Exodus 20 : 1 – 17
As we explore the wanderings in the desert after the Exodus in our series, we arrive today at what is considered very important in this experience. The Israelites have now become an established nation and they needed the law. No society can function without a set of rules but notice that this was not just any society. God himself provided the law because they were God’s people. Deuteronomy 4 : 1 makes clear the purpose of the law and gave the following reasons: (1) The law provides life (2) It allows for the realization of the dream of reaching the promise land. Thus, the law is a roadmap for a peaceful society and for a life-sustaining relationship. No society can survive in anarchy and no society can realize its potential when there is no rule of law. The English Philosopher Thomas Hobbes, in reflecting on the conditions of humans in this world commented that life is brutish and short and so in order for us to have a peaceful and fruitful society, it is necessary for us to give up some personal freedom and come to an agreement to live together with a set of rules so we can prosper. He noted that the conditions of human are that of everyone at war with everyone else. We all want different things, but sometimes what you want is different from what I want and in the process conflict develops. Because resources in our world are limited and human desires and needs are insatiable, the late Paul Tillich said, conflicts arise as we all fight over whatever is found. Conflict arises, over money because money is in short supply. We fight over land, food and all that are not enough to go around. For the Isrealites to build a good society, laws were needed and so Jehovah God himself provided the law.
Let me give you a few short facts about what we have come to call the Ten Commadments. The word Commandment was not found until the King James translation of the Bible in 1603. For the first time, that translation known as the Authorized Version used the word the Ten Commandments and other translations have followed suit. Earlier versions in Hebrew called them ten matters, some used ten sayings and others ten terms. Our Lord referenced the passage and added love as a part of it (Matt. 19 : 16 - 19). St Paul also in Rom. 13: 8 – 10 mentioned just five and following our Lord’s example inserted love. The human relation part in the commandment, according to Paul will be unnecessary in the presence of neighborly love.
I will not subject you to the long history and theological disputes on this ancient passage. My focus this morning is to see how this ancient rule, written thousands of years ago applies to our postmodern life. You see, some have a tendency to think that the word is for those who are not “sophisticated” but I come here to tell you that despite our assumed sophistication and scientific knowledge, the word of God is the same, yesterday, today and forever. In a letter that St Paul wrote to the young evangelist, Timothy, he reminded the young man that the word of God was written for our instruction and righteous living (2 Tim 3 : 16).
Return with me to our passage and let us explore how that word speaks to us today in our postmodern world. I will follow the modern interpretation and will not engage in the controversy whether it is indeed ten, twelve, thirteen or fourteen laws. I will not engage in the debate whether it was really laws since the commandments do not recommend punishments for violations. I will follow St. Paul’s recommendations not to engage in frivolous debates in instructing adherents of the gospel since such debate is capable of ruin and ungodliness (2Tim. 2 – 14 – 16) . There is a place and time for such debates in academic papers but not in church. Let us then examine the commandments:
The Commandments contain what may be called fundamental principles for nations and individuals:
1. True religion
2. Do not take innocent lives (Murder)
3. Do not damage relationships and family bonds (Parental respect)
4. Respect commerce and avoid misrepresentation (false witness)
5. Respect for personal property (theft and covetousness)
One can write a book on each of these principles but let us examine our obligation and the importance of each of these principles and you will see that the commandments are not articles of faith of a bygone period but apply to us today in our postmodern period.
True Religion
The world is sometimes confused on what to follow and what faith really is. There was a time that humans thought science will provide the answers to human problems until WWI brought the realization that science is part of the human problem. We have seen the destructive effect of science and the scientific enterprise and have come to know that science does not have all the answers. Genetic engineering can now put in the palms of our hands who dies and who lives. WE now have smart bombs that seek out heat and kill and we have managed to increase the temperature of our planet such that the intensity of storms is getting stronger by the year. Our Lord gave us the solution to true religion. It is not an invention of a new ideology or deciding if lower taxes is the Christian thing to do, it is loving each other (Matt. 19 : 16 – 19). There have been many false religions in our time. Rather than seek to bring people together to each other and to God, some religions have sought to destroy lives and sow discord. When a religion seeks to teach humans who to fear and who to destroy, we have failed to be the people of God. Jesus specifically mentioned love as a guiding principle of those who follow him. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13 : 35). You cannot discriminate and be racist and call yourself a Christian. In our postmodern world, religion has been the source of conflict, rather than the source of unity. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called Sundays, the most segregated days of the week in America. Thou Shalt have no other God before me speaks of the need to acknowledge that we worship the same God and walk under the shadow of a single cross.
