Towards, unto, into and in Theos

In the previous post we were considering how that, in Exodus 19, there appears to be a fulfillment of the promise in Exodus 3 that Mosheh and his people would worship ‘elohym at Horeb as a sign that Yahweh would be with Mosheh. At the conclusion of the chapter we see that the people being prohibited from ascending the mountain, it is Mosheh and his brother ‘Aharon who ascend and commune with ‘elohym and this forms the revelation in Exodus 20 which is referred to as the ten commandments and which are then inscribed on the two tables of stone and placed inside of the ark of the covenant and covered with the kaporeth.

This revelation, these giving of commandments are referred to by the number ten. In Exodus 34 for example:

And he was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. (Ex.34.28)

There is a lot going on here. Firstly I have highlighted the word ‘there’ from the verb ‘to place’ or ‘to set’ and a homograph of the word ‘name’ which is intriguing set, as it is, in the same chapter as Yahweh calling his name before Mosheh. ‘With’, a homograph of ‘people’ set, as it is, in the context of the covenant to create a people unto Yahweh, pertaining to which the meaning of the name is intricately bound up with. ‘Neither’/’nor’ both the word לא (an inversion of אל). Fundamental of course is the linkage between the tables of stone, to be placed within the ark of the covenant, and the covenant made firstly with Mosheh but, through him, with his people.

A few words here should be said about a covenant, which we will deal with more fully in later posts. A covenant is an agreement made between two parties. It is made here between Yahweh and Mosheh with that agreement being extended through Mosheh to Yahweh’s created people. Like the unto/unto relationship of the kaporeth it is brought into existence by the face to face juxtaposition of ‘elohym and man. ‘elohym speaks, man receives and reciprocates. As we saw with the ‘I’ into ‘he’ in a previous post, Yahweh gives us the means, the enlightenment, that is the commandments, which allow us to offer that reciprocation, through obedience, which he requires us to do in order to keep that agreement, or covenant. In this context the number ‘ten’ is highly significant as it is a number representative of such a giving back as is required under the ten commandments. The notion of a tenth or a tithe catches this sense. For example the tithing that was required by the law in which a son of Yisra’el was required to give a tenth of all that came to him to the priests. The tithing which Ya’aqob promises to ‘elohym when he was at Beth’el (the house of אל) and asked if Yahweh would bring him back (a return journey) then he would give him the tenth. Similarly when Iesous heals ten lepers only one returns back to give Theos the glory, that is a tenth. We can see clearly now how that the reciprocal obedience to the ten commandments is that which makes it a return journey. A return to אל and a return, ultimately to ‘Eden. These ideas are fundamentally enshrined in who אל is and will be and the meaning of his name. So, in returning back words which we have been given, we are transforming into him and returning to become he out of whom, as a species, we were made.

In language highly reminiscent of the calling of Yahweh’s name which will happen in chapter 34 Yahweh reveals who he is (and will be) and what he expects in reciprocation of that revelation, expressed both in the not and the not/not (yea), that is in positives and negatives, again wholly consistent with the title אל and its homographic meaning of ‘not’, although repeatedly using the inverted לא thus:

I, Yahweh thy ‘elohym, which have brought thee out of the land of Mitsraym, out of the house of bondage. There shall not be to thee other ‘elohym before me. (Ex.20.2,3 – commandment 1)

Here we start with a positive statement. Yahweh revealed his name to Mosheh with the express intention of bringing the people out of Mitsraym unto this place, unto him. As he did this he can be their only ‘elohym. There can be no other(s). We will see the importance of ‘the other’ in a later post but it is clear that there is only Yahweh and anything else (or ‘other’) is antithetical to him. It is an affirmative assertion of his identity with a complimentary, albeit negative, counterpoint to clarify what is not him. ‘elohym is a relationship of ‘to thee’ in which ‘elohym and man must be in a reciprocal position. Only Yahweh can ‘be’ when he, as true ‘elohym, is face to face with man. Any other ‘to thee’ is a reciprocal relationship with that which is not, that is ‘the other’.

Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I Yahweh thy ‘elohym am a jealous ‘el (אל), visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Ex.20.4-6 – commandment 2)

This commandment goes further in qualifying the not element of serving Yahweh. These ‘other’ ‘elohym can be expressed in the form of idols/graven images etc. These cannot be created or worshipped. Yahweh creates us in his likeness, that is that we are, ultimately, to become like/as him. The direction of creation is from him to us to create his likeness in us that we might reciprocate him. Worship of false ‘elohym is the anitithesis (the ‘not’) of this process inasmuch as a man creates ‘elohym in his likeness. If we do this then we are the not to Yahweh’s yea. In contrast to these negative assertions we have the contrast of the affirmative description of Yahweh in the same language that will be used in Exodus 34.6,7 to call his name by.

