One of the great events in the history of Israel, and
perhaps in the history of all mankind, is the giving of the Law. The Law was
not given so the Israelites could attain righteousness (Galatians 3:10-11, All who rely on observing the law are under
a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do
everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified
before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”[1]). A righteous standing before God has always been by
faith in God (Genesis 15:6, And Abram believed
the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of
his faith.[2]). The Law functioned to show the Israelites their
sinfulness in contrast with God’s standards of holiness and righteousness
(Romans 5:20a, God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they
were.[3])
The Mosaic Law in Exodus has three parts: the Decalogue
or Ten Commandments (20:1-21), the Book of the
Covenant with civil and religious ordinances (20:22-24:11),
and ceremonial regulations (24:12-31:18).[4]
2. Why were the Ten Commandments necessary for
Israel?
The Ten Commandments which means “Ten Words,” is the hub
of all of Israel’s religious and civil laws, and has two parts. The first four
commandments pertain to the relationship of the Israelites with God, and the
other six deal with social relationships within the covenant community. Before
giving these 10 stipulations, God in the preamble spoke of His unique
relationship with His people (Exodus 20:2a, I am the Lord your God, ) and in the historical prologue He
briefly summarized what He had done for them (Exodus 20:2b, who brought you
out of Egypt . . . the land of slavery). Centuries before, God had led
Abraham out of Ur; now He led Abraham’s descendants out of Egypt.[5]
The commandments were designed to lead Israel to a life
of practical holiness. In them, people
could see the nature of God and his plan for how they should live. The commands and guidelines were intended to
direct the community to meet the needs of each individual in a loving and
responsible manner, (Life Application Study Bible, page 126).
3. Ten Divine Rules
The Ten Commandments are an excellent summary of 10
divine rules for human conduct. They might be called rules of (1) religion, (2)
worship, (3) reverence, (4) time, (5) authority, (6) life, (7) purity, (8)
property, (9) tongue, and (10) contentment.[6]
The Ten Commandments are a simple way to know how to live your life and a simple way for society to know how to be just.
[4]
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas
Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An
exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[5]
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas
Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An
exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[6]
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas
Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An
exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
