Exodus 20

Since the rest of Exodus focuses on rules and regulations, I'm going to change things up for the next several posts. After writing my dippy little thoughts on the chapter (which will probably be shorter than usual), I will provide a bonus feature: ruminations on one of the Ten Commandments. (Sorry if you were expecting deleted scenes, a gag reel, or a multi-angle behind-the-scenes featurette.)

Chapter 20

Outside the Ten Commandments, the main point of interest in this chapter is God's mention of sacrificial altars. (Inside the Ten Commandments, to appropriate and paraphrase an aphorism from the ever-sagacious intellectual Groucho Marx, it's very dark.)

God uses an interesting phrase in verse 24: "Whenever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you." If you've been paying attention, you know that God has reiterated numerous times that He will bless those who honor Him. And yet here, God explicitly says that He causes people to honor His name. In one respect, this sounds vaguely ominous, as if God is forcing people to honor Him. Of course, he could easily do so if He wanted, but He wants His children to have a true, loving relationship with Him--and you can't force love. At the same time, one has to remember that God has a plan for us--and when we follow His will, then technically God is causing us to honor Him.

Verse 26 is one of those classic Sunday-school memory verses that makes immature boys (and perhaps some slightly more mature girls) snicker. I guess the Scots take after the Israelites.

"You shall have no other gods before me" (20:3)

I myself wouldn't dream of worshipping any other god in the religious sense, if only because I believe they don't exist. But I do sometimes worship the "gods" of leisure. Music, books, films--I enjoy consuming such entertainment in my free time. There's nothing wrong with that if I don't put it before God, but I have to admit that sometimes I do. I hope these blog posts will help me realize how infinitely more important it is for me to develop my relationship with God. But even though I'm trying to write these on a semi-regular basis, I still need to adapt a more prayerful attitude, bringing all that I am before God, not just when I write these little posts. I pray that God will instill in me a passion for Him that surpasses my passion for books, movies, and film music. I should look forward to absorbing and cogitating on God's word with more ardent anticipation than I have for The Incredibles 2. That film, along with all earthly constructs, will pass, but one's connection with God is eternal.