How do we live by every word of the Torah? God is the God of actions, not merely abstract ideas. We live by the Torah when we practice it in our day to day lives, just as a basketball player consciously practices his dribbles and his 3-point shots for hours at a time. This study from the Torah reading יתרו Yitro (Jethro, Exodus 18:1–20:23) focuses on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20).

One thing to keep in mind, the events of Exodus 18 occurred after the events of Exodus 19. We don’t know why God wanted the chapters to be transposed chronologically, but it’s evident from the text that is what we see. 

The last time we interact with Zipporah was when they were going to Egypt and she had to circumcise one of her sons. 

“Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away…” (Exodus 18:2 NASB)

The word in Hebrew translated as “sent away” or “dismissed” — שָׁלַח shalach (H7971) — also is used to mean divorce. We don’t know for certain if he divorced her but it’s strongly implied. However, whether he simply sent her back to her father’s house because of the dangers in Egypt or literally divorced her, we aren’t certain. 

The events of Mt. Sinai and the giving of the 10 Commandments are associated with God’s appointed time for Israel called Shavuot (Pentecost). 

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, ‘Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, or else the LORD will break out against them.’” (Exodus 19:21–22 NASB)

God hadn’t selected the priests yet so who is He talking to? He hadn’t set aside the family of Aaron as priests yet. In most cultures of the Ancient Near East, the first born of the family were also the priest of their families. These first born priests may be who God is referencing at this point. 

10 ‘headlines’ of behavior with eternal consequence

The 10 Commandments are “headlines” in a matter of speaking, as there are other rules in the Torah that elaborate on how to keep each of the 10 Commandments. 

1st word: ‘I am the LORD Who took you out of Egypt’

We can relate to someone we can see and touch. The God who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, who performed profound miracles. God is also the God who made the aurora borealis, but I live on Earth, not up there. We know and understand our lived experience much more than we understand things that we can’t directly experience. 

God is the God of actions, not merely abstract ideas. The Apostles point out the same thing. They struggled with explaining to Greeks the Hebrew concept of God. The cultures are very different. Hebrews experience God, not think about Him while Greeks think about God but don’t experience Him. The Greek gods were not beings you wanted to experience. 

2nd word: Idol conversation for today

God tells us we aren’t to seek to experience or interact with gods other than Himself. It’s a matter of discernment for us to learn what spirits are of God and which are not. 

“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:5–6 NASB)

How does ‘to the third and fourth generation’ compare with Ezekiel 18:1-29?