From Pyramids to Promises - Sermon notes from Exodus

"And God spoke"

Exodus 20:1-21

What are the Ten Commandments for?

In a way it's really there to show us that we're not good enough. Sure we might not have murderer someone but we're still guilty.

- God spoke

1. His Grace

V2 The Ten Commandments don't actually start with rules, they start with showing that God has rescued and saved His people. This is God's design for humanity, they aren't just mean rules but are for our good. Imagine a world where everyone followed the commandments. Even a non-Christian would have to agree with how much better that world would be.

2. His Purpose

V20 God didn't just save the Israelites from pharaoh just to wipe them out himself. The thunder and lightning was designed for them to be in wonder at the power of God. He wasn't going to kill them but he had to show he's not someone to mess with.

"The consequence of a true fear of God is the restraining of sin" that's the reason for these commandments, to restrain sin.

V1 These are the only 10 commandments that were spoken straight from God instead of by a prophet so these 10 were something special, they were different. The phrase "set in stone" comes from this story, it's showing they're not just ideas of how to live but they're absolute truths. God's purpose was to communicate loud and clear that this was the way to live.

3. His Holiness

Where do we get our sense of morality from? An atheist would say that they don't need God to know murder is wrong but look at the world today. We're living in a society where it's good to have multiple partners and abortions are glorified.

If we were to take the Ten Commandments out of history like they never existed, would we as a society write these rules? We wouldn't. Our sense of right and wrong isn't that good actually because we wouldn't come up with this. That means the author must be perfectly holy and righteous.

If you asked children to come up with rules around the house they'd probably come up with some good ones but we know there's definitely some they're going to miss. While we have a conscience and a sense of right and wrong in our minds, for us to come up with rules like the Ten Commandments we'd need a higher authority.

- The people stood back

1. Our Sin

V18-19 The people are afraid, tremble and stand far away. The holiness of God makes them recoil because there's an awareness of their sin. When you see the glory and holiness of God you can't help but shy away because deep down we know that we're sinful. Sinners can't approach the Holy God.

The Ten Commandments can be broken into 2 sections. Our relationship with God - 1-4 and our relationship with others - 5-10.

We can't get around the truth that we are sinners. We've all broken the law because the commandments show us our sin, but even more they show us our need.
Can the commandments save the Israelites? Will it stop them from sinning? No. They don't need the law on stone but written in their hearts.

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people." - Jeremiah‬ ‭31‬:‭33‬.

Saving from pharaoh was incredible but it's not ultimately what they need, they were still slaves to their sin, no longer physical bondage but spiritual.

The Israelites probably did the right thing in standing back, they might've thought in that moment that they were sinners and couldn't get close to God. They needed Moses to mediate and step in on their behalf. Can Moses save the people? No. He was a sinner just as the rest of them and us today, he couldn't change any of their hearts.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18 Paul is saying that yes the covenant was amazing but now as we look to Jesus we have someone infinitely more incredible. It's as if you're in a dark room and Moses comes in with a tea light, but now Jesus has come and he's brought the blinding brightness of the sun, the Son.

Their hearts were hard but Jesus is in the business of changing them from the inside - bringing us into a relationship with God. When Jesus died on the cross he was trampling on satans head and the veil was taken away. We don't have to tremble with fear at the bottom of the mountain, we can now call our glorious God 'Father'.

Above all, these commandments show we need a mediator, we need Jesus, the only one who kept the commandments and all the law perfect yet laid down his life so we would be made clean.

4/6/23 Evening