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Why are the 10 commandments stated negatively?
If they are about love, why is it a list of things not to do?
Have you ever wondered why the 10 commandments seem to focus so much on what we shouldn’t do? “You shall not kill”, “You shall not steal”, etc. It’s a fair question, especially when we think about how these commandments are meant to guide us in loving God and our neighbors. Let’s dive into this thought and uncover the brilliance behind the way these laws are framed.
First, let’s clear up a common misconception. Some folks think that the God of the Old Testament is different from Jesus Christ in the New Testament — like we’re dealing with a stern father figure in the old days and a nicer, gentler Jesus later on who only talked about love in the New Testament. But that’s not the case at all! In fact, Jesus Christ is the same God we see in the Old Testament — the same person who came to earth and died for us is the same one who lead Israel out of Egypt. In Ex 3:14 he says to tell the people “I AM is who sent me to you”, telling them his name as “I AM”. We hear Christ say this same name belongs to him “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” The same being with the same name. We are seeing different aspects of His mission and interactions at different times for different purposes — not one harsh God, and later a kind God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Heb 13:8 So why does it feel like a different message from the old to the new?