exodus 19 and 20

Read Exodus 19 and 20 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for these chapters are:

Exo 19:1-25 {s} YHVH descended upon Mt Sinai in fire, to enact the covenant with Israel
Exo 20:1 {s} And God spoke all these words, saying
Exo 20:2-6 {s} Israel shall have no gods before YHVH
Exo 20:7 {p} Israel shall not take the name of YHVH in vain
Exo 20:8-11 {s} Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart
Exo 20:12 {s} Honor your father and mother
Exo 20:13 {s} You shall not murder
Exo 20:14 {s} You shall not commit adultery
Exo 20:15 {s} You shall not steal
Exo 20:16 {s} You shall not bear false witness
Exo 20:17a {s} You shall not covet your neighbor’s house
Exo 20:17b {p} You shall not covet anything that is your neighbor’s
Exo 20:18-21 {s} The fear of God prevents us from sinning (breaking commandment)
Exo 20:22-26 {p} Explanation of ‘Have no gods before Me.’

The strong themes are from Exo 19:1-20:7, Exo 20:8-17, and Exo 10:18-26. These divisions, not where human logic would place them, seem to make no sense. But it is a puzzle with a truly elegant solution.

Exo 19:1-20:7, the first strong theme:
Exo 19:1-25 {s} YHVH descended upon Mt Sinai in fire, to enact the covenant with Israel
Exo 20:1 {s} And God spoke all these words, saying
Exo 20:2-6 {s} Israel shall have no gods before YHVH
Exo 20:7 {p} Israel shall not take the name of YHVH in vain

In the third month Israel came to Sinai. On the third day. Israel was to prepare to meet YHVH. In fact, being prepared to meet with YHVH on the third day is mentioned three times in Exo 19:11-16! Three is a sign of Messiah in Scripture. We have been taught to think that the covenant YHVH made with Israel at Sinai is the opposite of the covenant YHVH made with us at Calvary. Here, Scripture is teaching us, that this covenant prophesies of and reveals Messiah!

But what is revealed? Earlier in Exodus, Scripture showed us that Moses was a type of Messiah. In Exo 19, notice how many times Moses went up to God, and went down to the people – back and forth, back and forth. Moses is mediating between the people and God – just as Messiah is the Mediator between God and men. Furthermore, and this is a critical point in order to solve the puzzle of the strong theme, the covenant YHVH was enacting with Israel was not just any covenant, but a marriage covenant. The actions Moses takes, going back and forth from YHVH to the people, exactly mirrors the actions which are taken to enact a ketubah, a Hebrew betrothal and marriage contract, between a potential bridegroom and his potential bride. The key that this is in fact a marriage covenant that God is enacting, is found in His declaration of love for His people:

“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” Exo 19:4-5

Notice that the He introduces His declaration of love, by reminding them of their deliverance from slavery and kingdom of the Egyptians. This is a metaphor and type of our own deliverance from slavery to sin and the kingdom of darkness. It is the first part of His expression of His love!

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died [our Passover Lamb was slain] for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:6-8

But then what does it mean that God includes the first three commandments of the Ten Commandments within this strong theme which seems to be about a marriage covenant? Did not Jesus tell us, that if we love Him, then keep His commandments? (Joh 14:15). So I propose that the first strong theme is:

Exo 19:1-20:7 {sx3+p} Marriage covenant: how YHVH has loved us + how we love YHVH

Exo 20:8-17, the second strong theme:
Exo 20:8-11 {s} Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart
Exo 20:12 {s} Honor your father and mother
Exo 20:13 {s} You shall not murder
Exo 20:14 {s} You shall not commit adultery
Exo 20:15 {s} You shall not steal
Exo 20:16 {s} You shall not bear false witness
Exo 20:17a {s} You shall not covet your neighbor’s house
Exo 20:17b {p} You shall not covet anything that is your neighbor’s

Now the next strong theme begins with the commandment about Sabbath rest, and also includes commandments which we would classify as doing no wrong to a neighbor (Rom 13:10).

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Rom 13:8-10

So I propose that this strong theme is:

Exo 20:8-17 {sx7+p} The commandments of God: how we love ourselves and others

There is no commandment of the Ten Commandments which has passed away and is obsolete, including Sabbath rest, for what defines LOVE has not changed from that day to this.

And the final strong theme is, I propose:

Exo 20:18-26 {s+p} The fear of God helps us keep His commandments

For further reading:

The Sinai covenant prophesies of our salvation: both justification and sanctification (2011)
Marriage through Hebrew Eyes (that the Sinai Covenant was a marriage covenant between God and Israel)
What are the Ten Commandments of the Marriage Covenant? – Samuele Bacchiocchi
Ancient Hebrew pictographic meaning of “special treasure” (2009)
The Design of Scripture: The Number Ten (Brad Scott)
Ten commandments study index