The Purpose of the Law

The purpose of the Ten Commandments was to reveal our sin and point to our need for a Savior. Only by believing in Christ as Savior can we be saved from our sin. – Exodus 19, 20; Galatians 2, 3, 4

God’s people, the Israelites, had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years (Exodus 12:40-41). God chose Moses to lead them out of their slavery and into the Promised Land (Exodus 3:1-10). Three months after the Israelites left Egypt, they came to the Desert of Sinai (Exodus 19:1). Here they camped in front of Mount Sinai, called the “mount of God” (Exodus 19:2). They would remain here for eleven months. “God had redeemed His people, and was now going to claim them as His own and enter into a covenant relationship with them (Exodus 19-24) just as He had promised” (Exodus 6:6-7). (Warren Wiersbe)

Moses met with God on the mountain (Exodus 19:3).  God said that if the Israelites would obey His voice and keep His covenant they would be a special treasure; “a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6). God’s people. . . are to be ‘set apart’ to do His will” (Study note for Exodus 19:6). This calling was not just something for the Israelites. It is for all who call on God as Father and Jesus as Savior. In 1 Peter 2:5 and 9, Peter wrote that believers were to be “a holy priesthood. . . a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” Warren Wiersbe adds that “like Israel of old, God’s people today must point people to the Lord and reveal by their words and deeds how wonderful He is. We’re to be ‘living advertisements’ of the grace and power of God.”

God told Moses to have the people prepare themselves to meet with Him at the mountain (Exodus 19:10-11). God intended to give them the Ten Commandments. Warren Wiersbe writes that these commandments “were much more than laws for governing the life of the nation of Israel. They were part of the covenant God made with Israel when He took them to Himself to be His special people”.

The law was not given as a way for salvation. We are not saved by obeying the law. Salvation only comes from believing in Jesus as Savior (Galatians 2:16). Salvation is the gift of God through faith, not a reward for good works (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9). If we could be saved by our works, then Christ didn’t need to die. Wiersbe writes that “the law reveals God’s righteousness and demands righteousness, but it can’t give righteousness (Galatians 2:21); only Jesus Christ can do that (2 Corinthians 5:21)”.

What then is the purpose of the law? Wiersbe writes that “it is God’s way of showing us our sins and stripping us of our self-righteousness so that we cry out for the mercy and grace of God.” The law was given to show us our sin, not redeem us from it (Romans 3:20). Wiersbe continues that the law is like a mirror that shows us where we’re dirty, but we don’t wash our faces with the mirror (James 1:22-25). . . “It is grace that provides the cleansing through the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7b).”

When people claim they are saved “by keeping the Ten Commandments”, they show that they don’t really understand the real meaning of the law. (WW)  Abraham believed God “and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6; Genesis 15:6). Abraham didn’t receive this righteousness by anything he had done. He received it through faith. Likewise, when a sinner trusts Christ through faith, his sins are replaced with God’s righteousness. We stand to inherit the same blessings as Abraham (Galatians 3:14, 18). When we become aware of our sin we see our need for a Savior. By placing our trust in Christ, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness.

This reveals another reason for the law – to prepare the way for Christ. In Greek and Roman households, slaves would take care of their owners’ children. It was their responsibility to care for, teach and protect the children until they came of age. The law functioned like this for the nation of Israel. It acted as a guardian for them – instructing and protecting them until the coming of the promised Messiah. Wiersbe writes, “The demands of the law reminded the people that they needed a Savior. The types and symbols in the law were pictures of the coming Messiah (Luke 24:27).” Wiersbe continues by saying that “the law has performed its purpose: the Savior has come and the ‘guardian’ is no longer needed.”

Even though Jesus fulfilled the demands of the law, “the moral content of God’s law still remains.”  (WW) Nine of the Ten Commandments are included in the New Testament. The fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath is omitted. The inclusion of these in the New Testament reveals that we are expected to follow them in order to honor and obey God.

The Ten Commandments show us how we are to obey God. The first four are focused on our

relationship with God personally. The remaining six reveal how we are to behave toward other people. Both are needed, but the order in which they were given –God first and then others – is important. “How we relate to others depends on how we relate to God, for if we love God and obey Him, we’ll also love our neighbors and serve them (Matthew 22:34-40; Romans 13)”. (WW)  By being in a covenant relationship with God, we are to submit to God’s authority and be obedient to His commands. We do this not out of fear, but out of “gratitude for His mercies, reverence (honor) for His sovereignty, and trust in His continuing care”. (Study note for Exodus 20:2)

-Quotes taken from:

-The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan

-The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, The Complete Old Testament ; “Exodus 19:1-20:21”; pages 179-181