Worldview Formation

          The core values that make up my worldview are faith in God followed by a lack of faith in humanity. I do not trust myself let alone other people and this is not a self-esteem issue, just my conclusions on what makes a human a human. Of course through God and His Son and Spirit I have many bonds of trust with others as long as faith in God is our foundational bond. It has been my experience and perhaps upbringing to expect others to come up short. Yet, the effort any of us make in being more than sinful is an absolute encouragement. In the end I would not summarize my worldview as negative but one of accepting who we are and who we are not.

            In truth my upbringing played a tremendous role in shaping my worldview as I watched my mother do the impossible time and again with no one to celebrate with. As a single parent she needed help in areas we can all take for granted. I can remember several moving days when others said they would help out but in the end it was just mom and I packing and loading the U-Haul truck. I remember as a child the impact certain passages had on me as a result of these experiences. “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37, NIV)

Perhaps more dramatically I can recall just how spiteful I was towards those that did not keep their word and the only peace I found was in accepting that they may be demons in disguise (this is from a child’s mind and I do not think this way as an adult): “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14, NIV) Again, I will mention that I saw myself in this light as well, knowing that I had let down my mother and others on many occasions. This was not a view forged from a “righteous me” versus the world by any means.

            Another foundational element in shaping my worldview is the idea of being in a family. It was just my mother and I for many years until I was sixteen and being a part of a family was very desirable. It was then troublesome to watch my home church become less of a family and more of a high powered non-profit organization. There is no doubt this factors in to my views on church and church culture. This has been a double-edged sword for me as there have been many positives in this understanding as well. Ministry for example has always become family because I believe I would be teaching something other than Christ if it did not.

            The challenges have also been the benefits in ministry. Family is messy and it may not have the “look” of Christian conformity but then again what does that look like. I can think of many very different examples all stemming from the same book. The challenge has been when others have a voice and realize it will be heard. Those labelled as trouble makers are usually asked to come over to my house and this is how we like it. When brothers and sisters come to an understanding that they are competent to instruct one another a new chapter is open to them. It also becomes problematic in that we no longer care to be students now that we finally have the microphone and an audience.

            The only leadership I have ever experienced to be successful is through complete weakness. Sharing failures and hurts while finding comfort in our Lord is by far more powerful than the most epic of sermons and believe me I love to preach. Removing yourself from the constant spotlight and allowing others to share their conviction is a great way to remain a student and not a guru sitting on a high hill. Making the declaration that you have no original material and that the Gospel of Alex Moghadam (your name here) will fail you and lead you astray but the Gospel of Jesus brings salvation and peace should be a bit of a mantra.

            I will share a story that truly inspired me to change my ways even though my ways were taking me exactly where I wanted to be.  As a campus ministry leader many years ago one of my roles was to preach every third Sunday for the church and every Wednesday for the campus. I would put in so much time and effort into my sermons and there was fasting and dedicated prayer to accompany the effort. On Sunday I was always welcomed by the church and would see and hear things from the pulpit that would set my soul on fire so to speak. I had older men that I respected tell me how gifted I was as a speaker and I saw folks cry and could only think that they must be right.

            Perhaps they were and perhaps I can deliver a message with clarity and impact but that is not the point here. One Wednesday with the campus ministry I addressed some attitudes in the ministry only to find out that my example was the cause of these attitudes. There was a spirit of competition between the brothers that had nothing to do with seeing God glorified. Each was out for their own glory. I was humbled as I recalled how Jesus handled a competitive spirit in His own ministry and how He was able to settle it so quickly. It would be easy enough to say it is because He is Lord and this is true but He was also man and He served His disciples and did not seek a spotlight. 

            It took me weeks of serving my ministry for my words, even as I used the Bible, to have the kind of meaning they needed to. The pulpit is a dangerous place as it is in my opinion just another piece of wood God’s people can fall in love with over Him. This experience helped to shape my view because when I was the next preacher to take over the world I had no personal or lasting impact with my ministry but when I was Alex the defeated sinner in need of a Savior I had real strength. 

Exegetical paper of Deuteronomy 5:1-21

Deuteronomy 5:1-21

            The Ten Commandments comprise the foundation of the Jewish faith. In Deuteronomy 5:1-21 Moses proclaims the Ten Commandments to the people a second time. This essay will examine the context of Deuteronomy 5:1-21 and address why the commandments are repeated for a second time. The essay will identify the type of law, whether salvation driven or obedience based, Deuteronomy 5:1-21 aligns with. It will answer the question, what was the nature of adherence required by the Ten Commandments? More specifically this essay will respond to why the law was there and what purpose it served. After addressing these topics concerning the Decalogue they can then be applied in a modern context. Deuteronomy 5:1-21 must be given proper context, understanding the features of the law which formed the basis of the covenant between God and man is vital in applying them to our lives today.

