The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20:1-20, Matthew 21:28-32)
And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exod 20:1-3)
For many people, talking about laws and commandments is daunting and unwelcome because people love freedom. No one enjoys being enslaved by a master or a systems of dos and don’ts. For the sake of hearing what God says, let us keep attentive to this message. Israel’s encounter with God at Mount Sinai is what tantamounted into what with call the Old Testament – the first covenant between God and his chosen people. This meeting and the terms of the covenant are especially recorded in Exodus chapters 19 and 20, and the Ten Commandments form a core part.
This is the heart of the covenant transaction: “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession… you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exod 19:5-6) The Ten Commandments are a summary and outline of God’s Law that His people were invited to obey fully; they are the core of the terms of the covenant. They are God’s direct pronouncement of his will, both for our good and for His glory; keeping them ensures the vertical relationship between man and God is kept healthy, as well as the horizontal relationship among people. Indeed it is possible to see the two sections: the first four commandments focussing on our relationship with God, and the last six focusing on our relationship with one another.
Are the commandments relevant to us today, since we live in the New Testament time of grace? YES. One of the critical fights our Lord Jesus had was with Pharisees and other actors who mishandled the Law and made it oppressive rather than liberating. Jesus Christ helped us to understand and apply the Law in a better way; He did not abolish it. In fact, when asked about the most important commandment, he quoted from the Torah that contains these Ten Commandments. Jesus Christ taught the Law perfectly, submitted to it wholly, and fulfilled it by atoning for man’s disobedience.
Just in case you are one of those who love freedom (and thus detest commandments and rules), I need to point you to the perfect freedom. Someone prayed: “O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom…” The unfortunate truth is that none of us is free; we are all slaves! The question is whose slave are you? Sin enslaves many – think about addictions and various bondages! Think about the secret shame and regret many are going through in Satan’s arena; it is not freedom at all. But those who serve the Lord – obeying Him right from the Ten Commandments – are experiencing the best slavery, it is perfect freedom (James 1:25).
God bless you all.