I am the God who brought you: Wrestling the "Thou Shalt Nots"

"God said it. I believe it. That settles it." Thus is a bumper sticker available for purchase. Before you click the link, please wait. Because there are some deeply troubling aspects to this theology. For one, it presupposes that God does not want us to think. It wants us to pick up the Word, and do exactly what it says, and we'll be fine. Now, obedience to God is incredibly important. However, that way of viewing the Bible also leads to a moralist God. This God does not want to be known, engaged, or united with. This God wants "nice people." The 10 Words are an important part of the Old Testament, and for many good reasons. On Sunday, I said that they begin to paint a picture of the world God is creating. We, in obeying these words, show the world a snapshot of the Kingdom- in fact, a snapshot of Jesus Christ. But why stop at just picking them up and doing them? After all, there is a neat conversation that could be had if we only read a little more closely. The 10 Words are mostly negative commands. But what are we supposed to do instead? If we are not misusing the name of the Lord, how do we appropriately use the name of the Lord? The 10 Words are the beginning to a conversation- Who is God? Who are we to be? The 10 Words are mostly limits, lines that ought not be crossed. I have not killed anyone, but what would it mean to value all life? On Sunday, the bulletin included a worksheet for continued thought, and one of the questions asked you to take one of the "commandments" and state it positively and in your own words. In the comments, I would invite you to share what you learned and how you what you discovered about God in the "Thou Shalt Not's."