THE LAST OF THE BIG TEN: HONORING THE REALITY OF “ENOUGH”
Exodus 20:17
Rev. Paul Wrightman 10/22/23
WHAT WE CHRISTIANS CALL “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS”
ARE KNOWN IN JUDAISM AS GOD’S GRACIOUS GIFT
OF LIFE-GIVING TEACHINGS, TEACHINGS THAT, IF FOLLOWED,
GIVE LIFE DIRECTION, SUBSTANCE, AND CONTENTMENT.
THESE TEN LIFE-GIVING WORDS ARE A VITAL PART OF THE TORAH,
WHICH ITSELF IS UNDERSTOOOD IN THE JEWISH TRADITION
AS THE WAY, OR PATH, TO LIFE.
THE TORAH CONSISTS OF THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS –
GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, AND DEUTERONOMY --
OF WHAT WE CHRISTIANS TEND TO CALL THE “OLD” TESTAMENT,
WITH THE IMPLICATION THAT THE “OLD” TESTAMENT
HAS BEEN SUPERCEDED BY THE “NEW” TESTAMENT.
JESUS HIMSELF HELD THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES IN HIGH ESTEEM,
SCRIPTURES WHICH HE EXPLICITLY STATES
THAT HE DID NOT COME TO ABOLISH BUT TO FULFILL.
(See Matthew 5:17)
THE TORAH WAS PUT TOGETHER
IN ITS FINAL EDITED FORM DURING THE TIME
OF THE BABYLONIAN EXILE.
IT WAS SEEN TO BE THE LENS THROUGH WHICH
ALL THE REST OF SCRIPTURE WAS TO BE INTERPRETED.
SINCE THE TORAH ENDS ABRUPTLY WITH THE DEATH OF MOSES,
BEFORE THE SO-CALLED “CONQUEST” OF THE PROMISED LAND,
ACKNOWLEDGING THE PRIMACY OF TORAH
THAT WHAT THE JEWISH PEOPLE PRIZED MOST HIGHLY
WAS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT
FROM WHAT OTHER PEOPLES PRIZED MOST HIGHLY.
TERRITORIAL CONQUESTS,
THE FORMATION OF THE NATION,
THE EXPLOITS OF FAMOUS RULERS,
OF EVEN THE BUILDING OF A MAGNIFICENT TEMPLE
TO SERVE AS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE NATIONAL RELIGION,
WHAT IS OF GREATEST IMPORTANCE TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE
WHEN SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF TORAH
IS THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
THE TORAH, ALTHOUGH PUT TOGETHER
IN ITS FINAL EDITED FORM IN THE 500s BCE,
CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH IS MUCH OLDER.
AMONG THIS MUCH OLDER MATERIAL WE FIND THE “TEN WORDS,”
OR WHAT WE KNOW AS THE “TEN COMMANDMENTS.”
THE SCHOLARLY CONSENSUS IS THAT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
SERVED AS THE CORE, THE NUCLEUS, OF THE COVENANT
THAT GOD MADE WITH THE HEBREW PEOPLE THROUGH MOSES.
THEY ARE SO MUCH A PART OF GOD’S COVENANT,
GOD’S RELATIONSHIP, WITH ISRAEL,
THAT WITHOUT THEM THERE WOULD BE NO ISRAEL.
CONSIDER THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN ENSLAVED
FOR A SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF TIME IN EGYPT
HAS CRIED OUT TO THEIR ANCESTRAL GOD.
THE AMAZING THING IS THAT GOD RESPONDS
TO THE CRIES OF THESE ENSLAVED PEOPLE.
MANY OF US REMEMBER FROM OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL DAYS
THE STORY OF THE BURNING BUSH AND THE CALLING OF MOSES.
WHAT WE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN, HOWEVER,
ARE THE ASTONISHING WORDS THAT GOD SPEAKS TO MOSES.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER GETTING MOSES’ ATTENTION
IN THE THEOPHANY OF A BUSH THAT BURNS BUT IS NOT CONSUMED,
GOD REASSURES MOSES BY STATING:
“I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM,
THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB.”
