(There is a much deeper and more meaningful and rewarding reason for the commandments then most realize?)

There seems to be a lack of true understanding about the purpose of God’s commandments. Therefore, I thought it worthwhile to share some truth and wisdom on the topic. 

In my book, Look Up and Live, I share this thought: “The commandments are a way for us to to see beyond the corruption of this earth, a path to the eternal. It’s a way for us to LOOK UP to God.” Life on this earth is very short! It’s temporary, but a vital part of our eternal progression. The more we understand this, the better chance we have to escape misery and regret in this life. Keeping the commandments helps us greatly during this probationary state. But what is the main reason God gave us the commandments? Is it just so we don’t have regret? Are they there so God has some kind of control over us? Are they there to impede our freedom as so many say? Or is there a much deeper and more meaningful and rewarding reason for them?

After God, through Moses, freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, he brought them near Mt. Sinai and had them camp there. He then called Moses to the top of the mountain – His temple. Joshua went half way up the mountain with Moses and there waited for Moses to return. Moses was on the mountain, the holy of holies, communicating with God for 40 days and 40 nights. (Can you image the great honor and privilege that would be?) Towards the end of that time the Israeli camp became restless and began to fall back into idolatrous ways, which prompted Jehovah to say this to Moses: “Get thee down; for thy people… have corrupted themselves.” (Exodus 32:7)

In the above phrase we glean the true purpose of God’s commandments to his children. But before we explore that more fully, let’s look into the meaning of the word “corrupt”. There are multiple meanings but the following 3 seem especially helpful to our discussion today.

Corrupt means:

1) To defile or pollute.

2) To pervert

3) To debase or render impure

When we leave the presence of God to be born on the earth, we are pure. When we return to God after death we must still be pure. Sin is the only thing that can corrupt us. When Christ said to his disciples, “ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (Matt 5:13) He was expressing to them that only corruption or sin,  could remove their savor. You see, salt cannot lose its savor with time. The only way that can happen is by it being contaminated by another substance. In other words, sin is our enemy because it corrupts us. It violates our purity. Commandments then, are a manifestation of God’s love for us, because they keep us pure and undefiled. In this light, can you think of any commandment given by God to us, that if broken, does not corrupt the one who violates that commandment? I cannot think of a single one. And this appears to be the reason God gives us commandments. He is trying to keep us from defiling or corrupting ourselves. If this isn’t a grand gesture of pure love, I don’t know what is! 

As parents of 10 children, My wife and I have heard our fair share of complaining from our children about God’s commandments as well as the commandments my wife and I impose. At some point in everyone’s development they will have some rebellion toward commandments. Most notably because we feel it impedes our agency. But, of course, that is completely false. We can still choose to break the commandments. We just can’t choose the consequences that result from breaking said commandments. The consequences are fixed and have been before the foundation of the world was laid. If you pick up one end of the stick, as they say, you automatically get the other end. I like to use the analogy of a snake. If you pick up the tail end you automatically get the poison end as well – the fangs. A scary thought! I was raised in southern Utah and northern Arizona and came across my fair share of rattle snakes. So this analogy hits home for me. What fascinates me is this: if we live the commandments we have peace and joy. We feel the love of God and His son. On the contrary, if we break them, we have turmoil, frustration, sadness, and worse. It may not come immediately, but it always comes. No one escapes the reckoning.  Further, anytime we sin, there is a weight to that sin that weighs down our spiritual self. It impedes our spiritual growth and keeps us from progressing. In fact, even if there is no other consequence for our sin, the weight of that sin which we carry around with us, is like a chain around our neck. It drags us down and holds us back. It keeps us from experiencing full joy. 

Of course, the Commandments that keep us from violating others as well as ourselves are of the greatest importance and hold the greatest consequences. For good reason too! But every commandment is designed to keep us from corrupting ourselves. Even those that are to keep us from defiling another also are there to keep us from corrupting ourself. It breaks my heart when I hear of anyone willingly defiling themself or others! I wrote about one experience in my article, (Lust and Perversion is not Love and Commitment.)

No one escapes earth life without violating at least some commandments some of the time. Good thing God’s love didn’t stop at giving us the commandments. He didn’t say, “well, I gave you the commandments and you broke them. Sorry. All is lost.” Nope! His love is grand to be sure. A parent sees a glimpse of this love at the miracle of their child’s birth and throughout life as a parent. We give our children grace and forgive them over and over again. God is our exemplar in this matter. Because God gave His only begotten, we can stumble and still return to him. Christ’s atonement is the epitome of Pure love – God’s love. 

The older I get the more I see the greatness of God’s love in His commandments! I’ve found great peace and joy in living His commandments! But I’ve also, found immense gratitude for God’s love for me manifested through those commandments.  And, of course, I have eternal gratitude for God’s love manifested through Christ’s atonement! I’ve shed many tears because of my sins. And I’ve shed many tears of gratitude because of God’s love manifested through Christ’s atonement!

(G. Dean Wessendorf – © 2020)

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