The Bible And Slavery

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Exodus 21:1-36

21 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. 13 But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
18 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, 19 then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.
20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.
22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.
28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. 29 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. 31 If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. 32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
35 “When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. 36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.

 
 

To orient ourselves: the Lord has made a covenant with Israel, and they have agreed to its terms. The first set of terms are the Ten Commandments. As we have seen, the Ten (given in chapter 20) are general principles that offer guidance on how to live well. Then, chapters 21-23 will provide more detailed instructions, based on the Ten.

Modern readers are often troubled by the fact that there was slavery in Ancient Israel. Shouldn’t the people who themselves had been slaves in Egypt have refused the practice?

The overall direction of the Bible is anti-slavery, but in the ancient world slavery was like how electricity is today—utterly part of life, and unthinkable to be without. So, what we have here is the Lord beginning to tighten the screws and make slavery less and less of an option for Israel.

Many of these laws in chapters 21-23 are “casuistic laws,” that is laws that are “if…then” laws. In other words, they are not speaking to the ideal but to the actual—they are for the people how and where they actually are, not how they should be. What we will see is that these laws are meant to protect the vulnerable from the powerful. Strange as they seem on first reading, when we dig deeper we see that they are a way of restricting oppression, not amplifying it.

Slavery in Israel was NOT the same thing as the institution of American slavery. For one thing, it wasn’t what we could call “race-based.” (In fact, the concept of race as being related to skin pigmentation is a modern concept from the past several hundred years; this concept did not exist in the ancient world.) In the ancient world, people groups—what we might call tribes or nations—were the primary divisions between peoples. So, for example, we read in the Bible of the Israelites and the Egyptians and the Midianites and the Philistines, etc. These groups are defined by their common ancestry and by the land they inhabited.

One of the ways that people became enslaved was through war—slaves were enemy captives. When Julius Caesar made war in Gaul, he enslaved the Gauls in the hundreds of thousands. Note that the Romans (from modern day Italy) enslaved people—the Gauls (from modern day France)—who had similar skin tones.

Also, American slavery had its roots in kidnapping—Africans were kidnapped in Africa and brought against their will across the terrible Middle Passage to be sold in the Americas. But, in Exodus, kidnapping is a capital crime, punished by the death penalty:

Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. [Exodus 21:16]

Note that both the slave seller and the slave buyer are put to death!

The word translated “slave” here in the English Standard Version actually has a range of meanings. The Hebrew word (spelled with English letters) is ebed, and it can mean:
· Servant;
· Slave;
· Indentured servant.

In fact, it is that last category that makes the most sense in our context, because the reason someone would be enslaved in Ancient Israel was as a way to pay off debts. Selling yourself into domestic servitude in order to pay off debts is, as strange and off-putting as it is to us, a social safety net.

So, with that in mind, look at 21:1-4:

1 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. [Exodus 21:1-4]

When you become an indentured servant, you automatically are released from your debts every seven years. If a husband and wife come into service together, then they go out together. But, if an indentured servant ends up getting married while in servitude, then his wife will not automatically go out with him, because she will still need to work off her own debts.

We still might have problems with the entire system of indentured servitude, but nevertheless looking at those initial verses above in this way helps understand a bit more the heart behind the laws.

Now, let’s look at 21:7-11, which initially seem really troubling:

7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. [Exodus 21:7-11]

Remember that in the ancient world, women found security and provision by being tied to a man, either as a daughter or as a wife or as a mother. Verses 7-11 therefore are about protecting women by making it impossible for female indentured servants to be traded around between men as sexual objects. If a female indentured servant becomes a sexual partner to a man in her household, she cannot then be cast aside.

If a man decides that he cannot survive on his own and prefers to stay with another household, then he has that choice:

5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. [Exodus 21:5-6]

But it must be clear to everyone that this is his choice, hence the pierced ear. Otherwise, he would go free after seven years and have to make his own way in the world.

