God, you are the one who calls us into relationship with you and with one another in ways that bear your love to the world. May your spirit be with us today as we learn how to be your priestly people in our world and seek ways of being embodied versions of your commandments for all people. Amen. 

So since last week, last week they crossed the Red Sea when we were in Exodus. And now we've jumped a bit further into Exodus. We're three months later, and they have found themselves back at Mount Sinai. And by back, I mean Moses has returned to Mount Sinai because this is the location of the burning bush. And when he was there at the burning bush, God said, here's how I'm going to prove to you that all of this will happen. 

You're going to come back here with my people and worship me. And so, as people are setting up camp, Moses goes straight up the mountain. He's got unfinished business. A conversation that didn't feel like it had fully ended the last time and needs to go talk to a friend. In this relationship with God, 

God declares the Israelites his most precious possession in a kingdom of priests for God's self. One that God, just like a mother eagle, will protect them and carry them through the world. Now, it's interesting that they're called to priests, because the priests don't exist yet. At least like the Levitical priests, they're not a thing. And 

before the Levitical priests exist, God calls all of the Israelites to be a priestly nation, to be mediators between God and the other nations, to console and journey through life together, to be bearers of God's love for all people and nations. This is a continuation of the blessing that God declared over Abraham and 

his descendants, that they would be a people to bless all other nations. And then after this conversation and pep talk, Moses comes down, delivers a few words to the people, and then God directly speaks to the people these 10 words, or 10 commandments, depending on how you count our Jewish siblings. They don't say ten commandments. They say decalogue is the Greek way, and I don't know in Hebrew because it's a lot longer phrase. 

And that's why no one says it that often other than our Jewish siblings. But the idea of it being 10 words, and the first word is, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, period. Then number two, it's not ten commandments. The first word is what sets the relationship. And so this relationship with God is a new thing that is 

evolving as they've left the land that everyone that is traveling grew up in. Because they were in Egypt for generations. The rabbis teach us that the Pharaoh of Egypt during Exodus was claiming to be a God among many Egyptian gods. And all ancient cultures had these law codes to bind them together as people. And typically law code came from the king or the ruler. 

So in this essence, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who brought the Israelites out of Egypt is teaching them a new way to follow a different God, one of liberation instead of oppression and also establishing God's self as essentially their ruler as they wander the wilderness and out of this relationship they get to be a people that is committed to liberation instead of exploitation and oppression. These rules for the relationship are vague, which is in a way more useful so that people can foster wisdom and 

discernment as they co create life together. We get the first taste of trying to figure out what do these rules really mean when we live them out throughout the book of Leviticus, which is the book that we probably are least likely to sit down and read from beginning to end. Unless you're on a journey to that you're determined to read through the whole Bible. That's pretty much the only time anyone reads all of Leviticus, unless you're a Leviticus scholar. 

Because it's about trying to hash out what do these rules mean within the context of the community that they had begun building once they get into the land they were going to. They're also called to have no other gods, to acknowledge that no other power is worthy of being worshipped and elevated over the God of the Israelites, the Triune God. This extends to not elevating anything created by God into an idol that is worthy of worship. 

Money, power were the two main idols in the time Mammon and Molech. And the reality is that they keep getting embodied in our world in different ways. Like stock markets and foreign 401ks, political parties and leaders, NFL teams, billionaires, influencers. None of these people or things should be more influential and more powerful in your life than the teachings of God as we understand them in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

And then the standard do not take the Lord's name in vain. But you might notice that that's not how our translation translates, that's just how King James does it. And it's probably easier for a ruler who was rewriting the Bible translation so that they can get out of and start their own branch of Christianity so they could get divorced, so they could have another wife and like they were trying to manipulate the system. So of course they would just say, do not take the Lord's name in vain. 

When other English translations say, do not use the Lord your God's name as if it were no significance. Or the nrsvue says, you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord's name in vain. Taking the Lord's name in vain is ascribing to God anything that is inconsistent with the character of God. And we have no shortage of that today. 

