Stroll through Scripture for August 16, 2026

Based on Exodus 19; 20:1–2

The Narrative Lectionary gives us an opportunity to dive into the Ten Commandments for the next four Sundays.  The first Sunday will allow us to look at the context and set up for the Ten Commandments and why they exist and the motivation behind them.  The following three Sundays will have us look at three sections of the commandments.  

(As a side note, the Narrative Lectionary only lists Exodus 19:1-6 along with Exodus 20:1-2 for this Sunday.  I have decided to include the whole of Exodus 19 because it contains more of the context that should be read.)

The Ten Commandments are in the public discussion over the last year or so.  There are various states that have either passed laws pertaining to the public display of the Commandments in public schools or are considering such legislation.  And without getting into detail about these bills, they raise serious questions that go beyond the Ten Commandments themselves.  And then there are practical considerations, which version of the Ten Commandments will be displayed?  Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Protestants all have a different counting of the commandments.  Both Exodus and Deuteronomy list the Commandments.  That’s not even counting the stated reasoning for displaying the Commandments by the sponsors of the legislation.  

My focus in this commentary is to set aside the ideological implications of displaying the Ten Commandments and look at the Commandments themselves.   

The set up for the Commandments is important.  The set up comes in Exodus 19.  The people have reached Mount Sinai after leaving enslavement in Egypt.  They camp at the base of God’s mountain.  And God tells Moses to prepare the people.  There are ceremonies and restrictions with consequences.  The core of this is quite simply that the community of Israel is at a crossroads – what was is no longer, and there is something new.  And in that newness of community, God has some things to say about the relationship between God and the people and between the people and themselves and their possessions.  

In many ways the Exodus story is an origin story of the people of Israel.  It’s a type of birth narrative complete with a birthing process.  The Exodus story and the set up for the Ten Commandments is answering the age old question of how are people to live together in relationship and what is the basis of that relationship.