The Ten Commandments begin with a theological emphasis and then move to ethical issues. Exodus 20:1-17 assumes one must have a proper relationship with God to have a proper relationship with your neighbor.  Theology comes before ethics.  Religion comes before morality.  Worship comes before community.  The Ten Commandments teach us to love God before they teach us to love one another. When the Decalogue moves from loving God to loving neighbor, the first commandment is: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Before the sanctity of life, sexual morality, respect for other’s property, the importance of honesty, or the curbing of jealousy, God...

Joseph is the bridge between Genesis and Exodus. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. But the Lord was with him. Joseph arrived in Egypt as a slave. He became a wrongly convicted prisoner. But he was promoted to Prime Minister. Before his death, his reconciled family – seventy persons – moved to Egypt with him. After Joseph’s death, the people of Israel became large, strong, and great. Then the drama begins.   A pharaoh emerged who did not know Joseph. Pharoah viewed the Hebrew population as a threat to national security. Pharoah oppressed the Israelites. But the Lord raised up Moses to deliver his people. The Lord revealed himself to Moses as the “I Am” at the burning bush. He compelled Moses to return to Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let his people...