And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Exodus 20:1, 2)
When people rail against law and order (L&O) that is sometimes understandable when L&O comes across as impersonal and harsh. When that is the case then the whole point of L&O seems to go missing. This isn’t about a political philosopher’s reasoning for L&O and the nature of man. From a theological perspective it is actually about missing the relational dimension of creation and particularly the idea that made in His image, man is meant to respond to God. So God says look after the garden, man looks after the garden. Man looks after the garden and goes to God for guidance on the garden and enjoying it for what it is and more importantly knowing Him for who He is and reflecting His loving nature. It’s relational.
With the wreckage of the garden and man’s current condition it’s easy to come across Exodus 20 with its Thou Shalt Not’s as the overbearing demands of an omnipotent impersonal ruler. As they stand on many an icon of the two tablets and as we see these magisterial words writ large they reinforce this great commandment from on high that got the people nervous when they heard these words. It’s not wrong to have this thought either. That vision of a terrifying God awesome in power and presence is something to take very seriously indeed and often shoved to the side in favour of the soft, cuddly, malleable, hand-wringing, God that wants to help but is stuck behind free will and a love that is limp. So yeah, this God is awesome and more powerful than any action hero of monolith you can imagine.
Yet His first ones are one of a loving Lord. Out of Egypt – out of slavery. He has heard the cries of a people enslaved. He has seen the anguish and pain of a people in bondage. He has not been ignorant of a system of death that has threatened to cripple a people that against all odds continues to grow and multiply in line with the initial instruction given to Adam in the beginning. The very nature of the system looking to go against who you are has been identified and despite the dominance of that system, God has come to the rescue. He has not only rescued them, He has done it comprehensively. Like no other power seen before the great super power is brought to its knees through ten demonstrations of the power of this God versus any other contender.
The power is not exercised for bragging rights. The power is not demonstrated in a macho, petulant, huff to show off. The power is shown so that the people and indeed the world knows beyond a shadow of a doubt God loves His people and will do what it takes to come to the rescue – and rescue them so emphatically that His love could never be denied.
People have noted that what follows are a list of commands. That’s understood. I’m not disputing that. If it is a list though this preamble is pretty crucial. For me seeing this in the light of someone who has rescued me from death to give me life, who has shown so clearly that He loves me and wants me to be free to love Him for who He is, then this is not unreasonable. It’s not even a list of do’s and don’ts when seen in the context of the most fundamental relationship.
That is why this prelude is about foundations – L&O is all about relationships and the brilliant expression of these Ten Words by our Hero starts off by this. I am the Hero, you are the distressed damsel. My love for you has rescued you to be with me. This is the way we are to be in the light of the love expressed for you. When we read these Ten Words, then, we’re seeing it makes sense. Get it right vertically and it has an impact horizontally. Understand where it comes from historically and it writes a better future.
Why it’s a universal story and not just a national/cultural thing although evident in this episode is what Jesus illuminates about bondage to sin. He shows how like a people enslaved to Egypt humanity needs liberation from that system that looks to rob us of the God-created identity. He also points to replacing the land of Egypt with a new kingdom with the rule of love written on the hearts of the citizens. In a similar way, to experience that liberty will require something emphatic and amazing in ways that show His love cannot be denied and His desire for righteousness.
In the light of that expression of love – this sets the foundations for everything that follows as the true spiritual intent of the loving L&O revealed by the heavenly Father.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd
Life With CD 