What’s interesting to me is that the very first laws after the Ten Commandment are focused on household service. The Lord is here restricting how vulnerable people might be oppressed. Servitude is not permanent but must be lifted every seven years. If you physically abuse your indentured servants, then they go free even if their debts are not yet paid:

26 “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth. [Exodus 21:26-27]

What does this first section of laws tell us about the heart of God and the temptations of humanity?

 

Do You Have A Specific Spot For Prayer? [Exodus Part 4 Begins!]

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Our fourth and final part of Exodus begins today, and will run for six weeks. I’ve included here the introduction I’ve written to help you get the most out of this section. Today’s reading and commentary will be found below the introduction.

 

IS THIS THE HARDEST PART OF THE BIBLE?
In some ways this final section of Exodus is the most challenging part of the whole book, and among the most challenging parts of the entire Bible. This is because, for modern readers, Exodus chapters 20-40 seem overwhelmingly boring. What relevance do the meticulous instructions for the construction of the tabernacle have for my life? How can reading Old Testament law possibly help me today?

If we are willing to approach the Bible with open minds and do a little bit of work, however, I’m convinced that these seemingly boring passages are really a blessing to us. We’ve been reading through Exodus for months, let’s finish the story and see what the Lord has for us!

3 WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF EXODUS 20-40

1. Pay attention to where you are in the overall story. Context matters, and when you trace the overall arc of the story, some of the passages that at first seem boring actually become really interesting. Remember, the process is the point. So, for example, we’ll see that when the tabernacle instructions are repeated almost verbatim, there is something really important going on. (Spoiler: the instructions are repeated after the incident with the golden calf; the repetition shows that the Lord is giving the people a chance to start over—the repetition is a good thing! If you’re interested, you can read ahead to the commentary for Thursday, June 13 to find out more.)
2. Think about the point behind the law. After the revelation of the Ten Commandments, the Lord gives the Israelites more detailed laws about how to live and represent Him well. The Ten Commandments are like a constitution, and the subsequent laws amplify its intent by giving greater specificity— “If this happens, then do this.” What we see when we pay attention to the point behind the laws is the heart of God. By thinking about God’s intention with the laws, we can see how seemingly obsolete Old Testament law can inform how we live today.
3. Remember that the question Exodus is trying to answer is, how can a Holy God live in the midst of a sinful people? The tabernacle is meant to provide the means by which the Lord can be close to the people and sustain them as they move into the Promised Land. The Lord wants to guide them and strengthen them, but their fear and idolatry is a constant threat to His purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE STORY SO FAR

  • The children of Israel were enslaved by Pharaoh;

  • Moses was spared by the Lord and then sent by the Lord to lead the children of Israel to freedom;

  • The Lord sent the plagues and brought judgment on the so-called gods of Egypt;

  • The Lord delivered His people through the Passover and the Red Sea;

  • And He brought them to Mount Sinai to commission them as His representatives to the nations.

The people have been rescued for a purpose. At Mount Sinai (chapters 20-40), they receive that purpose.

First, they receive the Ten Commandments.

Second, they receive additional laws so they can live well.

Third, they are told how to properly worship through the construction of an ornate tent in the middle of their desert camp—a tent called “the tabernacle”—and there is a priesthood ordained to lead them in proper worship.

From the time of the Passover until the end of the Book of Exodus, one-year period elapses, and so things are moving along relatively quickly.

But God’s plan is interrupted by the shocking Israelite decision to make and worship a golden calf while Moses is on the mountain hearing from the Lord. Literally right after they have been told in the Second Commandment not to worship idols, that’s exactly what they do!

IF YOU WERE GOD, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

We are confronted at Mount Sinai with the central tension of the entire biblical story—how does a good God stay committed to a rebellious and sinful humanity?

What we will see is that the Lord remains committed to Israel but that nevertheless there are consequences for their sin. In fact, the entire sacrificial system of worship the Lord institutes at the tabernacle is meant to teach Israel about the deadly consequences of sin and His desire to forgive them and reinstate them into a right relationship with Him.

