Why did God give the Ten Commandments?

In Exodus 20, God speaks the Ten Commandments aloud from Mount Sinai. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains the purpose of God’s law — and why it cannot save us.

The first commandments govern our relationship to God, the rest our relationship to one another; Jesus summed them up as loving God and loving neighbor. Dr. Holt explains that sin is a matter of the heart, not just outward acts — so all of us have broken God’s law. The law teaches and convicts, but it cannot save; it is a “thundering barrier” that drives us to seek a Mediator. The frightened people begged for Moses to stand between them and God — but we need a better Mediator, Jesus.

Questions this study answers:

1. Why were there ten commandments, and how are they divided? The first four concern our relationship with God, the last six our relationship with others. Jesus summarized them as loving God and loving neighbor.

2. Can keeping the commandments save us? No. The law reveals our sin but cannot remove it. It shows our need for a Savior.

3. What hope is there for lawbreakers? A better Mediator — Jesus. Where the law condemns, Christ stands between us and God’s judgment.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” — Exodus 20:3 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This sermon is part of the Exodus Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.