The Ten Commandments: Preamble, Part 1

THE DECALOGUE: 
A SUMMARY OF GOD'S PRECEPTS FOR GOD'S PEOPLE

On Identity, Part 1 (Exod 20:2) 
pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2005

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

Many people try to avoid or ignore God. They go through life as if He does not exist or does not care or does not matter.. . until they are in trouble and need His
help.

Two men were adrift on a raft in the open sea, and it looked bad for them. For hours, they had seen nothing on the horizon in any direction. Finally, one of them was so desperate that he began to pray: "O Lord, I've broken most of the Ten Commandments, and I've got some pretty bad habits—I curse, I steal, I treat people like dirt. But if you'll spare my life now, I promise that I'll change. I'll stop cursing, I'll never steal, I'll..." "Wait!" his friend interrupted. Don't go too far.... I think I see a ship."

Today, we start a new series on the Decalogue or Ten Commandments.¹ This selective summary² of the 613 commands God gave His people at Sinai³ has become enshrined, not only in Israelite law, but, in our own western legal tradition. The recent court battles over whether or not displaying them on government property is legal, raises the question of how firmly linked they are or should be to our way of life. This was not an issue the founding fathers anticipated, so why are the Ten Commandments up for debate now? The first reason this issue arises is social diversity. The population has come to represent many different cultures with different traditions and, in some cases, different values. Homogeneity, at least in our general view of the world, has given way to heterogeneity, and our government, including its offices, should represent that change-so the argument goes. Consequently, if the Bible appears in our courthouses, and we insist upon keeping it, so should other holy books, like the Koran. The problem with that argument is that our legal system has no historical or contemporary connection to the Koran or to any other holy book except the Bible. The second reason this issue arises, which should be more troublesome to us, is moral drift. As our society becomes less connected to the Bible, it becomes more tolerant of behavior condemned in the Bible. Left unaddressed, that behavior does not stay 'out there' somewhere; it eventually comes knocking on the church's door. The drift is, perhaps, most evident in changing attitudes toward sexual mores. In the past, the chief concern was marital infidelity. As that became less onerous, concern shifted to the rising divorce rate. That peaked in the 70s, not because morality improved but because more people decided to live together outside of wedlock. Concern has shifted yet again to the acceptability of homosexuality. This has become an issue for the church with the push to allow same-sex marriage and gay clergy. What can you do to stem the tide and help society maintain its ethical moorings? One way is to be clear about what God has said.

The last few weeks for Israel have been among the most eventful in the nation's brief history. The flight from Pharaoh's army, the trek into the wilderness, the quest for food and water, the attack by Amalek—these incidents have exacted a toll from the people, causing many to wonder if leaving Egypt was the right thing to do. Of course, there were other events as well: the plagues against the Egyptians, the escape from slavery, the drowning of Pharaoh's army, the provision of manna from heaven and water from a rock, the victory over Amalek—these incidents were repeated demonstrations of God's miraculous power on the Israelites' behalf. Is the reason for all this activity simply to start the people on their journey back to Canaan, whence their ancestors came? If so, then God can now let the Israelites finish the trip on their own. The most dangerous part is over, and it is fewer than 200 (perhaps only 65) miles to the southern border of the Promised Land.⁴ The people can be there in three weeks, maybe sooner.

God's purpose in all this is not simply to jump-start the return. Three months after the Israelites leave Egypt, they come to "the wilderness of Sinai" (Exod 19:1), where God reveals His plan to Moses. Turn to...

Exod 19:4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 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, 6a you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Given what God has already done for them, the Israelites would be foolish to turn down such an offer and, when Moses relays God's message...

Exod 19:8a The people all responded... "We will do everything the LORD has said."

In the chapters that follow, God lays out the terms of the covenant, the contract He will make with them. It is a detailed arrangement that governs all aspects of Israelite society: from farmers to soldiers, priests to kings, native-born Israelites as well as resident non-Israelites.⁵

If you want to transfer ownership on property, or rent an apartment, or make a will, or file for bankruptcy, there are stock forms a lawyer will use to record the matter. These documents contain the legal language appropriate to the transaction. In the Ancient Near East, people used similar documents to record their decisions. One such agreement is the suzerainty treaty, which spells out the relationship between a ruler (a suzerain) and his vassal(s). These ancient contracts have several sections:⁶

• The preamble introduces the dominant party (the suzerain)
• The prologue explains his relationship to the subject party (the vassal); 
• The precepts detail how the vassal demonstrates loyalty to the suzerain.

