Exodus-Commandments and Covenants
Introduction
This week we will encounter another familiar section of Exodus, the 10 commandments. Many people, including those who aren’t religious, are familiar with these commandments. For example, most would agree that theft and murder are wrong. Yet beyond these 10 moral statements, we will read about more detailed and specific laws. At first glance, many may seem to not apply to God followers today.
This brings the reader to consider what commands and covenants are good for? Let’s consider God’s words from chapter 19 to set up our study today. In a summary statement in verses 5-6 set the tone for all that is to follow.
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:5-6
A theme in Exodus is that God did not rescue His people to leave them in the dessert to scatter and scratch out a living. He was developing a people. Though step one was to remove them from oppression, the next step is to give them a new identity—one of holiness as He was their God. This objective is not unique to ancient Israel but a work that God continues in His people today. In 1 Peter[1], the apostle describes that God is still uniting His people as a nation and a collective of priests. Being the church in every age of the salvation story expresses the glory of a God to world who denies Him. How we live matters to Him because we represent Him.
Scripture
Read Exodus 19:1-24:18. This section contains narrative and legal text genres. As you read, use the headings to anticipate commonalities in the of laws you will read about in that range of text. Note what God values by the laws He gives His people. In Exodus for You[2], Tim Chester recommends asking these questions as you study law sections:
· How does this law express love for God or love for neighbor?
· How might the same principles be expressed today?
· How does the law expose my sinfulness and need?
· How does Jesus perfectly keep this law or the principles it embodies?
· Does this law picture his work of salvation in some way?
Commentary
Chapter 19
The people of God are camped in the Wilderness of Sinai and this location will be our setting for the remainder of Exodus. Jethro has just reunited his daughter and grandsons with Moses, who is establishing government of the people by identifying leaders to relieve the burden of caring for God’s people. Having this structure allows Moses to go up to the mountain to hear from God, which will be a continuing action in the next few chapters. In this visit, God tells Moses to relay to the people that if they obey Him, they shall be His treasured possession. God calls them to obedience so He can sculp them into the holy people He rescued them to become. The people affirm their desire to follow the Lord and are told to consecrate themselves. To show the people that He speaks through Moses, God wants to prepare the people for His presence in the cloud. The mountain is set aside as holy-- if man or beast touch it they shall die.
As God has promised, His holy presence descends as thunder and lightning emerge from the thick cloud of smoke and fire. The earth trembles and the sound of trumpets herald the mighty power and majesty of God. The fear of God on display was a solemn moment for the people of God to behold.
Chapter 20
While on the mountain, God gives the Israelites the ten commandments, the core principals that will shape the moral life of all who are God’s people. The laws that follow in the subsequent chapters are all connected in some way to this set of ethical rules. The first four commandments have to do with our way of worshiping God. We are to put Him first, not reduce Him to a tangible object or take His name lightly. The Sabbath is a way to model our life after God’s action at creation, taking one day to behold and bless the work in the other six days. The commands then switch to directing us to look at our interactions with other people. Honoring our parents, murder, adultery, theft, lying and coveting are all laws that define how God intends us to love other people
Starting in verse 22, laws are grouped together to give more detail and outline action taken by scenarios that would clarify the principals of the 10 commandments. The first set of laws is about alters and connects to the first 3 commandment. God cares about how He is worshiped. In this section, we learn God cares how He is represented, He connects blessing with correct liturgy ,and values modesty in His worshipers. Leviticus chapter 1 and 3 give more details about offerings.
Chapters 21-23:19
Half of chapter 21 outlines laws about slaves. As my focus in today’s section is to summarize the commandments of Exodus, I will not give full treatment to the subject here. In brief, the slavery of this period was different than what we picture in colonial America. In this chapter we read, whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death[3]. This law shows that the chattel slavery of trade of the 1800’s was abhorrent to God. Though God puts limits around slavery to prevent oppression and protect slaves, that doesn’t mean He approves of slavery. For more details, see my post on Ephesians.
The reality was that slavery did exist as it was an economic relief for people to willingly enter into due to personal debt. These laws show that God cares about how people that serve others are treated and provide context to the 4th commandment. God gives slaves a way out of their condition and values human relationships and marriage. He gives dignity to those in a dependent state.