And honestly, there's always been two branches of Christianity throughout the history of Christianity. One, one that ascribes power and dominance to the name of Jesus ever since Constantinople and Constantine. That's just how one strand has always done it. And then those who have always turned towards what Jesus did and led with that. So some examples of claiming of using the Lord's name in vain, that some silly ones and some more serious ones claiming that God will bless football teams so 

that particular teams will win in particular people will make lots of money. We've seen plenty of, like, athletes in general. They're like, oh, I won to give God all the glory that, okay, so what does that say about everyone who lost if they worship the same God? That's a little weird. But then more violently, 

we have blessing militaries in the killing of innocent people, declaring that violent systems are directly tied to the worship of God. And throughout history, using public execution as a way to say that God was against these people and for this nation in the same way that Egypt was doing and Babylon had done and Rome had done during Jesus time, leading to the killing and execution of Jesus. Whenever we use God's name to target and 

ruin the lives of the very people that Jesus calls us to take care of in Matthew 25 is using the Lord's name in vain. And then lastly, in this relationship with God section, God declares that everyone should have access to rest every week. The text says on it, you shall not do any work. Neither you nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner reading residing in your towns. Everyone should have access to rest. 

And to not do that is against the Ten Commandments. And to build systems of exploitation and control that makes it so. Everyone has to be working seven days a week. Or just anyone has to be working seven days a week is not fair. The rabbis teach that the ban against cooking made it so that those who tended to the house could even have rest on the side Sabbath. 

And then we find out that worshiping the Triune God transforms how we are called to relate to one another and build a kingdom for the original Israelites that is counter to the way of Pharaoh. So each commandment is about relationships between each other, but also requires the community to build the space where others do not break the commandment. Because while the text is you singular, it's addressing to an entire people group. 

And so the rabbis have interpreted that as it's not only important for you to make sure that you don't steal, but for you to make sure that no one should ever need to steal and so honor your mother and father and parent. Which then means that if we are called to honor them, then they on the other half of this are called to take care of their children and raise them with care and respect. In order to not murder people, we also need to be committed as a community to help solve issues through communication and de escalation. Much like the substantial decrease in violent crime in Baltimore City because of how they've been in intervening whenever violence happens, 

they find out that someone was murdered by someone else and they go to the family of the departed and go, hey, I found out you were trying, you wanted to take revenge. Let's figure out a different way and helping stop cycles of violence. Do not commit adultery as a call to ethical sexual relationships. Not steal. Don't create the conditions where people need to steal to survive or while still maintaining weekly rhythms of rest. 

Making sure people don't have to steal is also tied to making sure that everyone has access to the care they need so that they can rest. God wants us to know that another world is possible. And being in relationship with God will inherently impact how we create community here and now. Which is why Jesus taught us to pray that God's kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Not that we shall be saved to go experience God's kingdom later, but that we build God's kingdom here alongside the Spirit of God. And we can see that the tradition that Jesus is handing us in that prayer is the same tradition that begins and even started way before this. But we can see that thread God's doing the same thing of empowering God's people to be a priestly people to a world in pain. A people who embody a way that is completely counter to the way of Egypt that looks way more like the way of Jesus. The God of the Bible is the same God. 

The only thing that changes is our understanding of that God. And then maybe there's some times when God changes their mind, but the reality is that when we change our minds, we're still the same person. Right? And so, let us pray. God, you are the God who gifted your people with this beautiful relationship that can change the world. 

In the same way that you have gifted us with our beloved pets that have taught us new ways of being in relationship with one another, new ways of being patient with one another and finding rest with one another. And so may your spirit continue to guide us so that we can do the same. So that when we are formed by the Holy Spirit as disciples, we can then go into the world to love boldly, serve joyfully and lead courageously. 

Amen.