God revealed his law through Moses. His Ten Words are recorded twice in the Old Testament: in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Case laws that explain how the Ten Commandments should be applied in a variety of situations are provided in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These laws deal with theft violence and murder, so they are all that is needed for a peaceful society.
There is no evidence in the Bible of a group of people being elected to decide what the law should be. A parliament or congress is not needed because God had already provided his perfect law. This is a very important principle. We will not understand the government of God while we think that we need politicians to make laws for us. We already have God’s perfect law, so we do not need elected representatives to make laws on our behalf.
Christians tend to hate the law, because they relate it to salvation by good works. Jesus does not come to destroy the law.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished (Matt 5:17,18).
The law will remain until God’s purposes on earth are complete. Christians have failed to understand that God still has a purpose for the law. We cannot be justified by obeying the law, because we are saved through faith. Abraham knew that five hundred years before the law had been given. However, the primary reason that God gave the law is so the people of a nation can live together in peace and harmony. The law was given to protect citizens from theft and violence that destroy the peace of a society.
Paul explained the purpose of the law to Timothy.
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers (1 Tim 1:8-10).
We must understand that the law is still good, when it is used for the correct purpose. It cannot wipe away sin, because only the cross can deal with the guilt of sin. However the law is good for dealing with lawbreakers and evil people. By dealing with murder, adultery, theft and false witness the law allows good people to live together in peace.
The Ten Commandements were spoken directly by God, so we should take them seriously.