“Look over contracts and read them carefully because there could be a hidden agenda you will not or cannot abide by later.”  This was the advice of my practical, law-abiding, believers in Jesus, mom and dad.  Every contract has specific stipulations, rules to follow, along with how each party will live up to their commitment.  Contracts are signed and notarized in front of witnesses to make it official and binding.  Contracts are serious business!  Contracts are promises to do what the contract says or the committed signers will be in violation of the covenant between them.  What we fail to remember at times is the contract is meant to protect both parties from being wronged by one or the other.

God gave His People a contract with ten non-negotiables to adhere to for their good and His glory.  The binding contract of commandments begin with who He is and how He must be honored as the one and only God in a culture of many gods made of metal and stone.  With each command, God provides clarity with an explanation.  This is God, Himself, speaking the commands! Observe how His people will respond.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

20 And God spoke all these words:

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

³ “You shall have no other gods before me.

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “You shall not murder.

¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

¹⁸ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance ¹⁹ and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

²¹ The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Idols and Altars

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: ²³ Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.

²⁴ “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵ If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. ²⁶ And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed.’

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

These Ten Commandments are generally the foundation upon which all the laws of our land are based.  But as with all contracts; there will be the rebellious who will tirelessly look for loopholes while trying to get what they want. We will soon learn that the Moses culture will be no different than it is today; for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” in abiding by the non-negotiable commands.  The root cause is self.

God’s Perspective

The Ten are clear guidelines for God’s people to follow so that their relationship with him and with others would be healthy and strong.  God does not watch and wait for us to slip and fall so He can punish us.  God’s delight is in helping us with all the details of our lives as we seek Him.  God’s character is that of a good, loving Father who gives us guidelines to live by for our protection and our good.  If we do this, says God, all will go well for us. This is God’s way of thinking.  Seek God and His wisdom and you’ll find out how He thinks! 

Know God. Trust God.  Obey God. 

Believe in God’s Son Jesus who came to earth to save us from our sins while guiding us back to God’s true intention of the Law, expanding our thinking about abiding by the Law as He fulfilled every aspect of the Law.  “You have heard it say, but I say to you…” says Jesus to begin the next lesson of many.  Jesus spent a great deal of time preaching on a mountainside using the Ten Commandments as a reference point to transform the thinking of believers.  Read Matther 5-7 alongside Exodus and you will see how Jesus explained the Law He came to fulfill and why!

With each explanation followed with examples; Jesus shows how and why we should obey the Law. Jesus expands our minds; which was mind blowing to his listeners on the mountain that day!  Jesus, as a Servant, teaches us how to serve when obeying the Law.  Don’t stop with simple adherence, doing only what is necessary; show the love of God in you when you are given opportunity to go beyond what the Law requires.  The non-negotiables become as way to show who God is to others who do not know Him! 

It’s not about you.  It’s not about me. It’s all about God. God’s goal becomes our purpose:  To become more like Jesus in every way.  Jesus sought God often for direction and guidance. Learn to do the same! Jesus gave knowledge and understanding that caused most to say, “We’ve never heard teaching like this!” This is not surprising as there is no one like Our God who sent Jesus, His Son to save us and set us free!

In C. S. Lewis’s book, “Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C. S. Lewis,” he wrote, “Obedience is the key to all doors.” Don’t think for a second that you can heed the wrong voice, make the wrong choice, and escape the consequences. At the same time, obedience leads to a waterfall of goodness not just for you but for your children, your children’s children, your great-grandchildren, and the children of a thousand generations in the future. See the promise in verse 6!  This is a non-negotiable with God, too!  God’s promises are true and will not be broken, changed, or cast aside by Him.  God cannot lie.  What He says—He will do!  Signed, sealed, and delivered by Jesus Christ, His Son.  Believe it and live it!  Our behaviors will reflect who we believe.

Lord,

Thank you, Jesus for saving my soul and making me whole. Thank you for teaching me a way to live that not only pleases you but is full of wisdom and spiritual health for us.  Thank you for the Help or Your Holy Spirit as our live-in Counselor that guides our steps and tenders our words with your love.

In Jesus Name, For Your glory and our good, Amen