Putting the Beauty Back in the Commandments

By Jessie Partington

The purpose of this little book is to put the beauty of God back into His Ten Commandments by weaving the loveliness of God’s character as described in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (Matt 3: 5– 11), with His Law given on Mt Sinai (Exodus 20:3– 17).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Finck, Inc. Publishing
• Release date: Jul 6, 2018

Book preview

Day

Preface

Black Clouds or Golden Daffodils

Driving through the Oregon countryside one afternoon, I noticed ominous black clouds gathering overhead. A few miles later it was becoming apparent—these were not friendly clouds. I had better change course. Oregon does not generally have threatening weather, but as the foreboding black clouds thickened, they appeared to be closing in around me. I tried escaping first in one direction then another, but to no avail. It was as if the very light of Heaven was being smothered as the heavy blackness settled in over my head. Aggressive evil hung heavy about me.

My fingers became cold and icy as my grip on the steering wheel tightened. Suddenly as I rounded a corner, to my wonderment, there stretched out before my eyes was a scene that appeared like sacred grandeur: a garden of golden daffodils in all its dazzling sun-kissed brilliance. In the midst of the unknown blackness threatening my soul, a determined ray of sun had managed to squeeze through a tiny opening in the clouds and come to rest upon this array of Spring’s grandest adornment—a garden filled gift of deep golden daffodils.

I do not know who planted this little piece of heaven, this garden of gold, though off to the side was a small tired farmhouse with a very tattered front-porch rocking chair. However, I do know that upon seeing the awe inspiring brightness of golden daffodils contrasted against the tortuous black clouds descending upon the earth, I discovered something very valuable:

God gave us a gift—a beautiful bouquet of Golden Daffodils—and He called them His Ten Commandments. God created His law, His Commandments, to be seen in all their glory and brilliance as a daffodil-filled garden reflecting His image to a threatening world.  And we have somehow turned them into ominous black clouds under which we choose to live.

How did we ever manage to turn God’s gift of the Ten Commandments, a reflection of God Himself, into black clouds!  Threatening black clouds suspended ominously above us from which we cannot escape. We turn here, we dart there. In our indomitable efforts to become strict, determined law-keepers, we may even move from church to church.  There is seen no beauty in our labor to meet what we have deemed as God’s demands, no brilliance, only fear and dread. Though our spiritual souls are crushed, and though there are times when the Light of Heaven manages to show us a glimpse of God found in His precepts, we consciously make a decision to remain under the inescapable darkness we have reasoned His law to be. We dwell in their shadow, the shadow of performance. And in that spiritual darkness of our own creation we chisel out a sharp, dangerous, self-destructive path for our life, shunning the beauty of His Commandments.

Is it possible we have lost sight of the beauty of the Commandments, because we have lost sight of the beauty of God—in—the Commandments?

The purpose of this little book is to put the beauty of God back into His Ten Commandments by weaving the loveliness of God’s character as described in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (Matt 3: 5– 11), with His Law given on Mt Sinai (Exodus 20:3– 17).

Section I – Mount Sinai

Introduction

The Throne Room of Heaven

Perhaps all was unusually quiet in Heaven’s throne room this day. Angels, usually so vibrant and enthusiastic, stand silent, wings folded, heads bowed. In wonderment they know their Beloved Commander is agonizing over His flock, His created little ones dwelling upon a dark earth. God was facing a serious dilemma. He must act. His so recently rescued Children of Israel are in danger. His children need Him. Without guidance, without laws, chaos and turmoil would defeat God’s purpose of freedom. Freedom to grow in God, freedom to grow in love for one another.

The difficulty, however, lies in the fact that God’s response to their needs could lead to terrible consequences. And furthermore, God was painfully aware that Lucifer’s ear was pressed tightly against the Throne Room door. Lucifer: always ready to cruelly steal his way into the company of God’s little family, obliterating and destroying whomever he could. Lucifer: the enemy of God, the destroyer of man.

