Yesterday, I made a promise. Today, by the grace of God, I am going to keep it. What the world would be like if God were in charge? How did this get to be the big question of the day? For about three weeks I’ve been writing on the Ten Commandments. As I’m wrapping up this study, it occurred to me that God gave us these Commandments as a revelation of His character. Through the Ten Commandments, God is telling us what the world would look like if He were in charge.

Why do I keep saying that? Isn’t God already in charge of the world? He certainly has the power to be in charge, so if He’s not, He has no one to blame but Himself. Each of these questions is missing the point. The point is, God created the world so people would have a loving relationship with Him. If God took away our free will by being “in charge,” how enjoyable (to Him or us) would that love relationship really be? Let’s recap how we got here. God placed Adam and Eve in a perfect garden, with only one Commandment, “Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the center of the garden.” But that one commandment was too much for the gullible couple, and rebellion came into the world.

God is sovereign and therefore, cannot tolerate, countenance, or fellowship with rebellion. Sovereign means that God must be obeyed immediately and without question. Everything else is sin. Adam and Eve and their progeny must now endure separation from fellowship with God as the world has became a sinful place.

But God’s desire to have a loving relationship with mankind has never changed. In love, God revealed His righteous standard, first through the Torah and then through all the other Scriptures. However; the issue of disobedience is still endemic. Ultimately, God had to send His own Son to fix the sin problem. Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time came, God sent out His Son, born of a woman and born under law – to free those under law, so we might receive adoption as sons.

The world and everything in it has a purpose. Our purpose is to love God. The greatest commandment is the Shema. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. To “Shema” or “hear” biblically is to take heed or obey. Hence, Yeshua’s command … John 14:15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

You’ve heard me say, “It’s a heart thang!” Let’s enter into His love with a whole heart. This is not something we have to wait for or hope for. I heard a Word from the Lord several years ago. “Do what you can with what you’ve got.” It makes me think of this Scripture. Yeshua is teaching on the parable of the talents, when He says to the one who had only two talents, but gained two more … Matthew 25:23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’ This servant was fruitful with a little to bring increase to the kingdom of God. So we must pray, “Lord, what have You gifted to me already, and how might I use it to bring increase to your kingdom?

Psalm 24 starts like this … Psalm 24:1 A psalm of David. The earth is Adonai’s and all that fills it – the world, and those dwelling on it. Psalm 24 figures prominently in the High Holiday liturgy. Read it today. Let each of us be the ones who have “clean hands and a pure heart.” Let us … Psalm 100:4-5 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Praise Him, bless His Name. For Adonai is good. His lovingkindness endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

In short, the Ten Commandments are a brief revelation of God’s plan for mankind. He wants us to reverence Him and respect each other. May we, as followers of Yeshua, be the first people to get it right and show our love for God as we obey His Words.