Saturday, May 15, 2010

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments (vs. 1-18)—Here we get into the Law of Moses proper. Most of the rest of Exodus, yea, most of the rest of the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) will be a unveiling of the Jewish constitution, which was a theocracy, or “rule by God.” At least that was the way it was intended. Eventually, Israel will reject God as its king, but that wasn’t the way it was intended. The Law had ceremonial and moral laws, and is related in detail.

It begins with its most famous message: the Ten Commandments. The first four deal with man’s relationship to God; the last six man’s relationship with humanity. God, rightfully, comes first. The ten laws are as follows, with comments as necessary.

1. “No other gods before Me” (v. 3). He is the only God anyway, and He certainly brooked no higher allegiance than to Himself. Israel had been surrounded in Egypt by pagan gods; they needed to learn to serve the one true God, and Him alone.

2. No graven images (vs. 4-6). Other peoples worshipped carved images; God would not allow such, for it smacked too much of paganism. His justice is far reaching (v. 5), as is His mercy (v. 6).

3. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain (v. 7). This refers to false oaths, cursing, or any flippant use of God’s name. We must revere God completely, and to use Him name in a common or thoughtless manner reveals a condition of heart that needs to be corrected.

4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (vs. 8-11). No work on the Sabbath. Interestingly, there is no mention here of Saturday being a day of worship, only a day of rest. God “made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day” (v. 9), and He instructed the Jews to do the same. It was to be “hallowed” by Israel (v. 11). The Christian day of “rest” is Sunday, the day the Lord Jesus arose from the dead. There is no command in the New Testament not to work on Sunday, but there is instructions to worship on that day. It would be nice to have respect for that day and give it totally to the Lord, but in our materialistic, worldly society, such simply isn’t the rule any more.

The next six commandments concern man’s relations with man.

5. Honor your father and mother (v. 12). Men must learn to respect authority. If one does not respect the authority of parents, he most likely will not respect the authority of God.

6. Do not murder, which is the meaning of the KJV’s “kill” (v. 13). Life is sacred, and given by God. Jesus will show, in the Sermon on the Mount, how obedience to these commands must come from the heart; eliminate hatred, and murder will cease (Matt. 5:21-22). And “love thy neighbor” will be clearly stated later in the Law of Moses. Thus, the attitude of heart described by Jesus is implicit in the commands given here.

7. Do not commit adultery. Trust is essential for any marriage to succeed.

8. Do not steal. Respect for private property—a cornerstone of any free peoples. It isn’t yours, you didn’t earn it, it doesn’t belong to you, don’t take it; such constitutes stealing. Excessive taxation and redistribution of income actually constitutes “theft.” The rich can be guilty of breaking this command, too, by oppressing and extorting from those less wealthy than themselves. This is the claim of the modern liberal. It keeps him in power.

9. Do not bear false witness, i.e., lie. The proper use of the tongue is essential in honorable human relations.

10. Do not covet. Envy, jealousy, and resentment at what others have lead to strife, wars, and conflict. Be satisfied with what is yours.

These are not the only commandments in the Law of Moses, of course, but they are the cornerstone in our association with God and man. If Israel (and us) were to practice the principles and edicts found in these ten laws, then certainly there would be very little sin and iniquity in society. It isn’t obedience to the Ten Commandments that is creating the world’s problems today.

I do believe it is worthy of note that only nine of the ten commandments are in force today. We are not expected to keep the Sabbath. That ceremonial law was abolished at the cross, as was all the Law of Moses. We do not obey the Ten Commandments today because they are binding on us; we honor these laws because all of them (save the Sabbath) are also found in the New Testament.

The people fear (vs. 18-21)—The awesome power of God was still on display (v. 18), and “when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.” They wanted Moses to intercede for them (v. 19). Moses told them not to fear, but there was a purpose behind these divine demonstrations: “God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin” (v. 20). There is a direct correlation between fearing (reverencing, respecting God) and not sinning. The people kept their distance while Moses approached Jehovah (v. 22).

Instructions concerning the altar (vs. 22-26)—The people were to make burnt offering to God. Israel was largely an agricultural society, thus their “wealth” consisted of their flocks and herds. The altar upon which the sacrifices were made was, in and of itself, of no real importance, thus God didn’t want them to waste time—at the moment—constructing an elaborate one. That would change when He gave instructions concerning the tabernacle and temple. But at the moment, a simply altar was sufficient. The idea in verse 26 “Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it” not only concerned modesty, but was a rebuke of pagan idolatry, the priests of which built their temples, etc. on elevated sites, thinking that height meant closeness to their gods.

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