Walter Brueggemann offers a fascinating perspective on the Ten Commandments. He suggests that Pharaoh also had ten commandments that can be found in Exodus chapter 5.
While I struggled to locate these, I trust his viewpoint.
What stands out is Brueggemann’s idea that the Ten Commandments represent God’s new order. They symbolize freedom from Pharaoh and newfound liberty to serve God and love one another. Let’s explore how they appear in today’s world.
Then God spoke all these words,
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20.1-3).
Many Gods
The ancient world was full of gods. Take Egypt, for example, where the Nile River was revered as a major god. Even Pharaoh and cattle were considered gods. In fact, there seemed to be gods everywhere you looked.
In the Roman Empire, it was said that their number of gods was so vast they couldn’t even be counted.
The Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt for 430 years. It’s likely they adopted the Egyptian beliefs about the gods, as part of daily life.
They surely believed in the God of their forefathers – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – but to them, the oppressive Egyptian gods seemed more real.
God had to powerfully reveal himself to show that he was the One True God.
Years after they left Egypt, the Hebrew prophets faced a challenge. The Israelites were continually tempted to worship different gods.
Isaiah said this about the nation.
Their land is filled with silver and gold,
and there is no end to their treasures;
their land is filled with horses,
and there is no end to their chariots.
Their land is filled with idols;
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their own fingers have made. (Isaiah 2.7-8)
In Isaiah’s time, people were happy because they had silver, gold, and a strong army for protection. But Isaiah grieved because instead of worshiping the One True God, they chose to serve idols.
The “Gods” of American Culture
Americans, like the Egyptians, Romans, and Israelites of old, idolize people among other things. Here’s a brief list of some idols in American culture I found online.
Taylor Swift
The Kardashians
The Real Housewives Franchise
MTV’s The Fabulous Life
The Voice
American Idol
America’s Got Talent
America’s Next Top Model
Prominent billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and others.
Sports stars like Patrick Mahomes, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Serena Williams
Politicians of both parties
Our Challenge
Hosea was a prophet at the same time as Isaiah. He struggled with an issue known as syncretism, where people mixed up Jehovah and Baal. They combined both religions to such an extent that they couldn’t tell one from the other.
On that day, says the Lord, you will call me “my husband,” and no longer will you call me “my Baal” (Hosea 2:16).
Our task is to distinguish between the gods of our society and the One True God, ensuring we worship him correctly.
If we seek God’s help to look within, we can see where our devotion to him is pure and where it mixes with cultural idols.
Remember, God has liberated us and provided his rules so that we can fully utilize this freedom for a rich life.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 