Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 10-13-17

Obeying God’s Law Exodus 20:18-26
supernatural signs of God’s presence were in evidence: thunder, lightning, trumpet blasts, smoke, and thick darkness. The people had a right to tremble (shake, quiver, or vibrate). This was the God who had just de- feated the most powerful army on the planet, and in that same power descended on Mount Sinai
Israel wanted Moses to function as a mediator. This ended up being a role that Moses did have to play (He- brews 3:1-6; 2 Corinthi- ans 3:7-16). Israel feared that if God spoke to them di- rectly they would die. But Moses pastorally explained to them that incapacitating fear was not what they needed. Reverential fear was appropriate for their testing (try or prove) and to keep them from sinning. God never tempts us to draw us into sin (James 1:13), but he does test us to draw us away from sin (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Respect is the basis of all relationships. We obey God because we respect him as God. Fear, rightly under- stood and biblically defined, is in solidarity with obedi- ence.
Obedience and Distinction Exodus 20:21-26
God made Israel distinct from every other nation on earth. But God would use Is- rael to bless the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3; Romans 11:12). As Israel obeyed their Redeemer, their dis- tinction as a people among all the peoples of the earth would be evident.
This distinction is seen in how Israel was very unlike the people who surrounded them. The nations had not heard God’s voice from the heavens. The nations wor- shipped idols that were fash- ioned out of silver or gold by human hands. The nations offered human sacrifices (something detestable to God), whereas God wanted
burnt and fellowship offer- ings of animals. The nations cut their stones for their al- tars whereas Israel used the rocks that God provided in creation for their altars. The nations built steps up to their altars and greatly abused their spirituality with gross sexuality, a practice that lacked discretion and mod- esty (see Exodus 28:42; 39:28).
But God would have none of it. While, speaking, we want to remove barriers be- tween ourselves and the people to whom God has sent us to evangelize, we must use discernment lest we blur the lines between culture and church.
While we all have a com- mon humanity, it is danger- ous when there appears to be no difference between the church and the world. No wonder the New Testament says, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).
Both the Old and New Testaments call God’s people to obey. Obedience is a re- sponse to redemption (Exo- dus 20:2). Obedience helps us learn the mind of God (John 7:17). Obedience is the response of faith to grace.
The Ten Command- m e n t s (Decalogue) are all that stand between last week’s lesson on God’s Covenant with Israel and this week’s lesson on Obey- ing God’s Law. Exodus 20:1-17 contains the Ten Commandments. This week’s lesson (Exodus 20:18-26) contains the call to obey the Ten Command- ments.
The chapters that follow (21–23) contain what those
Ten Commandments look like lived out in everyday life. Obedience and Fear Exodus 20:18-21
Throughout the Bible we find this phrase, ‘Fear not!” However, when humankind fell into sin, fear was present (Genesis 3:10). When God drowned Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, fear was present (Exodus 14:31). When Jesus came to earth, fear was present (Luke 2:9). When Jesus was raised from the dead, fear was present (Mark 16:8).
As Israel entered their covenant with God through his law, proper fear would aid her obedience to the God who had redeemed them. Once again the natural and
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