This book teaches children …
- what God’s law is: His ten words to His people
- how we obey God’s law: by loving Him and our neighbour
- why we keep God’s law: to thank and praise Him for delivering us from our sin
This book explains and applies each commandment in two to three chapters, covering both what God forbids and requires. Chapters include discussion questions, a Bible memory verse and a related psalm to be sung.
Ronald L. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament Studies at the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary in Wyoming, Michigan. He is a former pastor, and he and his wife, Rhonda, have eleven children and many grandchildren living in four states.
Ana Sebastián is a digital illustrator and visual development artist based in Madrid, Spain. Ana also likes to work with coloured pencils and watercolours, and enjoys reading and traveling in her free time.
The following review was written by Todd and Nicole Kooienga on The Ten Commandments for Children by Ronald Cammenga (Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing, 2023). This review was originally published in the July 2023 issue of The Grandville Gleaner.
The Ten Commandments for Children is a valuable book for all ages. The book includes twenty-eight chapters. Each “chapter” is contained on two facing pages with illustrations. The first seven chapters give instruction on what God’s law is and why He has given us His law. Then there are two chapters for each commandments, with the tenth commandment having three. Usually the first chapter teaches what the commandment forbids, and the second teaches what the commandment requires.
The book can function as either instructional or devotional. We used it for family devotions and it worked very well. Each chapter includes a suggested applicable Bible passage (usually around 10 verses long), a memory verse, and a Psalter number. The length of the passages and chapters worked well without being so long that the children lose focus.
There are also three questions at the end of each chapter. These questions were excellent for reviewing and reminding what was taught. The questions in each chapter vary in difficulty, making it beneficial for both younger and older children, and even adults.
We appreciate how Prof. Cammenga does more than make general statements of what we are to do and not to do. But he makes pointed statements and questions to show how we are to apply the law to the lives of children, like reminding them that they are obeying the 1st commandment when they are listening in church on Sunday. Also, the book does well in the beginning and end of reminding us of how the law shows us our great need for Christ.
The book was written with children ages 6 – 9 in mind, but it can be of great benefit to older children and saints of all ages. The length of the “chapters” make the book well-suited to be used as a devotional. While the book is concise, it is by no means simplistic. There are many examples in the book that show what we might consider small or insignificant sins for what they really are; sins against God’s law whereby we see our old man’s hatred for God or our neighbour. The book shows how quickly we can forget God, His love for us, and our love and obedience to Him. Let us always be singing “Oh how love I thy law. It is my meditation all the day.”
The following review was written by Amanda DeBoer on the book The Ten Commandments for Children by Prof. Ron Cammenga (Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing, 2023). This review will be published in the Clarion, a biweekly magazine of the Canadian/American Reformed Church federation, Vol. 72 No. 14, in November 2023.
In today’s day and age, where God’s law is more and more blatantly disrespected and ignored, it is so important to teach our children God’s most wise ways for our lives. The Ten Commandments for Children by Ronald L. Cammenga is an effective resource in this regard. Cammenga not only teaches the commandments, but also explores their depth and practicality in an age appropriate way. He has a kind, yet unwavering, manner of writing that is very appropriate for the topic. The Ten Commandments for Children will undoubtedly be a blessing for many families.
This book has been arranged logically. The first 7 devotionals talk about the commandments in general. This includes topics such as why we have the commandments and knowing our sins. After this, the author spends 2 to 3 devotionals on each commandment. There are 28 devotionals in total.
For each devotional, Cammenga included 5 different sections to work through. One section is called “Let’s learn a Bible verse” in which parents and children can read a short Bible verse aloud a few times. The other sections include the devotional, reading another, longer Bible passage, answering questions, and even singing a psalm! Cammenga used the 1912 Presbyterian Psalter for this, but the beauty of our Book of Praise is that it is easy to sing the same psalm. Parents could even look through the psalm suggested and find the stanza that best connects with what was taught in the devotional. It is clear through these sections that Cammenga’s desire was for the devotionals to be truthful and God-honouring.
Because some sections go deeper than others, this book could be tailored to each family’s need. For those who choose to use it as a bedtime devotional for one child, parents could pick certain sections to work through, based on their child’s age and abilities. Since my daughter loves singing before bed, we always included that as part of our devotional routine! Parents could also choose to do all the sections as an addition to family devotions after dinner with multiple children.
Here are a couple comments on some different aspects of the book. First, it was good to see that Cammenga did not shy away from practical examples that may even tickle an adult’s conscience, such as how we spend our Sundays. We all can be encouraged through this book in our thankful obedience! Cammenga also did not neglect to use the teachings of the Catechism. In one of the devotionals about the sixth commandment, the author defined what patience, peace, meekness, and kindness are. He also talked about loving our enemies. Does this not drip of Lord’s Day 40, Q. & A. 107? What a wonderful way to strengthen the Church-Home connection for our children! Third, since this is a book for children, there are, of course, illustrations. These are tastefully done and modestly presented. For each devotional, the different section titles all have their own colours. “Let’s Learn a Bible verse,” for example, is always yellow. In these ways the book is presented attractively to the readers.
Finally, Ronald L. Cammenga is a professor at the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary … It is clear from the book that Cammenga is seasoned in teaching children. And he was, being blessed with 11 of his own to raise and teach! Cammenga has nicely, and wisely, come down to a child’s level to explain the commandments.
Overall, in the age that we live in, it is very good to have a book for children that teaches the commandments and does not shy away from explaining practically how we should be obeying them. I would recommend this book for children ages 8-10.
Read more reviews by Judy Joyce (Embracing a Healthy Family), Abby VanSolkema (The Left Fork), Dawn Peluso (Schoolin’ Swag), Lauren DuPrez (A Beautiful Inheritance), and Vanessa Le (The Outlook)!
“It is exactly what I was looking for in preparing messages for the youth in the congregation I serve. It’s first of all biblical. Secondly, it has depth of insight. Thirdly, it provides excellent application to our lives.” – USA
