The Ten Commandments are a staple for Protestant Churches. We see them posted on the walls of Sunday Church School rooms, we find them on leaflets inserted into bibles or hymnals, and there is the constant battles over posting them in public places like schools or courtrooms.
One thing to note is that not all Christians number these the same. In particular, most Protestants follow a numbering scheme developed in the first century by Josephus. Lutherans and Roman Catholics prefer the order of Augustine, who lived in the fifth century. The previous has as commandment two - You shall not make any graven images; which the latter includes as part of You shall have no other gods. Lutherans gain a tenth by dividing the verse on coveting into two separate commands.
A few years back, our spring GALSM Retreat had as a theme the Seven Deadly Sins. A student presenter shared with us that as the Reformers were shaking off the trappings of Catholicism, they laid hold of the Ten Commandments as a way to shift attention from the Seven Sins. In the centuries before, the Ten Commandments had not received as prominent a role in the everyday life of the Church. Which is helpful to remember.
The Decalogue is an important section in our Bibles. The giving of the Law sets the people of Israel apart from their neighbors. Most importantly, it serves as the covenant between God and those whom God claims as his people. It is this claiming, the establishment of a covenant, which obeying the Law was to symbolize.
This is not to say that God didn't care whether his people did these things. They are God's commands. It is to lift the subtle but all important realization that what wants more than our obedience is our devotion. God seeks a relationship with us. In that relationship, we change our lives and we alter our behaviors. The Ten Commandments are the beginning of how our lives are different.
Lutheran confirmation ministry typically involves learning the Ten Commandments and Martin Luther's explanations in the Small Catechism. If you find your memory fading on these, I encourage you to return to them. Luther helps us to realize that they are more than prohibitions, they not only direct as to what we are to avoid, they also instruct us on what is expected of us. Thus, reminding us, that the Commandments are more than a set of rules; they are a way of living. A way of life which reflects God's having chosen us; a way of life which makes known to the world our devotion to God.
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