A MOUNTAIN OF FIRE AND A MOUNTAIN OF GRACE (10 OF 17)
by Drew Hunter
Scripture: Exodus 19, Exodus 20
This content is part of a series.
A Mountain of Fire and a Mountain of Grace (10 of 17)
Series: Exodus: Delivered to Dwell
Drew Hunter
Exodus 19-20
We have an interesting relationship with commands and rules.
In our culture, rules are often seen as oppressive.
Some view them as tools in the hands of someone who is just making an authoritarian power-play. Sometimes we view them as arbitrary.
Some of us view them as applying mainly to other people.
We see how some people use rules and laws to make themselves look better than others.
We may see in these same people inconsistencies and hypocrisies.
?And so we bring all of these suspicions about rules and laws to God and the Bible as well.
But the Bible views God's commandments to his people as a gift.
But if we embrace God's commands as a gift, it is a gift that needs unpacking. Because we will get confused if we just collect all of God's commands in the Bible and try to obey them. God's commands are given to particular people in particular contexts for particular purposes.
And that's what we see here with Israel at Mount Sinai.
Now, many of you have been Christians for a long time. And some of you for just a short while. And some of you may still be in a process of learning about Jesus. But all of you probably know something about this story.
But there are lots of misunderstandings about it. There is a very simplistic view of why the 10 commandments were given and what they should mean for us today.
One misunderstanding is to think that the 10 commandments are God's plan of salvation. How do you become a Christian? Obey the 10 commandments. A nice thought. But everybody loves the idea of being saved by obedience until they try to actually try to do it. The Bible is clear from beginning to end: We are not saved by our good works, but we are saved for good works.
The role of the 10 commandments for Israel and in the whole Bible is more nuanced than we often think. They were not given to Israel as a kind- ...
Series: Exodus: Delivered to Dwell
Drew Hunter
Exodus 19-20
We have an interesting relationship with commands and rules.
In our culture, rules are often seen as oppressive.
Some view them as tools in the hands of someone who is just making an authoritarian power-play. Sometimes we view them as arbitrary.
Some of us view them as applying mainly to other people.
We see how some people use rules and laws to make themselves look better than others.
We may see in these same people inconsistencies and hypocrisies.
?And so we bring all of these suspicions about rules and laws to God and the Bible as well.
But the Bible views God's commandments to his people as a gift.
But if we embrace God's commands as a gift, it is a gift that needs unpacking. Because we will get confused if we just collect all of God's commands in the Bible and try to obey them. God's commands are given to particular people in particular contexts for particular purposes.
And that's what we see here with Israel at Mount Sinai.
Now, many of you have been Christians for a long time. And some of you for just a short while. And some of you may still be in a process of learning about Jesus. But all of you probably know something about this story.
But there are lots of misunderstandings about it. There is a very simplistic view of why the 10 commandments were given and what they should mean for us today.
One misunderstanding is to think that the 10 commandments are God's plan of salvation. How do you become a Christian? Obey the 10 commandments. A nice thought. But everybody loves the idea of being saved by obedience until they try to actually try to do it. The Bible is clear from beginning to end: We are not saved by our good works, but we are saved for good works.
The role of the 10 commandments for Israel and in the whole Bible is more nuanced than we often think. They were not given to Israel as a kind- ...
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