Coromandel Baptist Church

Sunday 12 July 2009 Ex. 20:1-26 and Gal. 3:9-22

The God Who Speaks His Words

On Sunday we continue in the book of Exodus, this time turning our attention to the gift of the Law in Exodus 20. The Ten Commandments are literally the "ten words" which God himself spoke to all the people. They reveal his character and are the torah (instruction) for the covenant community of Israel, marking them off from the other nations by the presence and wisdom of God whose Law they are (Deut. 4:6-8). Though revealed as the heart of God's covenant gift to Israel, they are not only for Israel. Because they are the torah of the God who has created the universe, they are universally binding. They are the way of life, and express the great commandments of love towards God and love towards one's neighbour (Matt. 22:36ff.). However, as the Law comes into contact with sinful flesh, it provokes sin, defines it as transgression, and condemns us. The Law is holy and good in every respect, but in terms of the plan and purpose of salvation history, the Mosaic covenant functions to shut us up to grace by shutting down any possibility of establishing a righteousness acceptable to God on the basis of the Law. In this way the covenant made at Sinai serves the covenant of promise made to Abraham.

That the Ten Commandments (better, the ten words as in Ex. 20:1) are the core of the Mosaic covenant is indicated in such places as Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13 and Deuteronomy 9:9, 11. The ten words are marked out in three ways. God spoke them to the people directly (Ex. 20:1; Deut. 4:11-12, 33, 36); God wrote them personally (Ex. 31:1, 18; 32:16) and God kept them close to himself (in the Ark of the Covenant, in the holy of holies). The other laws and statutes regarding the civil and ceremonial life of Israel came no less from God, but (in a manner of speaking) through Moses' secretarial relation to God rather than by direct spoken communication from God to the people. However, the ten words are the very words of God, the torah of his own nature, or to use Alec Motyer's phrase, they are ‘the image of God in preceptual form'. All of God's dealings with us are always for our good, but the commands in particular are given for our blessing (e.g. Deut. 6:4; 10:13).

We may picture the laws associated with the Mosaic covenant in terms of concentric circles. At the very centre are the ten words of God, precious to himself and the expression of his own nature. These are the torah for the whole of creation and are never abrogated. The next circle would contain the law code given in Exodus 21-23, governing the life of Israel in its communal relations. The last circle would express the laws related to the Tabernacle (and later Temple). These govern not only its operation day by day (as expressed in the detailed sacrificial procedures in Leviticus) but also determine the shape and structure of the Tabernacle and the role of the priesthood. The descriptions of the Tabernacle and its construction cover the bulk of the remaining chapters of Exodus (from Ex. 24 onwards, saving the chapters dealing with the incident of the golden calf and all that was associated with it), culminating in the Tabernacle being filled with the glory of God.

There was thus no aspect of life that was not lived in relation to the Law of God, and the personal torah of God was at the very centre. Israel was allowed the privilege of having the presence of God and his words with them, and was graciously given a sacrificial system to cover all their transgressions so that they may continue in their freedom to worship and serve the Lord.

Covenant is uppermost in the picture here, and the Law is given into that context. In other words, God's relationship with Israel was prior to the giving of the Law and it rested on the foundation of his own grace. The Law was the gracious gift of the covenant making God to his people. The relationship of Israel to God was not legal, but rather covenantal, which always has legislative elements.

This gift was given for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the commandments are intimately related to God, who spoke them. They are not arbitrary pieces of legislation that overlay the creation, but represent-in terms of external command to those made in his image-the nature of the God in whose image we have been made. They thus declare to us the functional principles of human life, since they come from the God who has created us. Secondly, the Law (not only the Ten Commandments, but the extensions of God's legislation for civil and ceremonial life) was given for the ordering of life of Israel, so that they would not only be a disciplined nation, but that they would portray a wisdom amongst the nations that would be a beacon of light to them (cf. Deut 4:6ff.). But thirdly, the whole Mosaic covenant stands in relation to the plan and purpose of God.

In the Mosaic covenant God revealed more clearly the Law which was implicit throughout time. To the redeemed person, the Law is a delight (e.g. Ps. 1, 19, 119), but only if one ‘uses it lawfully' (1 Tim. 1:8). Where sinful Flesh uses the Law unlawfully (e.g. as a means to justification) it fulfills its other purpose, which is to condemn us a sinners (e.g. Rom. 3:20; 4:15; 7:7ff.; Gal. 3:19ff.; etc.). The Law could never impart life (Gal. 3:21), but if we have receive life in Christ by grace through faith, the Law is fulfilled in us who believe (Rom. 8:4). The promises of the new covenant are linked to the internal nature of the law of God being written on a new heart (Deut. 30:6 cf. Jer. 31:33; 32:39f.; Ezk. 11:19f.; 36:26; etc.). This is the goal of God in the new creation brought about in Christ, to be completely revealed at the coming of the Son of Man. Thus, in the plan of salvation history (as expounded by Paul in Galatians 3, for example) the Law serves the covenant of promise by confirming us in our sin, condemning us as sinners and driving us to find salvation in God's grace. From this grace in which we stand, we find the Law to be the delight of our hearts and we long with eager hope for a new heavens and earth where only righteousness dwells.