The Commandments
Exodus: The Presence of the Savior • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction: Strange Rules
How many of your families have rules?
Do you have any “strange” rules, or rules that others who don’t know your family may consider strange?
Our family’s strange rules:
Do not throw your socks into the Brussels sprouts.
Do not chew your toenails at the dinner table.
Strange laws:
Indiana
South Bend: It is illegal to make a monkey smoke a cigarette.
No one may catch a fish with his bare hands.
Bathing is prohibited during the winter.
Pennsylvania
You may not catch a fish by any body part except the mouth
A special cleaning ordinance bans homemakers from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.
All fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires.
It is illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors.
In our story today, we are going to learn about the rules that God gave to the people of Israel as they were in the wilderness. We are also going to see what these rules tell us about God.
God gives us His laws for life.
Israel came out of Egypt - don’t know much about the God who saved them
Exodus 19:1–6 (ESV)
1 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
The people all said, “We will do whatever God says!”
God tells Moses to tell the people:
consecrate yourself
wash your clothes
be ready in three days
Don’t come near the mountain
Exodus 19:16–19 (ESV)
16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.
If the people were to touch the mountain, they would die
God was showing the Israelites (and us):
God is holy and so are His rules.
God is holy and so are His rules.
ILLUST - How many of you remember what it’s like on the first day of school with a new teacher, maybe one everyone thinks is scary?
I had a teacher like that - she was my 6th grade teacher - Mrs. Werner
Her classroom ran like a tight ship and had some serious rules.
At first, you may follow the 6th grade rules simply because they were Mrs. Werner’s rules.
Likewise, we must always remember that, for no other reason, we should follow God’s rules, because they are God’s rules!
To be quite honest, I’m kind of tired of people not teaching or preaching that God’s holiness is a good enough reason for us to follow Him and His rules.
HE’S GOD!!
(we will break a few other stereotypes in just a moment, but let’s hang here for second)
Tell me if you were standing at the base of a shaking mountain covered in smoke, and you can hear the voice of God like thunder, that you would look up and say, “And who are YOU to give ME rules?”
God gave His love before He gave His rules.
God gave His love before He gave His rules.
God saved the Israelites BEFORE he gave them his rules.
He didn’t say, “Follow my rules and then I will save you to be my people.”
He said, “Because you trusted in me through the sacrifice of the lamb, you ARE my people. Now, let me show you the best way for us to live in relationship.”
When you trust in Jesus YOU are his. You are a part of God’s people. You are His child, his treasured possession.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
KIDS: You do not need to do all the right things before God will love you and save you from your sins and make you ready for heaven.
God already loves you, and when you pray and tell Jesus that you trust that HE is able to take away your sins - you are adopted into God’s family.
IF that is what you want to do today, I want you to tell your mom and dad so they can pray with you at the end of the service.
Rules help/strengthen the relationship, they don’t just form it.
following the rules does not change God’s heart - it reveals ours
Kids: If you break a rule at home - do mom and dad still love you? YES!
If you continually break mom and dad’s rules, does it show that you love them?
God already saved the Israelites He THEN gave them the Law God did not give them the Law (rules) so they could have a relationship with him, he gave them the rules because he already DID have a relationship with them
ILLUST - parents - do you make rules for kids not in your family? (We’d probably like to from time to time, right?)
So, what are the rules that God gives to Moses?
There will be 613 rules that God will give to the people of Israel, and God’s pattern will generally follow the pattern of other kings in the ANE who form a covenant with another kingdom or group of people.
