You'd think after everything God had done, the plagues, Red Sea, manna from heaven the next thing He'd give them would be a vacation. But instead, He gives them rules. The Ten Commandments.
The more I think about Exodus 20, the more I realize this isn't about control. It's about protection.
Funny how the world is always telling us, "This is for your protection."And yet the world is the same place that divides people into essential and non-essential.The world tells some to stay home, some to sit down, some to be quiet, some to wait their turn.
But not God.
With God, nobody is non-essential.Nobody gets sidelined.Nobody is told they don't matter. Everyone has a place.Everyone has a purpose.
Everyone has a job in His Kingdom.
I know it's hard for a lot of us to even think about freedom right now when we feel so physically trapped. So many of us stuck at home. Cars frozen in ice. The roads are unsafe even if we could get out. It's a strange feeling wanting to move, wanting to go, but literally being stuck. I'm grateful my husband has been able to get to work safely all week. I know not everyone has been that fortunate, and that makes me even more aware of how fragile life really is.
It kind of puts Exodus 20 in a whole new light. God didn't give these commandments to people who were enslaved. He gave them to people who were now free. That's important to understand. These weren't chains. They were guardrails. Because freedom without boundaries doesn't lead to joy, it leads to chaos. God knew that if He didn't teach them how to live free, they'd either go back to Egypt or create a new version of it in the wilderness.
I've had seasons where God delivered me from something, but I didn't yet know how to live after it. Free, but still thinking like a slave. Still reacting out of fear, control, or old habits. So God started laying down some loving boundaries, not to restrict me, but to retrain my heart.
What I love most is the order of the commandments.
The first ones are about God....
Put Him first.
Don't make substitutes.
Don’t use His name carelessly.
Rest.
Before God ever talks about how we treat people, He talks about how we relate to Him. Because when that's off, everything else eventually falls apart.
Then the rest are about relationships, how we treat others...
Honor. Don't steal. Don't lie. Don't cheat. Don't covet.
In other words....
Love God. Love people. Protect what matters.
And Gods rules really are for our protection but not just physical protection. They protect your mind and Your heart and your soul. They protect you from becoming bitter, anxious, jealous, greedy, exhausted, disconnected.
They protect you from slowly turning freedom into another form of bondage.
Exodus 20 isn't just about God being strict.
It's God saying, I just brought you out of slavery. Let me show you how not to end up back there. Let me show you how to stay Free.
I think that's the reminder some of us need while we're stuck inside watching the ice melt. Freedom isn't just about where you can go. It's about what has your heart. God doesn't just rescue us from Egypt. He teaches us how to stay free. Not with fear. Not with shame. But with truth, boundaries, and a whole lot of grace.
God isn't trying to ruin your fun.
He's trying to protect your peace
mentally, and spiritually even when you're physically stuck.
Love Pastor Mandy
Ark of Hope Ministry
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