Exodus 20 reminds me of ice skating in the winter as kids. It was impossible to know if the ice is firm enough to walk on until testing. The first tentative steps were scary. We would walk out carefully, trying to find the edge of safety. We did not consider that falling through could mean death. Today’s lesson is, make sure you are standing on something solid. The chapter begins with stability: “And God spoke all these words”. That means everything that follows is important. The next thing written is a dividing line: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt”. Some will stop here. This verse is so critical that the Jewish people consider it the First Commandment. The Lord continues: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Many think they have no god at all. They pursue wealth, or enlightenment, or selfish pleasure, not a “god”. He continues: “You shall not make for yourself an image… You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God”. People today think idol worshiping is absent in the modern world. Yet, we spend countless hours on our phones watching “influencers” tell us what is important. We live in our own customized bubble. Our entire worldview is carefully crafted by our own fingertips. There is a long-term impact “to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me”. Our “hates” can poison our offspring. He adds, the Lord will show love to: “those who love Me and keep My commandments”. The commandments continue: “You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God”. Some people think this means swearing, or taking oaths. We also need to be careful not to condemn people. God alone knows what is in someone else’s heart.
The next commandment is: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Holy means to be “set apart”. The Lord adds: “Six days you shall labor… but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God… you shall not do any work”. Some argue about which day to rest, but honestly, I think many people have a bigger problem actually working for six days! Symbolically the sabbath rest is a wonderful expression of God’s atonement. The Jews work six days to earn a day of rest on the seventh. Most of the Christian church acknowledge that the work of salvation was completed on the cross. We rest on the first day of the week and then we joyfully work six days with thanksgiving. The significance of the first day of the week is obviously related to the resurrection: “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb” (Matthew 28:1). For the recipient of God’s grace, every day is to be holy!
The remaining commandments could not be simpler, yet somehow we complicate them. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long”. Honor does not strictly mean “obey”. This was written to adults. It could be translated as “do not neglect” your parents. This is a deeply significance concept for our family and the strength of our society. Loneliness and isolation can happen as we age. We should not underestimate the importance of grandparents for our children (and vise-versa). Next, the Lord says: “You shall not murder”. Well-meaning Christians confuse any killing with murder. Numbers 35 provides a distinction between accidental death and premeditated murder: “If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.” Capital punishment is established in the Bible. Next we read: “You shall not commit adultery”. Jesus added a level of clarity here because the physical act begins in the mind: “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:28). The next commandment is: “You shall not steal.” Private property rights are foundational to freedom and prosperity. Likewise, every high-trust society requires that guilt must be proven by sworn witnesses: “You shall not give false testimony”. The last commandment again looks at the heart. Sin begins with believing you deserve more: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house… wife, or… anything that belongs to your neighbor”. Moses told the people the purpose of the Law: “so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” Friend, are you skating on thin ice? Be careful, the consequences can be deadly.