as expressing love? (Read James 2:12. James refers to the law as something that gives us freedom. That is how I view God’s commands.)

E. Read Exodus 32:1-4. Compare Exodus 19:7-8 and Exodus 20:3-5. How do you explain this? Are these people brain-damaged?

IV. Ten Commandments for the Brain-damaged

A. Read Romans 3:9-12. What is the state of humanity? (We are all “worthless” when it comes to obeying the law.)

B. Read Romans 3:19-20. What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments? (“Through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Romans tells us that we are all bad people in terms of God’s law. We cannot be justified by the law because of this. That means the reason for the law is not to justify us, but rather to educate us about sin.)

1. Why would we want to be educated about sin? (To avoid it. Sin makes our life worse.)

C. Read Romans 3:21-24. How are we justified? (“Through faith in Jesus.” It is a gift from Jesus to us.)

1. When Romans 3:22 says, “there is no distinction,” what does that mean? (It means that whether you think you are very obedient, or you think you are a great sinner, there is only one way to be saved, and that is by the gift of grace from Jesus.)
2. Let’s step back a minute and consider Deuteronomy 4:1-2. Is Paul, the writer of Romans, subtracting from the law? (No. He is explaining the purpose of the law.)

D. Read Romans 3:27. What boasting is referred to here? (Read Romans 3:28. Boasting about keeping the law. How can a person boast about earning salvation when it is a gift given to all who believe in Jesus?)

V. Overthrowing the Law

A. Read Romans 3:31. Does righteousness by faith alone “overthrow the law?” (Romans answers, “By no means.”)

1. If you answered, “By no means,” do you think this is an easy question to answer? That the answer is not really debatable? (This suggests the answer is clear and without question.)
2. Do you think the answer is without question? If you are not saved by keeping the law, why keep it? Why regard it?

B. Read Romans 6:15-17. What does the law do for us if we attempt to keep it? (Verse 17 tells us that we become “obedient from the heart.” Knowing that Jesus died painfully to fulfill our obligation to the law should change our attitude toward the law.)

C. Read Romans 6:21-23. What does sin do for us when we let it into our lives? (It gives us death. The point of the law is to make our lives better.)

1. The snippet of a sermon I referred to above reflects the attitude of many. They teach that we should tell young people that, for example, sexual immorality is not a problem, and they can sleep with anyone they want. If the church taught “love is love,” then young people would remain in the church. They would not feel they were unwanted. Is this true? (This is a terrible lie. There are two fundamental truths. First, we are saved by grace and not by obedience to the law. Second, obedience to the law shows love to ourselves and to others. Sin wrecks your life. You become a slave to it. Sin makes you pay with your life.)

D. Read Romans 1:32. What should we do with religious leaders who teach that practicing sin reflects the will of God? (The language, “give approval to those who practice them,” is a reference to the sins discussed previous to this verse. These teachers are part of a cult of death. We must stand against them.)

E. Friend, God has very good news for you! You are saved by grace. It is a free gift to all who accept the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus on their behalf. You can give up the impossible struggle to perfectly obey the law to earn heaven. At the same time, Jesus perfectly kept the law on our behalf because it is important. Walking in accordance with the law makes our lives better and more beautiful. The law is a gift to direct the path of our lives. Will you share this good news with others? Why not commit to this right now?

VI. Next week: Living the Law.

Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/8-covenant-at-sinai-exodus-19-20-romans-3-and-6-teaching-outline/

Daily Lesson for Thursday 21st of August 2025

The Hebrew meaning of the term dabarim, used in the writing of Moses to describe the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 10:4), does not literally mean “commandments,” but “words.”

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

This “word,” dabar (singular), can have the meaning of a “promise.” That is why, in numerous places (1 Kings 8:56; 2 Chronicles 1:9; Nehemiah 5:12-13; Deuteronomy 1:11; Deuteronomy 6:3; Deuteronomy 9:28; Joshua 9:21; Joshua 22:4; Joshua 23:5), dabar is translated either in a noun or verb form expressing the idea of promise.

Ellen G. White offers an insight into the function of the Decalogue: “The ten commandments . . . are ten promises.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1105. The Decalogue should be understood as promises from God that will guide us on the right path so that He can do wonderful things for us. But we must obey them.

Paul states that Jesus Christ is the telos of the law, but not in the sense that Christ abrogates the law or does away with it. Instead, this means that Christ is the goal and intent of the law; it does not mean that His atoning sacrifice terminates the validity and perpetuity of it.

On the contrary, Paul speaks about the importance of the law, about its legitimacy, and about its enduring authority (Romans 3:31, 1 Corinthians 7:19, Galatians 5:6). The meaning of the word telos is primarily purposeful and goal-oriented, not time related. Christ is the key to unlock the true meaning and purpose of God’s law. Thus, it would be incorrect to state that Christ invalidated, superseded, or abrogated the law. Christ is the goal of the law, the One to whom it points.

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-08-the-law-as-gods-promise-for-us/

Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dr. Jiří Moskala, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/8-covenant-at-sinai-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/

View an in-depth discussion of Covenant at Sinai in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/8-covenant-at-sinai-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/

Daily Lesson for Wednesday 20th of August 2025

The law of God reveals God’s character, who He is. As God is holy, righteous, and good, so also is His law. Paul confirms: “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12, ESV).

Image © Steve Creitz Goodsalt.com

In the Bible, the law of God is seen in a very positive light (Matthew 5:17-18; John 14:15; 1 Corinthians 7:19). One may create poems on the law (see Psalms 119:1-176), sing about the law (Psalms 19:1-14), and meditate on it day and night (Psalms 1:2, Joshua 1:8). The law helps keep one from evil and gives wisdom, understanding, health, prosperity, and peace (Deuteronomy 4:1-6; Proverbs 2:1-22; Proverbs 3:1-35).

1. God’s law is like a fence that creates a large free space for life and warns that—beyond a specific point—danger, problems, complications, and even death await (Genesis 2:16-17; James 2:12).

2. The law is also a signpost pointing to Jesus, who forgives our sins and changes our lives (2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 John 1:7-9). In this way, it leads us as a paidagogos, a custodian/guardian, to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

A mirror can reveal your defects, yes. But there is nothing in the mirror that can cure them. The mirror points to the problems but offers no solution to the problems. It’s the same with God’s law. Trying to be justified before God by keeping the law would be like staring at the mirror in hopes that, sooner or later, the mirror will make your defects go away.

Because salvation is by faith and not by works—including works of the law—some Christians claim that the law is done away with and that we no longer have to keep it. Of course, considering that the law itself is what defines sin—“I would not have known sin except through the law” (Romans 7:7, NKJV)—this claim is a gross misinterpretation of the relationship of the law to the gospel. The existence of the law is precisely why we need the gospel.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-08-different-functions-of-gods-law/