The Book of Law: The Foundational Ten

The people of Israel were standing on the edge of the Promised Land, ready to go in and claim all that God had promised them.  As they gathered along the east bank of the Jordan, Moses reminded them of their history.  He also reminded them of the covenant they made with God.  As Christians, we have also made a covenant with God through Jesus and, like the Israelites, should live up to what God expects of us.

Moses gave three simple instructions to the Israelites (Deut. 5:1), instructions that are still relevant to us today:

• Listen: By listening we absorb and accept information about God.
• Learn: Understanding what we have heard and the implications of it on our lives
• Obey: When we obey, we are putting into action what we have learned and understood.

These three things are essential to us as we develop a relationship with God.  Moses reminded the people that they had agreed to these things at Sinai when God spoke to them directly.  He reminded them of God's Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:6-21).

1. “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.  You must not have any other god but me.
2. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
3. “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
4. “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do. Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.
5. “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
6. “You must not murder.
7. “You must not commit adultery.
8. “You must not steal.
9. “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
10. “You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor."

We've heard these all before a hundred times, but what practical application do they really have to our lives today?  You're not in some weird cult, so you don't worship other gods....or do you?  A god is really the driving force in your life.  It's what we build our lives around, and for many people that isn't God.  We've all had that desire for popularity, power, money, etc. but if our whole lives are focused on achieving those things, what room is there for God?

And idols?  Really?  You don't carve little wooden statutes and bow down to them in your living room, so how is that relevant?  Suppose someone "friended" you on Facebook.  They'd look at your pictures, maybe even frame one, share your picture with their other friends, but never once bothered to get to know you at all. What if someone just looked at your Facebook pictures and never once even sent you a message or wrote on your wall?  God doesn't want to be treated that way any more than you do.  God wants a relationship with us, not just some mindless ritual or a few seconds of our time each day.  He wants to know us, and in turn for us to know Him!  And if we put something else at the center of our lives besides Him, that relationship won't fully form and we won't live up to our full potential.  That's why God wants us to stay focused on Him, because He wants us to become all that He wants us to be!

God also asks us not to misuse His name.  God's name should be used in praise because of everything He has done for us (even if we can't always see Him working).  While we might not swear or use His name with profanity, we can still misuse it by not giving Him the glory He rightly deserves.  It's like going to church each week but rather than praising God you play on Facebook, Twitter, or text message your friends through the whole service.  You went to God's house, but you didn't once talk to Him!

The Commandments towards the end probably don't feel very relevant to you.  I mean let's face it, have you killed anyone lately?  Probably not, but Jesus talks about being hatefully angry at someone is just like killing them (Matt. 5:21-22).  Have you ever been cut off in traffic and maybe just for a moment wished for a gun so you could take a shot at that person?  If we're honest, most of us have probably had that little fleeting thought.  What Jesus is saying is that while we don't physically end that person's life, we committed murder in our hearts and are just as guilty.  Our hearts should not be filled with anger and hate, but love and forgiveness (even when it's REALLY hard).

We've all heard this word "covert" before, but what does it really mean?  When we covet something, we earnestly desire to have it.  Like CRAVE it.  Maybe your friend just got a nice 64" plasma TV with 7.1 surround sound, and it us just awesome watching movies on it.  But boy, you would really like to have that.  You even get a little jealous that your friend was able to afford that TV and you weren't.  You get fixated on NOT having the TV almost to the point where you can't even enjoy the movie you're watching on it!  That's the kind of behavior God is warning us about.  To stop coveting, we need to instead focus on being content with what we have.  Paul talks about this in the when he says that he wanted for nothing because he learned to be content with what we have (Phil. 4:11-12).  Instead of focusing on what we don't have, we should instead be thankful for what God has given us.  After all, God's most important gift to us is free: Salvation through His Son, Jesus.

Moses went on and reminded the people how scared they were when they heard the voice of God from Mt. Sinai.  They agreed that their God was an awesome God, and asked Moses to go speak with Him on their behalf because they were fearful just being in His mighty presence might kill them (Deut. 5:22-27).  But God was not upset with His people for being afraid of His presence.  In fact, He praised them for it!  God told Moses that He hoped that the people's hearts always in this state of reverent awe (Deut. 5:28-29).  God sent the people back to their tents and gave His laws to Moses to pass on to them.

So what was God saying to Moses about the people?  He was saying that His hope was that the people were always inclined to fear (or have a healthy respect for) Him--that is to want to respect and obey Him (not be terrified of Him).  Think about it.  We know that there is a difference between doing something because we have to do it and doing something because we really want to.  God isn't interested in forced religious exercises and legalism.  No!  He wants our hearts and lives to be completely dedicated to Him!  If we do that, we will naturally obey Him because we WANT too!

I'll close with the advice that Moses have to the Israelites standing on the edge of the river (Deut. 5:32-33):

So Moses told the people, "You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy."