THE TEN COMMITTMENTS (EXODUS 20:1-17; DEUTERONOMY 5:6-21)

I have taken the above title and most of the ideas below from an article by Andrew Wilson in Christianity Today magazine, October 2021, p. 32.

Although it is obvious that God handed down these commandments for us to follow, He intended them also as a theological description of who He is and His prior commitment to us. In that way, it is more than just a one-way demand; it is a true covenant initiated by the dominant party, God, and to be followed by the subordinate party, ourselves.

The series of statements in both the Exodus and Deuteronomy versions actually begins with some important theological points regarding God's nature before even starting in on our part of the covenant. The first point is somewhat disguised in most English translations when they state (Exodus 20:2a): “I am the LORD your God.” When LORD appears in all capital letters, that is an indication that it refers to God's personal name, Yahweh, first revealed to Moses. But it also implies that He is the same God who had earlier revealed Himself to all the Patriarchs and given them all the promises through His grace. Thus, the whole process was initiated by God, not by human beings. And it is for that very reason, that v. 7 requires that we consider His name holy.

Going back to Exodus 20:2, the next thing God reveals concerning Himself is His redeeming act in rescuing the Jews from slavery in Egypt. This point is made even more clear in Deuteronomy 5:15. As Wilson says, “Before giving any instructions, God wants Israel to know beyond a doubt that he is a redeeming, rescuing, liberating God. Only then does he begin clarifying how obedience and gratitude should be expressed.” In a way, it is similar to how Paul structures most of his epistles. He begins with “grace” along with a theological section describing what God has done for us in Christ, and only then does he proceed to talking about our appropriate ethical and worshipful response.

Still in verse 2 and continuing into v. 3, there is found a third implied characteristic of God: His absolute Oneness and Otherness that is totally unlike any so-called gods. In a way, this point comes full circle at the end of the Ten Commandments in that any form of coveting on our part, even if only in our heart, constitutes putting another deity in place of God. I realize that this is a sticking point for both Islam and Judaism in that they accuse Christians of worshiping three gods in place of the One. I only mention the objection, but will certainly not attempt to play the theologian and try to resolve the issue to anyone's satisfaction at this time. If you wish to look at what I have posted on the subject, search for the following on this site: “Acts 20:27,” “The Trinity,” “II Corinthians 3:17-18,” and “The Deity of Christ in the New Testament.”

Exodus 20:4 stresses another property of God, His invisible nature. Therefore, any attempt to pin God down to a particular form or likeness of something we are more familiar with is a type of blasphemy.

Exodus 20:5a deals with the subject Paul mentions toward the start of his Letter to the Romans when he talks about the wickedness of those who “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator...” This is exactly what one does when one chooses to deny another key aspect of God, His role as the source and creator of everything and everyone. This revelation of God as Creator is also given in relationship to another commandment, that which says we are to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy (Exodus 20:11). By doing so, we are also honoring God as the supreme Creator as well as the God of rest for our bodies and souls.

Exodus 20:5b reveals God as a God of justice who will eventually hold an accounting of us for all our actions done in violation of His will (as does v. 7b). But verse 6 balances this side of God's nature with that of his loving-kindness, which lasts infinitely longer than His wrath. “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (Wilson)

Exodus 20:12 demonstrates that God is also a God of promised blessings as long as we honor our earthly parents along with our heavenly Father. The command not to murder goes back to the fact that man was made in the image of God Himself. Therefore to act in violence against a human being is to in effect attack God Himself. The command against adultery reminds us of the many times the Old Testament compared Israel's lusting after other gods with a married party committing adultery. Thus, in a way, it comes back to the prohibition of worshiping other gods. In the same manner, stealing from another person is robbing them of what is due to them just as God deserves all the glory that is due to Him. And choosing to lie (v. 16) is to purposefully turn away for the Father of all truth in order to follow the Father of Lies, Satan.

Wilson summarizes his short essay by saying, “The Ten Commandments are central to Christian ethics, used by Jesus and Paul as a framework for teaching on the obedience of faith. But they are shot through with God's disclosure of who he is and what he offers.”