Examining Exodus 20

God did appoint the times and the areas where we were born I dont believe it was by accident. That he chose Abraham out of all the people on earth at that time for a nation to arise out of him. Not because he was anyone special I supoose but simply because He wanted to demonstrate his Glory and that pleases Him.

Before Jesus came to earth God wanted to reach out to his creation who were going astray. Now God could do anything he wants but to come to earth Himself as a man and live like us...to show that He can be obeyed as a son does his Father..that it IS possible. When the israelites without Jesus tried time and time again to follow God but just never could do it completely by themselves.

Why because they never really knew God as a Father. To the israelites, God was a big boss to be obeyed no question. It did not enter their minds that God could be a loving Father. Until Jesus demonstrated this was so. That is why when we are born again we cry abba Father just as a child cries for his or her parents. One can never really love a big boss or teacher like a child can love their parents and a parent loves their own child.

One can make up all the rules of the universe or house rules etc. but making rules and enforcing them isnt a subsititute for a loving relationship.

Great OP sister.

I agree!

It helps my studies to write things out. I am approaching Exodus 20 in a very simplistic manner.

The ten commandments (decalogue = 10 words) are so special. They were not just inspired by God, but also given by Yud Heh Vav Heh Himself, in a manner that it was literally heard. He spoke out loud all the dabar, the word, the commandments.

He even gave His Son, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, to put them in our heart.

We must not negate them because we believe Christ died to change the need to obey, because that is fallacy. He came to fulfill them, by means of Himself through the heart, through love.

He redeemed the Israelites to bring them to Himself, expecting them to surrender to obeying Him.

Do we believe that He has different expectations on His creation based on the time, or on the genetics of His creation?

I do not...the New Testament and the Old, the message to the Jews and the Gentiles, should, in my understanding, not bring us to different conclusions. God loves us all very much and had and has the same expectations...that as long as we are loving Him and others in the way we are called there are no “laws” because they will naturally be fulfilled in Him.

Obeying, loving Him and others sincerely, matters no matter when we live or who we are!!!

I do believe attempting to obey outside of Him is legalism....

Comforting and concise. This is off-op but I lightened up that family photo you had here in you profile, then I tried to send it to you ina pm, but could not……...should I upload it here or jsut forget about it??

God's Law (as expressed in Ex 20) is a reflection of God's nature. I am not sure they had that nature written on their heart apart from faith (as David did) but it was promised in Jer 31:33, Ezek 36:25-27, Heb 8:10 and 10:16 as a future blessing of which we who believe in Jesus and through the new birth receive that same nature as our own.

being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3 NASB)

But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? (2 Corinthians 3:7-8 KJV)

Hey thanks for reading and responding for you took me to 2 Corinthians. Isn't this telling us.... that without Christ we are unable to truly understand, let alone love as we are called, thus legalism, that through Moses, and His people, we see the veiling that is still present without the Holy Spirit; this shows so well the value and inevitable presence of the Holy Spirit.

You have given me a gift by pointing me to the passages in 2 Corinthians. I needed that to get a better understanding.

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:14‭-‬18 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/2co.3.14-18.NASB

Sure that would be wonderful. How thoughtful. Thank you so much, Bro.

Here it is, click on it to make it larger……..but you knew that.. God bless you..j