Thursday, Sept. 26
Exodus 20:18 – 21:36 Read it here
The remainder of chapter 20 after the 10 Commandments are about the relationship of people to God.
To our eyes this can appear odd. We live in a day when government and law is kept in the secular realm, and relationship with God is a separate, religious, matter.
But in the days of the Exodus, the whole identity and being of the people was based on their relationship with God…it didn’t just shape their worship practices; it shaped their life, community and culture.
A theme from yesterday’s reading continues today: the people are kept away from the mountain while God is present. Only Moses approaches it.
In vs. 20:20 Moses tells the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will keep you from sinning.”
It sounds inconsistent to say “Do not be afraid,” and almost immediately follow it with “the fear of God.” Moses explains, though, that the fear of God has a purpose: to keep you from sinning.
As Christians we talk a lot about how Jesus, through the cross, bridged the chasm between people and God. As important as that is, it presents its own danger. We can get overly comfortable with thinking of God as a celestial security blanket we turn to when things get tough. We can look at him as a servant we expect to come running when we need comfort, like a faithful pet.
There is no doubt that God is willing, even eager, to comfort and protect us, but we must never forget that God is God. We are subject to his will, not he to ours.
The text then turns to building an altar for God. The elaborate Tent of Meeting and Temple will come much later. For now, God wants a place of worship that is simple. The altar he wants from the Israelites is made from the earth itself. It is God’s gift to them, not their gift to him.