What Is The Law?

The Ten Commandments 

CUMC:  4 March 2007

Andy Langford

Exodus 19-20 and Psalm 19

“After the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai.  The Israelites . . . camped there in front of the mountain.”

“Then . . . the LORD called to Moses from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I the LORD did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.””

“Now therefore, if you, the children of Israel, obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession . .  . .  You shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation."” . . .

“So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him.  The people of Israel all answered as one: "Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do."  . . .

“Moses brought the people of Israel out of the camp to meet God . . . at the foot of the mountain.  Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD had descended upon the mountain in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently.  As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer Moses in thunder.”  . . .

“Then God spoke all these words:”

In our country over the past several years, there have been many controversies about the Ten Commandments.  Should these biblical laws be in public school classrooms?  What about county courthouses and federal buildings?  Should these ancient laws be written explicitly into our United States judicial code?  The governor’s race in Alabama last year placed a monument to the Ten Commandments at the center of debate.

Personally, I am less concerned about where these laws are displayed and more anxious about knowing and keeping the Ten Commandments.  For example, in my last congregation, a member became quite agitated about not having the Ten Commandments placed in every public school classroom.  I asked him if these laws were on the wall in his Sunday School classroom in our church building.  His answer was no.  I then asked him to name for me all ten laws.  The angry man failed this test.  I am afraid that some people use the Ten Commandments as a club to enforce Christianity rather than a gift from God to be handled very carefully.

This morning, let us remind ourselves about the essential nature and meaning of the Ten Commandments.  These sacred words stand at the heart of Jewish and Christian law, and are one of the foundations of our entire legal system.  These laws are exceptionally important.  As Christians, we do need to know and follow these laws.

Let us begin with just a few basics about the Ten Commandments.  After Moses led the people out of slavery in Egypt through the Red Sea, he brought the people of Israel back to the holy mountain where Moses had seen the burning bush. 

The southern Sinai Peninsula is full of desert mountains with only a few small springs of water surrounded by scrub brush.  One special mountain rises 7,500 feet above sea level, the tallest mountain in sight, and for millennia has been the traditional site of this great event.  About twenty years ago, I had the opportunity to walk a steep, rocky path to the top of that mountain and watch a sunrise from the summit.  I felt the power of God on that mountain peak. 

And on that mountain, amidst thunder and lighting, God gave Moses these ten laws.  These laws were not meant to punish Israel but to help the people.  Let me be clear about the essential nature of the Ten Commandments.  These laws are not rules created by God in order that God may control us.  Instead, these commandments are fundamentally signs of grace from God that enable us to surrender ourselves to God’s love for us. 

For example, when a mother tells her child not to play in the street, she is sharing with her child in love an essential way of behaving that may save her child’s life.  The mother is not laying down a rule in order that she may punish her child if she finds her child in front of a car.  Instead, this mother is urging her child to be act wisely and safely.  These laws are God helping us protect our sacred covenant with God in order that we may fully live as God’s children.

The first three commandments deal with our relationship with God. 

Commandment # 1:

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.”

The first commandment is the most important commandment and the foundation of all the rest.  God reminds the people of Israel that God has already blessed them with deliverance from Egypt.  And now, in response, God expects us to put God first.  This command is not a pre-requisite for us to receive God’s love, but our response to God’s love for us.  These laws enable us to say to God, “Thank you.”

This commandment reminds us that God loves each of us.  God’s gifts of love to us include our very conception in our mothers’ wombs, the families we have, the lives we have experienced, the talents we possess, the people who surround us, the food on our tables, and the homes in which we live.  All that we are and all that we have all of these are gifts of God to us.  God simply says in commandment one, remember who gave you everything you have known, experienced, and now possess.

Commandment # 2:

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not bow down to these idols or worship them . . ..”

What or who are our American idols?  We create idols all the time.  From the aspiring stars on the television show to the latest fad, God reminds us that nothing shaped, crafted, or manipulated by us is worthy of our worship.  No Oscar statue, no possession, no nation, no flag, no denomination, and no church building are worthy of worship. 

Why not worship these idols?  Simply put, all of these false gods will fail us.  Fame will disappear, our money can shrivel up, our nation can be wrong, our denomination can pass away, and even this building some day, I hope not soon, will not be here.  Ultimately, we must only be loyal to God who lasts forever.

Commandment # 3:

“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses God’s name.”

This commandment is much more than cussing or cursing.  All names are holy.  My name, Thomas Anderson Langford, III, tells you who I am and from where I came.  Identify theft is terrible because if your name is stolen everything else follows.  Moses knew God’s name from their conversation at the burning bush: “I am who I am.” 

