The Law- Exodus 20 (The Ten Commandments)
We usually translate the Hebrew word “Torah” as “Law”, but the word is a bit more full than that. It doesn’t just mean ‘legal rules’. “Torah” refers to the first 5 books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And, in its most full definition, “Torah” means something like “God’s teaching” or “God’s instruction”. Torah is God’s guidance. It is something precious. It is guidance to live a good life. … We see it in a condensed form in the 10 commandments, and even more condensed form in Jesus’ summary of the law-
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ … And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt 22:37-40).Sometimes Christians think that because of Jesus we don’t have to think about the law anymore. The Early Christians didn’t think that way. Jesus Says he came to fulfil the law (Matt 5:17-18). In Paul’s Second letter to Timothy he says,
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness …” (2 Timothy 3:16).
In the Early Church, Scripture referred to the Old Testament. What became the New Testament was still in the form of letters that were being shared between the churches. So, there was a lot of respect for what we call the Old Testament in the Early Church, and Christians constantly sought wisdom from God there. Though, they always looked back on Scripture with Christ in their minds as they read those words.
For example, Maximus of Turin (a bishop who lived from the late 300’s to early 400’s) said this:
Maximus goes on to say,
In psalm 119:97 we read,
For example, Maximus of Turin (a bishop who lived from the late 300’s to early 400’s) said this:
“[The] children of Israel, arriving at Marah and being unable to draw the water because of its bitterness (for the well had water but no sweetness and it was pleasing to the eye but polluted to the taste), drank water that became sweet and mild as soon as wood was thrown into it by Moses [Exodus 15:22-27].”Maximus is referring to an Old Testament story in Exodus when the people have been rescued from Egypt and are brought into the wilderness under the leadership of Moses. They were looking for water and when they finally found it, it was too bitter to drink. When Moses cried out to God he was shown a piece of wood. When he threw the wood into the water it became good and drinkable.
Maximus goes on to say,
“The sacrament of the wood removed the harshness that the noxious water bore. I believe that this happened as a sign, for I think that the bitter water of Marah is the Old Testament law, which was harsh before it was tempered by the Lord's cross. For it used to command ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ and, austere as it was, it offered none of mercy’s consolation. But, when it had been tempered by the wood of gospel suffering, at once it changed its bitterness into mildness and presented itself as a sweet drink, as the prophet says: ‘How sweet are your words to my taste, more than honey and the honeycomb to my mouth!’ [Ps 119:103] For sweet are the words that command, ‘If anyone strikes you on your cheek, offer him the other as well; if anyone takes your tunic from you, leave him your cloak too.’ This, then, is the bitterness that has been changed into sweetness: the austerity of the law has been tempered by the grace of the gospel. For the letter of the law is bitter without the mystery of the cross; about this the apostle says, ‘The letter kills.’ But when the sacraments of the passion are joined to it, all its bitterness is spiritually buried, and about that the apostle says, ‘But the Spirit gives life.’” (SERMON 67-4).Maximus is outlining a principle that we find in the Early Church. They constantly turn to Christ as the way of understanding the Old Testament. And that the Old Testament remained precious to them.
In psalm 119:97 we read,
“Oh how I love your [Torah]!”
Most of us don’t have an attitude towards the law that would cause us to say such a thing. If we just think about the Torah as a bunch of rules imposed on us, then we are likely to resist and even feel resentful about this. But, if we see the Torah as God’s instruction for how to live life as children of God, then we might start to see how we might start loving the Torah. Maximus would say that this is especially true when we read it with Christ in our mind, who said that he came to fulfil the Torah. He brings out its true meaning and purpose.
We keep this in mind as we look at today's reading where Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God on the top of Mt. Sinai. The people have been rescued from slavery in Egypt. They have been rescued from a powerful nation. They are led through the sea and rescued through the supernatural working of God. In the wilderness the people grumble for food and water and even long to return to Egypt, but God provides for them by giving them manna and quail, and by giving them water from a rock. The freed people of Israel are then given the Law through Moses on Mt. Sinai.
Notice that God didn't give the Law to Moses when speaking through the burning bush. God didn’t say, "Now go give these commandments to your people. When they follow them, I will come and rescue them from the hand of Pharaoh and bring them to the Promised land flowing with milk and honey". God didn't do that. God didn't rescue His people from Egypt as a reward for following the Law. By following the law, they express their obedience, then when they are obedient they are ready to be released from Slavery in Egypt. God didn't do it that way. God rescued the people of Israel as an act of grace, not as a reward for good behaviour. It is pure grace. ... Then once God’s people are freed, He gives them this law.
