- [00:00:00] Moving from India to Germany was a very unforgettable experience for me. It was my first international travel. The year was 2000 in June. I remember it like it was yesterday. If someone had made a video of that trip, it would have ranked in the top 10 funny videos for that year for sure. I probably shared this experience with some of you. I got off the flight in Frankfurt, picked up my luggage, and put it on the trolley. As a student, we got to take extra books and stuff. - [00:00:44] The only problem was the trolley wouldn\'t move. The harder I tried to push, it just resisted. But for everybody around me, it moved seamlessly. They would just come, grab the luggage, put it on the trolley, and go because I didn’t realize that you had to press the trolley to release the brake. It was written in German back then, and we didn’t have those kinds of trolleys in Chennai airport. I think it was only in the last two years they changed it. - [00:01:13] After much resistance, I accidentally pressed the brake and it moved. Then I saw an escalator and was scratching my head. I had three big suitcases. How do I take the trolley on an escalator? I moved each bag one at a time down the escalator. After moving my third bag, I saw right next to it was an elevator, and people were walking out with their trolleys effortlessly. - [00:01:46] Then I got on a train and went to the city called Freiburg. We had to take a tram, and I had to buy a ticket, but I didn’t have change. So, I bought cherries, which were the most expensive cherries I never needed, for like 10 Deutsche Marks just to get change. When I went to buy the ticket, a guy in front of me got the ticket, and the machine gave him change. I didn’t have to spend 10 marks on my ticket. - [00:02:23] We went to our language school. It was the first day, and they gave us free accommodation. A volunteer was distributing comforters and blankets to take to our dorm. This was the first time I saw a comforter; in Chennai, we never use comforters because it never gets that cold. I was trying to figure out how to use it. - [00:02:55] When I came back to talk to the volunteer, there were people from 10 other countries, like me, having the same questions. One guy thought the blanket cover was meant for him to sleep inside and tried to fit inside it. He was upset when it didn’t fit. Another guy from India asked where the bucket and mug were because he wanted to take a shower every day but wasn’t used to using showers. - [00:03:32] The volunteer, who was training to be a lawyer and doing civil service (called Zivi) in Germany, was frustrated. He said it was the worst day of his life because we were making him go crazy. That’s when I realized we all have similar experiences when we make our first move to a new country with a new language and culture. We need a framework to live; we need a blueprint. - [00:04:06] God is not leaving His children like that. As we read today, He took them out of Egypt after 400 years of living in another country. He’s bringing them out in a dramatic way and doesn’t want to leave them to figure it out on their own. He says, “Let me give you a blueprint of how you can live when you enter this new nation.” - [00:04:40] Francis Schaefer wrote a great book critiquing European culture called *How Then Should We Live?* This is basically God telling His children, “How should you live when you enter this new country called Canaan? How should you live as God’s children who have tasted His grace in our lives?” - [00:05:16] We will look at three things from today\'s passage: first, the covenantal God—the nature of God who makes this covenant; second, the covenantal principles; and third, the covenantal outcome. - [00:05:32] Verse 1 and 2 begins by saying, “And God spoke all these words saying, I am the Lord your God.” This is a loaded statement. God is identifying Himself with a very specific, covenantal name: Yahweh Elohim. This is the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. - [00:06:12] Last week, we looked at the Abrahamic covenant where God promised Abraham that after 400 years, his descendants would take the land. Now, 400 years later, God is reestablishing His covenant with the nation of Israel. True to His promise, He brought them out. - [00:06:50] Our God is a God of history. He has a history with His people and remains true to His word. What’s very important and often missed is the timing of this covenant. God makes this covenant *after* redeeming them from slavery in Egypt, *not* before. - [00:07:28] God does not say, “If you fix your life and follow these commandments, I will redeem you.” No, He says, “I will redeem you first because that is who I am.” He is a covenantal God. His redeeming them is not based on their goodness. Even this Mosaic covenant is an expression of God’s covenant of grace—grace always comes first. - [00:08:16] The passage says, “And God spoke all these words.” The word for “word” in Hebrew is *dabar* and in Greek is *logos*. It’s repeated multiple times to show that God is speaking to the nation. So far, God made individual covenants with imperfect people like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. - [00:08:57] Now, He is making a covenant with an entire nation who also grumble and fail. The people complain about their conditions, wanting water and food, saying they would have been better off in Egypt. But God remains gracious and continues to speak to them, with audio and visual displays affirming His presence. - [00:09:38] Verse 2 clarifies why God is making this covenant: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” This is the prologue to the covenant, where God explains who is making the covenant, with whom, and for what purpose. - [00:10:54] In the Semitic region, there was a concept called *hesed*—a loyalty required in response to loyalty shown. Since Yahweh rescued Israel from slavery, Israel has a lasting moral obligation to Him. This rescue was unique in world history: a nation led out of oppression by miraculous means. - [00:12:24] God wants them to understand that He establishes this covenant because He has already redeemed them, not because they earned it. If they want to live well in the new land, they must know, trust, and love Him. - [00:13:03] Tim Keller says we should look at the Ten Commandments *romantically*—yes, romantically! God is asking Israel to have a loyal love relationship with Him, like marriage. He is a jealous God who loves His people and doesn’t want them to be carried away on destructive paths. - [00:13:40] In a marriage, the spouse has to have first place. Marriages often unravel not because of big things like addiction or affairs but because good things become more important than the spouse. For example, in some South Asian marriages in the U.S., the number one cause of breakdown is in-laws—when a spouse values their parents more than their partner. - [00:14:51] Other idols in marriage can be jobs, hobbies, or careers. There’s nothing wrong with love for parents, work, or hobbies, but when they become primary, the marriage suffers. God’s concern