Pulaski’s Empty Frame

Pulaski’s Empty Frame  Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20   

The Ten Commandments were removed from a Kentucky courthouse in 2001, raising the question of whether they can now be seen in our lives ... or not.              An empty frame.
For years, it was hanging in the lobby of the courthouse in Pulaski County, Kentucky. It was a blank and a void, and it looked rather ridiculous — but this picture of nothing was not nailed to the wall as a joke. Instead, it was put up as a testimony to something that had been taken away.
The frame used to contain the Ten Commandments, but in 2001 a U.S. district judge ordered that the display be removed, a decision that was upheld by a federal appeals court in 2003. It was determined that courthouse postings of the Ten Commandments violate the First Amendment of the Constitution, an amendment that forbids Congress from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.”
Down came the commandments, by order of the court.
But the frame remained.
A number of Kentuckians rose up to fight this ruling, and took their arguments all the way to the Supreme Court. Last winter, Darrell BeShears, the judge-executive of Pulaski County, traveled to Washington with 200 others to witness the proceedings. More than anything else, BeShears wanted to refill that frame, and return the Ten Commandments to public prominence.
As you might imagine, there’s been no lack of intensity around this issue. “It’s about our heritage. It’s about our history,” said Christian-radio owner David Carr to the Lexington Herald-Leader (March 3, 2005). “It’s about the future of our children.”
But others say no, as Americans we’ve got to maintain separation of church and state.
And so the arguments go on, and no doubt will continue to go on for many years to come. But as we ponder this issue, it’s clear that “Pulaski’s empty frame” does raise for each of us the question of where the Ten Commandments belong in our own lives. We need to ask ourselves: Am I displaying them clearly in my own daily words and deeds? Am I keeping them prominently posted in my personal life?
Or am I an empty frame?
As people of faith, we must fill our frames with not only the Ten Commandments, but with the Great Commandment Jesus gave us, as well as all the virtues of a Spirit-filled life.
It’s true that the commandments contain a list of rather daunting “thou-shalt-nots,” but these 10 rulings are not meant to drag us down into negativity. In fact, they are intended to give us a very positive framework for the living of our lives. The first four commandments provide us with guidance for our relationship with God, and the last six explain what it means to have a healthy relationship with each other.
You can think of the Ten Commandments as being two pictures, instead of one. After all, God used two tablets of stone to deliver the commandments to Moses. In his theological masterpiece, the Institutes of the Christian Religion, the Protestant reformer, John Calvin, wrote that “God has so divided his law into two parts, which contain the whole of righteousness, as to assign the first part of those duties of religion which particularly concern the worship of his majesty; the second, to the duties of love that have to do with men.”
Worship of God’s majesty. That’s picture one. And love of one another. That’s picture two. They are equally beautiful, equally innovative, equally well-crafted. No doubt Jesus had this two-frame approach in mind when he said that the greatest commandment called us both to “love the Lord your God” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40).
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Looking at the Ten Commandments, we see that the first frame contains the divine directives that instruct us to have no other gods except the Lord, to avoid idolatry, to refrain from misusing the name of God, and to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. These are simple and straightforward, forming a clear picture of what it means to be in a right relationship with the Lord, including “the worship of his majesty.”
Are they negative? Not at all. They can certainly be a challenge for us, especially when we find ourselves tempted to bow down to the idols of Wall Street and Hollywood and the Department of Defense. They can be countercultural, particularly when we struggle to maintain a sabbath day in a fast-paced, over-programmed, and ever-accelerating 21st-century culture.
Clearly, these commandments are designed to help us, not to hurt us. We tap into a source of energy and security when we worship God, rather than the powers of this world. And we lead a much healthier life when we take the time to rest, instead of working around the clock seven days a week. The worship of God’s majesty is a positive, not a negative. It makes us stronger, not weaker.
The very same can be said for the second frame of the Ten Commandments, despite the repeated “thou-shalt-nots” that it contains. There is an enormous amount of guidance and direction to be gained from these final six commandments, despite our natural tendency to rebel against any limitations on our human freedom.