How this Reading Plan Works

Remember, consistency is more important than intensity! That is, don’t try to read the whole Bible in one sitting—rather, pace yourself and make a commitment to be consistent. To that end, the readings are parceled-out on weekdays only—if you get behind, catch up each weekend. Each day I’ve written brief commentary to help you get something out of your reading. The commentary is NOT the point; the Bible is the point. If the commentary helps you, great! If it doesn’t, no worries—just skip it.

WHY EXODUS MATTERS TO YOUR LIFE TODAY

As we will see, the Ten Commandments are guidance from God about how to live well. The Ten Commandments (and the other laws that follow) are revealed from God to His people so that they can be His representatives to the nations.

The church has that same purpose today (see 1 Peter 2:9-12)—we represent the Lord to the world. It’s my prayer that these readings will show us how to live well so we can be a blessing to our neighbors and to the nations.

P.S. Want to receive these daily readings and commentary each weekday morning in your inbox? Sign up on my website: andrewforrest.org.

P.P.S. What did the tabernacle look like? What’s the point of the ark of the covenant and the lampstand and the high priest’s clothing, etc.? What are we supposed to do with all the Old Testament laws? I’ll be teaching my final All-Church Bible Study on Exodus on Wednesday, May 29, 6:30-8:00pm in the Asbury Sanctuary.

 
 

Monday, May 13

Exodus 20:22-26

22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

 
 

After the Ten Commandments, the Lord gives more specific instructions to Moses. Here, the Lord repeats the injunction against making idols and then explains how the Israelites are to make altars.

Altars, Not Idols
Israelite worship should not consist of little statues but rather simple altars. (This simplicity is why they are not meant to use hewn stone, but rather just use field stone as they find it.) And, because these altars are for ordinary people who won’t be clothed in priestly robes, they need to be careful that they remain appropriately clothed and dignified when they worship.

Why Should We Care?
The Israelites are not to worship idols, but they are to construct altars. I think the lesson here for us is that it is good for us to have particular places in which to pray and worship. Obviously, our churches play this function, but we live most of our lives outside the church building so I think it’s also good to have a particular spot at home to pray. Your closet? Upstairs? Downstairs? Back patio? Front stoop? Breakfast table? The garden? At the foot of your bed? Pick a spot and make a practice of just sitting there and praying. It will change your life.

 

Moses Goes Up

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Our fourth and final section of Exodus begins Monday! Pick up your Exodus reading guides this weekend at Asbury. Part 4 will run for six weeks: from Monday, May 13 to Friday, June 21.

If you live out of town, email Sandie Tomlinson and she’ll mail you a copy;

  • If you live in Dallas, email Sandie and she’ll tell you how you can pick yours up for yourself there in town.

 
 

Exodus 20:18-21

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

 
 

With the Ten Commandments concluded, the people are overwhelmed. The Lord has been speaking directly to the Israelites, but from now on He will speak to Moses on the mountain and then Moses will speak to the people.

We resume our reading on Monday with a new reading guide, Exodus Part 4.

Something to think about over the weekend: how can the Ten help you live more fully and freely? How are they God’s gift to you, today?

 

Desire [The Tenth Commandment]

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Exodus 20:17

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

 
 

I like the word “covet” because it is an English word that we only use in religious contexts:
1. We use it in the tenth commandment. (More on this below.)
2. We use it in the Christian phrase, “I covet your prayers.” (This is an
example of what you might call “Christianese.”)

The word covet means desire, and in fact in Hebrew the word used in the tenth commandment has the same root that is used in Genesis 3:6 when Eve sees that the tree with the forbidden fruit is desirable.

The tenth commandment is strange, because it obviously cannot be legally enforced—you cannot prosecute someone for his thoughts. This is an important insight into the nature of the Ten Commandments overall, because it indicates that the Ten are less about specific legislation than they are about the ideas behind the laws. The Ten, in essence, are guiding principles from the Lord about how to live well. The right way to use the Ten Commandments, then, is to use them as bedrock principles on which to build a well-ordered society.