Our Jewish friends have a festival called Shavu'ot, the Festival of Weeks, (we know it as Pentecost in our calendar) where they celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. It is a celebration. It is a time when they remember that just as they were rescued physically from Egypt at Passover, so the giving of the Law is about rescuing the people from spiritual and social bondage to idolatry and immorality.
The giving of the law is grace- it is a gift. God gives the law to the free people of Israel, not to put them into another kind of slavery, but to teach them how to live as free people. The people are free. The giving of the law is about how to stay free. The law is grace. It is about being God’s people, which is what we were created to be.
The Law of God was once accessible through the human conscience. It was how human beings were made by their Creator. But, their conscience became corrupted by sin. God’s giving of the law is part of God’s plan to restore an awareness of the will of God to human beings. Ultimately, this is a work that Christ develops further, especially through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament Law focuses mostly on the outward and physical. Christ takes this further into our inward desires and motivations.
So, lets take a brief look at these 10 commandments.
The first commandment is about worshipping God alone. If the people are to remain free, then they are to worship God alone. No matter how beautiful, or powerful, nothing can take the place of God. Worship of anything but God will enslave us. To worship money, will enslave us into greed. … And furthermore, we are not to make idols. God cannot be contained by an image. It will always be too false to truly point us to God. We are to allow God to show us who He is. This is to set us free from false concepts of God. … Once Christ comes, we do have an accurate image for God- Christ is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15).
The commandment about misusing God’s name protects us from falsely representing God- saying God said something when it's not true. It is meant to save us from being enslaved by false prophets who are using God’s name to manipulate us. … C.S. Lewis’ last book in the Narnia series- “The Last Battle” does a good job of showing how this can happen. A manipulative Ape finds a lion skin and uses it to trick people into thinking he speaks for Aslan (The Christ figure in the book).
The commandment about keeping the Sabbath holy is about setting aside time to focus on our relationship with the One who makes us free- It is about refocusing our attention- it is about reminding ourselves of the heavenly perspective. It is a protection against making our work an idol. We stop whatever we do normally in order to rest and focus on God.
The commandments also help us have stable and healthy relationships, which lead to a stable society. Honouring our parents calls us into gratitude for where we came from and for what we have inherited. We are to honour family, which is the foundation of society- family gives rise to society. And the health of families will largely determine the health of society.
To murder someone is to take the place of God as judge over their life. It inserts fear and chaos into the community, who now look over their shoulders wondering if they can trust their neighbours. Christ internalizes this commandment and warns us about anger that can lead to murder (Matt 5:21-26).
Adultery damages the family, and therefore damages the stability of society. Again, Christ internalizes this and warns about lustful thoughts that can lead to unfaithfulness. (Matt 5:27-30)
Stealing from your neighbours damages their ability to provide for their family. It inserts doubt into the social fabric, which connects work to the ability to provide for one’s family. If we have to constantly worry that someone might steal from us, then we put protections in place, which means we start treating our neighbours with suspicion.
Giving false testimony can be a way of indirectly murdering your neighbour, if you accuse them of something with the death penalty attached. Or if you accuse them of a crime that requires compensation, then it becomes a way of indirectly stealing from your neighbour. ... Beyond oaths, Christ tell us that all our speech should be plain and honest- to let our "yes" be "yes" and our "no" be "no"(Matt 5:33-37) .
The commandment against coveting calls us to look inward- to our deeper desires that give rise to the reason we might steal, or murder. Perhaps the neighbour’s wife is a better household manager and would make a person more wealthy. Maybe their servants work harder. Maybe their animals are younger and stronger. Instead of being drawn to these acts motivated by coveting, we are to learn to be content and trust God. Jesus draws our attention to God’s care for the birds of the air, and the lilies of the field.
These are ways that lead to a stable society. And a stable society means peace. And peace means the opportunity (if we choose it) to grow into Christ-likeness through prayer and spiritual disciplines. (We could choose to use this peace, instead, to merely entertain ourselves into oblivion.) … The giving of the law was an act of grace, meant to help restore an awareness of the will of God. There is wisdom to receive as we meditate on the principles we see in the Law. The Law reveals a way of life, and reveals the character of God. It is not a full revelation of God, that would have to wait until He walked with us as Jesus Christ. And we can understand these words best, with Jesus reading beside us. AMEN
We keep this in mind as we look at today's reading where Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God on the top of Mt. Sinai. The people have been rescued from slavery in Egypt. They have been rescued from a powerful nation. They are led through the sea and rescued through the supernatural working of God. In the wilderness the people grumble for food and water and even long to return to Egypt, but God provides for them by giving them manna and quail, and by giving them water from a rock. The freed people of Israel are then given the Law through Moses on Mt. Sinai.