(Exodus 3:6)
THEN GOD GOES ON TO SAY SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING WORDS
IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE:
GOD SAYS: “I HAVE SEEN THE MISERY
OF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN EGYPT;
I HAVE HEARD THEIR CRY ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR TASKMASTERS.
INDEED, I KNOW THEIR SUFFERINGS,
AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM
FROM THE EGYPTIANS…”
(Exodus 3:7-8a)
AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL,
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN THE RECORDED HISTORY
OF ANY PEOPLE IN ITS DEALINGS WITH GOD
WHERE GOD IS REVEALED AS TAKING THE SIDE OF THE UNDERDOG,
WHERE GOD IS REVEALED AS SEEING, HEARING AND KNOWING
THE SUFFERING OF A DOWNTRODDEN GROUP OF PEOPLE,
AND DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, NAMELY,
LIBERATING THE PEOPLE FROM SLAVERY
IN THE EVENT KNOWN FOREVER SINCE AS THE EXODUS.
THE EXODUS IS SEEN BY OUR JEWISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS
AS THE PARADIGMATIC EVENT IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
THUS, AT THE VERY HEART OF JEWISH FAITH AND PRACTICE
IS THE AFFIRMATION THAT GOD IS PRIMARILY TO BE UNDERSTOOD
AS A GOD OF LIBERATION.
RATHER RECENTLY, BEGINNING IN THE 70’S, A GOOD NUMBER
OF CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL SCHOLARS AND THEOLOGIANS,
ESPECIALLY IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES,
HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE EXODUS EVENT
AS BEING PARADIGMATIC FOR CHRISTIANITY AS WELL.
CURRENTLY, THE MOST ROBUST AND CREATIVE THEOLOGY
IN BOTH JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY IS KNOWN, FITTINGLY,
AS LIBERATION THEOLOGY.
TRY TO IMAGINE YOURSELF AS ONE OF A LARGE GROUP
OF HEBREW SLAVES THAT HAVE JUST BEEN FREED FROM SLAVERY.
YOU HAVE BEEN LIBERATED FROM LIVING IN SERVITUDE
AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE MOST HIERARCHIAL SOCIETY
ON THE PLANET, NAMELY, ANCIENT EGYPT.
YOU HAVE SUDDENLY BEEN TRANSPORTED FROM THE ONE EXTREME
OF HAVING YOUR EVERY MOVE DICTATED AND CIRCUMSCRIBED
TO THE OTHER EXTREME OF BEING COMPLETELY ON YOUR OWN.
YOU ARE AWARE THAT THE GOD OF YOUR PEOPLE, THE HEBREWS,
HAS INTERVENED ON YOUR BEHALF,
AND CAN SCARCELY BELIEVE THAT GOD WOULD TAKE UP THE CAUSE
OF A BUNCH OF SLAVES.
BUT, TO BE HONEST, IN SPITE OF THE FACT
THAT YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE ARE NOW FREE,
YOUR PREDOMINANT FEELING IS THAT OF A DEEP-SEATED TERROR
THAT THIS NEW-FOUND FREEDOM WILL SOON DEVOLVE
INTO A FREE-FOR-ALL OF ANARCHY AND FEAR.
THERE ARE ALREADY UNMISTAKABLE SIGNS
THAT ANARCHY AND FEAR ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO TAKE OVER
WHEN YOUR LEADER, MOSES, HAS THE PEOPLE CAMP
AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN, MT. SINAI.
MOSES GOES UP THE MOUNTAIN
TO COMMUNE WITH THIS STRANGE GOD OF LIBERATED SLAVES.
IN HIS ABSENCE THE ANARCHY AND FEAR
THAT MOSES HAS BARELY BEEN ABLE TO HOLD AT BAY
OVERWHEM THE PEOPLE
AND THEY CHOOSE TO RE-ENSLAVE THEMSELVES
BY MAKING A GOD FASHIONED AFTER THE GODS OF EGYPT,
A GOLDEN CALF, A FERTILITY GOD
WHO DEFINES FREEDOM FOR THEM
AS THE ABILITY TO DO WHATEVER ONE WANTS.