            The Ten Commandments provide a foundation for the people Israel on how to be Israelites. As a people belonging to God there was to be holiness present in Israel and in this the glory of God would be on display for the rest of the world. Deuteronomy 5:1-21 was not merely an additional reminder to the people to obey their God; it was a gift from God. “The Law shows God's justice, love, and high standards, but one should not fail to see God's mercy even in the midst of these.”[1] The gift and blessing of the Ten Commandments was that Israel always had a way back to God, for this reason the Ten Commandments had a vital role in the lives of the people.

            The law was given to Israel not as a means to salvation but to show them to be a people of salvation. The law is then given to the people so they might obey their God out of love and not fear. “The Mosaic law was not, and never was intended to be, the means of establishing a relationship with God. Instead, it was a means of regulating Israel's relationship with God that had already been established, being guidelines for those already ‘saved.’”[2] This additional giving of the law in Deuteronomy was given as a reminder that God is for His people and this will not change as they enter the Promised Land. This is consistent with the book of Deuteronomy as the hearers were given reassurances of God’s love and faithfulness in the face of impossible odds.

Deuteronomy 5:1-21 provides the reader with a different contextual base from the original proclamation in the Exodus account. In this case the audience was different. The audience was still all Hebrews but of a different generation and in a different mindset from the previous Exodus generation. The location was different and the obstacles of their immediate future presented different challenges. “Rather, Deuteronomy represents a recontextualization of the earlier material, as Moses addresses a different audience from those who heard the law given at Sinai/Horeb.”[3] This demonstrates how the law was applicable regardless of situation or location just as the words of God are today.

            The Ten Commandments cover many types of law, considering the wide range of topics listed. From family, civil, and moral issues the Ten Commandments act as a base for legal questions in Israel. Deuteronomy 5:1-21 brings to light the type and nature of the law as the people were reminded of the requirements and direct nature of the Commandments. These are apodictic laws that state absolute principles, as opposed to casuistic laws that apply the principles. “Apodictic law, on the other hand, is categorical assertions of right and wrong. Apodictic laws are not presented in the form of cases (“If . . . then . . .”) but as declarations.”[4] The Ten Commandments fall under the apodictic type, meaning that the law is indisputably true and thus it is appropriate to announce the law to the people again at Horeb.

            The law was given as the very words of God, written by His hand and void of human intervention. This more than qualifies the Ten Commandments as indisputable and therefore above all other laws they will come into contact with. God’s covenant with Israel is proclaimed in Deuteronomy 5:1-21 before entering the Promised Land so that old temptations do not take hold of the people again. “A few chapters later (ch. 23) the same prophet traces the origins of the Israelite tendency to stray after foreign gods to their time in Egypt (see below). These passages unambiguously affirm that the Hebrews worshipped foreign gods, identified as ‘the idols of Egypt’, during this pre-exodus period.”[5] The law was more than a set of instructions for Israel, it was a peace treaty hand written by the Lord God.

The requirements of the laws are clearly stated in Deuteronomy 5:1-21, literally written in stone and unyielding to the passing of time or environment. This creates a clear, concise and coherent law the people can follow and understand. Laws that are clearly written and received provide the basis for justice while giving the reader a basis for understanding. “But in seeking to properly understand the relevance of the text for a contemporary audience, it is clearly necessary to begin with a proper understanding of exactly what the law is requiring or forbidding.”[6] God is showing the people how to be His own people and has not minced words in doing so.

            It is the nature of the law that motivates or inspires the people to obey God fully. The penalty of the law is much the same as we see in all legal writings however the outcome of obeying the law takes new meaning in Deuteronomy 5:1-21. The Ten Commandments are applied to the people as a whole and all share in the responsibility of representing their glorious God through obeying Him. This is true even for Moses the law provider, whereas in many cultures we see an absence of legal requirement for the law-givers or ruling authorities. “By contrast, in the revelation of the Decalogue this theme is omitted. Moses joins his peers as listener. God now speaks directly to his people: ‘And God spoke all these words, saying’ (20:1 RSV).”[7] The authority of the law is revealed as the chosen instrument of God, Moses, the worker of miracles and the rescuer of Israel, listens and adheres to the law as does Israel.

