Exodus 19-26

This week we return to the Old Testament for an understanding of Torah or law. From reading Jewish authors, I find that Christians often misunderstand the Old Testament and the law in particular. We get hung up on the 600+ commands, 240+ dos and 360+ don'ts. We see the detail of the laws as outdated and trivial, creating a legalistic religion without passion and heart. That is a Christian bias people often read into the Old Covenant. But the real issue behind these laws is the formation of a people who will be "separate" from the people that are around them. In the Psalms, David writes or sings, "I love thy law, O LORD." He is talking about more than following a lot of rules. He is talking about his identity as a child of God, who follow's God's ways as part of God's people. The readings this week are somewhat tedious, so as you read them, be asking yourself, "How might these laws set the children of Israel apart from the city-states that await them when they get to the promised land?" "How does the narrative that accompanies these laws help strengthen Jewish understanding of who they are as God's people?" Make sure and read our text along with these readings. It will be very helpful.

The center of today's reading is the giving of the Ten Commandments. Chapter 19, verses 3-6 gives the background for what is to follow. They are always to remember the miracle of the Exodus and how God has chosen the children of Israel as his chosen people to be a "kingdom of priests" and "a holy nation." In teaching this passage, you could pair it with I Peter 2, >"You are a chosen race, a royal prisehood, a holy nation, a people of God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God..."strong> The scene is dramatic at Sinai with smoke, fire and a quaking mountain. Moses goes up to meet with God and God descends upon the mountain.

Most of us have in mind the DiLaurentis Ten Commandments where, from a finger, fire scorches the rock with each commandment. Deuteronomy 9:10 does say that the commandments were "inscribed by the finger of God." I have led a Bible Study on the Ten Commandments (from Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Muslim perspectives) and preached a series of sermons on the Ten Commandments, but here I want to lift up one thing. Many of the commandments (particularly 6-10) are not unique to Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 (there are two listings), but rather were common to many of the civilizations of the time. Commands 1-5 are more exclusively Jewish. Commands 1,2 and 3 are about how God is to be worshipped, in contrast the way other nations worshipped their gods. The people of God will have only one God in contrast to the polytheism of the area. There also will be no idols like the religions around them, nor will their be mindless repetition of prayers. Command 4 is about the unique institution of Sabbath. Much more will be said about Sabbath, but notice you have already had a hint about that back in Genesis 2:1-3. Command 5 is about how children are to regard their parents. Again, much more will be said. Mouthing off to your folks was taken much more seriously back then, and I doubt it happened very much!

Right away, in chapters 21-22, we see the gap between Moses' day and ours. We wouldn't see such laws as binding in any way today. We have here an early understanding of the differences between murder, manslaughter and accidental death. What do you see about personal responsbility for damages, not just to people, but animals and property? What things have surprised you so far?

In chapter 23:9, we have the second mention of aliens (the first in 22:21). Providing for the alien is important in Jewish understanding since they spent generations that way. Again, I Peter 2 comes to mind as verse 11 says that we as Christians are "aliens and strangers in the world." Notice that Sabbath is not just the observance of a day. It is a rhythm of life for people,animals,crops, for offering forgiveness, etc. Christians have struggled with how to understand sabbath in our day and time. But the rhythm shows a truth that is built into creation itself. Some worthy questions to ask a class you teach is "How do you observe Sabbath" and "What are the consequences when we do not observe it?" One of the realities of some of the Jewish law code is that much of it is there for our own good. Three feasts are commanded: Unleavened Bread (Passover or Pesach), the Feast of First Fruits or Harvest (Pentecost) and the Feast of Ingathering (The Feast of Booths or Sukkoth). Each of them will evolve as the nation of Israel matures. The children of Israel will be led by an angel and they are to wipe out the inhabitants of the places they go and destroy their idols. The main desire here is to preserve purity of faith.

Exodus 24 tells the confirming of the covenant by the people, including the setting up of twelve stones and then sealed the covenant in the blood of bulls (which is sprinkled on the bowls on the altar, then on the altar itself, and finally on the people. Two great symbols are given so that in this foreign land they will always remember who they are (I guess "always" is a bit too strong in light of Israel's history and ours for that matter). A possible teaching opportunity here would be to talk about "the blood of the covenant" and the celebration of Holy Communion ("this is the blood of the new covenant"). Then you could ask what Holy Communion does in the life of the Church? Moses stays on the mountain forty days and nights getting the stone tablets from God and other instructions. Where have you heard "forty days and forty nights" before, in the Old Testament and in the New Testament?

The making of the Tabernacle in chapters 25-26 is interesting, because this is to be the place where God dwells. In the Old Testmaent you have an evolution in which God dwells in a tent (in their times as nomads), then in a temple (as Jerusalem is established as the capital), and then dwells among the people in a temple not made with hands (while Israel was in exile). God gives Moses instructions for the Ark of the Covenant first. At first it contains the tablets and later Aaron's rod will be added. Then there is added a 3' x 2' table, overlaid in pure gold. A lampstand is then to be built. There is more to come for this very special place in which God dwells.