THE PEOPLE ARE BOUND FOR SELF-DESTRUCTION
WHEN MOSES RETURNS FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP
WITH TEN LIFE-GIVING WORDS FROM THE GOD OF LIBERATION,
WITH TEN LIFE-GIVING TEACHINGS THAT, IF FOLLOWED,
WILL FREE THE PEOPLE FROM THEIR DESTRUCTIVE URGES
AND LEAD TO FULLNESS OF LIFE WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH GOD.
MOSES EXPLAINS THAT THESE TEACHINGS ARE THE HEART
OF GOD’S COVENANT, OR RELATIONSHIP, WITH GOD’S PEOPLE.
AS MOSES SHARES THE TEN LIFE-GIVING WORDS
WITH YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN,
YOU BEGIN TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT REAL FREEDOM
ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE,
OF WHAT REAL CONTENTMENT ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE.
YOU GET A GLIMPSE OF HOW AWESOME THESE TEACHINGS
OF THIS GOD OF LIBERATION ARE,
OF HOW THEY ARE ABLE TO TRANSFORM
DESTRUCTIVE ANARCHY INTO CREATIVE ORDER,
OF HOW THEY ARE ABLE, OVER THE LONG HAUL,
TO ENSURE THAT THIS NEW-FOUND FREEDOM LASTS.
IN SHORT, AS MOSES SHARES THESE TEN LIFE-GIVING WORDS
WITH YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN,
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE YOU HAVE A VISION OF A FUTURE
WHICH IS OPEN AND ABUNDANT AND FILLED-WITH-HOPE.
THAT IS THE ALL-IMPORTANT CONTEXT,
HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL, OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
WHAT DOES REAL FREEDOM LOOK LIKE?
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE GOD’S ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT ISN’T REALLY A COMMANDMENT AT ALL,
BUT A CRUCIAL TEACHING,
THE FOUNDATIONAL TEACHING UPON WHICH
ALL THE COMMANDMENTS THAT FOLLOW ARE BUILT:
“I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD,
WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT,
OUT OF THE HOUSE OF SLAVERY.”
(Exodus 20:1-2)
THUS SPEAKS THE GOD OF LIBERATION,
CONSTANTLY REMINDING THE PEOPLE
OF GOD’S MIGHTY ACTS ON THEIR BEHALF.
IN THEIR ORIGINAL ORDER,
THE COMMANDMENTS BEGIN WITH GOD
AND THEN EXPAND FROM GOD LIKE CONCENTRIC CIRCLES,
GRADUALLY INCREASING THEIR CIRCUMFERENCE
TO ENCOMPASS LIFE IN ITS MANY DIMENSIONS.
THE COMMANDMENTS PRESUPPOSE
A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE OF GOD AS THEIR POINT OF ORIGIN.
FOR MANY OF US, THE COMMANDMENT CLOSEST TO HOME
IS NUMBER TEN, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.”
“COVETING” IS AN OLD-FASHIONED WORD WHICH MEANS
TO STRONGLY DESIRE
SOMETHING OR SOMEONE THAT IS NOT OURS.
THE OPERATIVE WORD IN THIS DEFINITION IS NOT DESIRE,
WHICH IS A GOD-GIVEN DRIVE THAT IS GOOD IN AND OF ITSELF;
THE OPERATIVE MEANING IS THE OBJECT OF ONE’S DESIRE,
NAMELY SOMETHING OR SOMEONE THAT IS NOT ONE’S OWN.
AS SUCH, COVETING COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS,
EVERYTHING FROM HOUSES AND CARS,
TO EDUCATION AND CAREERS,
TO OTHER PEOPLE’S RELATIONSHIPS,
TO LOOKS AND ATHLETIC ABILITY,
TO TALENT AND GOOD FORTUNE,
AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN!
AN IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE THAT PRESENTS ITSELF TO MANY OF US
IS THAT THE WORD “SIN” NO LONGER PLAYS WELL.
IT PROBABLY WOULN’T BE GOING TOO FAR TO SAY
THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AMERICAN CULTURE
NO LONGER EVEN KNOW THE MEANING OF THE WORD.
WE NEED TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER WORD OR PHRASE
THAT CAPTURES THE ORIGINAL MEANING,
BUT IN A MORE CONTEMPORARY WAY.
