Many organizations develop “codes of ethical conduct.” I find such ethical codes fascinating. They reveal a great deal about the identity, outlook, commitments, and values of the organization.
We may consider the Ten Commandments as a code of ethical conduct for the faithful. Our scripture covers the first four of the Ten Commandments, which describe humanity’s relationship with the Divine. We usually think of these commandments as rules that God expects us to obey. Instead of focusing on our obligations under the rules, let’s ask a different question: What do these four commandments reveal about the nature of God? Let us look at these commandments as God’s self-disclosure.
God’s self-disclosure begins with the proclamation that Yahweh is a God of liberation, freeing the people from Egyptian slavery. The first two commandments establish an exclusive relationship between Yahweh and the faithful. God expects them to place God at the center of their lives. No idol will come before God: no personal ambition, no private wealth, no pride in accomplishments—nothing takes the central place of God.
Similarly, the third commandment against misusing God’s name refers to treating God as a means rather than an end. When we invoke God’s name as a means for advancing our personal agenda, then we move God to the margins of our lives and place ourselves at the center. We become the center of our world, and we use God to serve us. This is self-idolatry.
The fourth commandment to keep the sabbath requires a vulnerability in which we suspend our work. We rest and trust in God’s ultimate provision. God envisions this relationship as one in which we trust God’s providence completely.