Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22: 37-39, NIV
Read: Exodus 20: 1-20
True confession here. I am a huge rule follower. Sometimes that is a very good thing, and sometimes it is not! As an administrator, I often find myself in situations where rather than focusing very narrowly on one aspect of a rule or policy, what is necessary for right action is a deep understanding of the purpose behind given rules. This is also true when it comes to God’s rules for right living.
After the children of Jacob (the children of Israel-see chart below) left Egypt, God gave them a set of ten rules to govern their lifestyle. Unlike the system of government that we live under today–the children of Israel were being led by God, Himself. And so God presented Moses, His representative to the people, with rules that would teach them how to live in relation to Him and in relation to each other. What is even more remarkable is that the God who had spoken the world into being, and then formed Adam and Eve out of the dust of the ground once again chose to act in a very personal way. God wrote these rules in stone with His own finger. Amazing, right?
Undergirding the ten commandments was the core framework for living under God’s leading. Can you guess what that framework is? It is simply this – love. In God’s system the fundamental principles chiseled in stone are summed up well here: love God and love people as you love yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)
What must it have been like to be led and governed by God Himself?
Wow!
He is the one who is just. He is the one who is merciful. He is the one who IS love!
Wow, wow wow!
There is no fear of corrupted leadership here. There is no fear of injustice, of wrongdoing or of favoritism and on and on… I can’t even imagine it. After all, in our world today, even our best leaders–presidents, prime ministers, and kings– often fail us! But not God!
I don’t know about you, but living under God’s direct leadership sounds heavenly to me!
REFLECT: How do the ten commandments provide practical guidance for right living in relation to loving God, loving self and loving others?
Live deep; laugh much.
I help individuals create space and develop habits and strategies to live a flourishing life — one goal at a time.