THE ORIGINAL SENSE OF THE WORLD “SIN”
DERIVES FROM THE WORLD OF ARCHERY
AND MEANS TO “FAIL TO HIT THE MARK.”
IN A BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL SENSE
SIN SIGNIFIES THE UNDERLYING REALITY
THAT EACH OF US FAILS TO FULLY BECOME
THE IMAGE OF GOD, THE PERSON ,
THAT GOD OUR CREATOR DESIRES WE BECOME.
AN ALTERNATIVE WORD THAT SUGGESTS ITSELF
IS “BROKENNESS.”
WHILE MANY TODAY CAN NO LONGER AFFIRM
THAT WE ARE ALL SINFUL,
ALMOST EVERYONE CAN AGREE WITH THE OBSERVATION
THAT WE ARE ALL BROKEN IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER,
THAT ALL OF US FAIL IN VARIOUS WAYS
TO LIVE UP TO, AND TO LIVE INTO
WHAT WE KNOW IS RIGHT AND GOOD AND WHOLE.
GOING BACK TO OUR TENTH COMMANDMENT,
BY INSTRUCTING US NOT TO COVET,
NOT TO WANT SOMETHING THAT ISN’T OURS,
GOD IS ATTEMPTING TO STEER US, TO DIRECT US,
INTO A WAY OF LIVING THAT IS NOT ONLY GOOD FOR OTHERS,
BUT GOOD FOR OURSELVES AS WELL.
IN OTHER WORDS, GOD,
IN GIVING US THE INSTRUCTION NOT TO COVET,
IS DOING GOD’S BEST TO LIBERATE US FROM A PATH
THAT CAN LEAD ONLY TO JEALOUSY, RESENTMENT,
ANGER, AND RAGE.
LET’S LOOK AT A LOW-LEVEL EXAMPLE,
AN EXAMPLE, HOWEVER, THAT CAN BE EXTRAPOLATED
TO INCLUDE THE UNDERLYING DYNAMICS
IN A WIDE VARIETY OF SITUATIONS.
SOMETHING THAT IS QUITE ORDINARY, SAY, A LAWNMOWER,
SUDDENLY BECOMES EXTRAORDINARY
IF OUR NEIGHBOR BUYS A NEW ONE –
ESPECIALLY IF IT’S A RIDE-ON.
WE WONDER, HOW COME THEY GET TO HAVE THAT AND I DON’T?
THE PROBLEM IS NOT PRIMARILY THAT I SEE MY NEIGHBOR
RIDING HIS OR HER NEW MOWER AND IT MAKES ME JEALOUS:
THE PROBLEM IS THAT I NOW SEE MY NEIGHBOR
AS MY COMPETITOR AND NO LONGER AS MY NEIGHBOR.
THE BIBLE IS LITTERED WITH STORIES
ABOUT COVETING WHAT IS OUR NEIGHBOR’S,
TURNING THAT NEIGHBOR INTO OUR COMPETITOR,
AND THEN ENGAGING IN A HOST OF “SINFUL,”
OR BETTER, “BROKEN” ACTIONS,
ACTIONS THAT NOT ONLY HURT OUR NEIGHBOR,
BUT ACTIONS THAT ALWAYS TURN OUT
TO BE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE AS WELL.
JOSEPH’S BROTHERS COVET THE AFFECTION OF THEIR FATHER,
AND SELL HIM INTO SLAVERY BECAUSE OF IT.
KING DAVID COVETS HIS NEIGHBOR’S WIFE, BATHSHEBA,
LEADING TO COERCED SEX, ADULTERY, DECEPTION, AND MURDER.
KING AHAB COVETS HIS NEIGHBOR’S VINEYEARD,
LEADING TO MURDER AND THEFT.
THESE ARE STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVERYTHING
AND YET ARE DISSATISFIED BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE
WHAT BELONGS TO THEIR NEIGHBOR.
WE MAY NOT ENGAGE IN THOUGHTS AND DEEDS
THAT ARE AS BROKEN AS THE ACTION OF JOSEPH’S BROTHERS,
OR AS DESTRUCTIVE AS THE THOUGHTS AND DEEDS
OF MANY OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL,
BUT ALL OF US KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE
TO BE LIVING IN THE BONDAGE OF RESENTING
WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS AND WANTING IT FOR OURSELVES.
