Covenant Series: Torah
Exodus 20:1-17
Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan
When we trace the Covenants in the First Testament of the Bible, we also trace the stories shared as the mythological history of the Israelite people. Two weeks ago, we heard about God’s eternal covenant made with Noah, blessing all humanity, reminding us that Lent is for thankfulness. Then last week, we listened to the everlasting covenant made with Sarah and Abraham, which brought them a child, Isaac, in their old age and through him, brought forth a blessed people. The covenant with Abraham began a relationship with LORD Yahweh, El Shaddai, requiring a response from the people, helping us recognize Lent is for our growth in relationship with God.
Some of us know the next pieces of the ancient story. Abraham and Sarah bore Isaac; Isaac and Rebecca bore Esaw and Jacob, then through Jacob, who was also called Israel, and his wives Leah and Rachel and 2 concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, 12 sons and a daughter were born. And the families of those 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel. In time the Israelite tribes dwelt in Egypt, eventually falling into slavery. Which brings us to Moses, a son from the Israelite tribe of Levi. Most of us know at least part of the story of Moses. He is the one LORD Yahweh called to speak before Pharaoh demanding release of the tribes of Israel. Because of mighty acts of Yahweh, Moses does lead the people out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the wilderness. LORD Yahweh leads them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Yahweh never leaves them. To reinforce the covenant relationship, LORD Yahweh meets with Moses on the mountain, and gives a foundational teaching. In Hebrew, the word is torah. People mistranslate the word torah as “law,” but torah is better translated as “teaching” or “directions.” We often call these teachings the 10 Commandments. From the 20th chapter of the book of Exodus, listen for the word of God.
Then God spoke all these words: 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. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
We think of torah as Divine Rules. The Church calls them the Ten Commandments, God’s “thou shalt nots.” Years ago, a common Sunday school lesson was to have children memorize the 10 Commandments. Perhaps some of us here used the typical technique of counting them off on our fingers, learning them one finger at a time. In a particular Sunday school, the first fourth grader who was able to recite the 10 Commandments one spring was given a chess set. The goal was to get all the children to memorize the biblical rules, so they would know what not to do as they grew into adulthood. One high schooler offered a quick summary of the Commandments. “Don’t have any fun.” Someone else commented that when we think of the 10 Commandments, we picture God standing over our heads with a hammer. Sections of the Bible do have a fierceness about them, as if God is always saying, “Don’t do that. No, no, no. Don’t do that other thing either.” We feel like we learn the rules so we can follow them without getting into heavenly trouble.
Such an interpretation of the Commandments turns God into a strict schoolteacher, someone who walks around Earth, with a ruler in her hand, watching for any infraction of the rules that will send the ruler cracking down on someone’s knuckles, or worse – sending the person to eternal punishment. We learn the rules so we can follow them carefully, because we certainly want to keep God happy. Lots of us learned that torah means commandments, strict rules we are supposed to live by.
But torah is a gift. The teachings we think of Moses’ receiving on Mt. Sinai are gifts. Nowhere in the story is LORD Yahweh reported to have said, “If you closely follow all these laws, I’ll set you free.” Remember? All 12 tribes of Israel were already liberated from Egyptian enslavement, when the final plague passed over the houses of children of Abraham. They made their Exodus out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. LORD Yahweh saved them before they ever heard of 10 Commandments. So, we shouldn’t feel them hanging over our heads as a threat, either. Instead, the teachings guide.
Think of the story we are given. We can imagine how desperate the situation could have become in the wilderness. Thousands of people, freshly liberated from merciless enslavement; no longer bound by Egyptian law or capricious decrees of Pharaoh. Couldn’t it have been 12-tribe-chaos with no guidelines? So Yahweh chooses Moses to take a core teaching to the traveling community. Following these 10 teachings allows the entire mass of 12 tribes to flourish. And what is the first thing they hear from Moses? They hear that the One who establishes their directions or teachings – torah – is the One who brought them safely out of enslavement. People can trust the teachings because the Divine Teacher is the One who liberated them. So of course, the first directions are to keep focused on the One who showed them mercy. They are to follow Yahweh, not go running after unholy things, or treating finite things as if they are gods. Instead, commit to God and the ways God structures Earth.
After making sure people understand how to live before God, Yahweh gives teachings on how to structure their common life, shape who they are together, and learn how to hold each other in sacred trust. As they live according to torah, they establish a right relationship with all creation and they learn the very nature of God. Yahweh gave torah to the people as a divine gift.
So Lent is for learning. These weeks can be spent absorbing the teachings God gives in the 10 Commandments. The teachings lay out instructions for living together, guiding us away from idolatry, and strengthening the social fabric of our community. Following torah not only sustains life in us for our corporate good. Living from the commandments reminds us that Yahweh has a claim on us, so when other things tempt us, we are directed back to the ways of God. In following God’s teaching, we more than memorize them; we come to embody torah. Torah shapes us.
Society tells us our desires have ultimate say; as if we just can’t control what we want – whether shiny luxuries or our next door neighbor’s spouse. But that is wrong! Psychologists are blunt. Our desires can be re-educated. Each time we say, “I just can’t help myself. I want that [or him or her]” the psychologists say, “Phooey.” We can tell our desires to cut it out. More importantly, Yahweh says, “Be happy for your neighbor who has a nice house or a great spouse. Stop coveting.” And Yahweh is right. No reason to covet. Instead, during Lent we can focus on practicing God’s teachings.
People battle over hanging the 10 Commandments in courthouses but having the words on the wall doesn’t mean anything. One scholar pointed out, “Public defense of the Ten Teachings in no substitute for practicing them.”[1] So how can we practice them? We could take our bulletin home, open to Exodus 20, then for the next ten days, focus on one commandment each day. Individual attention allows us to focus on what God may be trying to teach us. Notice as the week progresses, my guess is very few of us will be tempted to commit actual murder, but we might spend the day noticing how easily someone’s spirit can be crushed by a harsh word or an unpleasant look. Sometimes a criticism can feel deadly. Concentrating on one teaching a day gives us the opportunity to sense God’s care for each of us and to respond to God’s lead with renewed faithfulness. After all, Lent is for learning.
[1] Barbara Brown Taylor, “Homiletic Perspective,” Lent 3, Exodus 20, p. 77.