Encountering God in the mundane I (Exod 20:22-26)

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had been one of the Israelites coming out of Egypt, seeing God’s hand so tangibly in the plagues, the parting of the waters and experiencing His presence at Sinai? The truth is though that such mountaintop experiences are rare for Israel, as well as for us, and God is teaching His people how to find Him in the everyday. The purpose of the covenant was, in fact, that God may live with Israel and that they, in turn, might experience His presence. It is appropriate then, that the selection of laws and exhortations starting in v.22 (and concluding in Exod 23:33) opens with questions of worship because it is a key means by which God’s people may have fellowship with Him. Israel’s practice as prescribed in these laws also gives us pointers to how we can find God in the mundane.

What should worship of God look like? First of all, it needs to be exclusive and this is connected to two experiences of Israel: their deliverance from Egypt (Exod 20:2-3) and God’s awe-inspiring presence at Sinai (Exod 20:22-23). The logic is that no other god could perform such acts or be so powerfully present for His people, therefore Israel should not give loyalty to things that cannot save and have no substance (see e.g. Isa 43:11-12; Deut 4:7). While exclusive worship of God seems a no-brainer to us in theory, in practice, we are prone to wander and put our trust in things other than the Lord. Scripture affirms here that true fellowship with Him is only possible when our hearts are not divided, torn between the many things that offer fulfilment in life.

Several details in the rules complement this basic principle by giving due honour to God and by discouraging behaviours taken over from the pagan world. Thus, the rabbis speculated that using tools to dress the stones of the altar (Exod 20:25) was problematic because it may have tempted worshippers to carve idolatrous images in decoration, or because some materials such as iron were associated with warfare and seemed inappropriate for such holy use.[1] Steps leading up to the altar are also banned because people wore long, loose robes in those days without underwear, and worshippers might accidentally expose themselves as they mounted the steps (Exod 20:26). Ritual nudity was common in the ancient Near East (pagan priests often officiated at sacrifices nude),[2] but Israel is taught to steer clear of such practices.

The principle behind the culturally embedded regulations (undressed stones, no steps) is that mixing pagan beliefs and customs with worship of the true God is unacceptable. We may find examples of this in our modern context, too. Thus, popular Christian songs often reflect an individualistic me-focus rather than a God-focus (how I feel rather than what God has done for us) in keeping with the emphasis in Western societies. Likewise, many churches have shifted away from biblical truth and the gospel. One particular emphasis in some NZ churches seems to be on the betterment of the life of particular marginalised social groups. Caring for the vulnerable is, of course, an important Israelite principle (e.g. Deut 24:17, 20). However, the central focus of the gospel is the cross of Christ that offers salvation from sin to those in and outside of power or privilege, however defined. A further example of thinking that mixes cultural priorities with biblical truth was demonstrated recently by a congressman and United Methodist minister, who opened the US Congress in prayer and concluded with “We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and God known by many names by many different faiths. Amen and a-woman.” While most ridiculed the inappropriate pun at the end, I am more concerned that a Christian minister feels it right to pray in the name of other gods.[3] It is hard to catch ourselves in the act, however, when we mix secular standards into our worship of God because the culture around us is so pervasive. Our encouragement is that if we seek the Lord and ask Him to correct our thinking and attitude, He is able to show us where we deviate from the truth and meet us in our need (Ps 139:23-24).

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[1] See Nahum M. Sarna, Exodus, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: JPS, 1991), 117. Although Exodus does not specify iron, Deut 27:5 does.

[2] Many commentators note this. E.g. T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, AOTC (Downers Grove, IL: IVP; London: Apollos, 2017), 459. In the tabernacle complex later, the bronze altar had steps, but the priests had to wear special breeches to avoid the same problem of exposure (Exod 28:42-43).

[3] I am not making a political statement here, simply reflecting on how deeply modern-day pagan values and expectations can shape attitudes, speech and actions.

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