A Breathtaking Revelation in the Commandments (Part 2 of Commandment Series)

This is post #2 in my series on the Ten Commandments. 

 If you missed the first one, you can read it here. 

{I am not a theologian.  I am simply a follower, a woman, who has a heart that is continually yearning for more of God.  What I share with you regarding certain aspects of Scripture, I do with the full knowledge of my limitation in the ability to capture the essence of God.  It is only because of grace that I even attempt to give words to the stirrings in my heart regarding the Ten Commandments. Thank you for coming on this journey with me.} 

 With that said, let's get started!

How is the Character of God Revealed in the Ten Commandments?

The answer to this question is found within the details of one of the greatest stories in the Bible. It is the story of Israel and their deliverance from bondage.  For hundreds of years, the chosen people of God were enslaved under the oppressive yoke of Egypt.   The God of Israel, the One that chose them and set them apart as a peculiar people, had predominantly remained silent during their time of slavery.

Although, seemingly distant, God was far from disinterested in the heartache of His people.  I'm not sure why God chose to wait 400 years before stepping in on their behalf.   It's possible, I suppose, it took that amount of time for a whole nation to unify their prayers before God and ask for deliverance.  To be honest though, God's silence is the hardest thing for me to understand.  The mystery of human prayers and how they can cause an Almighty God to act or not, is beyond me. Whatever the reason for God's silence, the important thing to note for our purposes is that when the sons of Israel prayed, God  listened. 

"...And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them."

Exodus 2:23-25 (NASB)

God decided He would use Moses to set Israel free.  He was an unlikely man for the task, but God knew he possessed the heart needed to accomplish the mission. When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, God communicated four powerful messages.  

•  I have called you [Moses] to deliver the people of Israel.

•  You don't have to do this alone. I will be with you through it all.

•  You will know it was I who sent you on this task when you return with the people and worship on this mountain (Mount Sinai which is also known as Mount Horeb and the Mountain of God).

•  When the people ask you who has sent you on this assignment, you will tell them that 'I AM' is His name.  

The last two statements is where we find the first clues that God is about to reveal Himself like never before. They also set the stage for seeing how the character of God is revealed in the Ten Commandments.   Let me briefly unpack the last one and then we will move on to the other. 

The Significance of the Name 'I AM' 

The name, 'I AM' {Yahweh} is used for the first time during the burning bush encounter in Exodus 3.  God had revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob but never with the name Yahweh (Exodus 6:3).  This name is literally translated as 'He is or He exists'.  It is a description of who He is, the Self-Existing One.  

The word Yahweh reveals the fullness of God's nature.  The entire essence of God, all of His attributes are embodied in this name.  The name Yahweh also implies that the nature of God will be revealed through His actions toward His people.  

I found this quote and stood in wonder at the depth of this name... 

“The letters of the name of God in Hebrew… are infrequently pronounced Yahweh. But in truth they are inutterable…. This word {YHWH} is the sound of breathing. The holiest name in the world, the Name of Creator, is the sound of your own breathing. That these letters are unpronounceable is no accident. Just as it is no accident that they are also the root letters of the Hebrew verb ‘to be’… God’s name is name of Being itself.” ~Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

The fact that this name, Yahweh, is presented for the first time in Exodus is significant.  God appears to communicate the idea that He desires to establish His eternal presence among His people for all generations.  

"This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations." Exodus 3:15 (NASB)

What a gift! Especially to a nation who was enslaved  for hundreds of years under the care of a silent and apparently absent God.  It is with this name, Yahweh, and all that this name implies, that Moses goes and delivers Israel.  

The Significance of Mount Sinai

During the encounter at the burning bush, God told Moses that confirmation of his calling and God's presence would come when Moses brought the entire nation to worship at Mount Sinai.  Once out of Egypt, it was obvious where Moses was to lead the people.  He was to take them to worship in the very place where he first encountered God.   I can only imagine what Moses was thinking as he approached the mountain.  I'm sure he remembered these words: 

"And He [God] said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” Exodus 3:12 (NASB)

It is at the foot of this mountain where it all comes together.  The Bible says that Moses went up to God and the Lord called to him from the mountain.  He told Moses that He wanted to arrange a meeting with Israel.  Moses was given instructions on how to prepare the people.  Can you imagine what it would have felt like to get ready to meet God?  I don't think Israel understood the magnitude of what they were about to experience.   For the last few hundred years, they were surrounded by foreign gods.  Their frame of reference was no where near capturing the grandiose nature of Yahweh, a name they had never heard.    I truly wonder what they expected to see and hear? The Bible simply says this: 

"And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain." Exodus 19:17 (NASB)

God descended on Mount Sinai with smoke and fire filling it with His presence.  His opening words to the congregation, after four hundred years of silence, were this: 

“ I am the Lord [YHWH] your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." Exodus 20:2 (NASB)

The use of the word 'LORD or Yahweh' in the opening statement of the Ten Commandments communicates the idea that the very essence of God is being given to His people.  It is an introduction of sorts between two parties who are about to enter into a significant relationship with each other. The Ten Commandments is the framework God uses to introduce His very nature to Israel.  By stating that He, the I AM, brought them out of slavery establishes the first character trait of God.  

         I AM your Redeemer.

The overarching theme of the Ten Commandments is redemption.  They are in essence an invitation to enter into a relationship with the One who has redeemed.  All subsequent characteristics found in each of the commandments  flow from this theme.  In short, every commandment highlights a character trait of God.  Each one is a declaration of who He is and who He is vowing Himself to be for His people.  

In my next post I will write about the ten character traits found in the Law and how they can impact your faith journey with God.  I'm excited to share them with you! If at any point you have questions or need clarification on anything that I'm sharing, shoot me an email or comment. I love to receive feedback and share in your spiritual journey!