This commandment means that we should not use God’s sacred name for our own purposes.  When we say “God will get you” or “God is on my side” or “I am doing this thing for God” we misuse the name of God for our own purposes.  Instead, we should only use God’s name to heal, build, and protect other people.  This commandment warns us not to try to manipulate God for our own purposes.

Commandment # 4:

“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work.  But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work . . . For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.”

This commandment is a bridge between first three laws and last six commandments.  I suspect that all of us violate this law at least once a week.  This is not a command not to go out to eat or avoid the movie theaters.  Instead, this positive commandment reminds us that being busy does not equal being godly. 

The Puritans who came to New England said: “Good sabbaths make good Christians.”  The Puritans were right.  On Sunday, the day of resurrection that we observe as a day of rest, can be used to get back in touch with ourselves, with family, and with God.  Use today to create harmony with yourself: get a nap.  Take some time today to develop an important relationship: call or visit with your children or parents.  And spend some time with God, as you are doing this morning, at worship.  When we rest, we honor God, ourselves, and all creation.  Take a break today.

The last six commandments helps us love God by loving other persons.  Every person was created in the image of God.  Therefore, these final laws remind us that we honor God when we honor other people.  Summed up in Jesus’ Great Commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Commandment # 5:

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

We are blessed when we honor our parents: living and dead, good and bad, nearby and distant.  For each of us, we honor our parents in different ways at different times in our lives.  For example, children honor their parents when they obey their parents.  Youth, listen and keep your parents’ values.  Younger adults, relate to your parents as adults whose wisdom may do you good.  Middle aged adults, care for your aging parents.  Older adults, tell your children and grandchildren about your parents and ancestors.

Commandment # 6:

“You shall not murder.”

All human life belongs to God.  This commandment speaks specifically about premeditated, willful taking of life.  But this commandment is more than simply murder, especially in our society in which death is treated so casually. 

This commandment says that God is pro-life in our society that appears indifferent to death.  When I say “pro-life” I am taking not a political stand but a theological position.  When we ignore this command, we encourage abortion without counseling, stem cell research without caution, euthanasia of persons with disabilities, unwillingness to see the results of war, support of capital punishment, lack of concern about AIDS in Africa, and the list continues.  This commandment reminds us to always err on the side of life.

Commandment # 7:

“You shall not commit adultery.”

This law refers specifically to marital infidelity and was later extended to all sexual relationships outside of marriage.  Sex is a wondrous thing that requires mutual respect, mutual discipline, mutual commitment, and mutual loyalty.  Yet, in our society, sex has become a commodity for sell.  We are bombarded with sexual permissiveness, pornography, and serial monogamy.  Yet, sex outside committed relationships leads to chaos in relationships and families.  God says to us, use the wonderful gift of sex carefully.

Commandment # 8:

“You shall not steal.”

All property belongs to us as only as a sacred trust from God.  What we own God has given to us.  What someone else owns God gave to them, not to you.  How should we observe this command?  Have children pay for what they take from a store.  Help teenagers manage their money.  Teach adults how to have some good sense about their money and all their resources. 

Even more so, this command also encourages us to use our money and resources for the sake of God’s kingdom.  If everything belongs to God, have you returned part of that gift back to God?  Do you designate a portion of your property back to the One who gave it to you?  Or have you stolen from God? 

Commandment # 9:

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

This command appears to emphasis the negative.  Do not lie.  Do not swear.  Do not give false testimony.  We all break this law often.  We often lie when we are caught with our hands in the cookie jar.  We mis-state the truth to our co-workers.  Some of us lie on our taxes.  But let us put this command positively: tell the truth.  Life would be so much better if everyone simply told the truth.

Commandment # 10:

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Similar to the 8^th commandment, this law applies not to our possessions but to our thoughts.  The problem is that we live in a culture of coveting.  Advertising urges us to yearn for the lifestyles of rich and famous, new bodies through surgery, redecorated homes that compete with our neighbors, the latest fashions, or the hottest foods.  I admit it, I desire for a larger HD television and a newer car.  So far, I’ve resisted, less by being virtuous, and more so because I’m stingy with my money.  The command encourages us to seek only what we really need.

Thus Moses gave the Ten Commandments.  And the Bible continues:

“When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die."

When Moses came down off the mountain, Moses saw the golden calf, the false god, which the liberated people had created.  Before Moses could even read the Ten Commandments aloud, the people had broken law number one.  Fearing that his people would die, Moses threw down the tablets and shattered the tablets.  Moses feared that God would use the commandments to punish the people. 

What Moses forgot, however, is that the Ten Commandments are not to condemn us but to show us how to live and bring us rich lives.  If we keep these laws, our lives will be blessed in many ways.  This morning, I invite you to hear these commandments anew as a mother says in love to her child: “Do not play in the street.  It’s for your own good.”  With thanksgiving, let us rejoice and give thanks for the Ten Commandments.  Recite the Ten Commandments