Yeshua Explored
29th August 2022
The Ten Commandments
When did two million people all hear the Voice of God?
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Everything about this episode was unprecedented, never to be repeated, unique. A hinge of history was creaking into life as a bedraggled band of Hebrew slaves poured out of Egypt. It was so significant that it kick-started the Biblical calendar, with the month of Nisan and gave us the first of the three great Pilgrim festivals, Passover, that commemorated this Exodus from Egypt. These ex-slaves were true pilgrims, even if most were unaware of it. Some were even reluctant travellers, pining for the ‘certainties’ of the slave camps (‘at least we got three square meals a day’). God was flexing His muscles in a big way, He was writing and directing a series of events that would, in the future, become His calling card, ‘I am the God Who brought you out of Egypt …’
He first appears in a burning bush at the foot of a holy mountain, breaking into Moses’ timeline and commissioning this reluctant octogenarian for the tasks to come, including multiple visits to the Egyptian ruler to warn him of dire consequences for thwarting God’s plans. This Pharaoh had enslaved God’s people out of fear that they may grow too large and become the enemy within. Instead they cried out to a half-remembered God Who, in turn, remembered them and brought ten plagues to Egypt, each announced in advance during Moses and his brother Aaron’s multiple trips.
The plagues were direct challenges to the “gods” of Egypt. The first was the waters of the River Nile turning to blood, a blow to the supposed divinity of the river itself. Then came frogs, a blow to the supposedly divine Pharaoh himself, who found these pesky critters even infesting his household! Then gnats, followed by flies. God was to show how He was the Lord of all, with infinite power, by limiting this latest plague to native Egyptian areas, ensuring that the Hebrew areas were bug-free. He did the same with the next plague on Egyptian livestock, with not a single animal death for the Hebrews. Again, to show His supremacy over his rival “gods”, who were powerless to act against Him. With the next plague, he also acted against Pharaoh’s own magicians and astrologers, who couldn’t even stand up through the boils that had infected their bodies, let alone trying to reproduce the plagues themselves, as they did with the blood and frogs. That’s the last we hear of them!
The next plague, hail, was a direct attack on Horus, the Egyptian sky “god”. Before it, came a warning from God who told them “by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you upfor this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:15-16). There is a sense of an unfolding Divine drama playing out here with just a single underlying purpose … the Glory of God and His Name, the acknowledgment of He who brought His people out of Egypt. Then came hail, to show God’s total dominion over the heavens as well as the Earth.
Locusts were next. God shows that He controls both the weather and animal life, bringing both together to destroy crops and that supposed Egyptian “gods” are incapable of stopping Him. This was followed by one of the dreads of mankind, complete darkness, again only in the Egyptian areas; the Hebrew areas must have seemed like a beacon mocking them in their powerlessness. Deprivation of social interactions through the darkness would have given them a sense of the awesomeness of Almighty God and again the inability of their ‘home grown deities’ to address the situation.
Finally, the killing of the firstborn, human and livestock. The Hebrews were saved by a simple action. God could have automatically exempted them, as He had done before, but this time He instructed them how to save themselves from the Angel of Death. They were to make a burnt offering of lambs without defect and then, they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. (Exodus 12:7). A physical act, often eulogised as the Hebrew households being saved from death through the blood of the lamb in the sign of the cross. Not totally accurate, but the sign was, in fact, of the Hebrew letter, chet, most often associated with the word, chai, meaning “life”. Life was being offered to these households, all they had to do was to follow God’s instructions. This is a beautiful picture, reminding us of our responsibility to respond to God’s promptings, if we wish to enjoy chai in its fullest sense.
That night marked the beginning of their great adventure, arguably ours too, as over two million souls headed eastwards into the desert, including thousands of redeemed first-borns, saved by the faithfulness of their family. God has already shown His hand, His outstretched hand, but, over the next few weeks He is going to cement Himself to these people, a prelude to an important decision they were going to have to make regarding their future.
First, guidance. A pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night. A continual visual reminder of God’s presence with them on their journey. And to make things as awkward as possible, He led them ‘up the garden path’ to the Sea, ensuring they were boxed in at the mercy of the advancing Egyptian chariots. They were to trust Moses and God, bringing deliverance, as the seas parted for them and subsequently destroyed their enemy. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. (Exodus 14:31). Then, provision, whether it was clean water to drink, or manna and quail to eat, it was all supplied through miraculous means. How else were two million ex-slaves going to survive in a desert? He also showed them how a bunch of bricklayers were going to be able to defeat battle-hardened enemies. Victory in battle against the Amalekites! All Moses had to do was keep his arms raised, faith in God’s promises was all that was needed. They knew that they were nowhere near strong enough to defeat this enemy, so God’s strength was shown through their weakness.
A few weeks later Moses had gone full circle, he had arrived at the very holy mountain, Sinai, where he had been originally commissioned through the Voice at the bush. He had reached the end of the beginning and a new chapter for mankind was about to be opened …
First the plagues, then release from Egyptian slavery, guidance, deliverance, provision, then victory over enemies. They were a people set apart, but what for? It wasn’t long before they found out, as Moses summoned the elders and told them what God had said to him:
“This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, youwill be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:3-6)
The answer was a resounding YES, we will do everything the LORD has said! A nation was about to be born. They had to be prepared for what was to come, so, over the next two days the people washed their clothes and promised sexual abstinence, as barriers were created around the mountain, creating a no-go zone within for their own good for, whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. Let’s read what came next:
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountaintrembled violently. As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. (Exodus 19:16-19)
Everything about the following episode was unprecedented, never to be repeated, unique. A hinge of history was creaking into life. Over two million people were about to hear the very Voice of God. Unprecedented! It was said that, at that moment, not a bird chirped, nor a fowl flew, nor an ox lowed, not an angel ascended, not a seraph proclaimed ‘holy’. The sea did not roll and no creature made a sound. All of the vast universe was silent and mute. And what were they about to hear? The foundational laws by which this new Nation – and subsequently all that followed – were going to live … the “Ten Commandments”.
This is an extract from the book, Sinner’s Charter: Are the ten commandments for today?, available for £10 at https://www.sppublishing.com/the-sinners-charter-260-p.asp
