Who God Is
Do you remember the first words that come out of God’s mouth in Exodus 20 when he is giving the Law (10 commandments) to his people? Many of us do not, because usually when we hear the ten commandments read they are taken out of their original historic context. But, if only we can hear again the first words of God when he gives his law and remember the historic context, it can change everything.
God’s first words are a self-revelatory statement of His identity in contrast to our identity. He says, “I am the Lord (Yahweh) your God who brought you out of Egypt.” He is the great “I am” who has saved ancient Israel from Egypt and saves us from sin. His laws don’t bring salvation. They are not prescriptive for our salvation; instead, they are descriptive of what a life of salvation will look like. Our obedience is responsive to what God has done.
Secondly, God says, “..( I am the God who brought you out of) the house of slavery.” Here The Israelites are reminded that they had no status or standing in Egypt. They were nobodies, with no legal standing, but now they are again part of the house of Abraham and the people of God. So today, we are reminded that once we were not a people, lost in our sin, but while we were yet sinners Christ came to save us. Thus obedience to God’s law comes out of a deep sense of gratitude for the new life that he has brought us to.
If we remember the location of the 10 commandments — in the midst of the great salvation story and in grateful response for God’s salvation — our obedience takes on a whole new grateful character. Do you gratefully live in obedience to God? Do you remember that in Christ you have been set free to live the life of obedience?