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The Israelites dramatically escaped from the hands of
the oppressive Egyptians through the Red Sea to being a
journey that would last forty-years and lead the people
to the Promised Land. Throughout their journey there
would be times when the procession would stop and
refocus before continuing. The same is true for us;
there are times when we need to be drawn once again into
the Biblical narrative, to listen again to Jesus’
teachings before we are ready to take the next step.
In
the previous chapter of Exodus God was reviewing all
that God has done for the people thus far. The people
were instructed to keep the covenant, to consecrate
themselves, and wash their clothes. In addition
boundaries were established at the base of Sinai that no
one was to cross.
On
the third day, God appeared on the mountain in a thick
cloud, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and the blast
of a trumpet, fire and smoke, as well as an earthquake.
Whenever God appears in the Old Testament there is one
of more of these phenomena. The result would be that
the people would know that God was in their midst and
some significant event would take place. This would be
a solemn, holy moment.
When Moses descends the mountain he has what we refer to
as the Ten Commandments. While we might have difficulty
acknowledging it, the Ten Commandments were God’s gift
to the people, God’s gift to us. It was out of God’s
love that God gives us these commandments. We live at a
time when “law” is almost a dirty word. We are
uncomfortable with people telling us what to do. In
election years we frequently hear candidates promising
less governmental controls if elected.
We
cherish our freedom, our independence, and have no
desire for anyone to tell us what to do. We live in a
time when if it seems right to you—then it is all right.
First and foremost we discover that God desires to be in
relationship with each of us. We follow our ancestors
in a covenant relationship with God. Many fail to see
the positive aspects of such commandments and view them
only in negative terms of “Thou shall not!” Again, it
is out of God’s love that God gave us the gift of law.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul,”
(Psalm 19:7) the psalmist proclaims.
When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest,
Jesus summarized the law in this way, “You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your mind.” Jesus tacked on a
second, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:37, 39)
The first four of the commandments
concern our relationship with God while the remaining
six deal with our relationships with each other. While
other sections of the Bible require study, research, and
contemplation the Ten Commandments are straight forward
and to the point.
The first Commandment, “you shall have no other gods
before me” and the second, “you shall not make for
yourself an idol,” deal with the exclusive claim God has
on our lives. We examine our lives removing anything
that takes the place of God. Anything that gets in the
way of our relationship with God needs to be
eliminated. Whatever pushes us away from God needs to
be removed; it might be our work, or our hobbies, while
at other times it might be our indifference. Stop, look
closely at your life, and remove any clutter that gets
in the way of your relationship with God.
The third commandment, “you shall not make wrongful use
of the name of the Lord your God,” is important for our
relationship with God. It is disrespectful to use God’s
name as a swear word. I have been shocked when I hear
this on television or in casual conversation. Jesus
reminds us of the importance of guarding what comes out
of our mouths. “It is not what goes into the mouth that
defiles a person,” Jesus teaches, “but it is what comes
out of the mouth that defiles.” (Matthew 15:18)
The fourth commandment reminds us of the importance of
keeping the sabbath free from work. “Remember the
sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor
and do all your work.” Sabbath keeping is not about
resting; I know I’ve heard that since I was a child.
Sundays are for resting, for sleeping in and taking it
easy. Keeping the Sabbath is about refraining from work
so that we can worship God.
According to most calendars Sunday is the first day of
the week. However we have blurred that important
distinction, making Sunday the last day of the weekend.
When we view Sunday as the first day of the week, then
the most important thing we have to do all week is
worship God. What a difference that distinction will
make, instead of viewing Sunday as the last day of the
weekend to cram in all sorts of activities.
As
I stated the first four of the Ten Commandments concern
our relationship with God. We ask ourselves what role
God plays in our lives. Once we are in a right
relationship with God then the way we treat each other
will naturally fall into place. Quoting the New
Testament again, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate
their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do
not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot
love God whom they have not seen.” (I. John 4:20)
The fifth commandment reminds us of the importance of
loving and respecting our parents. “Honor your father
and your mother, so that your days may be long in the
land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
Commandments six through ten, “you shall not murder. You
shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You
shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You
shall not covet your neighbor's house,” really needs no
explanation. These commandments from God are not
suggestions or guidelines, but are absolutes. There are
no exceptions, there are no excuses. You simply will
not do these things, period.
“You shall not murder,” you shall not take away another
person’s life, something that only God can give. “You
shall not commit adultery,” which breaks trust between
husband and wife and I believe leads to the breakdown
even disintegration of the family. Think for a moment
how many times adultery is glamorized on television, on
afternoon talk shows, in movies, novels, magazines, even
the news. It is almost as through since so many people
break their marriage vows that it is acceptable
behavior. According to God it is not under any
circumstance.
The eighth commandment, “You shall not steal” taking
that which belongs to another. The tenth commandment
follows when we desire what belongs to our neighbor.
That is what it means, “You shall not covet your
neighbor's house” or anything belonging to another
person. And finally, the ninth commandment, “You shall
not bear false witness against your neighbor,” means not
to lie about your neighbor to get your neighbor in
trouble or portray your neighbor in a negative light as
a way of getting back at him or her.
The Ten Commandments are God’s laws given to us for our
benefit, as a gift. We are in a covenant relationship
with God and need to keep these commandments. There are
no exceptions, no excuses, we cannot talk our way out of
them—I was having a bad day, I wasn’t thinking straight,
or whatever.
However, thanks to Jesus, there is a way out for us when
we break one or more of God’s laws. We seek divine
forgiveness and are forgiven. The slate, as it were, is
wiped clean—we are given a fresh start. There are
people who need to hear this word of grace. There are
people who need to hear that God loves them and when
they turn to God, they will be forgiven no matter what.
God gave us the law and with that God’s amazing grace
for all of us!
In
a couple of minutes you will be invited to the altar to
receive the bread and the cup, signifying our desire to
be in closer relationship with God and Jesus, knowing
that we are forgiven. We come on this special day,
joining with our sisters and brothers in faith from
around the world, signifying that we are one in the
Lord.
Amen.
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