You may have heard the story of what happened when Moses came down from Mount Sinai after a long day of negotiating with God. He looked very tired, but the Israelites were anxious to hear what he had to say.
Moses said, “I have some good news and some bad news .... The good news is that I got him down to only Ten Commandments ....
“The bad news is that he wouldn’t budge on the adultery issue.”
Whether the flashing red stop light appears in front of adultery or stealing or covetousness, we don’t like to hit the brakes and hear “thou-shalt-not.” But these commandments are not all about the negatives — they also provide a positive framework for the living of a good life in relationship to our neighbors. When we honor our parents, prohibit murder, resist adultery, turn from stealing, speak with truthfulness, and refrain from envy, then we find ourselves much better able to love our neighbors as ourselves. The keeping of these commandments moves us into relationships that not only reflect the will of God, but also provide us with much happier and healthier lives.
Sure, we may joke about “the adultery issue,” but we know the real destructiveness of adultery to marriages, families and communities. We may think that a little stealing is no big deal, but then we pay inflated prices to cover the cost of theft in stores across the nation. We may believe that “thou shalt not covet” is an old-fashioned notion, but then we realize that we’re being eaten up by the envy we feel when we watch shows about the fabulous lives of various celebrity superstars.
People talk about “breaking” the Ten Commandments, but that’s not exactly right. We cannot actually break anything as solid as the law of God, even when we engage in some serious sinfulness. Instead, it’s more accurate to say that we break ourselves against the Ten Commandments. Think of the commandments as big slabs of stone that we smash ourselves into — we crash into these rocks and we hurt ourselves through acts of adultery or stealing or envy.
When we collide with the commandments, we’re gonna get hurt. Period.
We’ll be hanging in public view as a frame without a message, a canvas without a painting. It’s as though we’ve ripped out of the frame the very meaning of life, the very reason for which God has placed us on earth.
We’re an empty frame when —
• Our lifestyle trumpets the values of consumerism and materialism.
• We sacrifice our own well-being for the sake of material possessions.
• We present our own interests as being identical to God’s interests, and attempt to legitimize our ideologies and positions by attaching the name of God.
• We have no concept of Sabbath rest that encompasses rest for ourselves, for others and for creation.
• We fail to honor and respect our elders.
• We carry hatred and resentments in our hearts against others.
• We are unfaithful to our wedding vows.
• We take for ourselves what belongs to others.
• We pass on gossip, rumors and innuendo against a neighbor.
• We are torn up inside because of our inability to match the success of others.
To avoid this kind of agony, it’s important that we put the Ten Commandments, and the Great Commandment, and our understanding of discipleship back where they belong — in frames that are prominently posted in our personal lives. It’s important to realize that the commandments are a reliable guideline for moral choices, and an excellent framework for daily words and deeds. It’s time to reclaim the very positive view of God’s law that was once common in the Christian community. Martin Luther saw that the law has a social use since it exercises a restraining influence on society. He also realized that it has a teaching use since it points out sin and reminds us of our need for Jesus Christ.
But it may be that John Calvin had the best insight of all: He saw that the law has a guiding use, since it acts as a rule of life for us.
Carr was right when he said, “It’s about our heritage. It’s about our history. It’s about the future of our children.” The Ten Commandments are about all these things, and they’re also about a framework for worshiping God and loving one another. When you read the New Testament, and come across the Great Commandment of Jesus to love God and love neighbor, it is important to see the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, and to post them prominently in your heart and mind. On one tablet you have the first four commandments concerning your relationship with God. And on the other you have the last six commandments concerning your relationship with neighbor.
On one side is God. On the other side is neighbor. Both are important. Both are God’s will. Both are found throughout the Bible, Old Testament and New. Both are close to the heart of Jesus.
Keep all of these commandments in the picture. Keep them posted. Keep them visible.
Otherwise you’ll be an empty frame.