            The requirements of the law were unifying as they applied to the whole of Israel. Although Moses was the chosen instrument of God in the rescuing of His people, Moses was a part of the people like everyone else. “Strictly speaking, the Decalogue is not a collection of laws. Various factors set it apart from other legal collections of the Pentateuch. First, God speaks it directly to the people; at this stage Moses does not act as an intermediary (20:1, 19; cf. Deut. 4:1213; 5:45, 2227).”[8] This was not Moses’ law and therefore he could claim no exemptions from it as he would come to find out during an angered outburst that cost him his chance to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12).

            Deuteronomy 5:1-21 is necessary to solidify the purpose of the Ten Commandments. Moses again plays a crucial role in solidifying the true identity of Israel as God’s chosen people. “At the very least, it also contained the powerful vision of the Covenant people, a unique concept of service to God and Devotion to His ways which is the source from which stem all other aspects of Judaism, including its ethical and ritual codes."[9] This is the second time we see the commandments listed out fully and it sets a tone for the people of God going forward. In order to receive the Promised Land from God the people would need to be ready for the challenges ahead of them.

The people needed to understand that their success was dependent on their relationship with God. “This sense of total devotion to Yahweh was necessary for Israel’s survival and success as the people of God. Israel could not be a paradigm for the nations in terms of what it means to be human in relationship with God if the people were just like the nations in terms of idolatry.”[10] Before entering the Promised Land they would need to be Israel and not Egyptian refugees, and the law provided this identity for them. Moses acted as mediator but his intention was to give the people a vision of their King.

            The Ten Commandments are listed out a second time by design and intention not only for Israel but for those who would become His children. The law can be set aside by the modern Christian follower as it is labelled unnecessary and burdensome. More so the Christian believer can view the law as abolished or absent from the Christian faith and ideals. Jesus did not say he was going to abolish the law, however, but to fulfill it. Given that Jesus fulfilled the law, how does it apply to us?

The law was put in place to provide more than judicial and civil laws but to provide an understanding of God’s intention and heart for His people. The penalties against a rapist, for example, can be viewed as barbaric to our modern sensibilities as we want to think that God only forgives. The penalty could have been soft but then we would not understand God’s feeling about rape. “In fact, it wasn't: the Bible could have ordered that a rapist cannot marry his victim, but must provide financial support for her for his entire life.”[11] Whether or not we agree with the penalty we are quickly apprised of God’s feelings towards this vile act.

The law is applied in spirit through the life we pursue in Christ and in this way the law can be fulfilled. The pursuit of New Testament living should not be viewed as easy nor should grace be used as a license to sin. By no means is this true. It is wise to recall that the law was more than a set of rules and regulations but a gift to the people for purposes of identity. “We noted there that law for the Israelites was not about earning salvation through the keeping of a set of rules but was a means by which God’s people were to live out relationship with God as a witness to a watching world.”[12] Just as the law showed the world a people belonging to God it now shows the world a people in Christ, the fulfilment of the law.

            This is not to say that the law is required in strict obedience for the follower of Jesus today as there is a New Covenant in place, but this does not abolish the former. We are no longer under a theocracy as the Hebrews were, or at least not in the United States, but we remain accountable to the Messiah Jesus who judges by grace with the law still standing as a pillar of righteous behavior before God. We are under grace and not law but the law does not play the role of a villain in our narrative.  Just as Moses proclaimed the Ten Commandments again in Deuteronomy 5:1-21 Israel was reminded of the God they serve and the glory He is worthy of, we too make every effort to obey Him in love so that the world may know Him.

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[1] Lecture 1. "HTH 611: Old Testament Exegesis - Pentateuch." Grand Canyon University. Phoenix, AZ, 2014.

[2] Joe M. Sprinkle, "Law and narrative in Exodus 19-24." Journal of The Evangelical Theological Society 47, no. 2, 2004: 235-252. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 22, 2016).

[3] Peter T. Vogt, Interpreting the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2009, 137

[4] Peter T. Vogt, Interpreting the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2009, 138

[5] Nicholas P. Lunn, "Let my people go!' The exodus as Israel's metaphorical divorce from Egypt." Evangelical Quarterly 86, no. 3, 2014: 239-251. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed May 24, 2016).

[6] Peter T. Vogt, Interpreting the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2009, 141

[7] Victor P. Hamilton, Handbook on the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005, 179

[8] T. Desmond Alexander, From Paradise to the Promise Land - An Introduction to the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012.

[9] Robert A. Hammer, "New covenant of Moses." Judaism 27, no. 3, 1978: 345-350. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 23, 2016).

[10] Peter T. Vogt, Interpreting the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2009, 143

[11] Morgan Reinhart, "What God Has Brought Together." Humanist. Nov/Dec, Vol. 72 Issue 6, 2012: p8-11. 3p. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 22, 2016).

[12] Peter T. Vogt, Interpreting the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2009, 136