The tenth commandment is important and occurs last because our thoughts determine our actions. It is very hard to commit adultery if you haven’t first coveted another person’s spouse; it is very hard to steal if you haven’t first coveted another person’s property, etc.

HOW TO KEEP FROM COVETING
One of the marks of Christian maturity is to learn to discipline your thoughts. The way to practically do this is to practice gratitude. When you give thanks, you leave no room for desiring that which you do not have. By its very nature, coveting requires ingratitude—I’m not grateful for my house, or my wife, or my donkey, or my car, and so I desire yours.

What if you woke up tomorrow with only that which you thanked the Lord for today?

 

False Witness [The Ninth Command]

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Exodus 20:16

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

 
 

Just as the previous commandments spoke about my responsibility to my neighbor, so does this one: I am responsible for telling the truth about my neighbor. In any society, truthfulness is necessary for there to be flourishing. When you cannot trust other people, everyone suffers.

What if Christians were known in every community to be scrupulously honest and faithful to the truth?

How does the ninth commandment relate to the third commandment?

 

Why Stealing Is Wrong [The Eighth Commandment]

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Exodus 20:15

15 “You shall not steal.

 
 

One way to look at the second half of the Ten Commandments is that they are about my responsibility for my neighbor. I don’t take my neighbor’s life, I don’t take my neighbor’s wife, and I don’t take my neighbor’s property. The Ten give me the responsibility to look out for my neighbor.

Theft is also a sign of a lack of trust in God. In essence, when I steal I’m saying, “I want that person’s property and I do not trust that the Lord will provide it for me, so I’m going to take what I want.”

Theft begins in the thoughts. How can you direct your thoughts away from theft today?

 

The Adultery One [The Seventh Commandment]

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Exodus 20:14

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

 
 

Jesus said that part of the greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, though He was quoting from Leviticus 19:18).

One of the ways to love one’s neighbor is to stay away from his or her spouse. It is a wicked thing to steal another’s spouse, and the consequences of adultery will affect future generations. Because adultery requires two people, an adulterous spouse still needs a willing partner for adultery to be possible. Think how different life would be if one of the two parties in an adulterous relationship had refused to take part. The seventh commandment teaches that I am responsible for guarding my neighbor’s marriage by staying away from adultery.

How can you stay as far away as possible from adultery today?

(Remember, adultery always begins first in the mind.)

 

What Is The Difference Between Killing And Murder? [The Sixth Commandment]

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Exodus 20:13

13 “You shall not murder.

 
 

The difference between killing and murder is that murder is unlawful killing.

But that answer just raises another question:

What is lawful killing? By whose law?

In some ways, the rest of the Torah will offer answers, as it spells out times when death is the consequence for human sin. Pharaoh himself was killed in the Red Sea as a consequence of his behavior. But, what about when human laws are unlawful in God’s eyes? Just because a human law permits killing doesn’t mean it aligns with God’s justice.

Jesus himself in the Sermon on the Mount draws attention to the heart behind this law when He tells His disciples to beware even of hateful thoughts:

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. [Matthew 6:21-26]

In the background here is the story of Cain and Abel: Cain is so angry with the offering his brother Abel offers to the Lord that it drives him to murder.

Anger, Jesus says, can lead to murder—be careful.

So, when is killing justified? An answer lies beyond the scope of this commentary, but I won’t dodge the question completely. The sixth commandment seems to imply (and the rest of the Bible supports) the idea that some human sins bring with them the consequence of death. A relatively easy example would be murderous actions against the innocent. If the innocent defend themselves and the result is the death of the would-be murderer, then that killing would be justified (though a human tragedy). The problem is that people nearly always claim that their actions are justified. This is why due process and a judiciary system is so important for human societies—we must watch over each other and seek justice in every situation. Of course, we will fail at this and some people have concluded that since justice is always imperfect, it is better and safer never to permit lawful killing. I understand that point of view, but I do not totally agree with it. To me, there are times and situations when death is the consequence for human sin. Sometimes that means defending yourself in war, and sometimes that means a society defending itself in times of peace. But always, death is a tragedy and ought never to be shamelessly celebrated.

