A Nation of Slaves
The Long Road Home - Part 2
Sunday, October 17, 2021
Exodus 20:2, Exodus 32:1-5, 1 Peter 2:9-10
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery…
Exodus 20:2
Listen to this week’s sermon here:
- excerpt from Steve Chalk, The Lost Message of Jesus
A few years ago, I was taking part in a live debate on the BBC’s Radio Five Live, Drive Time show. One of the stories the program was covering was on the issue of adultery. As we chatted the presenter chipped in, “Why is God so miserable? Why has he got such a downer on everything we do?” And then, building into a real anti-God kind of rant, she added, “Don’t do this and don’t do that. Don’t commit adultery. It’s pathetic.”
I interrupted her with a question. “Does the Bible really say, ‘Don’t commit adultery?’”
“Yes, it does,” came her rapier reply.
“Well, I’ve never read that bit,” I said.
“You know very well it’s in there,” she retorted. “In fact, it’s in there twice. It’s one of the Ten Commandments.”
“Oh, now I know what you are talking about,” I exclaimed. “It’s just that I didn’t recognize it at first because of the tone of voice you were using.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You’re absolutely right,” I continued. “God does say that we shouldn’t commit adultery, but not in the way you’ve read it. You see, before he gives any of the Ten Commandments, he introduces himself as the God who loves Israel. He lets them know that his is for them not against them. He wants the best for them. God didn’t sit in heaven making a list of all the things he knows human beings like to do and then outlaw them all to spoil our fun. Rather he knows the pain and heartache that we will cause others and ourselves if we pursue agendas that are contrary to the way he made us to be. The Ten Commandments is a loving God saying, ‘Look, I am the God who loves you. I’m on your side. I got you out of slavery. I’m the best deal you’ve got going for you. Trust me. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t abandon me. Don’t commit adultery because if you do it will unleash destructive powers that will slowly overshadow you, destroying you, your families, and your society. Trust me. Don’t be stupid.’”
The presenter looked at me in astonishment. Quietly she said, “No-one has ever explained it to me in that way. That makes so much sense.” Within minutes the phones were ringing with dozens of people all saying the same thing: “Why hasn’t anyone ever told us this before? I’ve been going to church all my life, and no-one has ever explained it to me like that.”