Exodus 20

God had shown Himself to be the great Deliverer of Israel (Exodus 14-15), and the great Provider for His people in the wilderness (Exodus 16-18). But Israel needed to know her Redeemer as their Law-Giver. Knowing the fear of the presence of the Lord (Exodus 19), the time had come for God's chosen ones to hear the words at the center of the Lord's Covenant with Israel, the Ten Commandments.

This message came from God and was delivered to Moses in the hearing of the people. God said, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” This is an uncompromising statement of the God of Israel's complete lordship over everyone He has redeemed. Israel was in bondage in Egypt. We were slaves to sin, death, hell, wrath, justice, and even God in His righteous judgment because of our rebellion and the sin of our father Adam. But now we have been redeemed through the shedding of the holy blood of the Son of God. We have been bought with a price. It is our New Covenant responsibility to glorify God with all we are and all we have. See 1 Corinthians 6:20.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything” in order to “bow down” or to “serve” that image as a god. The Lord presents Himself to the redeemed not only as their Lord, but also as the Husband of Israel, His bride. He is rightly jealous for her. He will not casually stand by while we worship the lifeless objects of our hands. He will not decide it is acceptable for us to claim that we worship Him while we bow down to or serve some object that we have made.

How serious is the Lord's jealous love for us? His wrath against our idolatry will have consequences for future generations among those who hate him. Yet his blessings come to thousands who love Him and keep His commandments; or perhaps, to the thousandth generation of the one who loves Him and obeys Him. There is one Man who has perfectly loved God and obeyed His Law without sin. We need to be adopted into His family circle.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” This is more than just a loose use of the Lord's holy Name, as bad as that is. What Name were you baptized into? Don't take that great Name for an empty nothing that you ignore with your life.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” God has set one day in seven as the special day of heavenly rest. Back in the days of Moses, Israel was to work for six days as they awaited the seventh day. Now we begin our week in the perfect rest of Jesus Christ, who worked the works of God for us. We respond to that assurance of our resurrection future with a life today of good works that flow from the blessing of that first day of rest.

“Honor your father and your mother.” Submitting and serving in love within the structures of authority established by the Lord brings with it the promised blessings that flow from obedience. This was the way of life for Israel in the Promised Land, and it is the way for the church to be fruitful upon this earth in the current hour. When the world is too ready to throw off all authority, then lawlessness and death are not far away.

“You shall not murder.”

“You shall not commit adultery.”

“You shall not steal.”

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

How can any individual, family, or society survive that will not respect the Lord's good provision of life, marriage, property rights, and the honest preservation of a good name? Every motion in our hearts against these good commandments, takes us and others along the pathway to disorder and death.

The final commandment of the ten helped Israel see that the Lord insisted on an obedience that was more than any human court could discern. “You shall not covet.” Who can know the heart a man? But God calls us to obey in our innermost being.

This is the Law. Giving us these words cannot automatically change us so that we will suddenly obey them. Obedience is more than simply knowing the Law.

When the people saw and heard what God did that day, they were greatly afraid. Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. God came to them in the Spirit of Judgment Day. How would they be able to stand before Him?

Their proposal to Moses was that they not hear the voice of God any more, “lest we die.” Moses could listen to God for them, and they would obey the word their mediator would speak. He encouraged them in the pathway of continued relationship with the Lord Almighty, in the obedience of sincere love.

The way for sinners to pursue a relationship with God required pure and humble sacrifice. Through the blood of offerings, and not through ornate altars and temples, they would testify to God of their guilt, and of His greatness. They would look to Him for a mercy that He would have to reveal to them.

We have now come to see the Lord's gracious provision for us through faith in His Son, the one Law-Keeper, the only Lamb who could powerfully give His blood for us at the time appointed by God. Through Him we have been made the descendants of a truly good Man, a Man who fully loved and obeyed God.