But, this is what I think, and I certainly could be wrong. What about you?

Is there a difference between killing and murder? If so, what is it?

 

What Does It Mean To Honor Your Father And Your Mother? [The Fifth Commandment]

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Exodus 20:12

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

 
 

What does it mean to honor your father and your mother?

At the very least, it means to be grateful that the Lord used them to give you life. Procreation is a partnership with the Lord; obviously, a man and a woman have to come together for there to be conception, but it’s God who makes life possible. The Lord has delegated power to fathers and mothers to make procreation possible. So, every human life is a product of what the Bible calls the “one flesh” union between a father and a mother. There are no people who do not have both a biological father and a biological mother.

Now, many people don’t know their biological parents for many reasons, and many other people had parents who were abusive or even evil. And yet, the basic fact is the same: none of us would be here were it not for our parents (and their parents, and their parents, etc.).

So, honoring your father and mother must always start with gratitude that the Lord used them to give your life. It can be more than that, but it’s not less. And gratitude is always a good place to start.

P.S. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 6:2-3), this is the first commandment with a promise. Do this, and things will go well for you.

P.P.S. Note how both fathers and mothers are given equal place here—both are essential to life, and neither is more important than the other.

 

Stop [The Fourth Commandment]

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Exodus 20:8-11

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

 
 

The command about the Sabbath is, along with the command to honor one’s parents, a positive command. That is, it is about doing something and not about forbidding something.

The word sabbath means “to stop, to cease.” The Sabbath is a day on which everyone puts down his tools, and it is a day for everyone in the community. Sometimes we think that the purpose of the Sabbath is to rest so we can work better in the future. Although, of course, rest is necessary, note that the purpose of the Sabbath is not work. In fact, it’s the opposite: the purpose of work is rest!

This is the logic of the fourth commandment: the Lord worked to bring order to the cosmos, and then when everything was ordered, the Lord ceased from work so He could enjoy His labor. So, work is not the point of life—living is the point of life, and work makes living possible. The Sabbath is a day when we cease producing and just start enjoying.

You can see what a disaster it has been that in America we have essentially abandoned what used to be called blue laws. These were laws that restricted forms of commerce on Sunday. What those laws did was make Sabbath possible for everybody. When those laws were repealed, the temptation to make money and get ahead of my competitors became nearly irresistible. What a loss for society that we gave up the practice of stopping one day a week.

Each Sabbath day is a little Eden, when we stop to enjoy and savor God’s blessings. I love the heart of the Lord that is revealed with this fourth commandment: God wants us to enjoy life.

For most of us, making Saturday special and different is a good goal. Starting at dinnertime Friday, what could you do in your household to make Saturday a day of enjoyment? What would it look like to cease from work on that day and just enjoy the life that the Lord has given you?

 

Way More Than Just Not Cussing [The Third Commandment]

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Exodus 20:7

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

 
 

What Exodus 20:7 literally says is “Do not carry the name of the Lord in vain.” This is related to the way the high priest carries the names of the twelve tribes on his breastplate (see chapter 28) when he goes in before the Lord. He is representing the people before the Lord. And, he carries on his head the name of the Lord, so he is also representing the Lord to the people.

When Israel was told to be a kingdom of priests (see 19:5), this is their vocation—to represent the Lord to the nations. So, the third commandment is about much more than just not cussing. It certainly includes that, but more than just the words we use it’s about how we are supposed to live.

If we represent the Lord, we need to bear witness to Him and His character faithfully.

How does this change how you interact with other people today?

 

Watch Out For Idols [The Second Commandment]

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Exodus 20:4-6

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

 
 

Note how much longer the second commandment is compared with the first. The lack of brevity implies that this word needs more explanation!

