The 10 Suggestions?

I'm reading through the book of Deuteronomy and read chapters 4 and 5 today. In case anyone doesn't know, Deut. 5 lists the 10 Commandments. [I didn't know so don't feel bad if you didn't :P]

Something that struck me was the commandments themselves. I never noticed, like actually paid attention to the fact that 8 out 10 of the commandments begin with "You shall". Shocker! The commandments are commands!

Haha I know it sounds silly, but I only realized this today. God wasn't messing around when He spoke these to the Israelites. It's almost comical the way I pictured it before...

"Um. Hey, guys. Listen. I was thinkin' and I came up with just a few suggestions for ways to live your life. So if you have time, check 'em out and you know... Let me know what you think..."

Ha! As if! God wasn't joking. He wasn't offering "advice" or suggestions. When He spoke the commands, He was doing just that--He was COMMANDING us. No joke. No if's, and's, or but's. But to think, some of us go our entire lives without even knowing all 10 commandments. I mean, come on! There's 10 of them! How hard can it be?

I'm reprimanding myself, mind you. I don't know them. I've been a "Christian" for 15 years and I don't know the 10 Commandments!?!? Goodness gracious. And not only that, but I have viewed them as suggestions for all of those fifteen years.

I started asking off work for Sundays because I was thinking: "You know... It does say in the Bible to have a day of rest..." But it didn't even occur to me that God wasn't asking me nicely to have a day of rest, a day of reverence. He commanded me to "observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (Deut. 5:12). I mean, it's the LONGEST commandment. God got really specific for some reason.

Could it be that even He rested on the 7th day? He's God! Why does He need to rest?! He can do anything. But on that 7th day, when He could have created skyscrapers or the light bulb or unicorns, He rested. And He commands that we do the same.

Wow/Ouch.

Not only that, but check this: "These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more."

HELLO!

Loud voice--check. Fire--check. Clouds and deep darkness--check, check.

God was not messing around with the Israelites when He COMMANDED these things. There's fire and stuff! He was serious. So why do we take them so lightly? Why do we forget that His decrees and commands are not suggestions from a friend? They are commands from our Master.

If you read Psalm 119 (longest one), almost every verse speaks of the writer delighting in God's precepts and His commands; that he loves them. Are you there? Am I there? Am I at the point where I read God's word and it tells me not to parade myself, not to drink myself into a stupor every weekend, not to have sex with a million guys, not to have sex with any one guy outside of marriage and am like, "Alright! This is awesome!"

Not every day. No. I understand that God only has the best in mind. He knows what's best for me far better than I do. So I comply. And sometimes I make the mistake of thinking that it's my choice. That my compliance is a blessing to Him. And of course, He most certainly does delight in our obedience, but it's a very arrogant mistake. "Oh, well, God, I really am making a sacrifice by loving you and it can be a tad inconvient, but I'll do it because I understand that you're asking me to nicely."

Uh. No.

"I hate double-minded men,
but I love your law.
You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
Away from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commands of my God!
Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.
Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
I will always have regard for your decrees.
You reject all who stray from your decrees,
for their deceitfulness is in vain.
All the wicked of the earth discard you like dross;
therefore I love your statutes.
My flesh trembles in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your laws."
(Ps. 119:113-120)

You know, sometimes when you view God as "Daddy" or "Lover", He can lose magnificence. Is that wrong? Yup. So I'm learning "Master".

And I'm learning that God doesn't make suggestions.

He commands the stars and the universe. He commands the dead to rise up and they do. He commands ligaments to grow and they do. He commands the seas to ebb and flow, and they eagerly agree. He commands the rain to quench the earth, and it instantly obeys. He commands armies to assemble, to take arms, to wage war, to claim victory...

And yet we yawn, roll over, and hit snooze.