Finding Life in the 10 Commandments

1. Background
   1. The Ten Commandments are well known by most people
   2. God’s gift to his people
   3. An invitation to a life worth living
   4. Law in its ancient context
   5. The Ten Commandments given to ancient Israel in their ancient context
   6. The Ten Commandments are the house rules for God’s family
   7. Salvation is not through the law
2. Putting the Ten Commandments in Their Context (Exo. 2:22-14:31; 19:5-6; 20:2, 19)
   1. Who is Israel? (Gen. 12:1-Exo. 2:24)
   2. Who is Yahweh? (Exo. 3:14-15; 20:2a)
   3. What Yahweh did for Israel? (Exo. 5-14; 20:2b)
      1. Redeemed (Exo. 12; 20:2)
      2. Delivered (Exo. 13:17-14:31)
   4. God spoke the Ten Commandments directly to Israel rather than through Moses (20:19)
3. A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments
   1. An invitation to find life
   2. Not a set of rules to check off
   3. As a freedom ethic
4. The First Two Commandments (Exo. 20:3-7)
   1. No other gods - Worship only Yahweh (vv. 3-6)
      1. Other gods?
      2. Were the Israelites Monotheists or Monolatrists?
      3. The first commandment prepares the Israelites for Canaan
   2. Bear God’s name well - Represent Yahweh well (v. 7)
      1. Is this command simply about not using God’s name as a swear word?
      2. Keeping this verse in its context
      3. Representing Yahweh
5. The Final Eight Commandments (Exo. 20:8-17)
   1. A ‘bill of rights’
   2. Remember the Sabbath day (vv. 8-11)
   3. Honour your father & mother (v. 12)
   4. Do not murder (v. 13)
   5. Do not commit adultery (v. 14)
   6. Do not steal (v. 15)
   7. Do not give false testimony (v. 16)
   8. Do not covet your neighbor’s house (v. 17a)
   9. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, anything of his (v. 17b)
6. Application
   1. The Ten Commandments are a charter for those who are already redeemed
   2. The Ten Commandments are not primarily concerning private, personal morality
   3. The Ten Commandments should not be used to judge non-Christians

