Re:Verse passage – Exodus 20:1-17 (day four)
This week begins a 13-week study of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). The Israelites had left Egypt as slaves and were being called out to meet the God of all creation. Moses had led them out and brought them to the mountain of the Lord, Mt. Sinai. Here, God met Moses and gave him the ten words. These were the foundation of who God was…His character. The commandments have shaped and formed cultures and societies ever since.
God spoke these words thousands of years ago…yet, they are still true and valid today. One of God’s character qualities is immutability…He never changes. What peace and security we have, knowing that God’s Word never changes. We can trust God in whatever He says. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.” We have a God who never changes…we have a Savior who never changes…we have foundational law that never changes…we of all people are blessed!
I love the fact that the first 4 commandments refer to our relationship with God. If we have those in our hearts and lives, the “Thou shalt nots” which are our relationships with our fellow men/women make sense. The way Jesus expounds and expands the commandments in The Sermon on the Mount really gets to the heart, the meat, of the Commandments. We know the heart is wicked and deceitful above all things. So the 10 Commandments are a ruler by which we should self-examine our lives regularly to see” if there be any wicked way in me.” Thus, as Aaron points out, “We must love the Lord our God with all our hearts, our souls, our minds and strength……and then naturally follows ” and your neighbor as yourself”. Relationship. It fits together The Old Covenant and the New like the initial piece of a puzzle called life.