Notice that God didn't give the Law to Moses when speaking through the burning bush. God didn’t say, "Now go give these commandments to your people. When they follow them, I will come and rescue them from the hand of Pharaoh and bring them to the Promised land flowing with milk and honey". God didn't do that. God didn't rescue His people from Egypt as a reward for following the Law. By following the law, they express their obedience, then when they are obedient they are ready to be released from Slavery in Egypt. God didn't do it that way. God rescued the people of Israel as an act of grace, not as a reward for good behaviour. It is pure grace. ... Then once God’s people are freed, He gives them this law.
Our Jewish friends have a festival called Shavu'ot, the Festival of Weeks, (we know it as Pentecost in our calendar) where they celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. It is a celebration. It is a time when they remember that just as they were rescued physically from Egypt at Passover, so the giving of the Law is about rescuing the people from spiritual and social bondage to idolatry and immorality.
The giving of the law is grace- it is a gift. God gives the law to the free people of Israel, not to put them into another kind of slavery, but to teach them how to live as free people. The people are free. The giving of the law is about how to stay free. The law is grace. It is about being God’s people, which is what we were created to be.
The Law of God was once accessible through the human conscience. It was how human beings were made by their Creator. But, their conscience became corrupted by sin. God’s giving of the law is part of God’s plan to restore an awareness of the will of God to human beings. Ultimately, this is a work that Christ develops further, especially through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament Law focuses mostly on the outward and physical. Christ takes this further into our inward desires and motivations.
So, lets take a brief look at these 10 commandments.
The first commandment is about worshipping God alone. If the people are to remain free, then they are to worship God alone. No matter how beautiful, or powerful, nothing can take the place of God. Worship of anything but God will enslave us. To worship money, will enslave us into greed. … And furthermore, we are not to make idols. God cannot be contained by an image. It will always be too false to truly point us to God. We are to allow God to show us who He is. This is to set us free from false concepts of God. … Once Christ comes, we do have an accurate image for God- Christ is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15).
The commandment about misusing God’s name protects us from falsely representing God- saying God said something when it's not true. It is meant to save us from being enslaved by false prophets who are using God’s name to manipulate us. … C.S. Lewis’ last book in the Narnia series- “The Last Battle” does a good job of showing how this can happen. A manipulative Ape finds a lion skin and uses it to trick people into thinking he speaks for Aslan (The Christ figure in the book).
The commandment about keeping the Sabbath holy is about setting aside time to focus on our relationship with the One who makes us free- It is about refocusing our attention- it is about reminding ourselves of the heavenly perspective. It is a protection against making our work an idol. We stop whatever we do normally in order to rest and focus on God.
The commandments also help us have stable and healthy relationships, which lead to a stable society. Honouring our parents calls us into gratitude for where we came from and for what we have inherited. We are to honour family, which is the foundation of society- family gives rise to society. And the health of families will largely determine the health of society.
To murder someone is to take the place of God as judge over their life. It inserts fear and chaos into the community, who now look over their shoulders wondering if they can trust their neighbours. Christ internalizes this commandment and warns us about anger that can lead to murder (Matt 5:21-26).
Adultery damages the family, and therefore damages the stability of society. Again, Christ internalizes this and warns about lustful thoughts that can lead to unfaithfulness. (Matt 5:27-30)
Stealing from your neighbours damages their ability to provide for their family. It inserts doubt into the social fabric, which connects work to the ability to provide for one’s family. If we have to constantly worry that someone might steal from us, then we put protections in place, which means we start treating our neighbours with suspicion.
Giving false testimony can be a way of indirectly murdering your neighbour, if you accuse them of something with the death penalty attached. Or if you accuse them of a crime that requires compensation, then it becomes a way of indirectly stealing from your neighbour. ... Beyond oaths, Christ tell us that all our speech should be plain and honest- to let our "yes" be "yes" and our "no" be "no"(Matt 5:33-37) .
The commandment against coveting calls us to look inward- to our deeper desires that give rise to the reason we might steal, or murder. Perhaps the neighbour’s wife is a better household manager and would make a person more wealthy. Maybe their servants work harder. Maybe their animals are younger and stronger. Instead of being drawn to these acts motivated by coveting, we are to learn to be content and trust God. Jesus draws our attention to God’s care for the birds of the air, and the lilies of the field.
These are ways that lead to a stable society. And a stable society means peace. And peace means the opportunity (if we choose it) to grow into Christ-likeness through prayer and spiritual disciplines. (We could choose to use this peace, instead, to merely entertain ourselves into oblivion.) … The giving of the law was an act of grace, meant to help restore an awareness of the will of God. There is wisdom to receive as we meditate on the principles we see in the Law. The Law reveals a way of life, and reveals the character of God. It is not a full revelation of God, that would have to wait until He walked with us as Jesus Christ. And we can understand these words best, with Jesus reading beside us. AMEN
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