--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first commandment is a declaration…" description: "\"“The first commandment is a declaration that the God of the exodus is unlike all the gods the slaves have known heretofore. This God is not to be confu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/walter-brueggemann-9698_steadfast-love_the-first-commandment-is-a-declaration-t_987453.jpg" --- # The first commandment is a declaration that the God of the… ![“The first commandment is a declaration that the God of the exodus is unlike all the gods the slaves have known heretofore. This God is not to be confused with or thought parallel to the insatiable gods of imperial productivity. This God is subsequently revealed as a God of mercy, steadfast love…” quote by Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/walter-brueggemann-9698_steadfast-love_the-first-commandment-is-a-declaration-t_987453.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/walter-brueggemann-9698_steadfast-love_the-first-commandment-is-a-declaration-t_987453.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/walter-brueggemann-9698_steadfast-love_the-first-commandment-is-a-declaration-t_987453.jpg) > ““The first commandment is a declaration that the God of the exodus is unlike all the gods the slaves have known heretofore. This God is not to be confused with or thought parallel to the insatiable gods of imperial productivity. This God is subsequently revealed as a God of mercy, steadfast love, and faithfulness who is committed to covenantal relationships of fidelity (see Exod. 34:6–7).”” [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. God is distinct from oppressive, demanding deities; He embodies mercy, steadfast love, and faithful covenant. **In simple terms:** God is merciful, not demanding. Key Takeaway Seek a relationship with a merciful God. Themes theology faith covenant mercy love Mood contemplative hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - religious study - personal devotion - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts divine nature faithfulness relationship Questions to Reflect On - How does this understanding affect your faith? - Can mercy and justice coexist? A Different Perspective Some view God as punitive, conflicting with this view. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commandment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment/) [Commandment Declaration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment-declaration-2000862/) [Declaration God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declaration-god-701475/) [Exodus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exodus/) [God Exodus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-exodus-2000863/) [Steadfast love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steadfast-love/) ## Related quotes > [The God of Exodus is the God of history and of political liberation more than he is the God of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-gutierrez/the-god-of-exodus-is-the-god-of-history-and-of-political-liberation/) [Gustavo Gutiérrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustavo-gutierrez/) > [“This story... blasts to pieces our biases and labels with a declaration that God is on everyone's side, extending grace and compassion to everyone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/this-story-blasts-to-pieces-our-biases-and-labels-with-a-declaration/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“legal declaration by God through Jesus Christ!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-warren/legal-declaration-by-god-through-jesus-christ/) [John Paul Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-warren/) > [“I spoke the hardest words and almost broke: 'There is another kinsman still More close to you than I. He will Be given legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/i-spoke-the-hardest-words-and-almost-broke-there-is-another-kinsman/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“Can we believe that the real God, if there is one, ever ordered a man to be killed simply for making hair oil, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/can-we-believe-that-the-real-god-if-there-is-one-ever-ordered-a-man/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [“The initial triad in this oracle consists of wisdom, might, and wealth; these are most fully embodied, in ancient Israel, in Solomon who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-initial-triad-in-this-oracle-consists-of-wisdom-might-and-wealth/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [ While the Passover narrative \[in Exodus\] energizes Israel's imagination toward justice, Israel's hard work of implementation of that imaginative scenario was done at Mt.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/while-the-passover-narrative-in-exodus-energizes-israel-s-imagination/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“The emancipatory gift of YHWH to Israel is contrasted with all the seductions of images. The memory of the exodus concerns the God of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-emancipatory-gift-of-yhwh-to-israel-is-contrasted-with-all-the/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfastlove for the thousandth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-lord-the-lord-a-god-merciful-and-gracious-slow-to-anger-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/have-mercy-on-me-o-god-according-to-your-steadfast-love-according-to/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) > [“PSALM 115 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/psalm-115-not-to-us-o-lord-not-to-us-but-to-your-name-give-glory-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The love of Christ for me will get last say. He is merciful to me for his name’s sake, for the sake of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-powlison/the-love-of-christ-for-me-will-get-last-say-he-is-merciful-to-me-for/) [David Powlison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-powlison/) > [Your hands fashioned and made me my Lord. Don't destroyed me altogether now I beg you my God. Remember that you have made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/your-hands-fashioned-and-made-me-my-lord-don-t-destroyed-me/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch/o-god-you-are-my-god-earnestly-i-seek-you-my-soul-thirsts-for-you-my/) [Edward T. Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch/) > [“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/o-god-you-are-my-god-earnestly-i-seek-you-my-soul-thirsts-for-you-my-2/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) ## More by Walter Brueggemann > [“In the end, ethical interpretation of the Bible means to think critically about how our practices of textual engagement might help us to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/in-the-end-ethical-interpretation-of-the-bible-means-to-think/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you, by the grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-world-for-which-you-have-been-so-carefully-prepared-is-being/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [Every imperial agent wants to reduce what is possible to what is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/every-imperial-agent-wants-to-reduce-what-is-possible-to-what-is/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“The outcome is to delegitimize and deconstruct the kings in effective ways in order to show that while they occupy the forms of power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-outcome-is-to-delegitimize-and-deconstruct-the-kings-in-effective/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [The church meets to imagine what our lives can be like if the gospel were