Deuteronomy 5:1-21; 6:4-9 - October 8, 2023

You’re familiar with the Ten Commandments, I’m sure. You’ve probably heard them, read them, maybe at one point in your life memorized them. Pairing the Ten Commandments with Martin Luther’s Small Catechism is one of the token Confirmation Lessons. 

But did you know that what we read today is actually the second set of Ten Commandments in the Bible? And while the two tellings of the Ten Commandments aren’t too different from each other, the first set comes right after the incredible events of the Exodus, where God set the people free from slavery in Egypt, led out of the land by Moses. 

Moses then gets called up to the top of Mt. Sinai, where he gets the two stone tablets with the Commandments written on them. All the while down the mountain, the freshly freed people are having a rousing good time with their newly crafted golden calf. And that’s just the beginning.

These Israelites, the ones who witnessed the incredible might of God against Pharaoh, the ones who walked through the Red Sea on dry land, well, they had trouble with trust. When they finally reach the edge of the Promised Land, they don’t actually believe God is going to fulfill the promise. All that time, God was working and guiding, and now they doubt… again. 

And so, because of their disbelief and their repeated rebellions, God makes a vow: the first generation of Israelites will not set foot in the Promised Land. 

There is a span of 40 years between the two sets of Ten Commandments. There are forty years of wandering in the wilderness until that initial generation passes away. 

And so, that is where we are this week. The second generation, the children of those who were freed, find themselves on the doorstep of the Promised Land. And before they enter, Moses gives a sermon. His sermons make up most of the book of Deuteronomy. They are like a recapping of everything that has happened so far. He is retelling the story for this new generation of Israelites. 

And we start off today with Moses saying, “The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. Not with our ancestors did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all here, alive today.”

Now, it seems like Moses messes up there. Remember, he’s preaching to a different set of Israelites than the ones who were at the base of Mt.Sinai all those years ago. These are their children, a different, new generation born during the wilderness journey. So what gives?

Moses isn’t trying to be accurate as much as he is trying to get this new generation to see that God includes them. The ones who are on the verge of stepping into the land their ancestors were promised are part of this covenant God made, the same God of their ancestors, the same God of promises kept. 

And beyond that, God’s covenant, God’s promises aren’t limited only to this second generation of Israelites. This covenant spans the generations and boundaries. It’s not just for these people entering that land; it is for all those to come, wherever they are - if they are in the Promised Land or not, in Exile or not, anywhere and any time. Each and every generation, wherever they may be, all are invited into the covenant God made with Israel back at Sinai.

And so, this passage also speaks directly to us, too. To you and me. To the umpteenth generation after those first set of Israelites. “All of us here, alive today” - we are included in this covenant. We are part of the promises of God. We are connected to this same God of Israel. All of us, here alive today. 

And so, we live in that covenant through these Commandments. And maybe all that background helps shape our view of what the Commandments are for.

We often see them as a list of rules - “don’t do these things. They’re bad!” But if we think the Ten Commandments are just a list of rules, then we dramatically shortchange them. 

The Law was given to promote life, life with God, and life with one another. Note how these Commandments aren’t given out of the blue. They are given within the context of a strong relationship. They begin with this: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.”

“Oh, yeah,” we think. “That’s just  the First Commandment”: “You shall have no other gods before me.” And yet, what’s interesting is that Jews don’t have the same first commandment as we do, because our #1 isn’t the first thing God says. Instead, for Jews, their First Commandment (or first “word” since it isn’t technically a commandment) is just that first part: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” That is their #1.

For them, the relationship is first. The promise is first. This isn’t just a list of rules. It’s a way to live with that God who saves. 

God is their God… and our God - that is first and foremost. It is a close, intimate relationship, where Israel knows God’s name - “I AM who I AM.” It is a relationship built on faithfulness and trust, since God freed Israel from slavery, just as God promised. 

And it is out of that relationship that the Commandments are given. God gives them to Israel so that they know how to live in that relationship, grow into that relationship, how to be God’s own people. It is the gift of the relationship, the gift of promises kept, the gift of being their God - and the God for all of us here, alive today.

To put this in Lutheran terms, the Gospel comes first, God acts first, God is the subject of active verbs. The Law is what follows. Our response to God is built on what God has done, is doing, and promises yet to do. Because God rescues and saves, because God brought us out of slavery, because God is faithful to promises, therefore we should have no other gods. The Commandments are how we respond to a good and gracious God. 

The Good News of who our God is leads us to live differently - taking sabbath time for rest, building relationships, and ensuring people are cared for. The Commandments are not meant for finger-pointing or creating winners and losers. They are meant for us - all of us here, alive today - to live with God and with each other. Because all of us are freed by God, loved by God, and forgiven by God. 

And that doesn’t stop with us; God shows steadfast love to the thousandth generation, overwhelming any iniquities there are. Our faults, our failings, our sins, our death - none of it keeps God’s Gospel promises from us. 

That is the covenant we are welcomed into. That is the relationship we, who are here, alive today are welcomed into. We know God in Jesus Christ. And we see how faithful God always is to the covenant - not just to Israel, but to the whole world.