Participation Pointers:
• Create a litany using the Ten Commandments with the congregational response being: “We are empty and long to be filled, O Lord.” Divide the congregation into two sections, having one section respond for the first four stanzas of the litany, and the other section responding to the last six stanzas. Between the first and second sections, have the congregation sing the Kryie and then sing it again at the conclusion. The congregation could “practice” the Kyrie before the service or in the “gathering” moments of the service.

Commentary    The prologue states that God spoke “the ten words” — “the Decalogue” (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4) — directly to Israel. “I am YHWH/the LORD, your God” uses an emphatic “I,” as in “I (not some other god) brought you out of Egypt.” God’s grace comes before God’s law — God delivered the people and only then asked them to obey law/instructions. Obedience is to flow out of their covenantal relationship with God.
Persons are responsible to God in the first several commandments (which are explicitly religious and command the listener to follow the mandates of a specific god — YHWH/the LORD, the God of Israel). Persons are responsible to neighbor in the last several commandments.
The division of the Ten Commandments below follows the majority Protestant tradition. Jewish and certain Christian traditions divide the 10 otherwise. Commandments 1-3 and 6-10 have the Hebrew grammatical construction lõ + the imperfect, which is a strong prohibition (“You shall not,” or “Don’t ever”).
“You shall have no other gods before (or besides) me.” This doesn’t deny the existence of other gods (there is not explicit monotheism in this biblical passage). But Israelites are to honor no other god than YHWH.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol ....” Pésel has been variously translated as idol (NRSV and NIV), “graven” (RSV), “carved” (NJB), or “sculptured” (TNK) “image.” The original meaning was “a divine image carved from wood or sculpted from stone, but later cast in metal” (Koehler-Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament — HALOT, article 7652). The basic prohibition was against making physical representations of YHWH, which could lead to idolatry.
“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God ....” While profanity (using such words as “God” inappropriately, as in a curse) would certainly violate this commandment, the commandment more broadly opposes using God’s name in any empty or meaningless way or exploiting the holy name of God in an oath or in magical attempts to force God’s action.
“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy ....” The sabbath is the seventh day of the week, which is to be a day of rest. (“Sabbath” is related in Hebrew to the words “seventh” and “rest/cease/desist.”) To keep sabbath “holy” means to set it apart for special use, especially God’s use. Note the second part of the commandment — “six days you shall labor.” Relatively few Christians observe sundown Friday through sundown Saturday as their primary day of rest (and worship), for reasons based on their understanding of the New Testament.
“Honor your father and your mother.” This commandment was likely directed originally to adults, requiring that they treat their elders with respect.
Interestingly, if you count only the original Hebrew consonants, commandments 6-8 are “the shortest verses in the Bible” (with only six letters each) — just nine with the added vowels! John 11:35 (“Jesus wept” — KJV) has 16 letters in NT Greek.
“You shall not murder (or kill).” In the context of Exodus and the Old Testament books of torah more generally, “don’t murder”/”don’t kill” doesn’t apply to taking life in God-authorized warfare or judicial executions. Whether such killing should continue in our time is a matter for other types of interpretation/application, including drawing on wider scriptural contexts.
“You shall not commit adultery.” Biblical scholars define adultery variously, sometimes very narrowly. Elaine Adler Goodfriend (“Adultery” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, I, 82) defines it as “sexual intercourse between a married or betrothed woman and any man other than her husband .... “ (Similarly HALOT, article 5910.) It is legitimate to define adultery more broadly in the wider context of scripture, even to include inappropriate emotional intimacy with someone in addition to one’s spouse.
In certain later biblical texts, adultery is used as a metaphor for idolatry (see Ezekiel 23:37; Jeremiah 3:1-15; and the “allegory” of Gomer in Hosea). Thus the seventh commandment would have a close affinity to the first and second commandments in spirit.
“You shall not steal.” This is straightforwardly against theft of property. What does it mean in the context of paying adequate and timely wages? Or using unacknowledged “borrowed” sermons? Or regularly using (without payment) downloaded items from the Internet which are someone else’s undonated creative property?
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This originally applied to giving lying evidence in court proceedings. It can legitimately apply to slander, libel or distorted/malicious gossip. And to varied other misuses of the tongue (see James 3 and Matthew 12:34-37).
“You shall not covet .... “ To “covet” is improperly to desire someone or something and to take steps to have her/him/it. The Septuagint Greek translation of “to covet” is the same NT Greek word Jesus uses in Matthew 5:27-28 for “to lust” (to have strong emotional and/or physical desire).
Jesus’ extended application of the commandment against adultery brings up several major issues. Notice the overlap between the seventh and eighth commandments and the tenth commandment. As Jesus observed, desire and acting on desire go hand in hand. This raises interpretive issues beyond that of the original separate commandments; but then again, so do most significant biblical texts when we try to interpret and apply them. The question is how far to go with this. The Ten Commandments inspire us to go well beyond their original statements, in that we use them as guiding principles (preferably principled) to use in deciding about wider behaviors in response to our covenant-making-and-keeping God, all in the light of Jesus Christ.
The words of the epilogue (Exodus 20:18-20) voice the people’s responses to the theophanic (volcanic activity?) direct speech of God in giving the Ten Commandments. They were afraid and asked Moses to mediate between God and them, to avoid further direct contact with God’s speaking, which they feared would kill them. Thus God’s other commandments came indirectly to the people.
When interpreting the Ten Commandments, the preacher should be aware of his/her own interpretation and application of biblical law as a whole. Some items to consider: How do the Ten Commandments fit in with the concept of torah (law/instruction) as a whole and with other law in OT/NT? Where does heart obedience come in? How are the Ten Commandments used individually and with others in the gospels and epistles, and in the distillations of the commandments into two (Matthew 22:34-40) or even one (Romans 13:8-9)? What does Jesus do with regard to God’s law in Matthew 5-7; and especially in Matthew 5:17-20 vis-à-vis 24:35? What about Romans 10:4 (“Christ is the end [teloV — goal or termination] of the law”) and Paul’s general teaching about law and grace (especially in Romans and Galatians)? See Romans 3:27 (“the law of faith”) and Galatians 6:2 (“the law of Christ”). Are the Ten Commandments, as the Ten Commandments, normative for Christians? If so, why and how?

