Why Did God Give the 10 Commandments?
Today, we’re going to imagine ourselves within the scene of a historic day, the day God gave the 10 Commandments to his people. We’ll also aim to answer the question, Why did God give the 10 Commandments?
Let’s begin by entering into God’s Word.
Why Did God Give the 10 Commandments?
As dawn breathed over the land, it appeared to be an ordinary day. The mountain was quiet, the sky clear.
The people stood at the foot of the great mountain. Their clothes were freshly washed. They had purified themselves in anticipation of this day for three days.
Despite the preparations, when the moment arrived, they felt entirely unprepared.
The sky darkened as the ground began to tremble. Fire appeared at the mountain’s crown, wrapping the peak in a glowing flame. Thunder growled. Lightning flashed. A trumped sounded, growing long and loud.
Moses, their leader, stepped forward. A clear, commanding, and unmistakable voice spoke. Every syllable cut through the silence.
“I am the Lord your God . . . ”
With the declaration came the reminder: “I rescued you and claimed you. You are mine.”
The Ten Commandments
One-by-one, he spoke in revelations, teaching his people what it meant to be holy, set apart:
1.) You shall have no other gods before me.
2.) You shall make no idols.
3.) Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.
4.) Keep the Sabbath holy.
5.) Honor your father and mother.
6.) Do not murder.
7.) Do not commit adultery.
8.) You shall not steal.
9.) You shall not bear false witness.
10.) Do not covet.
The commands were more than rules or laws. They revealed God’s character and set boundaries to protect his children and help them reflect his character.
Meanwhile, the people trembled.
Some fell to the ground. Others covered their faces. Fear and reverence gripped them.
Understanding this, God was not angry.
Later, in the quiet of the cloud, he carved the words into stone with his own hand. They were not burdens; they were a gift, a way for his children to be free and to thrive.
Long after Sinai, the words would echo through history, pointing to a day when God would write them not on stone, but on human hearts.
Why Did God Give the 10 Commandments?
Now that we’ve revisited the scene, let’s answer the question, Why did God give the 10 commandments?
1. The 10 Commandments were a covenant.
God spoke these words to his people through Moses: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:4-6, NASB).
God was showing his people how to walk with him and experience more than just freedom from physical slavery in Egypt; he wanted them to experience freedom in him.
The 10 Commandments were more than rules; they were a covenant with God. God would bless his children for keeping the commandments.
In a similar way, when we live within the protective boundaries in the Bible, we experience God’s peace and rest today. Many people believe that following Jesus will stifle their fun or strip their freedom.
Those who have made the decision to walk with Christ can attest that the greatest freedom is found when we step into God’s protective boundaries and live for him.
2. The 10 Commandments revealed God’s holiness.
God was showing is purity and holiness to his people. They experienced this as they washed their clothes and consecrated themselves in the days leading up to the giving of the Commandments.
God revealed his holiness by calling his people to his standards of holiness and moral purity through the commandments.
3. The 10 Commandments revealed God’s power.
When God came down to give the commandments, the earth shook. Mount Sinai glowed with fire. A trumpet sounded. Thunder echoed and lightning flashed. God revealed his power, and the people were filled with reverent fear.
4. The 10 Commandments revealed God’s desire to directly speak with his children.
God spoke the 10 Commandments directly to the people. There was no confusion; all the people heard his voice.
Later, Moses went to the mountaintop to receive the stone tablets and received additional details, but when God first spoke, there was no doubt. He made his commandments clear to all people.
5. The 10 Commandments focused on establishing relationships.
The first four commandments focused on how to have a relationship with God. The last six commandments focused on how to have healthy, loving relationships with others.
Later, Jesus was asked to summarize the greatest commandments. He declared that the greatest command was loving God, and the second was loving others (see Luke 10:27).
6. The 10 Commandments promoted justice.
God is just, and he wanted his people to be just as well.
The commandments address justice regarding marriage, property, family, honesty, and life.
7. The 10 Commandments revealed a need for a mediator.
The people fell down in fear when God spoke. This showed their awareness of sin and need for a mediator. They did not want God to speak to them face-to-face because they were aware of their sinfulness.
Moses became their mediator.
Later, God would send a Mediator who would intercede for his people forever, his Son.
Why did God give the 10 Commandments? Read here for eight reasons that apply to us today. #BibleStudy Share on X
8. The 10 Commandments pointed to Jesus.
The 10 Commandments opened the eyes of God’s people to make them aware of their sinfulness. They realized their need for grace.
