By Jared Warner
Willow Creek Friend Church
March 3, 2024
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Exodus 20:1–17 (ESV)
1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
It was not too long ago that we sat with Israel as they heard the ten words from God. All too often we look at this passage thinking in our minds that they are The Ten Commandments. We think this because someone a century or two ago added subtitles to our translations that says that. By thinking of these verses as commandments we might not see them fully for what they are.
When we use the word “Commandments” we think of law. We think of rules. We tend to have mixed feelings about rules. We push rules. We as humans like to define rules, finding where the limits are so that we go right up to the edge. Not breaking the rule, but bending it just enough to get what we want. We often look at the ten commandments in that manner.
When we push the rules, when we justify them in our own minds, when we bend and twist, we are implementing our wisdom instead of listening to the wisdom of God. I admit that I am just as guilty. As I speak today, I am probably doing the very thing I encourage us not to do. We are human, and because of that we approach the words of scripture through our own minds. We understand only with the extent of our wisdom. We think we know what it says, but there is always more.
A few months ago we listened to these words. I encouraged you to consider the original scene. Israel was not yet a nation. They had just recently left bondage in Egypt. They were in the process of learning what it meant to be free, to be a people or nation. We might not be capable of understanding just how important this is since most of us have never experienced real oppression.
When you live in bondage, you do not have a true identity. You are not free to think, you are not free to explore or innovate. Obedience is the only requirement. We often say that the church in America is being oppressed. We are not. We are not even close to facing real oppression. What we are currently experiencing are consequences of actions taken by current and previous generations. What we are experiencing are the consequences of ignorance and a lack of empathy. We once had influence, now that influence is waning. It is waning not because people do not understand our position, but our influence is waning because we have used our influence to do great good only to stop. We have not followed through and because we have stopped others are taking us forward, and unfortunately they may not have the wisdom they could if we walked along with them.
Israel was oppressed. They lived in a cultural system that was perverted from the original plan. God created humanity. We are told that God created humanity in his image. He began this creation of humanity with Adam. When Adam was created he was a complete expression of humanity. And if we are to believe scripture Adam was both male and female. The story is expressed in that manner for a reason, there was unity. There was no separation. Race, gender, and everything else we divide our human existence into is not the way we were created. Humanity is humanity. Those divisions began after creation.
Adam was one complete human within one being. Unfortunately,Adam did not have a companion other than God. God could create. God could build a garden and fill it with things of beauty. Adam was singular. He was a complete expression of God’s image on earth, but he could not fully participate in creation. God recognized that for humanity to be fully free to express God’s image in the world we needed to be free to love in the same manner God loves. We needed to be able to create similarly. We needed companionship just as the Triune God had companionship in himself. So God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, and out of Adam’s side God formed woman.
Often we see in scripture that God fashioned woman from a rib bone, but the word “sela” is more literally translated as side. In every other place in scripture this word is used to describe a side of a hill, equal parts, or an opposite and corresponding portion. Only two times in Genesis is it traditionally translated as a singular rib bone. I find this interesting. I think that maybe we have misunderstood something. Adam was created as unified humanity, but to provide companionship God split humanity into equal sides.
I mention this because it is easy to have a perverse understanding. For centuries, we have been taught divided genders. We have been taught that woman was created from the man’s rib bone. We have explained it as being rib instead of foot, so they are not beneath. We have explained it as not the skull so that she is not over man. But the rib so that she can be by his side. I think we have missed the point. We are equal. Humanity is Humanity. Together, within community, we fully express God’s image. When divided, when we perpetuate division, we neglect unity and hinder complete humanity.
Israel was oppressed. They were enslaved. Slavery is also a perversion of our true identity. If humanity is humanity, and together we bear a complete image. If man and woman are two equal parts of a whole. Then how can enslavement even be remotely be a possible expression of God’s Image?
It cannot. These divisions are perversion. Racism is a perversion. Sexism is a perversion. Nationalism is a perversion. Partisanship is a perversion. These are divisions that humanity has implemented in their fallen state to control and manipulate. This is not what we were created to be, but this is what the kingdoms of mankind have given us.
Egypt enslaved Israel. They did not see them as equals. They did not see the God of Israel as being the Most High God. The leaders of Ancient Egypt did not see it because they served spirits of rebellion.
In the ancient world, each nation, each people group saw themselves as servants of a deity. Scripture informs us of this. We are told that the nations were divided at Babel. They were divided and each of these divisions were allotted to one of the sons of God according to Deuteronomy 32. They were subject to these lessor gods, or spiritual entities. The nations were created out of division and rebellion. And this rebellion began the perverse notion within our combined societies that some people are better than others. It is rebellion, and sin that creates status within division. It is a sin to be sexist. It is sinful to be racist. It is deplorable to perpetuate status within division when we were created to be equal parts of a unified whole.
