10 for Ten

Introduction

Some of us like check lists

ie. to do, chores, packing etc

Maybe some of us like these lists for other areas of our lives

Articles/blogs - If you have these (5) characteristics you are/can

Here are (5) characteristics/traits that indicate or make you a ....

In Matt 19:16-22 - we are introduced to rich young man who is looking for the checklist

Turn with me there for a moment

He was 6 for 6

But Jesus is going to reveal that he was not 10 for ten

And we might look at the ten commandments/ the law

This however is not the point of the ten commandments

What is?

First it is about God and Israel’s relationship to each other and then in light of that relationship, how they are to relate to each other

2 Greatest commandments - Shema

The relationship was to be defined by love

Not what we might define love as, but covenantal love of action

And so this relationship is defined within a story

I. The Story

vs 2

It is the Exodus story

Begins with the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Jacob (Israel) - 12 sons

Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, ends up in Egypt and eventually in an influential position

Eventually Joseph’s family is forced to come to Egypt due to a famine

Reconnection and reconciliation happens and they remain in Egypt

Exodus begins with

Exodus 1:6–10 ESV

Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”

Enter Moses into God’s story

Moses murders, runs becomes a shepherd, comes across a burning bush and God send him back to Egypt

God uses Moses - 10 plagues and sets free Israel

This is Israel’s salvation story - their gospel

Especially significant in that their freedom is brought the shedding of blood

And they are given passover celebration to remember

Time and again when the Lord calls Israel to covenant faithfulness he reminds them of this story and their salvation by his hand.

This also points to the greater salvation, Exodus, to come

This time it’s Jesus’ blood that is shed and he frees us from slavery to sin

so vs 2 sets up the story behind what is to come

In other words, God’s salvation is the basis for the relationship between God and Israel and all that he commands

And so here God reminds them of this

It’s God’s action toward Israel through which he reveals who he is

Who is this god

II. The God

Not only does God show who he is in the Exodus salvation story but he is constantly revealing himself.

In fact Exodus ch 3 has an interaction of God with Moses in which God reveals who He is

And here in vs 2 again we are reminded of these two names

Elohim - generic “god”, divine being

We can assign this to many things. In fact we do, some times with out stating it

And at other times many have had different “gods”

For Israel, they had just come out of Egypt

Egyptians had many “gods”

In fact, it is suggested that each of the 10 plagues is a direct undermining of many of these gods

And so God says here “I am .... your God”

So God has set himself apart from all other “gods” for Israel

But he also revealed another name to Moses, as Moses wonders how do I say who you are to Israel?

In Exodus 3 - he says I am the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

But he also reveals himself as Yahweh - I am who I am

Tim Mackie states that in the Hebrew what it actually means is, “I am and will continue to be, what I am and will forever be.”

And so he is faithfully, unchanging in who he is. He has always been who he is and will always be who he is.

And so he in essence says I am set apart from any other god

He is holy and the only true God

Now in vs 5-6, he reveals two encompassing traits

Loving King -

showing steadfast love

Hesed - covenant love/steadfast love

Story of Ruth

Exodus 34:6–7 ESV

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

This is God’s heart

“But who will by no means clear the guilty”

God is also Just

Jealous punisher - zealous, envious

The fundamental meaning relates to a marriage relationship

As the one who secured and saved Israel, setting them apart as his people, he desired for them to only worship Him.

And so he established, the Mosaic Covenant, with Israel

They now as the chosen people of Yahweh needed to remain faithful through obedience

This as not just a list of how to do this but was to come out of a heart of thankfulness and faith

But for those who never turn back to him as loving king, they would find the justice of God for as long as His people turned away from Him

to the 3rd and fourth generation

By the way this is not generational curses -

Deuteronomy 24:16 ESV

“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.

God is always faithfully there to turn to and receive his forgiveness and love

III. The People

And so these were not just any people but the people of the one true God

They were the covenantal people of God

Covenant - promise to, permanent lifetime commitment

love - seeking the well being of another no matter how they respond

Yahweh I will keep it to a thousand generations - eternally

This is what the Israelites commit to with God

Exodus 19:3–6 ESV

while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

The had become the set apart people who were to faithfully love and obey Yahweh and love others

And so these commandments are to be the expression of that relationship/covenant

So let’s jump back to Jesus and the young ruler

Jesus lists the last 6 commandments, the loving others commandments

Rich young ruler - check

However perfection is what is needed, so what about commandments 1 & 2 particularly

sell everything, give to the poor and follow Jesus

There was another god in this mans life - money, duty, success, attainment

He was not looking to worship God through covenant faithfulness but rather to attain the one thing that he was uncertain he had.

And he missed the “one true God”

What about us?

Romans 1 - 3 tells us that we all do this by worshipping created things, our morality or our religion and our hearts are never truly covenanted to God

Jesus accomplished the greatest salvation ever!

God has shown his loving faithfulness to himself and his people in Jesus but we believe it’s not enough or there are better “gods”.

And now you don’t have to be an Israelite, the door is open for all people, which has actually been God’s desire always

And so he call us to shed our wrong worship and to come to the true God, the loving king

But know that if we don’t, we will one day face his justice

Listen to how Paul puts it together

1 Corinthians 8:5–6 ESV

For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Conclusion