Creator, Father, King #77

Obey the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.

TWO MONTHS HAD PASSED since the Israelites left Egypt amid the wails of firstborn sons dying. Now, they were encamped at Mount Sinai.

Suddenly, the sky darkened. Thunder roared, and lightning flashed above. An earthquake shook the ground violently. The whole mountain appeared as if it was engulfed in flames and smoke. The Israelites were terrified.

The Lord God Almighty had descended from heaven to make an everlasting covenant with his people. Then he called Moses up the mountain where he gave him the Ten Commandments, the most famous rules in history. Here they are from Exodus 20:3-17:

1. You must not have any other god but me.
2. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
3. You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God.
4. Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You must not murder.
7. You must not commit adultery.
8. You must not steal.
9. You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
10. You must not covet.

What’s It Mean?

So what are twenty-first-century Christians supposed to do with these ancient rules? Follow them!

All of the Ten Commandments apply to believers today. (See the March 20 devotion for specific details on the fourth commandment.) The first four commandments discuss people’s relationship with God. The last six discuss people’s relationships with each other.

God never meant for the Ten Commandments to be an exhaustive list of rules. They are representative of overall attitudes and actions he expects from his people. For example, “You must not murder” doesn’t only mean don’t kill someone in anger (thus merely fulfilling the letter of the law), but also avoid harboring bitterness in your heart toward others (thus fulfilling the spirit of the law; Matthew 5:21-26).

God also never meant for salvation to come through rules. The Ten Commandments—and the overall Mosaic law—were to govern Israel’s worship and community life. Salvation comes through faith in God’s promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the law for our sake (Matthew 5:17) so that we could become “the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV).

Now What?

Say a prayer of thanks for Jesus, the perfect Law Keeper!

Did You Know?

God meant for his laws to be spiritually nourishing, not overbearing. As Psalm 119:47 says, “How I delight in your commands! How I love them!”