The Spoken Word

Exodus 20:1 – 17

1.)        Freedom.  What a great feeling that must have been when the Israelites finally left Egypt.  They had been oppressed for over 400 years and now they had come through the Red Sea, miraculously saved by the Lord’s hand.  They no longer had to follow the laws, rules and demands of the Egyptian taskmasters.  The feeling was wonderful and they sang a joyful song.

(Exodus 15, from The Message)  “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God, giving voice together,   I’m singing my heart out to God—what a victory!   He pitched horse and rider into the sea.   God is my strength, God is my song,  and, yes! God is my salvation.   This is the kind of God I have and I’m telling the world!    This is the God of my father—   I’m spreading the news far and wide!”

The people were free!  It was a new day!

This new freedom and feeling needed some common structure so all could enjoy the freedom.  The people were living in the wilderness, like an extended camping trip, in a survival mode.  So, three months after their escape from Egypt God spoke to Moses.  The Ten Commandments and other laws were given out of love to the people so they could be free.

2.)        The Ten Commandments are the foundation of freedom for Israelites.  God spoke the words and the instruction comprised two aspects of life; relationship with God, and relationship with people.  Of the Ten Commandments there is one positive commandment relating to God and one positive commandment relating to others.  Can anyone guess what they are?  The remaining eight commandments are negative, things we are to avoid or are prohibited from doing.   These commandments and laws are given so that we can experience joy in our freedom.

3.)        Several years ago, an interesting study was done of playground behavior in young children. The children came from several different schools, but each school had essentially the same size play area and the same ratio of teachers to students. Yet, there was one major difference between the two types of schools being studied: one group of schools offered children a fenced playground; the other groups had a play area with no fence.

When the study was over, guess which students showed more cooperative play, had fewer playground fights, and exhibited lower levels of anxiety during recess? Here’s a hint: it was the same group that used more space on the playground and had better attitudes toward school work following recess.

“Easy!” you say. “The kids who played in the wide-open spaces. Right?”  Wrong!

The children who played behind the protective boundaries of a fence were far happier at play and better adjusted after recess. When it comes to playground behavior, children playing inside a fence feel a security that other children do not. And when it comes to grown-up kids living in the fast lane, having “Fences” around their behavior is just as important.

God gave us his great ten commandments to keep us inside the fences of his love and blessing. (Seeking Solid Ground, Trent & Hicks p. 22)

4.)        We all need laws.  We live free and joy filled lives when we have boundaries.  We might not like certain rules and laws but they can help us.

I remember going to Haiti and observing the driving habits.  I think I only saw one stop sign in a week.  The driving was crazy.  The rule of the road seemed to be that when you came to an intersection you honked your horn and drove faster.  There was no common law governing the driving habits of people.  It seemed chaotic to me.  No laws seemed like they would produce anxiety, at least they did for me as a passenger.

When you stop at a four way stop and someone goes before you don’t you get a little “irritated,” because they went out of turn.  You are frustrated that the law was not enforced and it seemed to benefit the other person.  We have to agree to limit our benefit for the common good and not just for another person.  We have to benefit at times and sacrifice at times.

A foundation of freedom, the laws we agree to, give us confidence to live.

5.)        As we celebrate July 4 I invite us to consider freedom and what our past can tell us about our future.  There were Native Americans living here and people came over to this land and began settling it.    In the early 1600’s the first organized communities, or settlements began.  This was a free country, a new country to those who had lived elsewhere.  As more and more people came the King of Great Britain sought to influence life and control the people in this land.  There were different taxes, rules and laws that were oppressing the people from Great Britain.

On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was affirmed.  It was a separation from the King of Great Britain.  It was a radical statement that could have meant death for those who signed it.

It was a time for the country to have freedom.  How could the people best live under this new freedom?  In 1789 our Constitution was ratified after having people work on this document for years.  It was a document that sought to balance the freedom for the people without having any one person getting too much power, like a King.