An idol is an image of a spiritual being. In the Bible, these spiritual beings are sometimes called “gods;" today, we might call them “fallen angels” or “demons.” It’s interesting that when God’s faithful servants—His angels—show up in the Bible, the first reaction of their human interlocutors is to prostrate themselves in terror, which is why angels always say, “Don’t be afraid.” When in Revelation John the visionary falls on his face before the angel, the angel hurriedly rebukes him and tells him to get up!

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” [Revelation 22:8-9]

Here, the Israelites are specifically told not to make idols of anything in the universe because there is only one Lord who made everything else, including the spiritual beings. To worship the created rather than the Creator is idolatry and will always lead to spiritual slavery.

In Genesis 1, we are told that people are made in God’s image. This is the reason why we ought not make idols, because the Lord has already made us in His image. If we worship idols, we are actually diminishing ourselves and failing to live as fully human. We are, in effect, giving the glory that the Lord has uniquely bestowed on us over to dark powers for whom that glory was not meant.

Although the occult is sadly on the rise in modern America, most of us are probably not in danger of creating literal idols in the way the Israelites were. Nevertheless, the second commandment is a grave warning against being pulled into idolatry. What the Lord tells us is that sin in one generation will have effects on our grandchildren and even our great-grandchildren. And, we know from experience that this is true—sin in families affects multiple generations.

And yet look at the effect that faithfulness will have: one life of obedience will be the means by which the Lord will cover a thousand generations with grace! If we are faithful now, our actions can be a covering for those who will come after us.

Look at Abraham—his faithful obedience to the Lord is still having its gracious effect today.

Your actions matter!

 

First Things First [The First Commandment]

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Exodus 20:3

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

 
 

The first commandment is as simple as it gets—the Lord must be first. Now, most of us modern people today would deny that we are worshipping “other gods.” After all, we’re not sacrificing to Aphrodite or Baal. And, as far as it goes, that might be true. But remember that these various names for pagan gods rest on a deep spiritual truth, namely that there are dark spiritual powers at work in the world. And, as soon as we value sex or money above obedience to the Lord, we are in fact worshipping these “gods.”

So, it all starts with the first commandment: the Lord must be first, and the worship of anything else enslaves.

What "gods" are you in danger of worshipping today?

 

The Ten Words [Long Post!]

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Exodus 20:1-2

20 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

 
 

We are at Mount Sinai and here, in chapter 20, we finally hear—directly from the Lord himself—the words He wants His people to live by. This is the central event in Israel’s founding—the Ten Commandments. So it’s interesting that the Bible itself never uses the phrase “The Ten Commandments”! Yes, in most English Bibles you can find the phrase “the Ten Commandments” but that is a deliberate gloss by Bible translators. In Hebrew, the phrase is always “the Ten Words.” (The same word can also mean “things,” so it could also be translated as “The Ten Things.”) If you look at Exodus 34:28 in the ESV translation, you’ll see “the Ten Commandments” printed, but you’ll also notice a little textual note 1 and if you look to see what it says you’ll see printed there 1 "Hebrew the ten words." For familiarity, I usually refer to the “Ten Commandments” but somehow I like thinking of them as the Ten Words or the Ten Things, too.

There are 613 laws in total in the Torah. A good way to think of the Ten Commandments is that they are like a prologue or preamble to the Law. The Ten are guiding principles that reveal God’s heart to the world.

All of the commandments are in the second person singular. That is, they are addressed to “You yourself.” So, when the Lord says “I am the Lord your God,” He is in effect saying, “I am your personal God.”

At the burning bush, the Lord identified Himself in relation to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here, they are not mentioned. Now, it’s just about the Israelites who have been brought out of slavery. It’s as if history has started over.

The very first statement the Lord makes is about freedom. He says, "I brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” They have been set free for a purpose, and they ought never to forget it.

