Monday 17 November 2014

Background

In Hebrew the ten commandments are known as "the ten words"; itis unique to Yahweh that he is a god who acts and speaks, unlikeother gods, who are merely passive statues, images or other objectsof worship. Therefore, these commandments are God'sself-revelation. God is revealed not through abstract philosophicalstatements, but in an earthy involvement with the everydaybehaviour and relationships of people. Just as God expressesthrough word and action, so God may be known through the words andactions of God's people.

As such, this is the second high point of the book of Exodus, inwhich God made the covenant with God's own chosen people, who weresaved from slavery in Egypt (chapters 12-14) in the first high point of thebook. It was in that act of salvation that the covenant wasfounded; God reminds the people of Israel of that salvation beforecalling forth their response in the form of obedience to thefollowing commandments.

The commands are apodeictic - that is, absolute and applicablein any situation - and were probably originally short, sharpprohibitions and commands; comparison with the account of thesecommandments in Deuteronomy 4:13-14 suggests that verses13-16 may retain the original Mosaic form of the commandments andthe explanatory material appended to the others may have been addedby the later priestly tradition, to support the practices of theJerusalem temple cult. If so, then these short, sharp commandscould easily have been written on small, pocket-sized stonetablets.

In any case, it is clear that the commandments were intended forthe flourishing of the community under God and in relation to oneanother. The first four concern the Israelites' relationship withGod, and the last six their relationships with one another, asJesus, the living Word, summarises in the two great commandments:"Jesus answered, 'The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God,the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all yourheart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with allyour strength." The second is this, "You shall love your neighbouras yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.'"(Mark 12:29-31)

To Ponder

• God takes the initiative in the covenant relationship by lovingand saving us first. How do we respond?

• To worship something is to be devoted to it and to give it thebest of your energies and abilities. If you reflect honestly anddeeply, is there anything in your life that you might beworshipping in place of God?