The Israelites, especially Moses, are probably familiar with the suzerainty treaty, which is why God uses this type of contract at Sinai. As soon as it begins, they know what comes next.
 

In the extra-biblical examples of suzerainty treaties, the preamble and prologue are generally long. The king explains his lineage, tells how wonderful he is, and notes that the deity he serves really likes him. Then comes an extended explanation of how the king came to power and of why the people should serve him. It goes on for several paragraphs (e.g., vassal treaties of Suppiluliumas and of Esarhaddon in Pritchard 1975:42-45, 53-69). In contrast, God covers the preamble and the prologue of this treaty in a single verse (just nine words in Hebrew). Look at...

Exod 20:2 [= Deut 5:6] I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

In the preamble, God says to the Israelites that they should recognize who He is and that....

I. Because of God's identity, He demands the devotion of His people (v. 2a).

He begins simply by saying: "I am the LORD." (Notice the four capital letters, which mark His name, as opposed to a title.) We might pass over this quickly on our way to the commandments themselves, but God is making an important distinction. He is reminding the people that this contract is not with any of the other deities in the region. It is not with Baal of Canaan or Chemosh of Moab or Molech of Ammon. Why might that be significant? . . . Those three gods accept, even expect from their worshippers the most-vile displays of devotion, from cult prostitution to child sacrifice.⁷ In contrast, the LORD condemned prostitution⁸ and made specific provision to spare children during the final plague in Egypt.⁹ So he says here...

A. "I am the LORD";¹⁰ I have a different character than other deities.

The preamble further identifies the LORD by indicating that He bears a special connection to a particular people.¹¹ It is a decision He made generations earlier, when God said to Abraham...

Gen 17:7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

It is a promise the LORD repeats to Israel just before the exodus...

Exod 6:7a I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.

Every self-respecting nation in the Ancient Near East had at least one deity, usually more than one.¹² As neighboring countries interacted, through commerce or conflict, they often adopted the gods of other people.¹³ As a result, one deity could be the god of several different nations, even those at war with each other. It is not so with the LORD. While individuals outside Abraham's line could know God,¹⁴ no nation outside that line could claim God as its own.¹⁵ Look back at...

Exod 19:5b ...out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6a you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

It is this unique relationship to which God refers again in the preamble of Exod 20, v.2....¹⁶

B. "I am. . . your God"; I have a different commitment than other deities.

So strong is God's pledge that even Israel's subsequent, repeated apostasy does not change their election...¹⁷

Rom 11:29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.

Most western countries today do not have a national deity. In fact, most western countries pride themselves on having no national deity. They are self-sufficient, secular states. Religion, to whatever extent it exists, is a personal matter, and each citizen may choose to worship any god or no god. While that is very ecumenical, it is not what God intends for Israel. Is it what He intends for our country? Should America be an entirely secular state?¹⁸ Are the Ten Commandments relevant apart from Israel... for other people and other nations?

• We must not assume that what God addresses to the people of Israel applies to all people, but other passages indicate that these commands reflect what God also expects from other people, especially from those who want to serve Him.¹⁹ In that sense, these commands are also relevant for Christians.

Can we take it a step further and apply it to our country? . . . Again,

• We must not assume that what God addresses to the nation of Israel applies to all nations, but other passages indicate that these commands reflect what God also expects from other nations, especially from those that want to prosper.²⁰ In other words, these commands are also relevant for Americans.

As we go through the commands in this list, I will refer to some of these 'other passages' that demonstrate: What we read here, while especially a concern for Israel, is not only a concern for Israel. Other passages in scripture indicate that it is also a concern for us.

The preamble states briefly and simply that the one who makes this covenant is "the LORD, your God." As such, He rightly demands the devotion of His people. What they get in return is a deity unlike any other, one of exemplary character and commitment. The prologue goes on to explain why this matters and how it should affect the people's response, which we will consider next week.

For the Bibliography and Endnotes see the pdf here