Thinking about Doing Theology: An Example from the Ten Commandments

One of the first books I read on the Ten Commandments was written by Harrelson.  It dealt with the potential connection between the Ten Commandments and human rights.  In the end, Harrelson concluded that if world governments incorporated the Ten Commandments into their respective legal systems the world would be more just.  He went on to suggest a paradigm for incorporating the Ten Commandments into legal systems.  Some of the commands, like ‘Thou shall not murder’ stayed th same.  Others, like ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me’ were transformed into something a bit less theological (or at least less biblical): ‘Do not have more than a single ultimate allegiance.’

While I can certainly appreciate much of Harrelson’s work, I think he goes too far in trying to adapt the Ten Commandments to something that might fit within a secular context.  God, after all, is the reason that the Ten Commandments make sense.  These are universal principles embedded within the fabric of human society…they are theologically empowered practices intended to demonstrate God’s character.  God is the cornerstone of the commandments…He is the crucial, indispensable piece of the puzzle without which no society can function regardless of their practices and laws.

In reading the Ten Commandments theologically, we must recognize that the command not to murder is not simply reflective of an ethical or humanitarian commitment, but of a theological reality.  Israel, having been redeemed from Egypt, no longer needs to murder because God has removed any reason to do so.  Similarly, there is no need to steal as it suggests that God has not sufficiently provided.  There is no need to covet as it suggests that God has not arranged His gifts properly.  There is no need to work without ceasing as it suggests that God, like Pharaoh, requires human labor to sustain Israel.

As we think about doing theology, we must take care to ensure that we remember that theology is inherently about God.  If we are not exploring who God is, we miss the point of reading the Scriptures.  As we think theologically about texts like the Ten Commandments, then, we need to consider not simply whether or not we should adhere to these commands in the present day, but also (and primarily) what sort of God is capable of sustaining a society that is empowered to follow such commands.