We also further enacted laws in order to maintain freedom.  Those two documents have guided our country’s life.

6.)        I believe we all need and desire to live in freedom.  Freedom works best when we have a foundation in place and we have laws like boundaries to show us how to live.  That is what God gave through Moses to the Israelites in the Ten Commandments and Laws.

Our country has a balance of laws that might seem like they constrict our freedom but with this constriction it allows the majority to enjoy freedom.  It is like the idea of having a speed limit.  If we all decided to drive 95 miles an hour that would cause problems.  It works best to have a common speed limit so we all know what we can do to operate our cars in safety.

7.)        I want to take a little detour and offer some personal reflections about my life, my faith in Jesus Christ and what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America.

a.)        I am thankful to live in this country.  I am a first generation American.  My father came to this country when he was 16 from Norway.  What generation are you?  We each have a story about our heritage.

b.)        I have never been drafted to serve in the Armed Services.  I never had to sign up for the selected service because of the laws when I was growing up.  I don’t believe that I could have ever killed someone if I had to go to the Army.  So that has shaped my view of the world and this country.

My father did serve in the US Air Force in Germany and worked for the Navy for his career.  My military connection via my father was never something my Dad and I talked a lot about.  He was never in any battle.

c.)        When I became a Christian my focus expanded to a Kingdom of God vision.  I was not limited to a vision of life on earth, or even an exclusive perspective of this country.  I look at this country and all countries of the world through the Kingdom of God vision.

d.)        The church, the body of Christ, exists in a cultural context in each country and community that is unique.  It is important to understand that culture and its context but the church must not be narrowed by that context.

e.)        I never understood the term “Christian nation.”  Does that mean that at one point 100% of the people in the nation are followers of Christ?  Does that mean that we are all seeking to become Christians?  Does that mean that 100% of our early leaders in 1776 where Christian?  Are there other ideas of what this means that I am missing?

f.)        I believe that it is vital to have Christians, led by the Holy Spirit, involved in all aspects of our life in this country.  We need Christian politicians, teachers, lawyers, plumbers, business owners, etc.

g.)        No law can ever stop you from praying.  Daniel, a man in the Old Testament, was told about a law that prayers could only be to King Darius.  Daniel decided to not obey that law and prayed to the Lord as he faced Jerusalem.  King Darius had him arrested and he put Daniel in the lion’s den.  God saved Daniel’s life from the lions, even though it appeared to Daniel that he would die.  Daniel prayed, even though the law of the land said he could not.

h.)        My allegiance is ultimately to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.  That is what I ask each person who joins the church.  I understand that to mean that your faith is more important that your allegiance to your country.  My allegiance has a higher priority.

8.)        All citizens have a right and responsibility to live within the law of the country but Daniel’s story reminds us that when you face a law that is against God’s will you live out your faith and work for change.  We have been given freedom to speak and act on issues and concerns that we are facing as a country.  This is a great aspect of our country.

William Wilberforce was known as a politician and a Christian who spoke out against slavery in the British Empire in the late 1700’s.  It took 26 years for his conviction to make a difference in the passing of a law to abolish slavery.  His voice made a difference.  The movie, “Amazing Grace,” tells his story.

His life is an example of living out your faith to change society, the world.  There are others, like Martin Luther King, who lived out their faith as well.

9.)        John 8:36 says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” I believe that when Jesus Christ comes into a life He sets us free.  We are free from our past sins, we are free to listen to His voice in this moment, and we are free to give Him our future with confidence.  True freedom comes from the Son of God and not from our government or are laws or even the Bible or Ten Commandments.  We will be free when the Son sets us free.

10.)      What are your reflections on this day?  How does your faith in Christ inform your voice and your actions as it relates to the issues of our community, country and world?  What are your perspectives of history and your responsibility as a citizen?

May we enjoy this day, thank God for our freedom, and use it for the Kingdom of God.