...Then (Exodus 20-24)
One of two crucial portions of Exodus (along with the ten signs) is this section, commonly called the Book of the Covenant. God told the people that He had saved them for a special relationship with them, and that the relationship was contingent on them behaving a certain way. This section describes the manner of life they should live.
In particular the introduction, known as the Ten Words, or Ten Commandments, is key. Not only is it important to Exodus, and to the Pentateuch, but also to the whole Old Testament. In the law, God is revealing Himself. For Israel to be God’s people, they had to be like God. More than anything else, these laws reveal things about the character of God. He does not reveal Himself through philosophical ideas or metaphorical pictures, but in a series of moral imperatives.
According to R. Alan Cole,
And as we look at the series of laws—especially the Ten—we see basic decency being described. Outside of a couple strange (to us) ritual directives, and a few that are culturally removed from us, they are all the sorts of things that people universally agree upon. Don’t murder. Don’t cheat on your wife. Don’t steal. Don’t kill a thief if you are able to identify him to the courts. Don’t oppress the foreigners or the poor. Etc. Even the ones that no longer work due to slavery are all about being decent to the people who depend on you.
It is not surprising, therefore, (especially considering the powerful manifestation of YHWH’s presence) that Israel ratifies the covenant. What is jarring, sad, and will occupy the rest of the Biblical narrative, is how they fail to keep their end of things.
In particular the introduction, known as the Ten Words, or Ten Commandments, is key. Not only is it important to Exodus, and to the Pentateuch, but also to the whole Old Testament. In the law, God is revealing Himself. For Israel to be God’s people, they had to be like God. More than anything else, these laws reveal things about the character of God. He does not reveal Himself through philosophical ideas or metaphorical pictures, but in a series of moral imperatives.
According to R. Alan Cole,
“[The Book of the Covenant] show that His nature can be understood by man only in moral terms.”
And as we look at the series of laws—especially the Ten—we see basic decency being described. Outside of a couple strange (to us) ritual directives, and a few that are culturally removed from us, they are all the sorts of things that people universally agree upon. Don’t murder. Don’t cheat on your wife. Don’t steal. Don’t kill a thief if you are able to identify him to the courts. Don’t oppress the foreigners or the poor. Etc. Even the ones that no longer work due to slavery are all about being decent to the people who depend on you.
It is not surprising, therefore, (especially considering the powerful manifestation of YHWH’s presence) that Israel ratifies the covenant. What is jarring, sad, and will occupy the rest of the Biblical narrative, is how they fail to keep their end of things.
Comments
Post a Comment