1. Background
   1. The Ten Commandments are well known by most people
      • “With the possible exception of some of the stories in Genesis or Psalm 23, we come to what may be the most widely known portion of Scripture in all of the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments. These verses have been read, pondered, & memorized more than almost any other. Even on the popular level in today's supposed post-Christian culture, the average person on the street has at least some passing acquaintance with what these laws contain & from where they originated.” (Peter Enns, The NIV Application Commentary: Exodus, p. 410)
      • “The Ten Commandments are among the most famous passages of the Bible. Even those not raised in the synagogue or church often have a vague idea of what they are - God's divine decree about what people are ‘not’ supposed to do. The unfortunate thing about this is that the commands are usually divorced from their context. If taken alone, people focus on the ‘Thou shalt not’s,’ & they miss the dramatic story of God's deliverance that sets the stage. Context is everything.” (Carmen Imes, Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, pp. 32-33)
   2. God’s gift to his people
      • “After Exodus 19…we enter the weeds, 20 chapters of detailed instructions about what's allowed & what's not, how to build a tabernacle, & how to dress the high priest…Moses' attitude toward these lists of instructions is strikingly positive. For him, the law is a gift to be received gladly. And Moses is not alone in this sentiment. In fact the longest chapter in the bible, Psalm 119, is an extended celebration of the law as ‘a gift.’” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, pp. 32-33)
      • “To understand [the Israelite's] enthusiasm [towards 20 chapters of law], we need to walk a mile in their sandals. They lived in a time when people were desperate to know what the gods were saying. Since the gods didn't normally ‘speak’ audibly as you & I do, priests were trained to read the signs they left in the natural world…They studied livers & intestines for clues about what the gods were thinking or what they should do next. They watched for strange births or newborn animals with defects. They studied the stars. They contacted the dead…sometimes they simply could not figure out what the gods wanted.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, pp. 33-34)
      • “Not so with Israel. God took the initiative. He chose them, rescued them, established them as His people, & then told them exactly what he expected. God ‘spoke.’ No more guesswork. No wondering what would make him happy or angry. He made it all clear up front. How freeing! Why did people breathe a sigh of relief over 20 long and boring chapters of law at Sinai? this is why.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 34)
   3. An invitation to a life worth living
      • “In Old Testament times, the instructions at Sinai would have been understood as a paragon of wisdom - a portrait of a covenant-keeping Israelite...an invitation to a life worth living. Yes, he calls for their commitment, but not without his own. God's instructions are embedded in a loving relationship” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 38)
   4. Law in its ancient context
      • “Before we read the laws, let's be sure we know what we're talking about. The English word ‘law’ is both too narrow & too misleading to accurately translate the Hebrew word ‘Torah.’ [Torah] is better translated as ‘instruction.’ It encompasses a wider scope of material than just laws…In modern Western society, ‘law’ refers to a statute codified by the legislature that identifies either required or prohibited behaviour, containing specific penalties that are enforceable by the executive branch of government.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 37)
      • “Ancient law didn't function in the same way our current understanding of law works…Ancient laws were often hypothetical, rather than legislative. Lists of any kind where the primary means of demonstrating wisdom [e.g., Hammurabi’s Code]. Hammurabi ruled Babylon in the 18th century BCE with his 282 laws. He was held up as the paragon of wisdom in governance. His law code was not legislatively binding, & therefore not cited in court, but rather a collection of wise deliberations on civil society, meant to be studied by judges to inspire reflection on justice. Could it be that the laws at sinai-fit this ancient category of ‘law as wisdom’? I think so. Significantly…we rarely read about the [613 laws of Torah being] enforced in ancient Israel.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, pp. 37-38)
   5. The Ten Commandments given to ancient Israel in their ancient context
      • “People often assume…the Ten Commandments were written…to everyone throughout history…But based on what we know of treaties from that time, it’s clear that this line of thinking is out of touch with ancient culture. [They] are prefaced with a clear statement of their specific audience: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery’ (Exo. 20:22). The commands contain language very specific to that ancient culture (Do not covet your neighbor's ox). They’re never communicated to other nations. When Old Testament prophets pronounced judgment on neighboring peoples (Amos 1-2), they aren’t measured against the Ten Commandments. Instead, they’re measured against the standard of basic human decency.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, pp. 43-44)
   6. The Ten Commandments are the house rules for God’s family
      • “The Old Testament laws…are the ‘house rules’ for God's family. They ensure peace between family members. They are…the backdrop for the main thing, the loving relationship.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 38)
   7. Salvation is not through the law
      • “Salvation does not come through obedience to the law…God did not say to them, do all the things & I will save you from slavery. He saved them first, & then gave them the gift that goes with salvation, instructions on how to live as free men & women.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 35)
2. Putting the Ten Commandments in Their Context (Exo. 2:22-14:31; 19:5-6; 20:2, 19)
