Moses summoned all Israel and said:

Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them^. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. It was not with our ancestors that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. (At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

“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.

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

“You shall not murder.

 “You shall not commit adultery.

“You shall not steal.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”…

 ²⁹ Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!

This is God’s covenant with his people. He will be their God and they will be his people. This covenant is about relationship.

At a wedding, a couple makes vows to one another. Here, God and his people are making vows to one another. As we look through the Bible the relationship between God and Israel is likened to that of husband and wife. In the New Testament, Christ is depicted as the bridegroom and the Church the bride. Earthly marriage gives a hint at the kind of relationship God wants to have with his people. It’s above all a love relationship. And like in human relationships, God wants exclusivity. There are to be no other gods or idols in our lives. Faithfulness is vital to both a healthy marriage and our relationship with God.

In marriage, the individual represents the family as a whole even when they go about their daily business alone. As the people of God, the Israelites represent God and he wants others to know what kind of God he is. So he desires they reflect him in their lives and how they live as a society- being loyal, honest, trustworthy, and overall decent human beings. Living in such a way would stand out to the other nations and ultimately, God wants to being all the nations into his family.

Essentially the first four commandments come down to loving God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the next six to loving one’s neighbour as oneself. God seeks to build communities that love him and each other.

He knew that even something that sounds so simple would be a challenge, “Oh, that their hearts…” He knows his people well. Within days of giving them the Ten Commandments, they were building a golden calf.

Only Jesus was able to fully keep the commandments. Where we fail, he succeeds. He came not just to show us how to faithfully live for God, he came to fulfill the commandments and all the Law. The Law was meant to lead us to Christ. Now that he has come, we follow him and because his Spirit lives in us, we can be the people God calls us to be more than if we managed to keep all 613 laws that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. Following the Law can make us look good on the surface. Following Jesus gets below the surface to the deepest parts of our being, getting to the heart of who we are, and he makes us beautiful from the inside out.

Let us pray.

O Holy God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for wanting the best for us. Thank you for wanting us to live at peace with you and each other. And thank you for Jesus who lets us do that. In his name we pray, amen.

Questions

The Israelites were afraid to get to close to God or hear his voice. Are there times that you have been afraid to get close or talk to God?

Read how Jesus re-interprets aspects of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). What do you think he is trying to get people to see?

While we are no longer condemned by the Law, it is, for example, still a sin to lie, steal, or covet. Slowly read through the Ten Commandments and confess any sins to God. He will readily forgive.