I admit, the Ten Commandments seems like a list of 'don'ts'; which is a moniker for how the outside world views the Christ follower's life. For nonbelievers, our lives are a compiled list of harsh boundaries and things we 'won't do' in order to be righteous. The truth is the exact opposite. God's word isn't confining; it is by design to make you free. Freed from un-necessary pain, struggle, and shame. The psalmist in Psalm 31 put it this way:
….as for me, I trust in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
When Cameron and Ben were little I used to tell them not to play in the street. It is not because I wanted to confine them. It is because I foresaw dangers they could not (like oncoming cars); my rules were to protect them, because I loved them. The same is true for the ones God has laid out for us. God's word is for us, not against us. This has been one of the key themes as we look at each individual commandment; they point to God's goodness.
But the second theme is really where my heart landed today. The Ten Commandments are also given to us to help live our lives to ultimately give God glory. "Giving God glory" is a phrase we use so often in church vernacular. I think when you hear something said so often you can easily let it become a colloquialism where you don't spend time really thinking about what it tangibly means. For me, "God's Glory" has always been a difficult concept to wrap my head around. If you asked people, you would probably hear several different words to describe what they think it is. For example, words like majesty, power, omniscience, or strength. And although these are all qualities of God, they are not the one He himself used to describe his Glory. What is someone's "glory"? It is the ONE thing they are most known for; it is something that secures praise or "renown".
In Exodus 33 Moses was talking with God in the tent of meeting after the Lord has brought the Israelites out of Egypt. He wants to be assured that God will be with him as they go forward.
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." God's Glory is His Goodness. It is what He desires to be most known for.
- Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious; slow to anger, abounding in love.
- Psalm 145:8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
- Joel 2:3 Return to the Lord for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and He relents from sending calamity.
He makes his goodness known to us through his word (the Bible) and the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. (John 1:14). Hebrews 1:3 tells us "the Son is the radiance of God's glory, and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Want to see God's goodness (glory)? Look to Jesus.
Now in light of this revelation. How does this relate to the Ten Commandments? What if every time we made a behavioral choice, even the tough ones, we asked ourselves if my decision will give God glory? In other words, does it point to the goodness of God? Just like Moses, this is how Christ followers distinguish themselves. They seek after God's presence and pursue his Glory; it is evident by the daily choices they make. The Holy Spirit recently challenged me on this new understood definition. I was dealing with some hurt feelings. I had felt snubbed and a bit rejected. In my flesh, this usually means distancing myself. I told the Lord that the situation and people involved made me feel like I wasn't really chosen, but instead was a last desperate option.
And clear as day, He said to me..."How many times am I someone's last desperate option when they haven't chosen to live according to my laws?" And yet, the Lord is gracious, compassionate, and slow to anger. He is good. My decision on how to proceed became very clear. Choose love because that is what He always does. Because love always points to His goodness.
