The reason God gave His law was threefold.
First, to show us just how deeply sinful we are and how far we’ve drifted from Him morally.
Second, to reveal our desperate need for a mediator if we’re ever going to draw near to God, which Israel recognized right away when they asked Moses to stand between them and the Lord. That moment set the stage for God’s promise about theProphet to come, as we see in Deuteronomy 18:15–19.
And third, God gave the law to show us how to truly live—to live more abundantly—by using His unchanging, perfect nature, reflected in the moral law, as our guide.
God’s Commandments For Righteous Living
1. Idols Are Empty
God made it clear to Israel: they weren’t to carve or create any images or idols to represent false gods. But even more than that, they weren’t supposed to try to make images of the Lord Himself. Why? Because he’s far too great, too glorious, to be captured by anything human hands can make.
And the same truth still stands for us as Christians today. The second commandment means we shouldn’t be making images of God—or of anything else—for the purpose of worship, prayer, or trying to get some spiritual help. That applies to every Person of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Here’s why:
- No image can truly capture God’s glory and character.Isaiah 40:18 asks, ‘To whom, then, will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?’ The answer is—nobody and nothing.
- God is completely set apart.He’s above and beyond anything we know in power, authority, knowledge, and holiness. Any image we’d try to make would fall short and dishonor Him, because it can’t come close to the glory He’s already revealed to humanity (see Exodus 32:1–6).
- Our understanding of God has to be shaped by His Word, not by images.God has revealed Himself through Scripture and even more fully through the life and example of Jesus Christ. That’s where we look to understand who He is truly.
Here is what God is saying: You need nothing to worship him. Not the right song, not the right band, not the right service order, worship him. He is worthy of our praise.
If something is required to worship the Lord the way he is due, that is an idol and needs to be burned at the altar.
2. Sabbath Has No Substitute
In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week. God commanded His people to keep it holy—which meant setting it apart and treating it differently from every other day. Nobody was supposed to work. Instead, it was a day to rest from regular routines and focus on worshipping and honoring God. Their attention was meant to shift toward spiritual and eternal things, as we see in Exodus 20:9–11 and other passages like Genesis 2:2–3 and Isaiah 58:13–14.
There were a few big reasons behind this:
- God set the example.After creating everything in six days, God Himself rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:2–3). He established the Sabbath for our good, to give us spiritual, mental, and physical refreshment.
- The Sabbath was a sign of belonging.It reminded Israel that they were God’s people, set apart for Him (Exodus 31:13).
- It was a reminder of freedom.The Sabbath pointed back to how God powerfully rescued them from slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15), a truth Jesus even referenced in Matthew 12:1.
Think about your phone. If you use it non-stop—texting, calling, checking email, scrolling social media—it eventually runs out of battery. You’ve got to plug it in and let it recharge, or it won’t work when you need it.
The Sabbath was kind of like God telling His people, ‘Hey, you need to recharge, too.’ It was a built-in day off—a time to step back from work, stress, and the daily grind, so they could rest and return refreshed.
The Sabbath wasn’t just about not working—it was about resting in God, remembering who He is, and celebrating what He’s done.
3. Contentment In Your Season
This commandment gets right to the heart of the matter—literally. It shows us that following God isn’t just about outward actions or checking boxes. The first nine commandments weren’t meant to be kept only on the outside; God’s looking at what’s going on inside us, too.
Every desire, every thought, every hidden motive that leads us toward sinful actions—that’s included here. It’s about the heart, not just behavior.
And that’s why Paul told Timothy, ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain.’Because when our hearts are content in God, we’re far less likely to chase after what isn’t ours or fall into sin.
We live in the world of comparisons. We look at the worst part of our lives and compare it to the best. God has given you your garden; if it has weeds in it, pick them. If it needs watering, go and water it.
Side note: The Lord did not give you to your spouse to fix their garden either.
God will not bring you to your next season until you are content in your current season. God cannot elevate you until you are humble in your current season.
What are our transformational moments?
- Can you worship him no matter the circumstances?
- How is your rest?
- Are you content in your current season?