Dear reviewer, this is to be a preamble to the five sermon series titles Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments
Before 1 of 5: The People Prepare
God’s plan for Israel: Exodus 19:5-6, “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.” When God brought Israel out of Egyptian bondage, God’s plan was to make Israel into a nation, and not just a nation, a nation “of priest, a holy nation.”
The Ten Commandments were the code of conduct that was to turn millions of ex-slaves into Israel, a functioning society intact and operational, a “treasured” nation. They were Commandments, legal directives, rules that were to serve as both laws and guidelines for the Nation of Israel. Even though norms, customs, and traditions also draw lines, crossing those lines does not necessarily have consequences. However, what God has enumerated, codified, and, most importantly, made enforceable were the Commandments; they were to be the behavioral guide, the foundation on which the Israelites were to build this special Nation.
Societies are capable of taking an uncivilized turn if there are no legal consequences enforced on the bad actions of people. Hence, the crucial function and purpose of these ten laws was to protect all of its citizens from bad actions. Any person choosing to break these laws had to suffer correction in the form of punitive damage. That could mean paying a victim of thief, a victim of violent actions or a victim of perjury compensation plus fines; it could mean exile and, in extreme cases, even death sentences. In the absence of such laws, Israel could have easily become a place of anarchy and chaos, a people where the strong dominate the weak. People were equal in the eyes of the LORD. These laws were to ensure that people belonging to different social groups could co-exist without conflicts. Further, God intended these Commandments to be a manual, a model, for all righteous nations.
How it happened: Genesis 15:13-14, “Then the LORD said to Abram, ‘Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for 400 years, but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.’” * Exodus 4:22-23, “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.”’” The context of these verses speaks of the relationship the LORD had with the Nation of Israel. The LORD loved Israel, recued its people from slavery under Pharaoh, made the ex-Hebrew slaves into a Nation, and brought that Nation to the Promised Land. The analogy is that of God as the Father and Israel as the first-born son.
It sometimes seems that God moves slowly when keeping His promises; it most certainly seemed that way to the Hebrew slaves when they were in captivity for they “cried out to God.” However, God always makes happen the outcome He planned. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. We see the beginning of that promise when Jacob’s son Joseph found favor with Pharaoh and brought his entire family to Goshen, the best land in Egypt. There they grew in number. Exodus 1:5 says, “The total number of Jacob’s descendants was 70.” and Deuteronomy 10:22 says, “Your fathers went down to Egypt, 70 people in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.”**
How numerous were they at the end of 400 years? Numbers 1:17–46, while Israel was at Sinai, God commanded a census. The Israelites of the strength and age to be eligible for military service was over 600,000 men. Adding women and children, 600,000 men implies a total Israelite population between 1.5 million to 3.5 million with a middle number of 2.4 million often quoted, a staggering figure for that era.
In summary, God brought down to Egypt 70 Hebrews who had favor with Pharaoh (Genesis 47:5-6) but a later Pharaoh (Exodus 1:8) did not know the why of the favor and made slaves of the Hebrews. Slavery did not stop their growth for the Hebrews multiplied for 400 years. Then God secured their freedom with ten plagues, millions left Egypt. Further, God caused the Egyptians to give the Hebrews many valuables. All of this just as God had promised Abraham.
These millions of Hebrews were untrained in any form of self-starting or free enterprise. They were slaves who, for several hundred years, the Egyptians had told what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Of the more than 600,000 men who were of the strength and age to be an army, they had no training or weapons. How did God plan to turn this multitude into a nation with an army?
God chose Moses to lead His nation building. Exodus 2:1-10 tells us that Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses floating in basket hidden in river reeds. She adopted him and, by all accounts, raised him as a prince of Egypt. That means that Moses’ education was that for a child and young man of the highest rank. Jewish lore says that Moses was a man of mighty works, was a philosopher of note and was a general all during the first forty years of his life. However, with all of that going for him, he killed an Egyptian overseer for beating a Hebrew slave. Moses immediately had to run for his life.
