“And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’”
From Question 44 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism…
Q. What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
I have been known to say this once, twice, and even a million times: God’s commands are a revelation of his character first before they are rules for us to follow. This gets to the very nuts and bolts of the Gospel of salvation—the how? of it all. But this isn’t my opinion. I have been remiss not to share particular Scripture principle and proof regarding such a strong statement, and I pray this principle and proof can be seen in today’s devotion.
Before we get to the Bible passage above, it is important to note that God reveals himself in his Word and through his Word. For instance, God’s very first words recorded for us in the Scripture, let there be light, reveal to us his power and intent. In other words, God has the power to create something from nothing, and he has the intent to reveal rather than conceal. These are massive truths seen in the earliest parts of the Bible, and it only builds on and reinforces itself from there. Of course, and ultimately, we see this most fully in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the Word through which all things were made, the fount of life and light, of power and glory, of humility and salvation, of grace and truth, of full revelation (John 1:1-18). God’s Word is a revelation of who he is—his character. And the same is true for the commandments of the Bible—which includes that great summation of all the law, the Ten Commandments.
This can be beautifully seen in what is known as the preface to the Ten Commandments, which is found in Exodus 20:1, 2. Before God gives his commandments, he declares a fact: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Wrapped into this declaration are several very important realities:
God’s nearness to his people—as seen in the use of his personal name (marked in English by the capital spelling L-O-R-D). It’s as if the God of universe is using his “first name.”
God’s place in his people’s lives—not only is he near to his people, he is their God, and they are his people. God takes ownership of those he has chosen (your God).
God’s action of salvation—not only is God near his people and choosing his people, with that nearness and choice comes a powerful work of salvation (who brought you out).
These three observations (God’s nearness, choice, and action of salvation) are prerequisites to the commandments themselves, which is why the catechism answers the way it does. Notice the order. It’s because God is near to his chosen people and working salvation that we are bound to keep commandments rather than keeping the commandments causing God to be near, to choose, and to save. That’s huge! That’s the Gospel!
This principle of God first, commandment second allows God’s people to see his commandments in a new light. For instance, the First Commandment of having no other (little “g”) gods before (capital “G”) God absolutely requires followers of the Lord to put away the things or persons that turn our eyes from him. Before that, though, that same First Commandment reveals God’s singularity—he alone is to be worshipped. It reveals the meaning of life—worshipping God. It reveals God’s power—no other thing deserves worship because God in his power created all things. This goes on and on, and after God has revealed himself in such remarkable ways, the follower of God—with praise and right desire—then “keeps” the commandment.
It’s true. God’s commands carry the weight of law—of rule. However, God’s commands are a revelation of his character first before they are rules for us to follow. Think on this today. Think on the Lord Jesus and his work before you think on living rightly, because mixing the order of these things is perilous!
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”