Preamble: the suzerain identifies himself Exod 20:1-2
Historical Prologue: review of past relations, etc. Genesis I-Exodus 19; Exod 20:2b
Stipulations
Central, general stipulations
(Ten Commandments)
Detailed stipulations
(Exodus 21-Leviticus 25)
List of Witnesses
Deut 31:19-22, 26, 28; c£ Josh 24:22, 27
Blessings and Curses Leviticus 26
Deposition of Copies of Treaty Exod 25:16; Deut 10:3-5
Oath and Ceremony Exod 24:3, 7-8
Treaty Meal
Exod 24:5, 9-11
An example:
TREATY BETWEEN MURSILIS {king of the powerful Hatti-land) AND TUPPI-TESHUP (king of small vassal country of Amurru)
Preamble
These are the words of the Sun Mursilis, the great king, the king of the Hatti land, the valiant, the favorite of the Storm-god, son of Suppiluliumas, the great king, the king of the Hatti land, the valiant
Historical introduction
Aziras was your grandfather, Tuppi-Teshup. He rebelled against my father, but submitted again to my father. When the kings of Nuhassi land and the kings of Kinza rebelled against my father, Aziras did not rebel.
In our passage today we see the first portion of the rules, the general stipulations.
There are ten.
The first four express how we are to relate to God and the last six express ways we are to relate to those around us.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not have any idols.
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
Honor the Sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother.
Do not murder.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal.
Do not lie.
Do not covet.
While the layout of the rules are similar to the countries nearby, the rules God gives are better and easier.
Even more than this, they are good rules!
God’s rules are good because God is good.
God’s rules are good because God is good.
ILLUST (cont) - While Mrs. Werner seemed awfully scary, and her rules, I thought, would be too difficult, I actually came to realize and learn that, while Mrs. Warner had strict rules, she was very fair.
And I even learned that her rules were helpful. And that showed me that she cared about us. she actually became one of my favorite teachers ever.
I think we can all agree that having some rules is a good thing.
ILLUST - ‘Don’t stick a fork in the toaster’ is a good rule, why? Because it keeps you alive!
Kids: Can you think of a way that having rules not only keeps you safe but actually makes things fun?
ILLUST - Ever play a game with your brother or sister or friend and they change the rules?
(Parents, did you hear that?)
His rules are not to keep us from having fun, but help us have real, meaningful fun.
Parents, isn’t it true that sometimes grownups feel as though Christianity is restrictive, and there would be more freedom if there were not so many “Thou shalt nots”
Do we sometimes question whether the Christian life is worth it? If staying on the “straight and narrow” is better than all I could be doing?
“This is to forget that a negative command is far more liberating than a positive one, for a positive command restricts life to that one course of action, whereas a negative command leaves life open to every course of action except one!”
The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage (2. The Law Is for Life, for All Life and for the Balanced Life)
Reminder: the ONE rule in the Garden of Eden - One rule! They certainly had a LOT of freedom.
This is the pattern of sin; however, that we want what we cannot have and we quarrel and fight (as James says) to get it. This is a pattern that will be repeated time and time again.
When you think about God watching you - do you feel guilt or joy?
Any unconfessed sin?
ILLUST - Kids: Suppose your mom and dad made a rule that said you must eat ice cream every day. Do you think you could follow it? How many of you WANT to follow that rule? Isn’t it easier to follow rules we WANT to follow?
God helps us follow His rules.
God helps us follow His rules.
Shortly after God gives the Israelites his rules, they break them. God gives them more rules - and they break them.
Over and over, throughout the Old Testament, God’s people break God’s rules because they do not want to follow God’s rules.
God through the prophets, promises to change their desires.
He promises to do this when God won’t need to simply give us his rules outside of us but when he sends the Holy Spirit to work INSIDE of us.
The Holy Spirit changes our heart and desires
Ezekiel 11:19–20 (ESV)
19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
Galatians 5:16 (ESV)
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
New Living Translation (Chapter 5)
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.
2. The Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus
John 15:26 (ESV)
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ Helper (who is also God) whom Jesus gives to those who trust in him.
He promises the Holy Spirit will help you, me, and you, parents, to WANT to do the right thing and follow God’s rules.
Do you need to trust in Jesus for the first time?
Do you need to come to the presence of God and ask him to help you see his rules as good?