Category: Different Thoughts

All of this also places a high responsibility on the mothers and fathers, and those of experienced generations themselves. That they would live as people who are receiving honor, and share their lives with those of the generations following in their footsteps. Not to close themselves off from those who are younger, or to seclude themselves in lives dedicated to the things they enjoy. But as those who have lived receiving God’s covenant, to turn now and share it with future generations!

But these verses aren’t all about how to live and share in the covenant for this life-time. Just as with Abraham, and how the covenant God was making pointed toward Jesus and ultimately New Creation, these verses contain that similar thread.

When Exodus 20:12 talks about “living long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” – yes, to the people of Israel this meant the area of Canaan, the promised land. But not many of us are looking for real estate in the middle east, so what do we make of this aspect of verse 12? We believe this points to the promised future “New Creation” that we will cross over into someday when God returns to make all things new. When Heaven and earth are brought together, as two halves of one whole, and reality as we know it will have become transformed by the full presence of God.

As we’re living out the covenant, honoring the generations who came before us, we will naturally be passing down what it means to live a life transformed by God’s Spirit. As New Creations train the generations after them to becoming New Creations, we all look forward to one day walking into that amazing new environment God has in store for us. When we will be clothed with our new bodies, and exist in a way never before imagined – that is the “land your God is giving you.”

What are some of the characteristics of that land?

Revelation 21:1-5a:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no more mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I’m making all things new!”

That definitely sounds like a land I would like to inherit, wouldn’t you? But as we receive this truth, we realize it’s not about collecting God’s rules in notebooks to keep in a backpack everywhere we go. It’s not about following the Jews in wearing a prayer shawl with tassels on it, one for every Levitical law. It’s about receiving the big picture of what God is saying in these commands…this is the new way of life for God’s people. A way that will transform who they are as individuals and as a community.

This also points us to another important truth: These are NOT the ways of the world.

The fact that God had to give these commandments, etch them in stone personally, speaks heavily to the fact that the people were not naturally inclined to live these ways. It’s the same in our world today. We don’t naturally worship God alone. Many times we find a new God just about every hour, whether it’s work, or sports, or fashion, or music, or entertainment.

Even in the world of religion, we’re tempted to “use God’s name in vain”, declaring that this is His will, or that is His will. Doing so justifies any amount of action, in our heads at least.

But let’s focus primarily on the commandment in verse 12 at this point. Most of us would be aware there is a “generational gap” in our culture. There are many reasons for this gap, some obvious, and some take a bit of study. But whatever the reasons, it exists.

But what God declares to His people, and to the Church today, is that here in this community especially – would be a place where such gaps are being bridged. That’s why our churches must strive to connect across generations, meeting and sharing testimony with people who are usually meeting in other Sunday School classes than ourselves. To do regular events as a church in the same way a large family gathering would happen. Sharing meals together are a great time to break bread and realize there can often be 3 generations represented at one table!

But there’s so much more to it than eating together! Come back tomorrow as we conclude our time in these important words…

We’ve heard the story of Moses going up to the mountain many times. How he met with God, and how God inscribed His commandments on stone tablets, revealing to His people how they have been created to live, and in a way that honors the God that made them.

The story I began with in Part 1 gives us important insight into God giving us these 10 commandments. These commandments, and even the entire law given to Moses, were not simply God giving a list of rules for his people to follow. He was revealing to them how to live a transformed life. Teaching them the patterns the people of God were created to follow, and showing them His own Nature through it all. It wasn’t simply about following these laws!

We hear Jesus saying in Matthew 5:17, that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. The purpose of the law was to teach God’s people how they were to live in response to Him, and was pointing to a time when God’s people would be able to live as truly transformed beings, carrying the image of the Nature of God, bringing healing to all humanity and creation!

Sound familiar?

This is very similar to what God was up to in Genesis 17. With Abraham receiving God’s covenant – it wasn’t just a blessing meant for he and his family forever. It was a covenant meant to reach out and bring God’s healing and “newness” to all of the brokenness that sin had brought about!

Each of these commandments contains so much wealth for our daily lives, and points us to a life transformed by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. But to keep our focus on “Covenant”, we’re going to focus on one commandment in particular.

In Ephesians 6:2, Paul writes “Honor your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise– “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.”

The word Paul uses in this verse for “promise”, is the word for “Covenant”. He’s saying this commandment in particular points to the “big picture” covenant God was making with humanity. This reminds us that one of the best ways to read the Old Testament is to realize that when God is speaking or acting, it is often in a way that points to the future work of God in Jesus Christ.