   • “Many people leap past verse 2 when reading the Ten Words [commandments], & they miss the important ordering here. Before the Ten Words, a statement about God’s salvation is made: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.’” (Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exodus, p. 138)
   1. Who is Israel? (Gen. 12:1-Exo. 2:24)
   2. Who is Yahweh? (Exo. 3:14-15; 20:2a)
      • “Verse 2 is not a commandment itself, but is a prologue that properly sets up the frame of mind to which all the commandments should be viewed. It reminds Israel ‘who God is’ & ‘what he has done.’ It begins with another ‘I am Yahweh’ assertion. This God has brought the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 412)
      • “To understand the Ten Commandments, we must read them in context…The immediate context…is not ‘Thou shalt not,’ but rather, ‘I am’ (Exo 20:2)…These commands are given to them by a God who rescued them from slavery, a God who entered into a committed relationship with them, a God who reveals His personal name. Whatever follows must be a dimension of the freedom made possible by the Ten commandments, within which their lives can flourish. The God who saved them is giving them a gift!” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 45)
   3. What Yahweh did for Israel? (Exo. 5-14; 20:2b)
      1. Redeemed (Exo. 12; 20:2)
         • “We must keep in mind…that the Ten Commandments are no mere list of laws given in the abstract. They are given by God to a people he has just redeemed. They reflect the manner in which his people are to be ‘holy.’ It is, therefore, safe to say that these laws are more than simply good rules to live by. They show us something of the nature of God, & for this they deserve our close attention. We see in them not simply ‘what we must do’ but what God is like.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 411)
         • “The Ten Commandments…are given in a historical & redemptive context & should be understood in that context. They are given to people already redeemed, not ‘so that’ they might be redeemed. They are also given to the people as a whole, & the actions of individuals have broader repercussions. The focus of many of these commands is to foster social cohesion, which serves not merely to make the Israelites ‘nice people,’ but agents of world change, image-bearers of God to be a light to the nations.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 427)
      2. Delivered (Exo. 13:17-14:31)
   4. God spoke the Ten Commandments directly to Israel rather than through Moses (20:19)
      • “[T]he people heard the voice of God for themselves & thus could not doubt his presence among them, a presence more directly manifest at Sinai than in any other mode previously since they had first learned of his interest in them (2:25; 4:31). All the people were hearing the voice of God just as Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, & the patriarchs had heard it & as Moses had heard it earlier at Mount Sinai when God first called him. And this time the voice of God was accompanied by such audio & visual displays (19:16-19; 20:18-21) as to leave no doubt in their minds as to both his presence & his uniqueness.” (Tony Merida, Op Cit, p. 134)
3. A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments
   1. An invitation to find life
      • “The 10 Commandments are not just rules. Genesis 1:28 is the first time in the Bible that God tells someone to do something. Here it's not called a command but a blessing. This first command sets the tone for all of the commands to come. Every command in the Bible is an invitation to find life. What we need is a way to discern between right & wrong, good & bad in any of life's complicated situations. This is what the Bible calls wisdom.” (Tim Mackie, Bible Project: The 10 Commandments as Wisdom)
      • “The story on pages 1 & 2 of the Bible sets the stage for every demand to come. Every law or command in the Bible is just like this first command, an invitation to hear God's voice & find life.” (Tim Mackie, Bible Project: The 10 Commandments as Wisdom)
   2. Not a set of rules to check off
      • “The Ten Commandments are not 10 rules to check off, but they are 10 ways to hear God's voice & God’s wisdom that can lead us into a deeper, richer life. They also invite us into the story of the Bible. That story begins with, “Who is the God of the Bible?”, then, “What does it mean that God made us in his image?”, then, “Can I represent God faithfully while trusting that he will lead all creation to its completion (rest)?” [After that they answer the question:] “What does it mean to be human?” It means to honor those who have come before us, to preserve life, to commit to love & generosity, using truth to protect the vulnerable, & then ultimately to align our [inner] desires with God’s desire.” (Tim Mackie, Bible Project: Looking Back on the 10 Commandments)
   3. As a freedom ethic
      • “One way to think about the Ten Commandments, because Yahweh has freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, is as a freedom ethic. They show these liberated people how to live as freed people.” (Tim Mackie, Bible Project: 1st Commandments: No Other Gods)
4. The First Two Commandments (Exo. 20:3-7)
   • “...[T]he first two [commands]...the two weightiest commands - the ones that set the stage for all the others… say: 1 ) worship only Yahweh, & 2) represent him well…Unlike the gods of other nations, Yahweh could not be represented by a carved image (20:4); instead he was to be represented by the people to whom he had revealed his name (20:7). Since he had claimed them as His own, their words & actions were to reflect his lordship…The rest of the Ten Commandments flow from the covenant formula established by the first two commands, fleshing out what covenant faithfulness looks like in every conceivable area of life: work, family, conflict, marriage, property, & reputation.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, pp. 52-53)
   • “The law…is based on God's gracious act of saving his people; it is not a condition of becoming God's people, for that has already happened in the Exodus. They now receive rules for holy living, so they can become more & more God's holy people.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 412)
   1. No other gods - Worship only Yahweh (vv. 3-6)
      1. Other gods?
