Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Ten Commandments: God Guides Us


Today we travel up and down the mountain of Mount Sinai with Moses .
In the Old Testament reading for today we come to a definitive moment of covenant between God and the ancient Israelites.  God would be faithful to the people of Israel if they would be faithful to the commandments of God. Seems like a win - win.
Throughout these early stories of the Bible, this notion of a covenant with God is a recurring theme. First God seeks relationship with Adam and Eve, then Noah, Moses, and now at the foot of Mount Sinai, God seeks a covenant relationship with the people He has freed from their slavery in Egypt. For nearly a year, the people set up base camp and struggle to learn their new identity as the chosen people of a mysterious God who hovers in the clouds. Moses is particularly busy now as he strives to be fully present to God and to the people he was called to lead in coming to know God.

God seeks to be present with us, and at the depths of our humanity, we long to keep company with God. Our covenant with God is one of relationship. We may fail as often as the Israelites did in living up to God’s commandments. But God doesn’t give up on us, and God asks us not to give up either on Him or one another.
The 10 Commandments current relevance is remarkable with all that is going on in the world today.
How much better would our life be if we actually obeyed them?
How much better would the world be?
What does your covenant with God look like?

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