Exodus 20:13-17 “Don’t Do That”

I know that we are in Exodus 20 this morning, which is about half way through the story of Moses. We are now coming to the sixth of the Ten Commandments. I have to bring up a little of the story of Moses,the man himself. He was raised as an Egyptian Prince because he had been found by Pharaoh's daughter floating in a basket in the Nile. You can find that story of his early life in Exodus 2. He was born a Hebrew slave, but found himself in Pharaoh’s palace as an Egyptian Prince.

In that same chapter, verse 11, we see the story of Moses as a young man, still a prince: “. . . He went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk. He looked all around, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” As it turns out, he was seen killing the man. He becomes afraid and flees, that is how he first finds himself in the vicinity of Mount Sinai where he hears God’s voice calling him to free God’s people.

Now, I mention this because when reading how Moses got the Ten
Commandments from God, I think number six would have really affected him. I imagine Moses up on the mountain listening to God deliver the first five: “No other Gods–I got that. No idols–no problem, never liked those Egyptian images of animal/humans anyway. No misuse the name of God–never did that. Remember the Sabbath–what a blessing to observe. Honor mother and father–in a sense that is why I liberated my people from slavery with God’s help.”

God gets more serious now and says to Moses “Thou shalt not murder.” Oooooops. So, the commandment that might be considered perhaps the easiest to live up to, Moses has already failed. I imagine him gulping hard and realizing his guilt against the Almighty in that moment. The rest of the commandments are no problem, except for that number six one.

With all of these commandments, invariably we miss one or two. As Moses did, we therefore must rely on God’s forgiveness. We are told not to do something, and we do it anyway.

You may have also noted that the tone of the Commandments shift dramatically from 6-10. They sound harsher. They start with the word “no” in Hebrew. This is the word לא . It is the strongest form of negative in Hebrew. The way we read it in English today with the “Thou shalt not murder” is not strong enough in my opinion. This command is only two short words: “NO murder.” Actually the verb is an “imperfect command form” in Hebrew: “NO murdering!”

You may see a footnote in your bibles too that says that this is in some bibles “Kill” and in others “murder.” The word “resach” in the Hebrew is really “to slay,” pick up a sword against another human being. The kids today use the word “slay” to mean that it is really, really good. “That song really slays!” The Hebrew of the bible says the same, but English keeps changing.

“No adultering” is the seventh of the Ten Commandments. This is being commanded in a time when a man could have more than one wife! In Leviticus 20:10 it becomes clear that what is meant is that a man may not be with another man’s wife. This brings dishonor to all and hurts the community. Vis-a-vis, marriage was in those days the absolute bedrock of society. As long as a man could care for his wife, or wives, and children all was good.

Jesus himself in Matthew 19:5 states “For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will live with his wife. The two will become one.” What God has joined together, let no one put asunder! These are the Lord’s words on this subject.

The eighth of the Ten Commandments is a good example of English changing. We read “No stealing.” In the Disney Song from the Lion King musical “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” is the line “stealing through the night’s uncertainties.” To steal means to move stealthily. The command might better be translated as “NO stealth!” This would mean to be out in the open about everything. Do not do things decptively–which can mean misappropriation of someone else’s property, too. The verb in Hebrew is intransitive, meaning the first understanding is most correct.

I think this means that we ought not give even the image of impropriety. We need to be honest about all things. We need to be trustworthy in our speech. Jesus says as much in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:37, “Let your word be Yes, Yes or No, No; anything more than this comes from Evil.” Or Jesus speaks in John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." You see, as Christians we are not supposed to be stealing through the night at all but rather be the light of life in Christ. So, NO stealing.

The ninth of the Ten Commandments affirms this idea of honesty all the more: “NO speak falsehood against your neighbor.” The term for neighbor here can mean companion or friend, by the way. “Neighbor” just means the one who is near you. I have to say this because some might think this gives wiggle room as we ponder the larger question “Who is then my neighbor?” When Jesus calls us to “Love our neighbor,” that is certainly in the broader sense; not just the family across the street from you! But, start with the family across the street, please!

In this day and age, we all know that this has become a real problem. It seems that everyone is sharing “fake news” about others all the time. Let me share with you a silly example: On Facebook I saw a social media friend post a picture taken from the Mamdani Mayoral inauguration in New York. The caption read that Mamdani was not really an American because the picture showed no American flag. Of course the flags that were shown were from New York. However, right in front of the stage on the tallest flagpole was the American flag–it just wasn’t being shown in the picture. All one had to do was expand the picture just a slight little bit.

When I pointed that out to the friend online, the response was “I DON’T see the American flag.” I had to send the exact same picture on social media again, showing just a couple of millimeters wider angle to prove that the American flag was there. I asked the question in the comment line: “Why do you suppose the person who originally posted this picture with the complaint of no flag cropped the flag out?” I never got a response.

The first thing we should ask ourselves today when we hear or see anything is “Is that the Godly truth?”

The last Commandment is simply not to covet, even if you love it. Is it not human nature to always think that the grass is greener in your neighbor’s yard? Why cannot we be content with what the Lord has blessed us with. Since moving here to Waimea twenty years ago I have heard folks share with me that the grass is greener in Kalaheo or Lihue. My response? “So is the mold!” The grass is greener in Kalaheo because they live under cloudy and rainy weather most of the time. No offense to people in other parts of the island, but we are very content here in Waimea–especially in the rainy season! We no covet.

Lastly I would like to point out the “power of no” when God writes these last five commands. We are told when raising our children that we should never say “no.” But, God says “no,” why cannot we? All of these last commands could have been written in a more positive fashion. All of these commands could have come to us as positive affirmations of good behavior. They didn’t. When we struggle in life we are supposed to hear the “No” and say the “no” outloud. When the devil tempts us with wrong and ungodly things, then we say “No.” “We don’t do that!” I know you know the “NO” I am talking about! God says, “No,’ you know?!

Amen.