Let’s face it, we’ve all heard these words a thousand times, “Honor your father and your mother.” It seems the time in our lives we most often here it, are between the ages of 6 and 18. It’s often used as a God-given tool by parents who want their kids to do what they say, or show them respect. I’ll confess to you this morning, even I – the perfect teenage son – heard it a few times from my mother.

But it’s meaning takes on new form, when we recognize that when Moses came down the mountain, he didn’t start teaching a VBS lesson to the children of Israel. He came and spoke to the crowd, many of which were full grown adults. It comes as very practical advice, and possibly connected to commandment number four just before it, “Honor the Sabbath”. God is calling all of us, not simply the children, to honor those who have reached the Sabbath of their lives. To honor our parents, and care for them, as people who place that as important above the immediate success and needs of our own daily busy schedules. Anyone who has taken care of an elderly parent knows the sort of self-sacrifice, and serving someone who cannot offer you much in return takes. But this is how the family was designed to work, and this is how the family of God was designed to point to a healed New Creation in the midst of a world focused mostly on self-serving happiness.

It seems natural, that if our children see us caring for our parents as they are growing older – by the time we reach the Sabbath of our lives, our own kids will have a good model of what’s to be done to follow in the footsteps of.

But this isn’t simply about health care, it’s about honor and value. The word here literally means “to make heavy”. God is telling His people, to value the generations that have come before you. This is a message very needed in our day, just as much as it was needed back then. The covenant God is making with all of humanity is something that is passed down, from generation to generation. It is shared, and lasting forever. It’s a “Family of God” type covenant, “making heavy” every generation, not just the ones who are able to fight for a voice. God’s reminder to the people of Israel, and to us, is that we would turn our eyes and ears to the generations who have received that covenant before us, and are passing it down through us. Listen to them, learn from them. Hear their stories, and walk together with them into what God has promised all of us.

But it also means something very important to the fathers and mothers. We’ll explore that a bit more in “Part 3” tomorrow…

Imagine with me… You’re going to a birthday party for a relative where you know you’ll meet a lot of new people. Some are good friends, but many of the people there are friends and relatives of people you aren’t as close to. That’s fine, because you all have the same focus: celebrating the birthday.

But while at the party, you notice one man with a backpack. He doesn’t take the backpack off. Every once in a while he sits down, unzips the backpack and takes out a medium sized notebook that seems to be full of scribbled writing. He reads for a moment, then nods his head, replaces the notebook and zips up the bag. He continues on as if nothing ever happened.

This happens several times throughout the party, and even though you try to resist, eventually your curiosity gets the best of you. You find your way over to him and introduce yourself. Small talk happens. At one point, even DURING your conversation, he gets out his notebook to read something, almost like looking up the definition of a word. This seems like the perfect opportunity, so you ask him:

“What are those notebooks you’ve been carrying around?”

He explains to you as if it should be obvious. These are the rules of life. A list and system of ways he’s supposed to behave, and things he’s supposed to do. He shows you his very first notebook, given to him by his parents when he was very young. You see his child-like handwriting, and some of the first words written are simple commands: “Don’t touch the stove.”, “Don’t yell at mommy and daddy.”, “Be nice to your sister.”, and so on.

You can’t believe what you’re seeing, but curiosity continues to tug at you. He’s excited to share, and so give you the next notebook, for his early school years. You notice his handwriting continuing to improve, and see statements like: “Don’t hit other people.”, “Say please and thank you.”, “Stay with mom while we’re at the store.”

Your blown away by the detailed work in his writing. How he has organized every rule he’s ever been given, and you can’t help but ask to see his most recent book. Gladly, he hands you a crisp new book with only a few pages filled. You read just a few of what seem to be very recent entries: “When you go to a little girls birthday party, you should bring a gift appropriate for a little girl.”, “When someone asks if you can take their picture, you should smile and be helpful.”

The writing on some of these, you notice, are not consistent penmanship. You ask him if someone else helps him. “Oh sure” he says, “My mom helps me write new rules whenever I need her to.” You nod as if this is completely normal. But you begin to feel very awkward, and politely tell him you need a drink….nice to meet him.

The scripture we’re diving into this week is Exodus 20:1-17, the Ten Commandments.  Some of these verses have become so familiar, we’ve stopped listening for God to speak to us a fresh Word from them.  I pray that as you read these, God may open His Word in a new way…