Israel had been oppressed. They have lived generations believing that the Egyptians were their masters. For hundreds of years they were told that they were slaves, only created to serve. We were not created only to serve. We were created to bear the image of God. We are not slaves but each of us are image bearers, and together we are to reflect who God is to all creation. Yet Israel, sat enslaved.
God sent Moses to speak to Pharaoh. Moses did not initially ask for the people of Israel to be freed. We often forget this aspect of the story. He initially asks for permission to worship God. He initially asks that the people of Israel be granted what we in America regard as the unalienable right to worship our God, according to our own traditions.
Pharaoh refused to allow the people of Israel to worship. Pharaoh did not want the idea of liberty to worship to gain a foothold in his society. Pharaoh and the kingdoms of mankind want us to be obedient to their systems and to suggest otherwise weakens control and power. The plagues that Egypt endured were self-inflicted consequences of spiritual rebellion. The plagues are spiritual warfare, God the Most High in combat against the gods of Egypt. Each aspect of the polytheistic worldview of Egypt was defeated and brought to its knees. Resulting not only with allowing Israel the liberty to worship, but their complete redemption from the bonds of slavery.
Now Israel is free. They are in the wilderness between Egypt and the nations of the East. What will happen to them? Who will they become? Will they go out into the land and be absorbed into one of the empires of men?
We often look at the Ten Commandments as being rules, but the from the perspective of the Hebrew people these are words or teachings are not rules. They are lessons of wisdom. They are a guide to become the people we were created to be and that begins with knowing who we truly are.
A couple of months ago I focused on what we commonly call the first three commandments. No other gods, no idols, and not taking the name of the Lord in vain. These three commands or lessons of wisdom are telling us, no they are reminding us of who God is and who we are. God proved that he was more powerful than the gods of Egypt when he brought them out of the land of bondage. He is reminding them of that. “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.”
He is not demanding allegiance, he is reminding them that He is the Most High God over all creation. If we begin to think that something other than God can rise to a greater status than him, he can easily cause it to crumble before our very eyes. He then says do not make a carved image, or any likeness of anything in the heavens or on the earth and serve them. It would be wise not to begin to serve the things of mankind, is what he is saying. If we begin to do this, we will see within a span of a couple of generations that we will lose everything we once had.
He then says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” This command does not speak to the vocabulary we speak, but it is speaking about our life and lifestyle. God in these first three commands is reminding us of who he is and who we are to him. We are his representatives to creation. We each bear that image. We each contribute and have responsibility in the initial work that began with Adam. We are to represent that of God everywhere we go. And we should not bear that responsibility lightly.
Now we go to the fourth command or lesson of wisdom. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
This word of wisdom transitions from who God is, and who we are to him, and begins to focus on who we are to each other. We often split the ten commandments into how we interact with God and humanity, but they are all one complete lesson that should be taken together. And sabbath is right in the middle of it all.
Remember the Sabbath.
Again I want us to return to the land of Egypt. What was Moses’ first request to pharaoh? It was not let my people go, hard stop. It was let my people go out to the wilderness to worship and offer sacrifices to God. Moses plead with Egypt to allow the people the freedom to worship.
What is Sabbath?
“Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates”
If we were to look at various religious expressions most include some cyclical structure to their calendar that recognizes days for work and days of rest. There is a difference in the observance of these days of rest outside the Abrahamic cultures. In most cases only certain people could participate in the day of rest, where in the wisdom of God all creation should participate.
The one aspect of Egypt that most angered God was the prohibition of worship for all people, and God knew that Egypt would not ever allow them to worship freely. This exclusivity in worship angered God.
It is common for many people outside the church to say that the worship of God is just a reinterpretation of mystery religions like that of Mithras or Isis. I admit that there are similarities in some aspects of the religion, and when I say similarities I really mean wide lens similarities. If you go a step deeper than surface level observations you will see that the differences are vast. And the main difference is mystery religions are exclusive. You must be initiated into the religion before you can learn anything about it. You join before you know. This is why when people ask what Friends believe I generally give them a physical copy of our Faith and Practice because I want you all to know that our beliefs are open to everyone. Everyone can participate to their desired extent.
Remember the Sabbath day, God encourages. Not just for yourself but for everyone. This day is extended to males and females, adults and children. The Sabbath is for citizens as well as for those that are visiting. It is for the landowner as well as the servants within the household. The Sabbath is for all creation.
You might say, but they did not practice like this. Not everyone could enter the temple. And you are correct. Not everyone could, go into the most sacred parts of the temple, but everyone could come to the temple courts. Everyone,including the emperor of Rome was able to offer sacrifices and could pray. The only restriction was for who could go inside, but even there what they were doing in the inner portions of the temple were explained.
Worship is important. We should always remember to take time to rest and worship God. God does not require our worship. He accepts our worship, but he does not require our worship. Jesus taught his disciples that he was the Lord of the Sabbath. He said that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. This one statement tells us a great deal.
