Why Do The Ten Commandments Exist?

Why The Ten Commandments

—they are A Guide To Successful Living

Part 1 

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him” (John 1:1-3 New Living Translation).

Jesus said to those who professed to know God in His day that they knew neither the scriptures nor the power of God. Knowing one without the other is bad enough, not to know either is worse. To know the power of God but not know the scriptures would be like living on a volcano without the knowledge of what to do when it blows. Whereas, to know the scriptures but not the power of God is like having architectural plans for a house but no materials with which to build—not to mention the skills required.

Many claim they know the scriptures, yet observations of their lives indicate they do not have the skills to interpret them. This is because interpreting the scriptures is an applied science and not a theory—like many scoffers would have us believe. 

Often, there are different views that create problems for people. At one discussion group I attended, two diametrically opposed views were expressed that created a volatile situation. One person believed that it is negligent and irresponsible stewardship not to insure one’s house and belongings against loss from fire, theft or acts of God. The other person claimed that to take out insurance was to demonstrate a lack of faith in God. The two individuals had different worldviews, even though they both claimed to be Christians who justified their position from scripture.

Another person I know severely injured his shoulder. Instead of having an x-ray to discover the extent of the injury, this person claimed he was going to believe God to heal him. Six months later, the last time I saw him, his shoulder appeared to have gotten worse and his agony more excruciating. Surely,  in this person’s case, a better option would have been to find out exactly what was the problem with his shoulder and then express his faith in God to show him how he would be healed.

Knowledge and faith go together; we cannot have faith without knowledge. The more sound our knowledge, the more effective our faith.

When Moses was up on Mt Sinai getting instructions from God, the people below became impatient and built a golden calf to worship. Moses came down and broke the tablets upon which God had written the Ten Commandments and ordered the sons of Levi to slay people. Three thousand people were slain that day, because people chose to rebel against God (Exodus 32:7-28).

On the day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were baptized into the name of the Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins in order to receive the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:37-41).

One preacher I heard comparing the two aforementioned scriptural passages, from the books of Exodus and Acts, claimed that this demonstrated that the old covenant of the Law could not bring life, only the new covenant of the Holy Spirit could bring life and the power to heal—evidently, this preacher had overlooked the promise of healing that was made at Marah (Exodus 15:26) before the Law was given to the Israelites.

The truth is the three thousand people who were killed by the sons of Levi had not yet received the Law and perished through a lack of knowledge. The Law did not bring death, since death reigned before the Law was introduced. What the Law does is provide people with the knowledge of the salvation of God.

Knowledge is an important element in understanding how we can apply our faith. Incorrect interpretation of events and a lack of applied knowledge results in merely a theoretical faith in God, which is ignorance. Ignorance is not what faith is about. Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is not blind devotion. Faith comes from applied knowledge through understanding the principles of salvation found in the Word of Life, the Word of God.

When the Word became flesh, no one had seen God with his or her physical eyes. To quote that very literal English translation, The Emphasized Bible: “No one, hath seen, God, at any time: An Only Begotten God, The One existing within the bosom of the Father, He, hath interpreted him” (John 1:18). Jesus effectively interpreted how to live a righteous life in accordance with the Ten Commandments by loving the Father and His neighbor as Himself. Jesus’ interpretation of the scriptures was not a theoretical display of knowledge; rather it was a demonstration of the power of a Godly life. We can say from a modern perspective, Jesus demonstrated that applied science is living the truth of the scriptures.

In the book of Romans, chapter two, verse twenty, we learn that the Law has the “embodiment of knowledge and truth” (ESV). Since the Law of God embodies knowledge and truth, and Jesus demonstrated the powerful benefits of living in accord with the Law, by not transgressing the Ten Commandments once, surely this would be a good enough reason for us to desire to know them. What other guide to successful living exists?  The promise of Psalm One is all who meditate on the Law will prosper in what they do.

These Ten Commandments are so powerful that because Jesus kept them, He has been able to bequeath, in His last will and testament, life to every human being at His death (Hebrews 9:15-17). However, this life is conditional in that it is only available to whosoever is willing to accept the truth and grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 2 Peter 1:2; John 8:31-32). If we are to partake of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and yet do not understand the just requirements of the Law, we are like people seeking to harness the power of a volcano without the required knowledge. This is something the people of Thera, living on what is now known as the Greek Island of Santorini, once tried to do before it destroyed their civilization. In other words, without the Ten Commandments, there is no hope for true success in life. We are beaten before we start. Fortunately, we can thank God; this need not be the case.

The Ten Commandments were once taught in schools everywhere in Western Countries but these days they are considered irrelevant, no longer fashionable, antiquated, and even superseded—but, by what? As you will discover, without the Ten Commandments, there is no hope for anyone.