The Grace of the Ten Commandments

What this episode covers

One of the most important lessons we learn in life is the difference between personal beings and impersonal objects. All too often, we get into trouble when we think of other people as objects to be used much like we use our other possessions. There are some things that we value more than others. But people must always be given a higher priority than our stuff. We heard this debate carry out recently, during the early days of this coronavirus crisis. Some people worry about the economic consequences of a lockdown. Others suggest that we ought to prioritize people over money. I’ll admit that was my position during the first few weeks. I think it is based upon a proper biblical view of life over stuff. Just think of all the warnings of the corrupting influence of money. However, as things have progressed, we are beginning to see that the debate is not so much about people vs money, but the physical health of some people vs the physical and emotional health of other people. Now, it would seem, the unintended consequences of our unprecedented reaction are proving to be worse than the virus. And that debate has only gotten louder and more obnoxious over time. I really don’t intend to get into that today. I’m not here to explain which threat is worse at this point in time. I do, however, want to reiterate the priority of people. Or, more accurately, the priority of treating people with the dignity and respect they deserve. A Personal God Gave The Ten Commandments When we simply view people as objects to use, or even as obstacles impeding our movement, we tend to lose sight of their value. No one wants to be treated as a statistic. I imagine those in power find it hard not to treat their constituents as numbers. Politicians do not have personal relationships with most of us. How could they really understand the impact of all their decisions? Thankfully, that is not the case with God. As we consider the prologue to the Ten Commandments today we will see that God starts by reminding His people of His relationship with them. These commands do not come from an angry dictator establishing his authority over us. They come from a Divine and Benevolent God who loves us and has rescued us. And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.Exodus 20:1-2 I. A Sovereign God Spoke the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1) We begin from a very basic but important starting point. The Ten Commandments were spoken by God directly to Moses and the people of Israel. To understand this it will be important to consider the context by summarizing the previous chapter. We should also pause to consider the way in which he spoke them. They were given a particular format that is reiterated several times in the Old and New Testaments. The Powerful Presence of God on Mount Sinai God came down upon Mount Sinai to meet with Moses (Exodus 19:16-25). His appearance is reflected with thunder, lightning, clouds, fire, smoke, and trumpet blasts. The sight caused the Israelites to tremble, even as the mountain itself trembled. Moses brought the people to the foot of the mountain. As he spoke to God over the increasing sound of the trumpets, God responded through the loud thunder so that all could hear. God called Moses to the top of the mountain only to tell him to go back down. That had me wondering how tall this mountain was. If tradition is correct, the mountain that is believed to be Mount Sinai stands 7,497’ tall. It would take roughly two hours to ascend and an hour to descend. Depending on how long he was at the top of the mountain, this would have taken half the day. God sent him back down in order to warn the people not to try to break through the foot of the mountain to catch a glimpse of God. They would certainly perish if they attempted to do so. The priests were to be consecrated, so he commanded Moses to bring up Aaron on his return trip

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