Take a moment to read Deuteronomy 5 before reading the devotional below.
When I was a teenager, I worked for my grandfather installing hardwood floors. During one really frustrating job, we had to rip up all the floors in a house, and then replace them. We dragged all the old wood out the back door and threw it in the the back yard. Several hours later I needed to go into the backyard, so I climbed across the pile of wooden boards. I was at the top of the pile when I tripped forward, and all my weight landed on a nail. I didn’t walk right for weeks. I also learned to never play with boards that have nails in them.
The ten commandments can easily distract from the important point that Deuteronomy 5 is making. It is not primarily a point about morality; it is a point about God. God revealed himself to the Israelites, allowing the entire nation to see and experience his power and might. The experience was both breath-taking and terrifying, and the Israelites developed more than a healthy respect for God. They developed a healthy fear of God. Fear is not bad. As a teenager, I learned to fear nails. I also learned to appreciate nails when i used them to install a brand-new floor. As a young nation, Israel learned to fear God. They experienced his goodness, power and holiness, and they knew that they had to humble themselves before him.
American culture sometimes seems to tell us that we should avoid experiences of darker emotions such as sadness, guilt or fear. Total avoidance of these experiences is not healthy, however. Fear is a recognition of uncontrollable power. It is a recognition that we must surrender to or be harmed by the rules set by that power. I cannot expect a nail to be soft. Instead, I need to learn to be careful around nails. That’s a healthy fear that has saved me from harm. I cannot expect God to change his nature either. Instead, I need to learn to follow his rules. That, too, is a healthy fear that can certainly save me from harm.