Exodus 26.
The Ten Commandments Given As the Foundation of New life (Exodus 20:1-17)
Now, starting in Chapter 20 of Exodus, the Sinai covenant between God and Israel begins in earnest.
The first covenant given in the Mount Sinai covenant is the ‘Ten Commandments.’
All of the laws that God requires of the Israelites when making a covenant are condensed and summarized in
the Ten commandments. The premise of God, the Word, commanding the children of Israel the Ten Commandments is
that God is the Creator of all things in the universe and the Savior of Israel (2). He saved them from sin, death,
and oppression and gave them a new life, and now he commanded them to live a life worthy of a new life that was
completely different from before. The beginning of the Ten Commandments is God, the Word, in verse 1.
That word is the word of God who created the world and people, and is the word of salvation through Christ.
Therefore, we who have been saved should live by entrusting ourselves to ‘God the Word’ rather than to ‘me’.
1. Commandments regarding relationship with God (Commands 1-4)
1) 1st Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (verse 3). God created, saved, guides, and protects.
Therefore, the message is not to be deceived by other false gods, but to always be with God.
2) 2nd Commandment: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything...You shall not bow down
to them or worship them;"
Since ancient times, humanity, deceived by the devil, has believed that if they create an image of a god and serve it,
they can use that god to fulfill their wishes. The reason God said, “Do not make for yourself a graven image,” was to prevent this. We must keep in mind that if people create or draw images and try to use them for their own greed, they will be caught by
the devil and evil spirits working behind them.
3) 3rd Commandment: "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God,
for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
It is a promise that “those who honor God’s name will be honored by God.”
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that
He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
It means enjoying the blessing of being with God 24 hours a day.
4) 4th Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."
The most important thing we must do on the Sabbath is to ‘worship God’ and receive His word.
For believers, nothing is more important than worshiping God, and the purpose of God creating humans is to be worshiped
through humans. God, who is the Word, receives worship, gives the word of promise, and works according to the word.
2. Commandments regarding relationships with people
1) 5th Commandments: "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD
your God is giving you.”
Parents are the source of existence on a physical level. Parents are agents and symbols of God’s sovereignty and authority.
Respect for parents is the authority and order established by God, so we must obey them completely.
This is the first commandment with a promise of long life.
2) 6th Commandment: “You shall not murder.”
Taking revenge is God's work. By trusting in God, we must entrust the case of good and evil to God.
People are not something to hate, but people to love.
3) 7th Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery.”
It tells us to enjoy satisfaction and joy by respecting and cherishing the wife God has given us. If you commit adultery
because you feel inadequate toward the wife God gave you, you will realize how great a misery it is.
You must love your wife and protect your family while trusting that God has matched you.
4) 8th Commandment: “You shall not steal.”
Everything God has given us is sufficient and abundant. Therefore, we must trust and wait for God to provide in God's time
and in God's way. You tshall not touch other people's things while you cannot wait for that time.
5) 9th Commandment: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
Giving false testimony to gain a small profit will never get us what we want. God is the judge.
Everything will be revealed on the last day. Therefore, God's people must be honest.
6) 10th Commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s things.”
There is no reason for you to covet what belongs to others when I will provide for your deep satisfaction.
Trust me It is a promise: “I am your everything.” There is no reason for us to covet what others have when God will provide us
with abundant satisfaction. Trust in God. God knows and provides all our needs.
Conclusion: The Israelites’ reactions and specific instructions
1) The people at the bottom of the mountain could see and hear what God was saying to Moses.
They heard thunder and lightning and the sound of a trumpet, and when they saw smoke on the mountain,
they were afraid and trembled (18). They asked Moses to prevent God from speaking directly to them (18-19).
This is because they clearly heard the ‘awareness of being sinners’ that they were sinners who had no choice
but to die before God.
2) God gives very specific instructions through Moses (23-26). First of all, do not make idols for yourself (23).
This means that God cannot be compared to anyone else and should not be limited to an image.
However, even before the Israelites left Mount Horeb, they were scolded for making a golden calf.
3) Second, God told Israel to build an earthen altar and offer burnt offerings and peace offerings (24).
Through this sacrifice, God wanted to bless Israel. He said that the stone altar should be made of unhewn stone,
not chiseled (25). This is because anything made by human hands is unclean, and it shows that people cannot beautify
or glorify God through their own efforts.
4) The last instruction is not to expose the lower body (26). Sexual festivals, which were always associated with
the practice of sacrificing foreign gods, were strictly forbidden to the Israelites, and they were not to climb the stairs
to raise the altar.
Now the saved Israel has become God's blessed people. He chose Israel among countless peoples and gave them the glory
and grace of the kingdom of God. Now, they have abandoned the old habits of Egypt and the ways and principles of the world,
and have lived a new life according to the new standards given by God as the people of God's kingdom.
Before and after Mt. Sinai must be different. The time before salvation and the time after salvation cannot be the same.
If you are still the same as before, you have not received the grace of salvation.
Most people want to own and enjoy wealth, social success, and other good things.
However, if you serve them on the same level as God, it becomes a problem. If you think that by owning those things, you can become the master of your life and take the lead in your life, you will fall into pride, and pride will lead to defeat.
All things belong to God, and the things given to you are temporarily entrusted to you, so you must live as a good steward of God.
God wants to rule over our entire lives in which His image has been restored.
I pray that you will enjoy the fullness of the promised Holy Spirit and become a witness of Christ anytime and anywhere.