Why is it we have problems with rules? Maybe not all of us, but I think there is something inherent in humanity that makes us resist some rules. Maybe it is become some people become so focused on following the rules they don't bother to think about why the rules were written. There are a lot of rules which make me mad: I laugh at them, ignore them, even purposely do the opposite - or all of the above. Why? Because I do not see how they apply to me. There are two causes of this: the rule maker doesn't understand me or know me so how can their rules be written for me or my situation? Or, I don't understand the context of the rules and don't see the relationship. Over time, the context of the rules change, but usually the rules themselves don't change and therefore they either become obsolete or misunderstood. These are the problems a lot of people have with the Ten Commandments: lack of relationship or lack of context. People look at the Ten Commandments, see ancient rules with no application in society today so ignore them or rebel against God. Looking at the context and circumstances leading up to the Ten Commandments is so important for understanding them. Rules for most people in general say "do this or you can't get in, do this or you are an outcast, follow these rules or we won't love and accept you." But is that what God intended with the Ten Commandments?
I have to wonder how people in today's society perceive the act of God giving the Ten Commandments to the Israelites. It seems to me the way the story is perceived goes something like this: God is is standing in front of the Israelites, holding his hands outstretched to block them from reaching the promised land. Then he says to them (in that loud, deep, scary voice of God) "you've come a long way, but before I let you go into the Promised Land I have some rules for you to follow. I don't know you very well and I want to make sure you behave so you must agree to follow these rules or you can't get in..." It's almost like the image of a cruise director telling you about all of the things you can't do before you can go out on a fun cruise. And you know what? You hate that person! I hate it when someone tells me I can't do something. It's even worse when that person doesn't know me. I'm not like everyone else, the rules don't apply to me because you don't understand me! You don't understand what I am all about or why I should be exempt. Right?
That isn't the way I see it happening though. It doesn't make sense. Think about the context of all God did for the Israelites: he sent the plagues to persuade Egypt to let them go, he parted the Red Sea, destroyed their pursuers, led them through the desert where he fed them and provided for them. These were a people who had never had to govern themselves before. They were a nation who up until this point had followed the rules and government of the Egyptians as their slaves. God showed them love, he established a relationship with them. In fact, he flat out told them "I and the Lord YOUR God." He protected them and helped them leave a bad situation behind. With all of that background story, it does not make sense that he would require them to act a certain way before he would let them in. They were already his people, they didn't have to do anything to be his people. There must be another reason he gave them the Ten Commandments. Knowing the background, I imagine the whole Mt. Sinai thing going something a little more like something a parent would do: "Oh Israel, we have come so far haven't we?" As God puts his arm around the nation. "There is a reason I protected you and kept you safe, and that is because I love you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, I have big plans for you and I want to see you grow and thrive and be someone other nations look up to. But here's the thing, you have no idea how to do that, or even what you are getting yourself into. So I am going to set up some ground rules, commandments if you will. If you follow these rules, I promise you won't get into trouble. Living in the Promised Land isn't all fun and games, you will have to work hard if you want to succeed. Stick to these rules and you won't get hurt."
What really strikes me as the most important piece of the Ten Commandments then, is not the rules themselves, but what these rules and the way he gave them to the Israelites says about how he feels about us. It is a glimpse into God's nature, his personality. If there is any one relationship I would say best reflects this it is a parent to a child. You have to give your child rules, guidelines. Rules you give your kids are not about behaving a certain way so they can be your kid - they are already yours and following the rules or not has no effect on that. The rules are because you have the experience to know things your child does not and you do not want to see them get hurt: "Thou shall not touch the hot stove, thou shall not play in the street, thou shall not let that boy do whatever he wants to you and it won't make you popular..." (sorry, I'm going to be an overly protective father.) What's even more important is no parent I know thinks for a second their child will grow into a perfect adult if they just follow a few simple rules. Ok, maybe some do. But in my mind, those parents have it all wrong. If you focus your time on making sure the kids follow the rules, and make the rules the important part of life, what is their focus when they get older? To keep out of trouble. Be good. The focus becomes what not to do instead of what they can do. If Ghandi or Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King Jr. focused on following the rules, how would their lives look? This is the genius of how Jesus changed the focus of the Ten Commandments in Mark 30-31 (NLT) "'...love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.' The second is equally important 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" He took the Ten Commandments and changed their focus, instead of thinking about what you shouldn't do, think about what you should do. Rules can be good. Think about why they are there, what they mean and follow them. But don't focus on avoiding doing wrong, focus on doing right. I am not in any way saying the Ten Commandments should be ignored, just the opposite in fact. I am saying our focus as a Christian should not be about the rules; whether it be for ourselves or for others. What I am saying can be be explained by a quote to end with. A couple of years ago I did a Bible study series by Dan Kimball called "They Like Jesus but Not the Church" and there was one thought which stuck in my head more than any other: "being a Christian should not be about what we are against, being a Christian should be about what we stand for." I know that I got the wording wrong because I cannot find the reference so I apologize. The point is, don't dwell on the negative of what everyone else is doing, focus on what you can do to affect positive change. Knowing and following the rules are good, but it is even better to follow the example of the rule maker.
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