The Law is not a new kind of slavery, but rather it is freedom because it is instruction on how to live the right way. Modern Christians—due to a longstanding misreading of the New Testament—often sneer at the Law. This is a heartbreaking development of which we ought to repent. The Law is God’s great gift to His people. Note that the Law is given only after they have been saved. In other words, the Law doesn’t save them—rather, it shows them how to live well now that they have been saved.

I love this image from Carmen Imes:

“Imagine that your community is planning to build a new playground with easy public access, right beside a busy intersection. Wouldn’t it be odd if someone argued that children would have more fun on this playground if there weren’t any fences to cramp their style? No, putting a fence between the cars-in-motion and kids-in-motion just makes sense. It ensures that children can play freely without fear of harm. It provides parents with a respite from watching their every move. A good playground includes physical boundaries. These ensure that everyone can have fun and fewer children end up in the emergency room. The fence is a gift! A playground with no fences isn’t really freedom; it’s an accident waiting to happen.

“Israel’s laws are the fences within which life can flourish. They make possible a distinctive way of life so that other nations can see what Yahweh is like and what he expects.” -Carmen Imes, Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters

Because the Law is loving instruction on how His people ought to live, it represents God’s character. The people are to be a kingdom of priests, and the Law is how they will do it. The Law is their mission, but not the point in itself. This is the error that Jesus faced in His time. Some of the Jews—like the Pharisees, e.g. —had come to see a punctilious keeping of the Law as the point of living. Rather, the point of the Law is to help Israel fulfill its mission as a light to the nations.

Jesus says that knowing the truth will set you free.

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [John 8:31-32]

One way to think about the Ten Commandments and the Law is that they are a revelation from the Lord about the truth and how to live by it. And, therefore, they show us how to live as free people.

The Holy Spirit has been given to the church to enable us to keep God’s Law. The Father sent the Son to die for His people, thereby freeing them from the Egypt of sin and death. Those who trust in Jesus are set free to live in the Promised Land of His presence and the Spirit now makes it possible for them to live freely and obediently.

Ezekiel was an Old Testament prophet during the time of the Babylonian exile. Israel had worshipped idols and forsaken the Lord, and the consequence was their captivity in Babylon. But the Lord didn’t abandon them, and Ezekiel foresaw a time when God would rescue them and change their hearts so that they could live freely and obediently:

24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. [Ezekiel 36:24-27]

What follows this passage is Ezekiel’s famous vision of the valley of the dry bones (Ezekiel 37) when what seems impossible—dry bones coming back to life—actually happens!

With the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church at Pentecost, the impossible has happened! The Ten Commandments therefore are a great gift to us, and they are words to live by. We shall see that they address the essential parts of life and offer guidance to show us how to think about life and what’s important.

Jesus famously summed up the greatest commandment like this:

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” [Matthew 22:36-40]

Jesus has perfectly summed up the heart behind the Ten Commandments. What the Ten do is show us what it looks like to love God and love our neighbors. The first few speak specifically about loving God, and the second batch about loving our neighbors. Together, these Ten are the great commandments.

I am looking forward to reading through them with you. I’ve found that focusing on these Ten regularly and meditating on their meaning has been changing the way I think, and my prayer is that the same would happen for you.

Let’s GO.

 

Don't Look Directly At The Sun

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Exodus 19:21-25

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

 
 

When there is an eclipse, we’re told not to look directly at the sun, as doing so could damage our eyes. The sun is a good thing and provides light and warmth and makes life possible, but it also has power to harm us if we don’t approach it properly. In the same way, the Lord’s presence is good for the people, but they will need to learn how to live in His presence. (This is, in fact, what the book of Leviticus will be about.)

 

Theophany

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Exodus 19:16-20

16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

 
 

It's a tremendous scene—thunder and lightning and smoke, but to his credit, Moses is not afraid.

This reminds me of the scene in the gospels on the Mount of Transfiguration, when Peter, James, and John are with Jesus when something miraculous occurs:

17 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. [Matthew 17:1-8]

The same Lord who was at Sinai with Moses is there present on the Mount of Transfiguration, and the experience is dazzling. No wonder the people trembled and the disciples were terrified!