In verse 12, we encounter laws regarding conflict. God gives consequences for treating each other wrongly, as connected to the 5th and 6th commandments. The list of actions He labels are wrong are premeditated murder, violence against parents by children, kidnapping, physical abuse, and allowing dangerous animals to harm another. A series of consequences are given for these conflicts including death, payment, or restitution in bodily harm. A good way to apply laws about animals in the modern world is to look broadly about accidental harm. A good principal to apply is I shouldn’t blame someone if an accident occurs. The wise person will take steps to prevent accidents from happening.
Laws regarding restitution, making up for harm caused to another, are recorded in 21:33-22:14. In these laws we see that God cares about your property, which aligns with commandment 8. The laws in this section describe scenarios about injury, theft, another stealing your resources, damaging property, what’s right in loaning items to others and how to care for another’s property. The punishments for wrongdoing cite restitution for what is lost and sometimes a punishment that aligns with intended harm.
In 22:16-23:9, my study Bible gives the heading that cluster of laws to follow pertain to social justice. This term in current times has become synonymous with racial equity, but God expands the term to include broader social circumstances to ensure fairness among His people. His principals outline right interaction regarding seducing others, witchcraft, bestiality, refugees, fair lending to those with limited resources, truth in legal matters, helping others with their property, and fair trials where affluence does not bias matters of justice. We hear echoes of Jesus who commands us to love our neighbor, and even our enemies in practical ways.
Closing the law section in verse 10 are laws about Sabbath and other festivals[4] of significance to the Israelites. As previous laws have established, how God is worshiped is of great importance to Him. The Sabbath shows God’s heart to the people by prioritizing a ceasing of labor and including joy. While God’s restrictions serve to protect us, His commands also provide restoration. The commands in this section create a culture of worship, rest and celebration for the land and the poor. They exhort the people to give God their best and provide refreshment for all, that God would be considered as part of our daily rhythms. A few years back, I was noticing my life was out of balance, and focused on incorporating intentional Sabbath in my weekly practice. God’s commands are always life giving and these times where I pause from my work to worship, rest, and feast is what I look forward to, especially in seasons of business!
Chapter 23:20-24
The next section within our reading shifts from the legal genre back to narrative form. When God had rescued the Israelites, He promised to remove them from their slavery and give them a new home. After outlining laws of their new citizenship with Him as the head, He turns his attention to details that each party is responsible for in entering the promised land. God tells the people and angel will go ahead of them and guide them. He also promises provision, health, children, and a full lifespan. All this will be there inheritance if they listen to the angel and avoid making agreements with the people’s whose land they will possess, including worshiping their gods. Instead the people are to drive them out completely. God tells them in verse 30 that He will drive them out little by little. This incremental process is for their benefit, so they aren’t overwhelmed by wild animals. The same may be true in our lives. Often our timetable is different than God’s but as important as what He removes from us, is when and how He removes it. Nothing is arbitrary but intentional as part of His loving care as our Father.
As both parties have responsibilities, this defines a covenant. Thus, a formal ceremony was instituted to formally ratify the agreement. In the process, God gave his terms, the people agreed, and the terms were recorded. Though formal offering rules were not yet established, an animal life was sacrificed and the blood used to sanctify the people. This blood of the covenant in verse 24:8 as established in Exodus was a foreshadowing of the communion Jesus commanded His believers to observe as a symbol in Matthew 26:29. This peace offering between us and God symbolizes purity and is a current reminder of the cost of sin.
In an ending extraordinary scene, the elders, the leaders of Israel, when up with Moses and saw a picture of the throne room of heaven as also described in Ezekiel 1:26. Moses ascends to mount Sinai and a cloud covers it for 6 days as the covenant is inscribed on stone tablets. The people saw the glory of God like devouring fire.
Reflection
1. What would your reaction to the earth-moving power of God be? Do you think about the holiness of God and how the sacrifice of Christ has given us condiment access to the God that speaks in thunder and lightening?
2. As you read through the laws, what aspects of God’s character stood out to you? Does reading to see God through the things He commands make that genre more interesting?
3. Why does God enter into an agreement with the people the way He does? Why are the formality and physical signs necessary?
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