WHY THE TEN COMANDMENTS? Exodus 20:1-2
A TV personality had as a guest on his show a congressman, who was advocating for displaying the Ten Commandments in public buildings. When asked why the commandments should be put on display in a courthouse, he answered, “Well, the Ten Commandments is not a bad thing for people to understand and to respect. Where better place could you have something like that than in a judicial building?” Then the congressman was asked, “What are the Ten Commandments,” and he struggled to come up with 3 of them! Maybe a better place for the commandments would be on his desk! (Note to preacher: This was on The Colbert Report, and the guest was Congressman Westmoreland. The clip is probably available online.)
We might laugh at the congressman, but his predicament reflects how the Ten Commandments are viewed in today’s culture. Many people think the Ten Commandments are a good thing to have around, but they don’t take them very seriously in their own lives. Others think they are outdated or irrelevant in today’s world.
As we begin a detailed study of the Ten Commandments, we want to think about this question:
WHY SHOULD WE LIVE ACCORDING TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?
1. GOD GAVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!
The commandments do not begin with “Thou shalt not…” They begin in Exodus 20:1-2, “God spoke all these words: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.’”
“GOD spoke all these words…”
These are not anonymous words of wisdom posted by one of your “friends” on social media—like “Ten Rules for a Better Life,” or “Ten Ways to Make the World a Better Place.” These are the words of “the Lord your God,” the only wise God, who created the universe, gave life to humanity, and knows how life works. These of the words of Yahweh (Jehovah), who took on Pharaoh and the gods of the Egyptians in the ten plagues, and by his “mighty hand” (8 times in Exodus 3-14) delivered his people from the gods and armies of Egypt. He is the holy and righteous God, who will judge all people.
If we don’t begin with God, the Ten Commandments are only ten suggestions, or ten rules we might want to follow. Whatever.
God wanted the people to take him seriously, so he put on an awesome display of his power and holiness. Read Exodus 19:16-25.
The shock and awe of this sound and light show was too much for the people. Exodus 20:18-19 says, “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’”
Why did God present The Ten Commandments this way? In Exodus 20:20, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Should we fear God? Does God want us to cower in abject dread of what he might do to us, or even try to hide from him? No, that is not what Moses meant. In fact, he said, “Do not be afraid…the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
As Christians, we have no reason to be afraid of God. 1 John 4:14-18 says, “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
Yet, although we are confident in Christ, we must not take God lightly. A healthy fear or awe of God can help us resist temptation. Without a healthy fear of God, people are inclined to say, “I know God says _____________, but I am going to do what I want to do. God will just have to understand.” No, WE have to understand the awesome holiness of God and conform to his commands!
The fear of God might keep us from sinning! If we are tempted to lie, commit adultery, or fudge on our tax returns, the thought of disobeying God is horrifying. That is healthy fear, because it protects us from sin and its consequences.
When we don’t fear God, we are vulnerable to other fears or pressures. A young person might fear rejection or loneliness, and join in sinful activities to fit in. A businessperson might be driven by fear of failure to commit dishonest acts to get ahead. An intimidated person might be afraid to speak out in the face of destructive lies or abusive behavior.
G.K Chesterton said, “We fear men so much, because we fear God so little.” When our greatest fear is to go against the commands of God, the pressures we face will fade in comparison. Jesus said it quite graphically: “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5)
In 2003, actress Patricia Heaton walked out of a raunchy American Music Awards show. When she was asked why she walked out, she said, “When my final judgment comes, I don’t think I’ll be answering to Barbra Steisand.” In the end, we will all answer to God.
Of course, fear is not the best motivation for obeying God. As we learn to know God better, we are motivated by our love for him, and we trust his love for us. God’s love is even clearer for us, as we understand his love through Jesus Christ and live in a love-relationship with him. We obey God because we love and trust him, as 1 John 5:3 says, “This is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” God’s commands are not a burden, but a joy.
We live by God’s commandments because they are GOD’S commandments. This brings us to a second reason to live by God’s commandments:
2. GOD’S COMMANDMENTS GUIDE A CHOSEN PEOPLE.
Exodus 20:2, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt…”
Putting The Ten Commandments on a memorial in a public place, such as a state capital building or a courthouse, might not hurt, but God did not give The Ten Commandments to the pagan Egyptians; he gave them to his chosen people, the ones he had saved and delivered to make them his own.