Thou shall not take the name of Yahweh thy ‘elohym in vain; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain. (Ex.20.7 – commandment 3)

Here, perhaps, is the focal point of these commandments. That it is about the name is clear. We have already seen the importance of the name in calling the people by Mosheh out of Mitsraym and it is set in the context of that return journey to Horeb (like the return journey to Eden) which is a journey towards Yahweh – to the place where he is – and is accomplished by receiving and reciprocating his words/commands. This being the essence of his name, it is critical that it is performed sincerely and not with dissembling or disingenuity. The word ‘taking’ is the verb נשא with alternate meanings such as ‘bear’, ‘lift up’ and ‘forgive’ and indeed is used in the declaration of Yahweh’s name in Ex.34. The word translating ‘in vain’ is שוא and is related to the word translated ‘take’ and has the sense of falsehood and vanity. If we shift the axis of the kaporeth to a vertical one instead of a horizontal one we can see that reciprocal revelation can be seen not only as a friend speaking to another but as an ordered relationship of dominion. That is, the one above reveals to the one below. The one below lifts up back to the originator. If this is done falsely then any reflection of that name is false/vain. The obvious trajectory of the argument is that failure to keep these commandments will result in the vanity of attempting to show Yahweh in ourselves without subjection to his word.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of Yahweh thy ‘elohym: in it thou shall not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Ex.20.8-11 – commandment 4)

One of the issues with lifting up Yahweh’s name vainly/falsely is that there is a significant stress in the name on the future and in these two commandments (4 and 5) we begin to see the reality of this revelation. The idea of the sabbath day is to look back to the seventh day of creation but it is also clear that this seventh day of creation is anticipatory of a rest to come. (We will look at the idea of anticipatory manifestation in more detail in the future.) The writer to the Hebrews is clear that when the children of Yisra’el entered into the land they had not achieved that rest. This is because they had not ceased from their labours. A cessation of labour and an entering into rest rely upon ceasing to strive, in this age, against the flesh, to cease to struggle to manifest the name of Yahweh in ourselves and for it to be no longer a battle. As such to observe the sabbath is not only to look back but also to look forward to a time of true rest when the reconciliation of man and ‘elohym has been fulfilled.

Indeed, if we see these statements as factual observances of the future rather than commands then we can see a certainty of prophecy fulfilled. In this case we might consider who the ‘thou’ (singular) is that these statements are addressed to. Is it a personal unto/unto interaction with any given member of the children of Yisra’el or to Mosheh (to whom these words were given and in whom were the people) or to the future mediator of the new covenant, Iesous.

Again, although most of the statements concerning the sabbath are in the positive, one negative stands out – thou shall not work.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which Yahweh thy ‘elohym gives thee. (Ex.20.12 – commandment 5)

In Ephesians 6.2 it says that this is the first commandment with promise because it comes with the promise of long life, figuratively agelasting life, as an outcome of obedience to that command. It is also a command that comes with no negative. If Yahweh is a father to his children then this commandment hints at honouring natural parents as though they were your parent in heaven. In this sense it is a work befitting faith, it is a manifestational work, showing the belief in obedience to a natural parent as a figurative obedience to a heavenly parent. It is a kind of microcosm of the whole of the commandments. The true unto/unto relationship leads to life.

Thou shall not kill. (Ex.20.13 – commandment 6)

A completely negative statement. Life is the preserve of Yahweh. Man has no authority to take another man’s life.

Thou shall not commit adultery. (Ex.20.14 – commandment 7)

Another commandment in the negative. Again, manifestational in essence. According to the proverb ‘whoso commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he that does it destroys his own soul.’ (Prov.6.32). We will look at the definition of a soul in a later blog but suffice it to say that true marriage speaks of the true union between Yahweh and his people at that time and place when they become him. Adultery is akin to serving other ‘elohym as it involves union with another other than the spouse. A true manifestational marriage between a believing man and a believing woman fulfills the template from Genesis 2, that is the woman is brought unto the man to be a help as before him. If a man manifests ‘elohym to the woman then they are living out the meaning of that true reciprocal relationship. If he/she steps outside of that pattern then the manifestation is usurped, overthrown.

Thou shall not steal. (Ex.20.15 – commandment 8)

Again a negative command. Seemingly self-explanatory. Although becoming more interesting if you contemplate these statements and prophecies directed at the greater Mosheh, the mediator of the new covenant. What was it that he did not steal? In Philippians 2 it is evident that being equal (things) with Theos was not something he esteemed as to be taken but instead to be gifted. Thus becoming equal with Theos is something none of us can attempt to achieve except by his giving us the means to become him. As we will see in an upcoming post, receiving is taking what is being offered as a gift; stealing is to take what is not being offered.

Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (Ex.20.16 – commandment 9)

Again a statement in the negative and apparently self-explanatory. However, this is not a command to desist from lying. It has a specific application and a specific potential victim. Bearing false witness is a criminal offence in which a person stands up in a judicial context and falsely denounces the accused. This was done to Iesous by the elders of Israel. It was done to Naboth by children of Belial when Ahab wanted his vineyard and conspired to kill him. Needless to say, the one who fulfilled the name of Yahweh completely only bore true witness to his Lord and shepherd (a Hebrew homograph of ‘neighbour’).

Thou shall not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shall not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. (Ex.20.17 – commandment 10)

Again a series of negative propositions which, again, concern the neighbour. Coveting is linked to idolatry in Colossians 3.5 and so we see a return to the themes expressed earlier in the ten commandments.

In these ten commandments we see the expression of the theme of return. The reciprocating of Yahweh’s word back to him to become one with him, to become him, is the ultimate point of the return journey. We can be joined with him in a fulfillment of his covenant by keeping his word and by looking on the singular ‘thou’ who did so.