One of the key themes in our Meet Your Bible class this Lent has been learning how to read Scripture in ways that deepen our understanding and faith. We've talked about reading the Bible devotionally—seeking a word of comfort, challenge, or encouragement. But we’ve also explored the importance of reading Scripture in its historical and cultural context, recognizing that these words were first given to a particular people in a particular time. When we hold both approaches together, we gain a fuller, richer understanding of what the Bible is saying—not only to us as individuals but to the larger community of faith around us.
The Ten Commandments are a perfect example of this. Many of us memorized them as children, and they continue to shape how we think about faithful living. But they are not just personal moral guidelines; they were given to shape a people, a community where all could flourish.
When God first gave these commandments to the Israelites, they had just been freed from slavery in Egypt. They had spent generations in a system that treated them as nothing more than tools for Pharaoh’s empire. The Ten Commandments were not simply rules for personal behavior; they were a gift meant to form a new kind of society—one where people would not be used, where no one would be left behind, and where the values of God’s kingdom stood in contrast to the cruelty they had known in Egypt.
Consider the commandment to keep the Sabbath. At first glance, it may seem like a simple instruction to rest. But in its original context, it was radical. In Egypt, rest was a luxury for the powerful, while the laborers worked without relief. But God commanded a different way: a society where everyone—rich and poor, citizen and immigrant, even animals—would be given time to breathe, to rest, to experience the goodness of life beyond productivity.
Or take the commandment, “You shall not steal.” We often think of this in terms of personal honesty—don’t take what doesn’t belong to you. But in the biblical world, this was about more than just individual acts of theft. It was a safeguard against the wealthy accumulating so much that others were left with nothing. It was meant to protect the dignity of every person by ensuring that no one’s well-being was stolen through unjust systems or exploitation.
If we take the Ten Commandments seriously, we cannot only treat them as words on a plaque or a display in a public space. Their power is not in their visibility but in their practice. They call us to create a world where people are not discarded, where economic and legal systems do not privilege the powerful at the expense of the weak, and where God’s generosity is reflected in how we care for one another.
So the question is not just whether the Ten Commandments should be displayed in classrooms or courthouses, but whether they are displayed in our lives. Are we shaped by them? Do we advocate for the kind of world they envision? Do our choices—political, economic, and personal—reflect God’s desire for a just and compassionate society?
With the days that remain in the season of Lent, I encourage you to spend time reflecting on the Ten Commandments. Read them slowly. Consider what they meant to the Israelites in their time, and what they mean for us today. You might even take on the challenge of memorizing them, letting them shape your thoughts and actions as we prepare our hearts for Easter.
Here are the Ten Commandments, as given in Exodus 20:1-17:
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You shall have no other gods before me.
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You shall not make for yourself an idol.
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You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
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Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
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Honor your father and mother.
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You shall not murder.
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You shall not commit adultery.
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You shall not steal.
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You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
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You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
May these words be a guide for us, shaping not just our personal faith but our life together as God's people.
See you in church!
Pastor Adam