 

He's Not A Tame God

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Exodus 19:9b-15

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, 10 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

 
 

To emphasize the importance of the covenant and what’s about to happen, Moses instructs the people to prepare themselves—even to the point of abstaining from sexual activity. They are going to learn that the Lord is not to be trifled with, but that he must be respected. The Lord is approachable, but He’s still holy.

I think we modern Christians sometimes make the mistake of losing a sense of reverence in our worship of God. Because we know Jesus, we have seen what the Lord is like and we know that He wants us to approach. But respect is not the same thing as standoffishness. What would it look like for you to prepare for Sunday worship in a deliberate and reverent way this week?

 

The People Agree

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Exodus 19:7-9a

7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”

 
 

A few more thoughts on covenant and law: The covenant is permanent, at least from the Lord’s point of view. He is committed to being faithful to the covenant, no matter what, even when it costs the life of the Son of God. Also, note that covenant precedes law. That is, the law provides details to the covenant, so the people know how to keep it.

Here, the Lord strengthens Moses’s position before the people, so that the people won’t question that Moses is speaking for the Lord.

“Israel’s laws are the fences within which life can flourish. They make possible a distinctive way of life so that other nations can see what [the Lord] is like and what he expects.” -Carmen Imes, Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters

The people see that the covenant is a good thing, and they accept its terms. When they remember their promise, things will go well with them; when they forget it, they will struggle. This is the pattern of the Old Testament from here on. Ultimately, the Father sends the Son to perfectly keep the terms of the covenant and so thereby release blessing to the entire world.

 

The Most Important Paragraph In Exodus

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Exodus 19:1-6

19 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

 
 

These six verses make up the most important paragraph in Exodus. Back at the burning bush (3:12), the Lord told Moses that when he and the people would arrive again at Mount Sinai, he would know for certain that God’s plan was being accomplished. So, finally, they have arrived at Mount Sinai, and the Lord reveals to Moses the true purpose of the exodus. The Lord tells the Israelites that they have seen with their own eyes what He did to the Egyptians and that the journey through the wilderness has had a purpose. The Lord didn’t bring them into the desert to kill them like they complained, but rather He brought them “on eagles’ wings” through the desert to this mountain so He could speak to them.

Then, the Lord sets out the terms of the covenant He intends to make with them. A contract is a short-term agreement, but a covenant is a lifelong, binding promise. In the ancient Middle East, covenants were made between nations and between kings and subjects. The terms of the covenant: the people need to listen and obey, and they will be God’s special nation among all the nations of the earth. The whole earth belongs to the Lord, yes; but Israel is especially chosen to represent the Lord to the nations. In fact, Israel is meant to be a “kingdom of priests.” Priests mediate between God and man and they both represent people to God and God to people. That’s Israel’s special job—to represent the Lord.

Just as at the burning bush, here, Moses goes up the mountain to receive a commission from the Lord, but this time the commission is for all the people. Previously, they served Pharaoh, but now they are to serve the Lord. Just as Moses received his identity at the burning bush, so here the people receive their identity as the Lord’s special people.

The Apostle Peter drew upon this story when he wrote 1 Peter in the New Testament:

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. [1 Peter 2:9-12]

The purpose of God’s people is to represent the Lord to the nations, so that the nations can come to know Him and trust Him and receive life in His name. The Ten Commandments and the subsequent laws are specific ways that God’s people are to live so that they can draw the nations to the Lord.

P.S. Note in verse 1 that the entire calendar has reset with the Exodus. From now on, Israel will mark time from the day of their liberation.

 

But, Who's To Say What's Right?

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Exodus 18:13-27

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.

 
 

Jethro brilliantly shows Moses how to administer justice by delegating his authority. But, what is justice? What standard can be used to permanently show people how to live well? This is what the Ten Commandments (and the subsequent laws at Sinai) will answer.