Chapel Recap: The Vows That Reveal God’s Character

Today in chapel, Dr. Chris Miller led us through Exodus 20:1–21, helping us see the Ten Commandments not merely as rules to obey, but as vows that reveal the very character of God. Rather than approaching the passage as a list of moral restrictions, Dr. Miller framed it as God’s personal self-disclosure — His character spoken aloud.

Dr. Miller began by setting the scene of the vows. God spoke the commandments personally to His people and wrote them personally, emphasizing both their importance and intimacy. These “ten words,” Dr. Miller explained, are the covenant in concentrated form, like chapter titles in a table of contents that summarize the whole relationship between God and His people. The commandments show who God is, and therefore how His people are called to live.

Dr. Miller emphasized that the Ten Commandments are not rules detached from God; they are reliant on His character. “Each command flows directly from who Yahweh is,” Dr. Miller said, “so obedience is imitation of His character.”

Walking through the commandments, Dr. Miller highlighted how each one reflects an aspect of who God is. Yahweh alone is God, so He alone is to be worshiped. Yahweh is infinite and unseen, so no image can represent Him. Yahweh is not a genie to be used for our wishes, which is why His name must be honored. Yahweh is worthy of our time, so His people should rest in His presence. Yahweh is the source of authority, life, faithfulness, justice, truth, and provision — and each command reflects the various attributes of God.

“What is at the center is God Himself and how He behaves,” Dr. Miller explained. “The further you get away from God, the worse you behave.” The commandments are to shape and mold us towards the image of God.

Dr. Miller then applied these truths by focusing on two specific commandments. The call to honor one’s parents reflects God as the ultimate authority and teaches His people to learn honor beginning in the home. Likewise, the command not to murder flows from God as the Giver and Guardian of life calling His people to value human life because it bears His image.

Dr. Miller reminded us that God’s character is always lived out in community. The Ten Commandments shape not only individual behavior, but the way God’s people relate to one another.

In conclusion, Dr. Miller reframed obedience to the Ten Commandments as something far deeper than rule-keeping. The vows of Exodus 20 invite God’s people to know Him more clearly, reflecting His holy, faithful, and gracious character in the way they live together.