And indeed, Lucifer definitely was listening intently at the Throne Room door. Although he could not make out the soft whispers from inside, he was very much aware of the fact that The Godhead was about to do something astonishing!  Not having been consulted in this meeting regarding the inhabitants of God’s newest world fueled his already short temper.  He was sorely offended—nevertheless he clearly understood He had no right to be there in the first place. Now he would have to be as devious as possible to gain an advantage in thwarting God’s purposes. If at all possible he dared not miss a word from the hushed conversation behind the closed doors. Whatever was about to happen, Lucifer knew it was of the utmost importance to God. Therefore, he must try to get to God’s children first and distract them from the significance of God’s actions.  At this thought a sinister smile crosses his face for he knows—God’s children are so easily distracted. One tiny upset and they lose sight of their Father. This was always to his benefit. Even so, Lucifer had seen God act many times on behalf of His children, and it was a terrifying experience for him.

Although the grave concern was still unknown to Lucifer, he could tell from the muted, yet concerned voices, this council behind closed doors was not a trifling matter. Lucifer immediately sent strong words to his army stationed about God’s children. He admonished them to be vigilant and be prepared for battle. No actions of loyalty to God could go unnoticed. He must be informed immediately. His army must be on high alert watching for every opportunity to slander, mock and ridicule their God. He knew it was imperative to do everything possible to exploit, misuse and abuse whatever God was about to do. He could not stop God from protecting His children, but he had become very masterful at manipulating God’s actions for his own diabolical purposes.

Oh Lucifer!  You were so right that day to fear and tremble: God indeed was about to do the most grand and astonishing thing since the creation of man.

Chapter One

The Mission of Moses

It was late in the day. Moses, hot, tired and very dusty, made his way up the foothills near Mt Sinai finding a resting place. On this little knoll he could look out across the vast desert below. Off in the distance, clouds of dust still arose as the last of the rescued Israelites made their way into camp. They spread out before him like a patchwork quilt. Children, which is what they were, for they needed to be taught about life, love and God all over again— from the beginning.

Moses felt overwhelmed. So many people, so many problems, so many questions, and the vast unknown task before him. He sighed heavily as a cooling evening breeze stroked his sweaty brow. The softness of evening slips across the sky drifting from mountain tops into valleys, and finally bathes him in the kindness and gentility of subtle twilight.  Taking his mind off the daunting charge before him, Moses lifts his eyes heavenward. In the sweet stillness of the vast desert, his heart is gladdened . . . for he knows His Father is not far away.

From his vantage point overlooking the camp below, Moses’ thoughts returned once again to his flock and their many needs as the sun silently dips from view. Quietly he made his way back to camp passing unnoticed between the rows of tents. On the outskirts of the encampment he could see lonely silhouettes standing alongside their tiny dwellings. They stand motionless, looking far off into the distant fading sunset. Moses paused. He was keenly aware of the tug at their hearts: they were now separated from everything they ever knew, from everything they both hated and yet loved. Moses also knew that in other tents tears silently trickled onto dusty checks leaving a tell-tale sign of heartache. These are your children, Father, as I am your servant, he whispered both to God, and to himself.

Making his way toward his own tent, harsh voices interrupted the melancholy silence. He slowed his pace to see if perhaps there was a word or two he could share to soothe hot tempers. The devil was hovering over them, cruelly prodding and chiding them into sour words and feelings of unrest. Hateful dispositions and threatening actions, mimicking those they had grown up around, were being hurled back and forth in the same spirit as in their days of slavery. Only this time they were the abusers and their accusations were aimed at family and friends. These children had no recognition or concept of cause to effect in their lives. They can’t even get along with the people in the next tent!  Will they ever learn how to love one another, Father Moses asked in His heart?  He knew he was asking for a miracle! 

Moses had spent forty years in the desert with God, and during that time he recognized the complexity before God in rescuing the Children of Israel. God’s task was not simply to get from one end of the desert to the other. He knew God’s guiding presence was not about being their pathfinder, or seeing they were fed, or keeping them safe. Before entering the Promised Land there was a lot of heart-preparation needed. He had already seen the need for rules, rules beyond any he could speak, for they were in need of laws that would produce principles of love, God’s kind of love. However Moses compassionate heart also discerned how very necessary it was for these Children of Israel to be able to see their God as a Father, a caring benevolent Father. Pharaoh had been their law-giver, and acted as a god, but he was no father!  But now, the God of Heaven was not only their King, but He was indeed their Father. A Father of a large unruly family who did not know how to behave or even determine right from wrong.

Finally arriving at