Exodus 20
Exodus 20
Today we read one of the most popular texts in the entire Bible. The text popularized as “The 10 Commandments” has, in recent years, been weaponized for judgment or politicized in an attempt to “Christianize” American politics. These commandments are often viewed in western Christendom as the “minimum requirements” for morality or sometimes even salvation.
In the midst of the political, social, and cultural assumptions about this text, how do we, as followers of Jesus, approach it?
A good place to start is to remember that this text cannot mean for us (the modern reader) what it did not mean for the original audience. So, we must explore the original intention of these commandments in order to interpret them.
The ten commandments come at the crux of the story, set in between the deliverance of the Israelites and the establishment of their identity as free people under Yahweh. Since calling Abraham, God’s covenant and plan have been to bless all nations through Abraham’s family and descendants, who are the Israelites (Genesis 12). Now that they have been freed from 400 years of slavery, this generation needs to know how to be this God-honoring nation that blesses all other nations, so God gives them instruction.
There are lots more commandments to come throughout the Torah, but these first 10 encapsulate God’s foundational desires for his people. All of them point people toward a life that honors God (commandments 1-3), honors their community (commandments 5-10), and honors their own souls (commandment 4). This is the foundation that all other commandments of God for this community flow.
As followers of Jesus in our time and place, these commandments were not given directly to us. They were for a specific community in a very specific situation. But by God’s grace, they were preserved for us to help us understand the story of scripture and God’s heart for his people. Unlike the Israelites, these commandments are not our legal code. They are, however, words from God that Jesus took seriously and fulfilled with his own life.
As we read the rest of the Israelite law code as laid out in Exodus, it would be helpful to look at each commandment by asking the following question: how does this commandment help the Israelite people honor God, honor their community members, or honor their own soul? These three foundational principles of their nation, which God communicated through the ten commandments, will help us understand the rest of the law code.
Additionally, the author of Exodus intentionally put these commandments in the narrative at this part of the story. Is there anywhere you have seen Israel act contrary to these commandments so far? Is there anywhere where you think they will? (I’ll give you a hint… there’s one coming up that has to do with serving an idol image…)
Israel’s rebellious nature, even after God delivered them from evil, is made even more clear in the story when we compare their actions to the standards God communicated to them.
As you reflect on the purpose of these commandments in Israel’s story, what could God be trying to communicate to you? Can you relate to Israel? Is there a timeless truth behind these commandments that you need to cling to?
For both Israel and for us, these commandments are not meant to condemn but to lead God’s people toward a life that honors God, others, and ourselves. May we embody these foundational truths today.