is the same: Israel is entering a land of prosperity and temptation, and if their relationship with Him isn’t clear and primary, they will be lost and hurt. - [00:16:39] This is the foundation of the commandments. If we read them as things we must do to earn God’s love, we miss the point. God has already redeemed us. Now, from a love relationship, He shares what He expects. - [00:17:17] These covenantal principles, commonly called the Ten Commandments, are actually ten “words.” Beyond being rules, they are a moral law designed to teach us how to love God and others. - [00:17:55] Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Leviticus 19:18 says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus summarized the entire law on these two principles: love God and love one another. - [00:18:31] God gives Israel a blueprint for vertical love (toward God) and horizontal love (toward neighbors). Beyond the moral law, God also gave ceremonial and civil laws, many of which became obsolete with the New Testament. But the moral law remains relevant. - [00:19:09] The commandments are not random rules; they make sense to anyone, regardless of religion or philosophy. But they do more—they expose what we truly worship. Each commandment says Yahweh alone is God; each sin says, “Something else will save me.” - [00:19:50] The first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” In ancient Israel, people believed in three categories of gods: personal gods, family gods, and a national god. Yahweh was often seen only as the national god. - [00:21:13] Many Israelites worshipped other gods personally or in their families, even though they acknowledged Yahweh as the national God. Similarly, today, people may identify as Christian but functionally worship success, money, approval, pleasure, or control. - [00:22:27] The test to know your functional god is this: If God removed your job tomorrow, would you still worship Him? Or would your worship collapse? Does your trust rest in money, children’s college admissions, immigration status, or health? These can become functional gods. - [00:23:15] God is jealous and wants us to pivot back to Him. - [00:23:58] The second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image or idol.” An idol is anything that takes God’s place. Idolatry is not just worshipping statues but an entire religious system and lifestyle that runs counter to true worship. - [00:24:43] Idolatry often arises from fear—ancient people made idols to overcome fear of the unknown. Modern idolatry is similar: technology, work, money, or pleasure promise much but ultimately underdeliver. - [00:26:39] The Greek goddess Artemis (or Diana) was an idol associated with sensual pleasures. Worship involved indulging in those pleasures. In India, temple prostitution was linked to such worship. Today, subtle forms of pleasure idolatry exist—pornography, emotional affairs, or secret habits. - [00:28:46] God says, “I am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” This is often misquoted as “generational curses.” The context is that idol worship was passed down through families. - [00:30:51] But God’s grace extends to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments. This shows God’s heart: He desires to bless more than to curse. - [00:31:34] Parents’ worship influences their children. If work is ultimate for you, your children will inherit that. If Christ is ultimate, they will inherit stability and peace. - [00:32:15] The third commandment: “Do not take my name in vain.” This means not misrepresenting God through unholy living or hypocrisy—claiming to be Christian but living otherwise. This is a major reason many leave the faith. - [00:33:32] The sign of the covenant is the Sabbath—a day of rest. It is a holy rest, not laziness. God commands rest so His people are renewed and devoted to worship. - [00:34:19] In places like Silicon Valley, working 80–90 hours a week is common, but God reminds us we are not machines or what we produce. Sabbath is warfare against the idol of productivity. - [00:35:39] Sabbath challenges us to stop routine labor and trust God to work for us. It also challenges parents not to over-schedule their children with extra activities but to model rest and worship. - [00:37:25] An example is Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner who refused to race on Sunday, trusting God. The speaker’s daughter in medical school also observes the Sabbath and is blessed, showing that honoring the Sabbath does not hinder success. - [00:38:29] The commandments continue with honoring parents, which is a God-given authority and responsibility. Children (even adults) are called to honor their parents by listening and obeying, as parents have their best interests in mind. - [00:40:19] Caring for parents in old age is also part of honoring them, which is a challenge for immigrant families but remains a biblical responsibility. - [00:41:59] The commandments forbid murder, which Jesus internalizes by equating anger and bitterness with murder. Modern “cancel culture” can be a form of soft anger. - [00:43:04] Adultery is also forbidden, starting with emotional and secret desires, not just physical acts. - [00:43:40] Stealing is addressed, including cheating on taxes or not tithing. God tests whether money controls us or we control money. - [00:44:45] False witness (lying) is self-worship and image control. - [00:45:23] Coveting is a heart issue: unhealthy desire due to envy or discontent. Social media often fuels this. - [00:46:34] The purpose of the law is not only to restrain but to expose our idols and show our need for renewal. - [00:47:03] The covenantal outcome is fear of God’s holiness. When the people saw thunder, lightning, and smoke on the mountain, they were afraid and stood far off, telling Moses to speak to God for them. - [00:48:16] Moses reassured them: “Do not fear, for God has come to test you so the fear of Him may be before you that you may not sin.” The people recognized their inability to approach God’s holiness. - [00:48:56] They needed a mediator—Moses. But Moses could not transform them. - [00:49:44] Jesus is the greater mediator. Galatians 4:4 says God sent His Son born under the law to redeem those under the law. Jesus obeyed the law we broke, bore the curse we deserved, and now lives in us through the Holy Spirit. - [00:50:31] Christianity uniquely teaches that God writes the law on our hearts and empowers us to live it. Through ordinary means of grace—Word, sacraments, prayer, fellowship, mission—God redeems, exposes idols, and restores His people. - [00:51:16] So how should we live? Not as slaves trying to earn love, but as redeemed sons and daughters learning covenant loyalty. God gives commands as covenant love. - [00:51:51] Our response: come to God in communion, identify your idols, confess where you misrepresent God, practice the day of rest, repair broken relationships, and run to Christ—not away from Him. - [00:52:16] Jesus has entered the darkness so He can be the light of our lives. He is the light John says “lights every man born into this world.”