true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-church-meets-to-imagine-what-our-lives-can-be-like-if-the-gospel/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“Pharaoh is clearly a metaphor. He embodies and represents raw, absolute, worldly power. He is, like Pilate after him, a stand-in for the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/pharaoh-is-clearly-a-metaphor-he-embodies-and-represents-raw-absolute/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“The news enacted by Elisha is reperformed by Jesus. It is, subsequently, performed in many other venues, sometimes by the followers of Jesus, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-news-enacted-by-elisha-is-reperformed-by-jesus-it-is-subsequently/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [People notice peacemakers because they dress funny. We know how the people who make war dress - in uniforms and medals, or in computers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/people-notice-peacemakers-because-they-dress-funny-we-know-how-the/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“Only those who embrace the reality of death will receive the new life. Implicit in his statement is that those who do not mourn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/only-those-who-embrace-the-reality-of-death-will-receive-the-new-life/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“The truth that is variously enacted by such agents is not an idea or a proposition. It is rather a habit of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-truth-that-is-variously-enacted-by-such-agents-is-not-an-idea-or/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“The same subversion of power by truth is evident in the way in which Luke begins his account of Jesus of Nazareth. Luke is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-same-subversion-of-power-by-truth-is-evident-in-the-way-in-which/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [We now know that human transformation does not happen through didacticism or through excessive certitude, but through the playful entertainment of another scripting of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/we-now-know-that-human-transformation-does-not-happen-through/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“It occurs to me that the situation of the church in our society, perhaps the church everywhere always, is entrusted with a truth that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/it-occurs-to-me-that-the-situation-of-the-church-in-our-society/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [The gospel is fiction when judged by the empire, but the empire is fiction when judged by the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-gospel-is-fiction-when-judged-by-the-empire-but-the-empire-is/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [Hope requires a very careful symbolization. It must not be expressed too fully in the present tense because hope one can touch and handle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/hope-requires-a-very-careful-symbolization-it-must-not-be-expressed/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) [Explore all 71 Walter Brueggemann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) ## More Commandment quotes > [“Eve is a figure for the soul that each human should love. The commandment to be fruitful and multiply did not originally refer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-greenblatt/eve-is-a-figure-for-the-soul-that-each-human-should-love-the/) [Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-greenblatt/) > [“The leader’s commandment is made up of pledges to solve local and global problems, and not to create more problems to add to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-leader-s-commandment-is-made-up-of-pledges-to-solve-local-and/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Here is your government at work. A congressman from Colorado said he wants to draft a rule that would make it unethical to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/here-is-your-government-at-work-a-congressman-from-colorado-said-he/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“I had broken the most basic commandment of our culture: Thou shalt pretend there is nothing wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/i-had-broken-the-most-basic-commandment-of-our-culture-thou-shalt/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-morell/but-take-diligent-heed-to-do-the-commandment-and-the-law-which-moses/) [Thomas Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-morell/) > [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-second-commandment-is-thou-shall-not-construct-any-graven-images/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The second commandment that Jesus referred to was not to love others instead of ourselves, but to love them as ourselves. Before we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-warner/the-second-commandment-that-jesus-referred-to-was-not-to-love-others/) [Jim Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-warner/) > [“The eleventh commandment of art: thou shalt not be boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-m-driscoll/the-eleventh-commandment-of-art-thou-shalt-not-be-boring/) [W.M. Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-m-driscoll/) > [“128. Matthew 22:36-37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-jackson/128-matthew-22-36-37-love-the-lord-your-god-with-all-your-heart-and/) [Lois Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-jackson/) > [Righteous marriage is a commandment and an essential step in the process of creating a loving family relationship that can be perpetuated beyond the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/righteous-marriage-is-a-commandment-and-an-essential-step-in-the/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [“It is highly significant, perplexing to say the least, that we have been bound for thousands of years to a commandment that hardly anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/it-is-highly-significant-perplexing-to-say-the-least-that-we-have/) [Alice MIller, The Drama of the gifted child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/) > [Loving your neighbour as much as yourself is practically bloody impossible? You might as well have a commandment that states,'Thou shalt fly'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/loving-your-neighbour-as-much-as-yourself-is-practically-bloody/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Now we must remark, that there are two parts in the Commandment-the first forbids the erection of a graven image, or any likeness; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/now-we-must-remark-that-there-are-two-parts-in-the-commandment-the/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Your very eyes. How they have always been for me the command to obey, the inviolable and beautiful commandment. No, no, I'm not telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-walser/your-very-eyes-how-they-have-always-been-for-me-the-command-to-obey/) [Robert Walser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-walser/) > [“Superficially, the Fourth Commandment can be regarded as a kind of life insurance for old people, which was perhaps necessary in biblical times but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/superficially-the-fourth-commandment-can-be-regarded-as-a-kind-of/) [Alice MIller, The Drama of the gifted child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller-the-drama-of-the-gifted-child/) [Browse all 211 Commandment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The first commandment is a declaration that the God of the exodus is unlike all the gods the slaves have known heretofore. 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