Moses ended up beyond Egyptian jurisdiction in the land of Midian. Upon arriving there, Moses protected Jethro’s seven daughters from some ruffians. Because of that brave action, Moses became the guest of Jethro. Jethro means, “His Excellence” for he was a priest of Midian. Moses later married one of Jethro’s seven daughters, Zipporah, with whom he had two sons. Jewish lore says that Moses learned from Jethro the ways of the true and only God.
God was now ready to move. He had finished His preparation of Moses, now this well-educated leader answered God’s call. While tending sheep for Jethro, Moses met God in a bush that was afire but not consumed. From this burning bush, God told Moses to go back to Egypt where a new Pharaoh ruled. His assignment: free the Hebrews and turn them into a nation. (Exodus 3:10-21). God gave Moses a tool and a helper. While in his discussion with God, Moses received a rod that turned into a snake when needed. Further, Moses’ brother Aaron was to be Moses voice for Moses had a speech impediment. (Exodus 4:1-17) Upon returning to Jethro and sharing the story of God speaking from the burning bush, Jethro encouraged Moses and told him to go.
Moses last forty years, he went back to Egypt and then fulfilled his calling. We do not have the exact timing of the next events, but it took between five and seven months and ten plagues to bring Egypt to its knees. As the LORD had foretold, “I will kill your first born.” God did kill the first born of the Egyptians but the Passover protected the first born of the Israelites. The Israelites saw God’s awesome power and the Israelites exited Egypt with great wealth.
Then we see another miracle. Pharaoh had second thoughts about letting the Hebrews go and sent his army after them. The Israelites were desperately frightened and thought that the oncoming Egyptian army had them trapped. No need to worry, it was a part of God’s plan. After the Israelites had safely crossed the parted sea, God had the parted sea return destroying the Egyptian army. The Israelites would no more fear the Egyptians.
Fundamental to functioning nationhood are laws. It was soon time to make a covenant with the Nation, give it its Commandments so that it could become a “treasured” nation “of priest, a holy nation”. Three months later, we see the preparation for and delivery of the Ten Commandments. Now, turn in your Bibles to Exodus Chapter 19 and read along with me. While we are reading, imagine that you are there with the Israelites those three days preparing to meet God. Exodus 19, “1 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. 3 Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, ‘This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 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, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.’ 7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the LORD has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. 9 The LORD said to Moses, ‘I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.’ Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said. 10 And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, “Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.” Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.’ 14 After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, ‘Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.’ 16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. 20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the LORD said to him, ‘Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.’ 23 Moses said to the LORD, ‘The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, “Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.” 24 The LORD replied, ‘Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them.’ 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.”
God made a covenant contingent on the actions of the Nation of Israel, “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 Israelites answer back, “The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the LORD has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.”
Yet, even though the nation had accepted God’s covenant, the Israelites sinned very soon after. Laws are not laws unless there is the power of enforcement behind them. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments, some of the Children of Israel worship a golden calf. When Moses came down the mountain, he lost his temper when he saw the people’s sin and broke the tablets. God did punish those who worshipped the calf. God then told Moses to, “Hew two tablets of stone like the first; and I will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which thou didst break.” Then back to the top of the mountain, God had Moses stand “in the cleft of the rock.” (Exodus 34:6-7) “The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.’” Thus, God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit forgave the Children of Israel of their sins.
We too are to keep the Ten Commandments. They will work for our nation and us. We too have the same forgiveness offer that was available to the sinful Israelites if we but come to Christ.
The next five sermons cover the Ten Commandments, the Laws that were to govern God’s Nation and God-fearing nations. There will be one sermon after those five that further explains God’s forgiveness.
* Gen 15:13 that speaks of 400 years and Exodus 12:40 that refers to 430 years of sojourning. The thirty years not accounted for in Genesis are the years that elapsed between the Abraham’s vision the birth of Isaac.
** Note, Acts 7:14 says “75” adding in five, Joseph and his family.
