Remembering the 10 Commandments on your hands

God gave us 10 Commandments and 10 fingers. Coincidence? I think not! 

Here's a fun and quick way I've adapted from Bruce and Carolyn Gillette and David Sauer, via this website.


Start with your hands together in prayer. This reminds us that God heard the prayers of the Hebrew people when they were in slavery in Egypt and freed them (Exodus 3:7, 20:2). The commandments are a way for us to show our gratitude for God's love in our lives and to further just and peaceful relationships in God's world.

1st. "You shall have no other gods before me."

Make a fist and hold up your thumb. We worship one God and this is the only God we press the "like button" for.

2nd. "You shall not make for yourself an idol... You shall not bow down to them or worship them"

With your thumb still pointing up, stick your forefinger out to make TWO. If we add any other false god, such as money, possessions or fame and seek to find our happiness and trust in them, it will always point us away from God. Two gods is too many!

3rd. "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God."

Use three fingers to form the letter "W" which stands for "words." Watch your words! God wants us to use his name in loving, caring ways, as we pray and as we talk about him, not in swearing or in anger.

4th. "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy."

Hold up four fingers, and fold your thumb under to let it rest. The thumb has the right idea. It's the Sabbath, and the thumb is following the commandment to take a day of rest. God does not want anyone to overwork or be stressed, so we need a day to rest, to be at peace, and to join with others at church to worship God.

5th. "Honor your father and your mother."

Hold up all five fingers on one hand as if you are taking a pledge, either like the boy scouts or taking an oath in court, with your palm out, or with your palm resting on your heart, like Americans say the Pledge of Allegence.  We remember to honour our parents and all those whom God has placed over us and given them to have responsibility for our welfare, such as those in Government, the police, doctors and teachers.

6th. "You shall not murder."

Pretend the index finger on your second hand is a gun, shooting at the first five fingers. God's sixth commandment teaches us not to do anything that would hurt another person unfairly.

7th. "You shall not commit adultery."

Hold one hand out flat. The five fingers and hand becomes the floor of the church. Two fingers on the other hand are the man and woman to be married, standing in the church, making promises to each other. This seventh commandment calls for husbands and wives to keep the marriage promises they made to one another before God.

8th. "You shall not steal."

Hold up four fingers on each hand, for the eighth commandment. If you stretch out your fingers slightly, and put your fingers in front of your eyes so they become the prison bars, which hold someone who was been arrested for stealing.

9th. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Hold up both your hands and cross your index finger with your middle finger on one hand, and spread out the rest of your fingers and say, "I'm only holding up nine fingers." That's a lie, because you are really holding up ten fingers an pretending that the two crossed fingers are one. Sometimes people pretend that if they cross their fingers makes it OK to lie. That is a lie as well!

10th. "Do not covet what belongs to your neighbor."

Hold out your hands, palms up, and wiggle all ten fingers to show that they've got the "gimmies." Your fingers are saying, "Gimmie what belongs to my neighbor. I want all those things my neighbor has."