EP. 252 The Purpose of the Ten Commandments

To View the Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XWdi2nNj_M8

SHOW NOTES

When you think of the Ten Commandments, do you picture a list of restrictive rules meant to take the fun out of life? Or do you see them as God’s loving instruction for living in right relationship with Him? In this episode of the Hope Rescue Podcast, we’re exploring the true purpose of the Ten Commandments—starting with the first three—and how they reveal God’s desire for His rightful place in our lives.

The first three commandments lay the foundation for the rest:

1. “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

2. “You shall not make for yourself an idol or worship any image.”

3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”

   
   

These aren’t arbitrary rules, they are an invitation to know, worship, and trust the one true God. They remind us that life begins with recognizing God’s sovereignty, holiness, and uniqueness.

We also address a modern theological error known as open theism—the belief that while God knows everything that can be known, the future is partly “open” because human choices have not yet occurred. Open theists claim God cannot know the definite outcome of every free decision until it happens. But Scripture consistently presents God as fully omniscient, sovereign over all events, and unchanging in His nature and purposes.

In Isaiah 41:21–24, God challenges the idols of the nations:

“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Bring forward your strong arguments,” says the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth and declare to us what is going to take place… Declare the things that are going to come afterward, that we may know that you are gods.”

Unlike false gods, mute, powerless, and dependent on human imagination, our God declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9–10). His plans are perfect, His knowledge is exhaustive, and His character never changes.

When you have the one true God at the center of your life, you’re not left to guess at the future or invent your own purpose. You are anchored in His sovereignty, guided by His Word, and secure in His promises.

Next time, we’ll continue our journey through the Ten Commandments by discussing what it truly means to “keep the Sabbath holy”—and what it doesn’t mean.