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From The First Baptist Church in America pulpit
Epiphany – January 27, 2008
“How Chosen People Should Behave” Exodus 19:1-6
Dr. Dan Ivins, preaching

After last week’s text on “what the law can’t do,” I didn’t want ya’ll to think it can’t do anything. People still put a lot of stock in the 10 Commandments. And we’d all be better off if we lived by them, than not. Those who like to say “what part of ‘no’ don’t you understand” are posting them in their yards, and tried to hang them on courthouse walls. Consequently, the Supreme Court has adjudicated conflicting decisions. Ruling to leave them up in Texas and take them down in Ohio.

But the real reason we can’t have the 10 commandments in a courthouse, is because you can’t post “Thou shalt not steal, commit adultery, or bear false witness” in a building full of lobbyists and politicians! It creates a “hostile work environment!” Biblical integrity requires us to ask “which 10?” The Hebrew 10 or the Christian 10? The priestly 10 or the Deuteronomy 10? They’re all different, as the Bible argues with itself on this. But for today our text is the Exodus 10.

When the Egyptians went under the Red Sea and Moses climbed up Mt. Sinai, he was a liberator/deliverer. But he came back down the mountain, a lawgiver/judge with 4 “thou shalts” and 6 “thou shalt nots.” Which covered just about everything people and God can do to each other. There’s no fine print. God just wanted it clear about how people ought to live.

It was a critical moment in the religious story.  Before Mt. Sinai God's contracts were one-way affairs.  God made an unconditional promise to Noah after the flood. And to Abraham, wandering around in the desert, asking for nothing in return. Undeserved, something-for-nothing. God did the giving and the people got the benefits. God pledged to Noah with a rainbow, “I will establish my covenant... never again will all flesh be cut off by a flood.” And to Abraham a family, “I will make of you a great nation. And to your descendants I will give the land of your inheritance.” (And they’re still trying to work that out today over in the Middle East).

But when Moses became a law-giver, the “I shalls” stopped. And the “Thou shalts” began. God expects chosen people to behave in chosen ways. In its day it was an ethical improvement, because they took 2 eyes for 1 eye, instead of only one “eye for an eye or tooth.” At least it was progress.

God “laid down the law” at this time because they were fixing to enter the promised land and needed to know how to live in it. God had just put Egypt in its place and borne Israel forth on eagle’s wings. “...if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be a peculiar possession among all peoples.” There’s no coercion. Strong-arming people is never God’s way. But this time there is a condition: “IF you obey my voice and keep my commandments, you shall be my peculiar treasure...” What a deal! But only if they live like it. Ah but that’s always the rub, isn’t it? The living-of-it. Conditional language is bothersome for those of us who’ve lived too long for innocence. Not very many people I know will “love no matter what,”and not end up being a doormat for some advantage-taker. With the law, there’s always conditions and outcomes. Keep the conditions, and the outcome will take care of itself. But if you ever foul up, you’re on your own! Then you get to live with the consequences.

So is there any hope for fallible folks like us? God provided for that. On Mt. Sinai, the chosen were given 2 gifts: not just 10 commandments. But also a promise. Law and grace. And ever since then we’ve been trying to figure out how to fit them together.

Its not that we have to obey the law in order to earn the promise.  That’s not how it works. ‘Cause even Jesus broke the law, and paid dearly for it one Good Friday. And Moses surely did! Far from being a perfect leader, he was whiney and impatient, and murdered an Egyptian, and got away with it. And the rest of that bunch down below Sinai’s cloud at the foot of the mountain? By the time Moses came back down, these reprobates were “dancing around a golden calf!” Uh oh. Broke the 1^st one already! Moses was so frustrated that he literally broke them all on the ground! But not before the people broke them in spirit first. All they saw were a bunch of shards. And we’re still trying to fit the puzzle that is law and grace. 

But Moses forgot about the rules and pled for mercy. “Give ‘em another chance.”  And the Lord agreed with Moses, because grace is better than law. It covers for us when we blow it. The law can’t do that.  But that makes it sound like the promise is all we need. And that’s not it either. ‘Cause grace without structure is spineless. Arbitrary. Capricious. Unfair -- with no way to determini justice. Being chosen or blessed with an inheritance is problematic. Who gets what? And how its to be used? The promise doesn’t mean “anything goes.” Because there are ways to live that don’t work. And we've seen plenty of that.  But there’s a way that does. God gave the Decalogue to show us how to live in a way that enhances life rather than depleting it.

Consider a re-statement: One. “Don't even think about another god.” Yeah God’s jealous. Even God isn't perfect!  But the Judaeo-Christian faith is monotheistic and only God is God.
Two. “No more golden calves.” Everybody has them, from money to power, winning to sex and everything else in-between.  We don't need them, we need a God who delivers, who's word is good and who's as good as his word.  Why settle for a lesser god?
Three. “Don’t take my name lightly.” So much is done in my name that hasn't got a thing to do with me.  A name is given to you.  Nobody asked for it. Make yours mean something. Something good.  Mine too.
Four. “Keep the Sabbath.” Not for my sake but yours. One day in seven, take a break! If not you're only cheating yourself.  And don't get who you are confused with what you do. 
Five. “Respect your parents.” And do it, whether they did a good job or bad job on you. They’re still your heritage. You wouldn’t be here if not for them.
Six. “Don’t kill.” All life is precious. Flowers, animals, including yours. Until you can make it, don’t take it.
Seven. “Take your marital vows seriously.” Yours and everybody else’s. If you don't you’re playing with fire. It’s always a “fatal attraction.” Be with the 50% who stay married rather than jump overboard at the first sign of trouble.
Eight. “Don’t take something that belongs to somebody else.” Cheating will pull you down.  Honesty builds trust and it can keep you out of jail.
Nine. “Tell the truth.” And you won't have to walk through life looking over your shoulder.  
Ten. “Don’t crave what other people have.” It just creates jealousy.  Learn to accept what God gives you and how much is enough.  Why want more?

There we have it, 10 ways to live, that make life worth living. Caring guidelines that place sensible limits on all who take them seriously. “Live like this,” says our heavenly Father “and you won't be sorry.  Its the best way to survive the wilderness. Ignore them and flirt with destruction.”

10 guidelines from 1 God with 2 gifts: the Law and a promise. You see? God’s told us all we need to know to help us make it in this life. Course modern life is a lot more complex than when Moses delivered the 10 commandments.  And the covenant is no sudden imposition of conditions on the love of God, whereby a judgmental God suddenly melts into mercy on page one of the New Testament. Grace has been there all along. Because that's who God is.  Ever since he sewed animal skins to cover us with fig leaves in the Garden.

God’s law is a natural extension of God’s love -- offering a practical way to live that protects people. So they get to stay around to enjoy the promise. Keeping the rules won't earn the promise. And there’s no extra reward for keeping the commandments. The wicked still prosper and the good die young. But doing what God wants is its own reward.  So if you want life to work for you ... keep the covenant, and enjoy being God’s peculiar treasure in earthen vessels...” God has done all he can to help us to live together before we're fit to live with.  He gave us 4 ways to relate to him and 6 to each other because he wants what's best for us.  Not because of who we are. But who God is. God’s in the redemption business, liberating us from slavery and “bearing us on eagle’s wings.” 

And whose Son Jesus, came to show us an even better way to live, summing up all 10 of them in one word, love. “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” “Against such, there IS NO law!”