Worship Resources     Prayers of Confession General
Prayer
O God, you give us the gift of your presence, yet we ignore it;  You give us your word, yet we distort it; You give us your commandments, yet we disregard them.  Jesus did not come to abolish the law; instead, we abolish it in our own hearts. We know that forgiveness is found through you, and so we become complacent.  “Thou shalt not” seems peculiar and quaint to our indulgent selves.  Forgive us, O God, for our halfhearted discipleship.  Let your commandments thunder in our hearts.  Give us the joy to follow you in word and deed; Make us new, and prepare us to be servants of you, the living God, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
We know that God has the grace to forgive us — Jesus bears witness to this reality on the cross. Yet God also has the strength to empower us to live a new and faithful existence. Through Jesus Christ, we have access to God. Through the Holy Spirit, we are equipped to live a life in grateful obedience to God’s commandments. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Litanies General

Leader: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

People: The decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;

Leader: The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

People: The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;

Leader: The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever;

People: The ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Leader: God’s word is more desirable than gold!

People: God’s word is sweeter than finest honey.

Leader: Let the words we say be acceptable to you, O Lord.

People: Let the deepest whisperings of our heart be acceptable, O Rock, O Redeemer.

Amen.

Music Links

Hymns

Lead On, O King Eternal

I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me

Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts


Praise

What a Mighty Word God Gives

Bring Forth the Kingdom

Make Me a Servant