Murder
No society can function well if there are no guarantees of safety. As anyone who has fought in a war can tell you, even the sounds of the grass rustling in the wind can have a devastating effect where safety is at stake. Those who dwell secure are those who know that their lives are safe. No one can buy or sell, plant or harvest and plan for the future in a dangerous environment and so God’s law require that his people dwell in peace and safety. Thou shalt not murder is a commandment from God to secure the safety of God’s people. In cities across America where the murder rates rises, tourism diminishes and people avoid those areas. Thou shalt not murder is a commandment that was necessary then and is still needed now.
Parental respect
I do not know when this was no longer needed. As a father to two well behaved young men, I have seen the need and the usefulness of respect for parents. As a man in the sandwich generation who must help parents navigate healthcare and financial decisions, I have also seen the need for this commandment. You learn a lot from a parent by sitting down and listening to their stories. You discover your own history by talking with your parents and learn how they survived and what have been the sources of the family’s strength. Family bonds cannot be maintained where there is no respect for the traditions and persons of the previous generation. It is in the family that we learn to love and how to be loved. Unfortunately, not all families are like that. In some families with dysfunction and abuse, this experience may not be available, but respecting the previous generation does not mean accepting abuse.
False Witness and truthfulness to the community
This can injure the community and damage relationships as well. When individuals misrepresent the truth the community can be divided into two camps. Those who know the truth belong in one camp, and those who misrepresent the truth in another. There may even be a third group consisting of those who know neither the truth or lie. This third group is then led into either camp through logic, emotion or force. Such balkanization does not make for cohesion. Who is in and who is out depends on what is known. When cohesion is absent, working together is impossible. Loyalty may be made the highest priority and this then trumps truth which is needed for human development. When loyalty is prized over truth, society becomes stagnated and whether you move up or down depends on who you support not on your ability or strength. Most of what is happening in the third world today, the human suffering, poverty, war and bad governance are results of the violation of this commandment. In some countries especially in Africa, it is not uncommon to hear someone greets a superior with “I am loyal sir”. As it was in the past, truth and truthfulness is needed in our world.
Respect for Personal Property
I do not know who in our world will accept to be stolen from. In our own time, the idea of property has extended to what we now call intellectual property since we now know that property can be tangible (Seen and touched) or intangible (not seen). You can think and get your thoughts organized and get rich. Bill Gates one of the richest men on earth has no land and no territories yet he is one of the richest men. No society can function properly without rules on how to organize property. I was once In Lagos, Nigeria and there was a sign on a house that read “This house is not for sale and anyone who buys it does so at own risk” I was puzzled and asked my host why the sign was necessary. He told me that it was possible for fraudsters to sell a house that did not belong to them especially if the house is in a good location. I wondered how that could be possible until I discovered that the government had no reliable list of properties in the city since it does not collect property taxes. Because the land is not divided into known plots and no government list existed, It was possible for total strangers to impersonate owners and sell homes that did not belong to them. This leads to years of litigation and crowd the court dockets with cases of theft of homes. A society functions well and commerce proceeds peacefully if contracts are respected and trust is a vital part of transaction. Where peace, justice and love prevails God is found. Where those who rule serve the cause of peace and justice, they seek to bring God’s love closer to those they govern because they are doing what God called them to do.
The Ten Commandment is not an ancient rule of a bygone era, it is the fundamental principle from where true peace and justice reign. It does not seek to be rigid but provides a roadmap from where all rules of human behavior emanates. It is never obsolete and can never go out of style; for the word of God is ever true. Like the ancient, we too can have life and reach the promise land if we devote ourselves and our lives to these principles. We need true religion which is loving God and the neighbor as ourselves. It is respecting the traditions of our people and seeking to respect what gave others strength before our time. It is avoiding injury and harm to others for we cannot harm those we love. It is the avoidance of injury to the community we belong and prizing truth above loyalty. Truth builds character and does not depend on who is involved. It is treating everyone with respect and leading a right life. It is being contented with what you have and avoiding coveting what others have. The Ten Commandment may appear legalistic and seems like boxes to check, but the Prophet Micah said it well in his statement to his people, ” "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)
As Nahum Tate stated, May we find strength “through the fountain of eternal love, whose mercy firm through ages past hath stood, and shall forever last.” Amen.