Jesus alluded to this fulfillment of grace in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).
Jesus fulfilled the Law by taking the punishment we deserve for breaking the Law.
Let’s take a closer look at how Jesus did this and what it means to receive him as the Savior and Leader of our lives.
A Breakdown of Receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior
Let’s talk about several points upon which we need to agree if we are going to become followers of Jesus, receiving him as the Savior and Leader of our lives.
Point #1: We have all sinned.
The Bible reminds us in Romans 3:23 that we all fall short of being “good enough” to earn our way to heaven.
We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standards. The 10 Commandments are our measuring stick. We have all broken some of these commandments. None of us are good enough to earn our way into heaven.
The first step toward receiving Jesus is agreeing that we have fallen short and sinned.
Point #2: Everyone needs a Savior.
We can’t earn our way to heaven by making sure good deeds outweigh bad deeds. We can’t give up swearing or lying or cheating or gossiping and suddenly feel confident of our eternity with God.
We’re broken people, and we need someone to save us from ourselves.
We all need a Savior. Agreeing that you cannot save yourself is the second step. This requires humility and letting go of the notion that you’ve been a “basically good person.” No one is good enough.
Point #3: God is just, and he has to punish sin.
God is good. Because he is a good judge, he is also just. He cannot let sin go overlooked.
Sin is so serious that there must be payment, and if there is no payment, an eternity in hell awaits.
Our punishment for sin should be complete separation from God while we live on earth and eternity in hell apart from him when we die.
(I know this is getting dark but keep reading. God has a good plan.)
Point #4: Jesus took the punishment we deserve when he died on the cross.
Before Jesus died on the cross, God had a different way of forgiving people for sin so that they were not punished. They sacrificed animals to pay the price (make atonement) for their sins. The blood represented life, and when they killed animals, they showed that they understood the seriousness of sin.
Read the Old Testament, and you’ll read plenty of details about requirements for these sacrifices.
When Jesus came, he did away with the old system.
Unlike the bulls and lambs that the people sacrificed in the Old Testament, Jesus was perfect. He was God’s perfect Son, and he never sinned.
When he died on the cross, God punished him, once and for all, so that all who follow him are no longer separated from God.
He did away with the old system in which animals had to be sacrificed to pay for sins. This is why he is the “Spotless Lamb of God.”
Let me say this again so we don’t miss it: God punished Jesus instead of punishing you and me.
God’s Immense Love
I wouldn’t send my precious children to die in the place of anyone on this earth. But this is how God showed us just how much he loves us. He willingly sent his Son to die as a demonstration of his love.
Receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior is believing that he paid the price for your sins on the cross. It is telling God that you receive his forgiveness through Jesus. In doing so, you commit to doing your best to turn away from sin and live for Jesus, asking him to be the Savior who died for you as well as the Leader of your life.
Here is a prayer you can pray: “Jesus, thank you for dying to pay the price for my sins. I confess that I have sinned, and I receive forgiveness through your death on the cross. I receive you into my life as my Savior and my Lord. Today, I make the commitment to do my best to follow you and turn away from sin. Thank you for your love for me. I give my life to you.”
Point #5: Receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the act of believing, receiving, and committing to a life of following him.
It sounds too simple. In our humanness, we feel a deep need to prove our goodness and earn our way into heaven.
This is where grace comes into play. Grace is a free gift. You don’t deserve it and cannot earn it. It is given because of love.
Because of love, Jesus paid the price for your sins.
Because of love, he died on the cross for you.
He would have died on the cross even if you were the only one on earth.
You can rest assured that you will go to heaven if you believe he died on the cross for you and that he rose from the dead to prove that he is indeed God’s Son.
Romans 10:9 tells us that if we confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts, we will be saved.
Why Did God Give the 10 Commandments?
Let’s return to our original question of Why did God give the 10 Commandments?
God wanted to reveal his holiness and his standards. He was showing his people, in ancient times and now, that he desires holiness.
God knew we would not be able to keep these commands perfectly. For this reason, he sent his Son to receive the punishment we deserve for falling short.
We should do our best to live within the boundaries of God’s commandments. But when we fall short, those who have received Jesus have the peace of knowing we are forgiven.
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Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
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Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
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Be Still and Trust: Download Your Free eBook Here
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