“I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20: 5)

In an old Mel Brooks movie, the comedian offers his take on history.  In one scene, Brooks is playing Moses. The scene ends with Moses coming down to deliver God’s word.  He walks out with three stone tablets in his arms and declares, “I bring you these Fifteen…” and then stumbles and drops one of the tablets.  

As the tablet shatters, Moses looks up and continues “…Ten Commandments!”

This scene always pops into my head when I hear about the Ten Commandments. The image of the Ten Commandments being these large stone tablets inscribed by lightning is very real for me.

Unfortunately, it’s easy for me to get stuck on that image and see God’s Law as just words emblazoned into stone. 

Stone is durable, but stone tablets can break.  The people of Israel had God’s Law literally “written in stone” and still broke it. Even when those stone tablets became digitized and posted on the Internet, we still break them.    

But God’s word doesn’t break. As I read through the listing of the Ten Commandments in Exodus, I need to examine my own heart. Is it stone like those tablets?  Is this reflection an opportunity for God to soften my heart and open it up to His Covenant?  The Commandments are His Law by which I can live freely within the promises of God. These rules guide my relationship with God and others as part of this covenant.

As a Christian, this is a critical connection for me to make, especially as I move through the Old Testament into the story of Jesus.  The story of Israel continues as people break their relationship with God by deciding they know what’s best or by giving something else primacy over God.  People repeatedly violate the laws and sever their side of the covenant.  But despite their failings, God never breaks his covenant.  And that covenant is ultimately fulfilled through Jesus.

Even though I’ve seen the scene a hundred times, I still laugh when Brooks drops the tablets.  But this season, I’m going to find joy by dropping my own “stone tablet” and asking God to take my heart and soften it.  I’ll replace the image of stone and lighting, with that of the finger of our faithful God tracing his Law onto my heart, leading me to a stronger relationship with Jesus. 

As you read these verses in Exodus, reflect on how each of the Ten Commandments lays out how we can live faithfully in our relationship not only with God, but each other.  How can God soften your heart as you prepare for the promise of Jesus?