Title: Counting Commandments
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Traditionally, we have often treated the commandments in this passage as the essence of God's will for our lives. That is hardly reality. This was a starting point from which the rest of God's commandments were attached. Like most of our laws and ordinances at federal, state, and local levels, these are mainly framed as some basic items to avoid. We treat these as we often treat the law of the land, saying, "Well, if there is no rule against it, it is allowed." The rule of law means enforcers can't come after us if the legal code does not disallow our actions. Is that still how we approach life with God, as well? Are we wrapped up with legal interpretations or embodying Christ?
I have vague memories of Charleton Heston in the classic, The Ten Commandments. I don't recall much of what was said about the movie. I only have vague images from the film in my head. I do know the movie covered the life of Moses. The title, however, is deceiving. It tells us that the most important of Moses' life was God giving him the "Ten Commandments." A read through the rest of Torah would quickly disabuse us of that notion. It was the exodus from Egyptian bondage that took central place in God's salvation of Israel and became the highlight of Moses' life, as well.
No matter how much these particular commandments have been stressed over the years, problems arise in placing them at the forefront of all else. First of all, these commands are not those repeated over and over throughout Scripture. When Jesus cites from them, he uses only a selection. Secondly, these particular commandments do not set Israel apart from the other nations, other than Yahweh being the only deity for Israel. If we want commandments that set Yahwist faith apart from the practices of other nations, we should be looking for things like establishing cities of refuge, taking a sabba ...
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
Traditionally, we have often treated the commandments in this passage as the essence of God's will for our lives. That is hardly reality. This was a starting point from which the rest of God's commandments were attached. Like most of our laws and ordinances at federal, state, and local levels, these are mainly framed as some basic items to avoid. We treat these as we often treat the law of the land, saying, "Well, if there is no rule against it, it is allowed." The rule of law means enforcers can't come after us if the legal code does not disallow our actions. Is that still how we approach life with God, as well? Are we wrapped up with legal interpretations or embodying Christ?
I have vague memories of Charleton Heston in the classic, The Ten Commandments. I don't recall much of what was said about the movie. I only have vague images from the film in my head. I do know the movie covered the life of Moses. The title, however, is deceiving. It tells us that the most important of Moses' life was God giving him the "Ten Commandments." A read through the rest of Torah would quickly disabuse us of that notion. It was the exodus from Egyptian bondage that took central place in God's salvation of Israel and became the highlight of Moses' life, as well.
No matter how much these particular commandments have been stressed over the years, problems arise in placing them at the forefront of all else. First of all, these commands are not those repeated over and over throughout Scripture. When Jesus cites from them, he uses only a selection. Secondly, these particular commandments do not set Israel apart from the other nations, other than Yahweh being the only deity for Israel. If we want commandments that set Yahwist faith apart from the practices of other nations, we should be looking for things like establishing cities of refuge, taking a sabba ...
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