The Old Testament is filled with many lists of laws and rituals for the Israelites to follow — but the 10 Commandments are different. These laws are part of the covenant God made with His people.

Many of the commandments start with “Thou shall not…”. But, the commandments aren’t just a bunch of no’s or an arbitrary exercise of God’s power. These laws are based on God’s wisdom. Like a loving Father, God points out the path that will lead to true happiness and warns us against acts that will harm us.

The Catechism reminds us in paragraph 2071 that the Commandments, “although accessible to reason alone, have been revealed. To attain a complete and certain understanding of the requirements of the natural law, sinful humanity needed this revelation.”

By giving us the 10 Commandments, God clearly defined what actions are sinful and evil so that we can turn away from sin and choose the path of goodness, love, and happiness.