         • “In the rest of scripture, the expression ‘other gods’ refers to the wooden & stone idols of the nations around Israel. It does not refer to actual divine beings, that is, ‘gods’ as such (Deut. 28:36)...It merely acknowledges that the other nations worship wooden & stone idols as their gods.” (John Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative, p. 285)
         • “This commandment teaches that God is a jealous God; that is, he will not tolerate anything short of wholehearted worship. He is a personal God & will not be satisfied with anything less than a personal relationship with men & women whom he created in his image. To worship an image of God (idol) rather than God himself violates God's purpose for the creation of man & woman in His image (Gen. 1:26). Thus God's will as expressed in these commandments is consistent with his purpose in creation.” (John Sailhamer, Op Cit, p. 285)
         • “The command, ‘There will not be for you any other God before me’ means God is in a class of his own.’ Nothing else is worthy of your ultimate loyalty & allegiance. In our context, we still have these gods or higher powers. When humans give their loyalty to anything that’s not the source of all reality, it eventually leads us on a path that de-humanizes us & other people (eg., sex, money or power). When humans get in touch with the One who truly has a claim on their life, then they’re living on the road to freedom.” (Tim Mackie, Bible Project: 1st Commandment: No Other Gods)
         • “The first commandment…addresses the deep problem of the human heart: idolatry. Everyone is a worshiper of someone or something. Idolatry is putting someone or something else in the place of God. Idolatry is exchanging the glory of the Creator for the creation, leading to a life of ignorance & moral corruption (Rom 1:18-25). Idols are not just on pagan altars but in the hearts of people (Ezek 14; Gal 5:19-20).” (Tony Merida, Op Cit, p. 140)
      2. Were the Israelites Monotheists or Monolatrists?
         • “It is striking…that verse 3 does not say, ‘There ‘are’ no other gods before me, therefore do not worship them. It simply says, ‘You shall ‘have’ no other gods before me.’ Some have suggested that the first commandment is not an explicitly monotheistic statement but a command to be monolatrous. (Monotheism is the belief that there is only one God; monolatry implies the existence of more than one god, but we worship only one.)” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 413)
         • “Because Yahweh is the Savior of Israel, Israel is to have no other gods…This demand sets Israel apart from the surrounding nations…In distinction to every other people of the ancient world, they are to worship one & only one God, Yahweh.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 413)
      3. The first commandment prepares the Israelites for Canaan
         • “The first commandment gets to the heart of what it means to be God's people, not only in terms of what the Israelites have left, but also in terms of where they are going - to another polytheistic land, Canaan.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 414)
   2. Bear God’s name well - Represent Yahweh well (v. 7)
      1. Is this command simply about not using God’s name as a swear word?
         • “Clearly, it's not advisable to use God's name as a swear word - dishonoring God in any way is a serious matter, indeed. But after further study, I'm now convinced that most of us have misunderstood the command concerning God's name. To explain what it really means, we’ll have to go back to the Hebrew & attempt a new translation: ‘You must not bear (or carry) the name of Yahweh, your God, in vain, for Yahweh will not hold guiltless one who bears (or carries) his name in vain (Exo 20:7, author’s translation). Most translators have decided that this [translation] makes little sense. After all, names aren't lifted or carried, they're spoken. They conclude that something must be assumed in this statement - something that would have been obvious to the Israelites but is not obvious to us. And most conclude that the missing something has to do with ‘speaking’ God's name, so that the command is prohibiting the spoken use of God's name in some situation. ” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 49)
         • “Yahweh's name…must be honored, blessed, praised, celebrated, invoked, pronounced, & so shared. To treat Yahweh's name with disrespect is to treat his gift lightly, to undermine his power, to scorn his presence, & to misrepresent to the family of humankind his very nature as ‘The One Who Always Is.’” (J. I. Durham, Exodus, p. 288)
         • “Understand what it means to ‘take’ His name in vain. It does not mean to simply speak God’s name; it means to carry or bear God’s name. People who have publicly declared themselves to be followers of God are to exalt God’s reputation by living in a way that honors Him.” (Tony Merida, Op Cit, p. 141)
      2. Keeping this verse in its context
         • “The problem is that [many] interpreters overlook the closest & most relevant passage…Exodus 28:29…Moses is told that the high priest is to bear (or carry) the names of the sons of Israel as he moves in & out of the Tabernacle…His most striking item of clothing is his elaborate apron, woven with gold threads & set with 12 precious stones, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the 12 tribes…So…in close proximity to the Name Command is the high priest…carrying the names of the 12 tribes.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, pp. 50-1)
         • “The high priest is a visual model of the vocation of the entire nation. Just as the high priest represents Yahweh to them, so they represent Yahweh to the nations…At Sinai, Yahweh claims Israel as his very own & releases them to live out to their calling. The calling is to bear Yahweh's name among the nations, that is, to represent him well.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 51)
      3. Representing Yahweh
         • “When God gives or attaches his name to others, it becomes a form of representation, or a way that you encounter God. What Aaron did for Israel in carrying them before God (Exo. 28:12, 29), Israel is to do with Yahweh's name, to carry the name before the world. God attaches his name to his people for a purpose, to represent him. We want to carry the name of Yahweh faithfully, representing his character & his story with our whole life. How do we do that? That's what the rest of the Commandments are all about.” (Tim Mackie, Bible Project: 3rd Commandment: Do Not Carry the Name in Vain)