Man made for the sabbath would indicate that God required or needed our adoration. This is what the vast majority of religions teach. We worship to appease the gods. We offer sacrifices to gain favor of the gods. We give our tithes to gain the blessings of the gods. We worship because if we do not worship we will anger that spiritual realm. This is not the wisdom God gave to Israel. He tells them, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”
When Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath, this is what he is speaking about. On the seventh day God enjoyed the fruits of his labor. We are more than what we produce while we are at work. We have more value than our wages in the eyes of God. We are his image bears in creation.
He labored six days, we labor six days. He rested on the seventh, we too should rest. When we do not take time to rest, our bodies fail us. When we do not slow down and relax on occasion we become a detriment instead of an asset to those with our various communities. When we do not include days of leisure in our work schedules, we risk losing those people we employ.
The sabbath was made for mankind. We should enjoy life. We should enjoy the fruits of our labor. We should be able to have a life outside of work or school. And we should extend that to all people, even if they do not believe as we do.
This is probably the greatest difference. The sabbath is not merely for Israel. This day of rest extends to your sons, your daughters, you servants, your livestock, and to those aliens that live among you. There is not one prohibition from this day, and if you bear the name of the Lord you will work diligently to promote rest within your society.
Remember the sabbath.
God is telling us in his wisdom that everyone bears his image. The highest king among the kingdoms of men, and the lowest servant held in chains. Each human being that breaths is equal on this day. Each of us have labored, and each of us should enjoy time to rest and worship.
Remember the sabbath. Remember it because you were once slaves in Egypt. You were once prohibited from worship. Remember because it is so easy to deny the image of God in others.
God tells them who he is and that nothing in this world can replace him or even come close to being his equal. He then reminds us of who we are. “Do not bear his name in vain.” Now he is reminding us that it is everyone’s right as image bears of God to enjoy the fruits of our labor.
The next commands, or teachings also deal with aspect of equality among people. If, in God’s wisdom, we should enjoy the fruits of our labor. If, in God’s wisdom, we all should be given one day out of seven where we are not required to work, there are other things that we should also enjoy because we are image bearers.
Honor your father and mother. Why? Should we honor them because they brought us into this world, and they can take us out? No. Should we honor them because they are placed in authority over us? Again no. Not all parents are good parents. I have been accused of being the worst parent on the face of the earth, and that is ok. We as children should continue to honor. Not merely obey but honor. There is a difference. We honor our fathers and our mothers because we are the fruit of their labor. We honor them because that honor allows them to participate in sabbath rest, and by honoring them we learn to treat those around us as bears of God’s image. We do not get this from mere obedience.
There is a flip side to this wisdom. If children are to honor their parents. We as parents should be mindful of that. We should live our lives in such a way that our children do not question the wisdom of this command. Children honor their parents, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your god is giving you. God is giving us something, and we are free to receive it if we live a life honoring the dignity of those around us.
Remember.
Remember your father and your mother, they have labored for you. They have given of themselves so that you can survive. Honor that. Remember that the person next to you also bears God’s image, honor that. You honor that image by protecting their life, so you shall not commit violence against their life. Remember that the person across the room that you are attracted to also bears the image of God, so do not disrespect them and do not disrespect your spouse by making them into instruments of gratification. Remember that the person that lives across the street has worked hard for what they have. They have worked hard to provide for their family, and should enjoy the fruits of their labor. Honor them by protecting their property. And do not covet what others have because this will lead toward violence and theft.
Remember.
Remember that the girl in your class bears the image of God just as you do. Remember the coworker that you might disagree with on the job bears the image of God. With a word we can encourage or discourage, with a word we can be a blessing, or we can cause damnation. Respect them and yourself by speaking truthfully, even if you would like to cause harm. Remember and honor.
Each of us bear the image of God. Each of us that sit in this room have taken on the name of God. Each of us struggle, each of us strive. We all have days we wonder if we will make it. And each of us long for a time when we can just relax. Remember and honor.
Take a step back from what we are doing and look at things from a different perspective. Remember and honor.
These are not legal commands but words of wisdom. Words reminding us what it means to be human, and what it means to live together. To live is to work, to toil and labor. This was the curse given both to Adam and Eve. Remember that everyone around you is dealing with similar issues, they are subject to that same curse. God is urging us to not increase their burden. Instead, remember the sabbath, keep it holy. Love God with all that you have and all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself. Become a people loving God, embracing the Holy Spirit and living the love of Christ with others. Remember. If we do not remember who will?
Previous Messages:
Gifted for Good
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church May 24, 2026 Click here to Join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili 1 Corinthians 12:3–13 (ESV) 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one…
In Your Hearts Honor Christ as Holy
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church May 10, 2026 Click here to Join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili 1 Peter 3:13–22 (ESV) 13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for…
Living Stones
By Jared Warner Willow Creek Friends Church May 03, 2026 Click here to Join our Meeting for Worship Click to read in Swahili Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili 1 Peter 2:2–10 (ESV) 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have…
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