Just before The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, we read in Exodus 19:3-6, “God called to Moses from Mount Sinai, saying, ‘This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”’”
The commandments were for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). They were for God’s chosen people—the ones he had “carried on eagles’ wings” out of Egypt to freedom. If they would keep God’s covenant, they would have a part in fulfilling God’s glorious plan to save the world! They would be his “treasured possession,” and “a kingdom of priests.”
Priests are intermediaries between people and God. If the Israelites accepted their role in God’s covenant and lived by God’s commands, they would be a holy people, set apart by God to shine as a light to the nations!
1 Peter 2:9-12 expands on this text from Exodus, saying, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light…I urge you…to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
God doesn’t expect his commandments to be posted at the courthouse, used as a club on social media, or blasted out on billboards and ad campaigns. In Jeremiah 31:33, God promises, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
We are the light of the world. We are the holy ones who display the beauty of God’s holiness. We are the priests who connect people with God, through Jesus Christ. We are the ones who will stand before the throne of God with the saints who were pointed to Christ through us.
When we understand our role in God’s plan of salvation, these commandments are not cold and burdensome rules for living, but a precious guide to becoming all that God has called us to be.
3. GOD’S COMMANDMENTS ARE A GUIDE TO FREEDOM
God goes on to introduce the commandments in Exodus 20:2, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
For 400 years, the Israelites had lived away from their homeland. For most of that time, they had been slaves to the Egyptians, trying to survive by serving their Egyptian masters. Now they are finally free. But what does a life of freedom look like, for thousands of Israelites in the wilderness? How will they thrive as individuals and a nation when they finally enter the Promised Land?
At the conclusion of a high school graduation ceremony, students sometimes throw their caps into the air, yelling, “Free at last, free at last.” Then some leave home for college, thinking (as Martin Luther King so eloquently said), “Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” Soon they face choices and consequences, and they have to figure out what a life of freedom looks like. They discover that merely following their hearts might not lead to the kind of freedom they envisioned. Hopefully they figure out, sooner rather than later, the rules and principles that will guide them to true freedom.
When freedom comes to oppressive societies, people celebrate in the streets. They assume that freedom is as easy as toppling the statue of a dictator and allowing citizens to choose their own destiny. Too often, the reality falls short of the dream. Freedom is not possible if leaders lie and take bribes, thieves steal, and gangs kill. Freedom is destructive if marital and family ties do not hold society together. Affluent people are not free to live fulfilling lives if they are slaves to work or always comparing what they have to what others have. The Ten Commandments deal with all of those barriers to freedom!
The Ten Commandments are not a bunch of Dos and Don’ts to restrict people’s freedom. They are a guide to freedom, in our personal lives, our families and communities, and even national life.
As we look at the commandments in depth, we will see how each one sets people free:
1. No other gods, because gods like money, sex, or power will take over your life.
2. Don’t have false images of God, or you will become, like your gods, powerless.
3. Respect God’s name, because without a holy God, life is “whatever.”
4. Observe the Sabbath, and enjoy freedom to worship God and rest without guilt.
5. Honor your parents, and you and your culture will flourish.
6. Don’t murder, but build people up, and you will preserve the value of life.
7. Don’t misuse your sexuality, and you will be blessed with gifts of intimacy and faithfulness.
8. Don’t steal or defraud, and you will have a solid basis for economic stability.
9. Don’t lie, and you will enjoy integrity and better relationships.
10. Don’t covet, for as the Bible says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Of course, rules alone will not set us free. The commandments remind us that we need God’s help to keep them. In fact, we need Christ to transform us and set us free from our own sinful nature and the forces that might enslave us.
Jesus said to some who believed in him, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They didn’t understand; they thought they were already free. Then Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31-36)
Only Christ can set us free. Only through the grace of Christ can we become truly righteous. Only through the power of Christ can we overcome the sin that oppresses us: things like greed, lust, ego, and anger. Only through Christ can we fulfill the spirit of the law, and become free to enjoy the blessings God has for us.
PRAYER: Holy God, you gave these words to guide us in a life of freedom and significance. When we look into your law, we realize that we are unable to follow your commandments on our own. We come to you for forgiveness and renewal, through Christ Jesus our Savior. Transform us by your Spirit, as we learn to walk with you in righteousness and freedom. In the name of Christ we pray, amen.
