March 2, 2007

Lent Reading Day 9

The Ten Commandments:

Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:1-21

Simple yet profound, the ten words given from God to Moses for the Israelites serve as a foundation for their community life together. Not just a set of rules, of do's and don'ts, they serve as guiding ethic by which the Israelites life-in-community is shaped. They value life, respect the other, and integrate that in the belief in the God that freed the Israelites from oppression in Egypt. They tie together in a deeply interdependent way relationships between God and people, between people and each other, and the way that we consider ourselves. They serve as a reminder of God's priorities, the purpose of creation, and the way that we ourselves want to live in freedom, solidarity, and community.

As you read them what strikes you, grabbing your attention? Why is that? Read the texts again. What is the difference between the Exodus version and the Deuteronomy version? Hint: look at the commandment about the Sabbath. What does it mean to be free? What does it mean to rest in a sabbath-way? How are you missing those values in your life? How are we neglecting them in our society? The commandments are given to remind the Israelites of who they are and who God is calling them to be in their new-found freedom. How do we forget who God calls us to be and how we called to live as a people?

Sculpture "The Tablets of the Law" from the Ratner Museum