5. The Final Eight Commandments (Exo. 20:8-17)
   1. A ‘bill of rights’
      • “Daniel's Block calls the Ten Commandments ‘a Bill of Rights.’ However, unlike the Bill of Rights in the US constitution, Block points out that these Ten do not focus on a person's own right but the rights of one’s neighbor. The job of every Israelite is to protect other people's freedom.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 53)
   2. Remember the Sabbath day (vv. 8-11)
      • “The Sabbath command protects the entire household’s right to rest, ensuring a rhythm of sustainable living…Each Sabbath is an expression of trust in Yahweh's provision. It's not just the master of the house who gets the day of rest…the entire household is free to participate in this rhythm of grace.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 53)
      • “Under the covenant at Sinai, Israel was to set apart each seventh day of the week & to keep it holy. In so doing they were following God's own pattern in creation (Gen. 2:2-4). The purpose of the Sabbath day was to give rest from one's labor (Exo. 23:12; Deut. 5:14) & to provide an occasion for an assembly of the nation in a holy convocation (Lev. 23:3).” (John Sailhamer, Op Cit, p. 286)
      • “The Israelites are told to ‘remember’ the Sabbath day. This is not nearly a cognitive exercise, any more than remembering your wedding anniversary means simply recalling it. As any forgetful husband can well attest, some concrete demonstration of remembrance is expected. Biblical remembrance requires action. In Exodus, we have seen this already in 2:24 & 6:5, where God remembers Israel in their slavery. There, too, remembering means more than just recalling that the Israelites are slaves. It means delivering them from Egypt. Likewise, by remembering the Sabbath, the Israelites are no doubt required to act in a certain way, a notion supported not only by the alternative phrasing of Deuteronomy 5:12 ‘observe,’ but by the explicit instructions that follow in Exodus 20:9-10.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 418)
      • “Observing the Sabbath is not only about refraining from work, but about creating ‘menuha,’ a restfulness that is also a celebration. The Sabbath is a day for body as well as soul.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath, p. xiv)
      • “Inner liberty depends upon being exempt from domination of things as well as from domination of people. There are many who have acquired a high degree of political & social liberty, but only very few are not enslaved to things. This is our constant problem - how to live with people & remain free, how to live with things & remain independent.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, Op Cit, p. xiii)
      • “Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of Eternity planted in the soul. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else. Six days a week we seek to dominate the world, on the seventh day we try to dominate the self.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, Op Cit, p. 13)
      • “Is it possible for a human being to do all work in six days? Does not our work always remain incomplete? What the verse means to convey is: rest on the Sabbath as if all your work were done. Another interpretation; rest even from the thought of labor.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, Op Cit, p. 32)
   3. Honour your father & mother (v. 12)
      • “The commandment is not addressed to small children; it does not primarily admonish them to obey their parents, though it no doubt includes that. The commandment is spoken to adults who are not dependent on their father & mother, but whose father & mother may even be dependent on them. You are to treat your parents with respect not only as long as ‘they’ live, but as long as ‘you’ live in the land the Lord God is giving you. Long after parents have departed, they are still to be treated with respect by honoring & obeying their instruction. This is the basis of God showing love to the thousands of generations of those ‘who love me & keep my commandments’ (20:6). (John Sailhamer, Op Cit, p. 286)
      • “Protecting parents' honor ensures that the Sinai covenant will be passed from generation to generation. The New Testament calls this, ‘The first commandment with a promise’ (Eph. 6:2): ‘So that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you’ (Exo. 20:12). But what does this mean? That individuals will live to a ripe old age? Not necessarily…This command…promises that an entire nation will continue to enjoy living in the land as long as the covenant is kept.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 54)
      • “Your father & mother are the ones who gave you life. How you relate to someone who generated & sustained your existence matters. That relationship needs to be treated in a special way, with honor. It's about respecting them, but it's also about sharing & generosity & economic support. Honoring your father & mother is how you honor God! They cared for you & generated you, & you can reciprocate that care for them. For Jesus, this command is not only about our own biological fathers & mothers. What made the early Jesus movement so socially powerful was how they created a family bond beyond the actual physical lineage. Jesus actually wants us to expand the scope of this commandment. The people of God are to esteem the elderly, take care of widows, & honor all those who gave us life. When we do that, we honor God, & create a community that thrives.” (Tim Mackie, Bible Project: 5th Commandment: Honor Your Father & Mother)
   4. Do not murder (v. 13)
      • “This command protects the neighbor's right to life & a fair trial in the case of a dispute. Individual Israelites may not take matters into their own hands…Revenge has no place in the Covenant community.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 55)
      • “The basis of this commandment prohibiting murder & manslaughter was laid down at creation. Human beings were created in God's image; thus whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man (Gen. 9:6).” (John Sailhamer, Op Cit, p. 286)
