The Ten Commandments are For Children

“These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Kids are People Too

Many forget that the famous words about teaching the commands of God to children follow immediately after God gave the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai in Deuteronomy 5. When God gave the Ten Commandments, he did not intend them to go only to adults. His desire was that they would enter little ears and shape young hearts.

That is one of the reasons I wrote The Ten Commandments: A Short Book for Normal People. There are many incredibly helpful books on the Ten Commandments. Many of those are highly technical works of great value to professional theologians and highly educated cultural influencers. My book is intended to impact normal people just like the ones who first heard the Ten Commandments—including children.

The Ten Commandments—Perfect for Kids

There are so many reasons why the Ten Commandments are ideal for children.

One of those many reasons is how memorable they are. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Our children are facing unprecedented challenges in today’s world. Memorizing the Ten Commandments is a crucial weapon in the war for our children’s hearts. When I preached through the Ten Commandments at First Baptist, we challenged the kids in our children’s ministry to memorize the commandments. Hundreds of them did and it was a blessing to them and their parents.

Another reason the Ten Commandments are ideal for children has to do with how relevant they are for the lives kids are living. The Ten Commandments cover topics of crucial relevance to our children including the character of God, the importance of honoring your father and mother, and how to deal with temptations to anger, steal, and lie. If all that were not enough, the instructions of the Tenth Commandment on coveting focuses our children on how their hearts work and protects them from legalistic obedience. The Ten Commandments pack a powerful punch in equipping our children for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Ten Commandments are also ideal in pointing our children to the good news of Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:24 says, “The law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” The law points to Jesus Christ. When we really understand the law, we will see our failure to obey it and feel our need for who Christ came to be and all he came to do to fulfill the law on our behalf. Our children need the law revealed in the Ten Commandments because they need hearts prepared to follow Jesus in faith.

Prayer for Spiritual Fruit

God intended the Ten Commandments to be heard, read, studied, and discussed with children. I am praying for you and your family to experience much spiritual fruit as you study the Ten Commandments together.

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