THE HEBREW PEOPLE HAD JUST BEEN FREED FROM SLAVERY
AND GOD GAVE THEM TEN LIFE-GIVING WORDS
TO KEEP THEM FROM RETURNING TO SLAVERY.
ONE OF THE ASTONISHING THINGS ABOUT THE TEN WORDS
IS THAT THEY ARE AS RELEVANT TODAY
AS THEY WERE MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND YEARS AGO.
THE WORDING MAY SOUND A BIT OUT-OF-DATE:
“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 ELSE THAT BELONGS TO YOUR NEIGHBOR,”
BUT THE UNDERLYING TEACHING –
DON’T RESENT THE RELATIONSHIPS, GIFTS, TALENTS,
AND BELONGINGS OF OTHERS –
REMAINS THE SAME.
AND THE TRULY BIG QUESTION FOR US TODAY
IS THE SAME QUESTION
THAT THE JUST-FREED HEBREW SLAVES ASKED
THREE THOUSAND YEARS AGO:
HOW IN GOD’S NAME DO WE PULL THIS OFF,
HOW DO WE KEEP FROM COVETING, HOW DO WE NOT RESENT?
IF THE DESIRE BEHIND THE COVETING AND THE RESENTING
IS, IN ITSELF, A GOOD GIFT OF GOD,
IF DESIRE IS NOTHING LESS THAN THE FORCE OF ATTRACTION
WHICH PROPELS US TOWARD GOD AND OTHERS,
IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE ONLY WAY TO TAME
OUR DISORDERED DESIRES WOULD BE TO ALLOW THEM
TO BE TAKEN UP, TAKEN INTO, THE GREATEST DESIRE OF ALL,
OUR DESIRE FOR THE GOOD, THE TRUE, AND THE BEAUTIFUL,
WHICH MANY WISE MEN AND WOMEN HAVE UNDERSTOOD TO BE,
ULTIMATELY, OUR DESIRE FOR GOD.
HOW DO WE KEEP FROM WANTING SOMETHING
THAT DOES NOT BELONG TO US?
BY WANTING SOMETHING ELSE EVEN MORE!
AND THE ONLY SOMETHING ELSE
THAT IS BIG ENOUGH AND STRONG ENOUGH
TO HANDLE ALL OUR DESIRES
AND TRANSFORM THEM INTO VARIOUS SHADES OF GOOD
TURNS OUT TO BE SOMEONE ELSE, NAMELY GOD.
AND NOT JUST ANY GOD WILL DO.
DESIRE IS PERSONAL, SO IT HAS TO BE A PERSONAL GOD.
DESIRE RUN RAMPANT TENDS TO GENERATE SUFFERING,
SO IT HAS TO BE A GOD WHO DOES NOT STAND ALOOF
FROM HUMAN SUFFERING,
BUT WANTS TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ALLEVIATE IT.
IN SHORT, IT HAS TO BE A GOD
LIKE THE ONE WE MET EARLIER TODAY,
A GOD WHO DARESTO SAY CONCERNING THE SUFFERING
OF AN OPPRESSED PEOPLE:
“I HAVE SEEN, I HAVE HEARD, I KNOW,
AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM.”
(See Exodus 3:7-8a)
DESIRE RUN RAMPANT TENDS TO ENSLAVE,
SO IT CAN’T BE A GOD WHO IS INTO MAKING SLAVES OUT OF PEOPLE;
IT HAS TO BE A GOD WHO IS DEEPLY INTO LIBERATION.
WE FIND SUCH A GOD IN THE GIVING OF THE TEN WORDS OF LIFE,
IN THE FORMATION OF TORAH,
IN THE PASSIONATE JUSTICE-ADVOCACY OF THE PROPHETS,
AND IN THE LOVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND PEOPLE
CELEBRATED IN THE PSALMS.
SUCH A GOD SHOULD BE NO STRANGER TO US.
JESUS KNEW THIS GOD SIMPLY AS HIS “ABBA,” HIS LOVING FATHER,
AND INVITES US TO GET TO KNOW HIS ABBA AS OUR ABBA.
AMEN.