   5. Do not commit adultery (v. 14)
      • “Each neighbor has the right to a marriage free from competition. For the Covenant community to flourish, relationships between neighbors (& spouses!) must be built on mutual trust. Every man's job is to protect his neighbor's marriage & his neighbor's wife, rather than preying on them.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 55)
      • “Sexual intercourse outside marriage is prohibited. The commandment is based on God's purpose for marriage: ‘For this reason a man will leave his father & mother & be united to his wife, & they will become one flesh’ (Gen. 2:24). David, a man exemplary in most respects, nevertheless violated this commandment, and it marked the beginning of the end of his role as leader of God's people (2 Sam. 11; 24).” (John Sailhamer, Op Cit, p. 287)
      • “How did the ancient Israelites understand adultery? It seems that this sin is committed when & only when a married or betrothed woman is involved. A married or unmarried man who had sexual relations with an unmarried woman had not committed adultery, although this is not to say that there were no consequences of such actions (Gen. 38). In such cases, the man would normally be expected to marry the woman (Exo. 22:16-17).” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 422)
      • “The focus of the command is physical adultery…God wants the physical intimacy of the marriage bond to be maintained…Maintaining the physical sanctity of marriage is a central element in the maintenance of social cohesion…” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 423)
   6. Do not steal (v. 15)
      • “Every Israelite has a right to personal property, free from greed of a neighbor…The protection of a neighbor's property is everyone's business…By taking what's yours, I demonstrate a lack of gratitude & a lack of trust in God to provide for my needs.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 55)
      • “The word ‘steal’ in Hebrew conveys the sense of an act of taking what does not belong to one. It also includes the sense of deception. Thus, while robbery is prohibited in this commandment, the focus is on thievery.” (John Sailhamer, Op Cit, p. 287)
      • “Stealing from one’s neighbor,...is a threat to society. It breeds distrust & strife.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 423)
   7. Do not give false testimony (v. 16)
      • “In an age without DNA testing…a person's word held a great deal of weight. It was crucial to the maintenance of a just society that no one wrongly implicated a fellow Israelite. Each person's reputation depended on truth. Slander would eat away at the community like after.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 55)
      • “Honesty & accuracy in the administration of justice & in everyday affairs is assumed here to be essential.” (John Sailhamer, Op Cit, p. 287)
      • “It refers not to lying in general but to bearing false testimony in court. Israelite justice depended on witnesses to a much larger extent than in modern times.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 423)
   8. Do not covet your neighbor’s house (v. 17a)
      • “The Ten Commandments close with two surprising commands that are totally unenforceable. How can anyone prove that someone craved their neighbor's house or wife when lust is in the heart? The internal nature of these commands hints at the function of the entire law. This is not legislation in a modern sense, but character formation. These instructions paint an ideal picture of a covenant-keeping Israelites, including both outward behavior & inward motivation.” (Carmen Imes, Op Cit, p. 55-6)
      • “Coveting refers to an inward desire that, if fanned, will lead to action.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 424)
   9. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, anything of his (v. 17b)
      • “This commandment highlights the twisted desires of mankind & the sin of discontentment. Instead of having a thankful heart, the coveter desires what others have. Notice also that this commandment is about the inward nature of the law. Covetousness is about the heart. It is about desire.” (Tony Merida, Op Cit, p. 144)
6. Application
   1. The Ten Commandments are a charter for those who are already redeemed
      • “As we apply the Ten Commandments to our lives as Christians in today's world, it is important that we keep in mind what they are. They are a charter of conduct for a people already redeemed, who already participate in God's redemptive plan by being walking & talking examples of what it means to be created in God's image. They are, in other words, commands of God to be understood in a redemptive context…” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 431)
   2. The Ten Commandments are not primarily concerning private, personal morality
      • “The Ten Commandments are not primarily concerned with personal, private morality. To be sure, it is individuals who keep them, but God's purpose of giving them & implementing them should never be reduced to a simple matter of individual righteousness…There is a corporate dimension involved...His law is to be followed not so that individuals can show their worth before God, & certainly not so that they can either earn or secure their salvation, but so that God's people can show the world the kind of God they worship.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 432)
   3. The Ten Commandments should not be used to judge non-Christians
      • “Too often…the Ten Commandments are used today as a basis by which to judge the personal morality of others. It’s bad enough when we do this within the church, but it’s even worse when we judge those outside of the family of God…I am neither shocked nor offended when anyone who does not claim the name of Christ breaks one of the Ten Commandments…We should never wonder when God's law is broken by people who were never intense to keep it in the first place. Moreover, by chiding these individuals for doing so, are we not sending the wrong gospel message, that being right with God is primarily a matter of proper conduct?...Expecting unbelievers to keep God's law, or even to respect it, blurs the sharp divide between those who are God's people & those who are not.” (Peter Enns, Op Cit, p. 432)

