Tokonaki Ma’asi 18, 2023
עשרת הדברים - The Ten Words
NGAAHI LEA
‘E HONGOFULU
EXODUS 34:28
SO [MOSES] WAS THERE WITH THE LORD FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS. HE NEITHER ATE BREAD NOR DRANK WATER. AND HE WROTE ON THE TABLETS THE WORDS OF THE COVENANT, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
‘EKISOTO 34:28
Pea na‘a ne ‘i he potu ko ia mo e ‘Eiki ‘i he ‘aho ‘e fāngofulu mo e pō ‘e fāngofulu; na‘e ‘ikai te ne kai ai ha me‘akai, pe inu ha vai. Pea na‘a ne tohi ‘i he ongo maka tohi ‘a e ngaahi lea ‘o e kovinānite, ‘a e Fekau ‘e Hongofulu.
A great irony about the Bible is that the Ten Commandments, arguably the most well-known section, are never called the Ten Commandments in the Bible itself. Where they are numbered at "ten" (Exod. 34:28; Deut. 4:13; 10:4), they are not called ten mitzvot (the Hebrew word for "commandments") but Aseret Had'varim, "the ten words." However we divide these seventeen verses (20:1-17) into "ten words"- itself a centuries - long disagreement - they summon us to trust in God; to love him with all our heart, soul, and mind; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. And however we divide and number them, this much is beyond doubt: the total number we've kept is a big, fat zero.
Martin Luther famously wrote, "The law says, 'do this,' and it is never done. Grace says, 'believe in this,' and everything is already done." Every spark of shalt or shalt not that enters a sinner's ear kindles a fire of rebellion in his heart. The law is never done. But Christ, who fulfilled the law, graciously proclaims, "It is finished" (John 19:30). We are free, forgiven, and fully alive in Christ Jesus.
Keep us free, O Lord, that we
may stand firm and not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Gal. 5:1).
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