Ask one person to pray at the beginning of your meeting.

Check-in

Check in with each other about how everyone is doing.

Bible Reading: Exodus 19:1-20:17, 23; 34:28

Sermon Summary:

The 10 Commandments are among the most well known things in the Bible. Virtually everyone, whether they’re raised in a Church or Synagogue or not, knows of them, & can probably name a few of them. Are they meant to be taken merely as a check list for us to gauge how we are doing? Now that Jesus has died on the cross, are they simply irrelevant for Christians? They were given to people who’d been rescued from slavery, & were invited by Yahweh, the One who rescued them, to live new lives in community. The new life God envisioned for them is laid out in the 10 Commandments. We can boil them down in this way: Worship Yahweh only & represent him well in all aspects of life. I think we are challenged today to consider carefully if God still has these two principles for us to follow, even though we do not follow the 10 Commandments.

Discussion:

1. What was the context for the giving of the 10 Commandments? (Exo. 19:5-6 & 20:2)
2. Were the 10 Commandments intended to be a means of salvation for Israel? If not, where did their salvation or redemption happen?
3. How is the idea of ‘boundary’ a helpful idea as we consider the 10 Commandments?
4. From the OT, what evidence is there that the 10 Commandments were life to Israel?
5. Talk about the challenge of worshipping God alone. What things interfere with that?
6. Is the commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain more than not swearing? Exo. 28:19 shows us the High Priest ‘bearing’ (carrying) Israel on his breastplate as he went in & out of God’s presence. This would mean the commandment is really saying don’t bear or carry the Lord’s name in a way that would damage his reputation. How might that be more relevant for us today?
7. The final commandments touch on every area of life: relationship to parents, working & resting properly, & respecting others’ lives. How are these still relevant today?
8. Why is it so significant that coveting or desiring concludes the 10 commandments? How do Jesus & the NT writes help us with the ‘desire’ issue in their writings?

End with Prayer.

• Pray for eyes to see the life God wants us to live in representing him well to others.
• Pray for one another’s concerns.

This week's set list:

Glorious Day – Passion, Kristian Stanfill

Scandal Of Grace – Hillsong UNITED, Matt Crocker

Great Are You Lord – All Sons & Daughters

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) – Matt Redman