God reveals His divine plan of redemption for Israel as we read Exodus chapter 20. The mighty hand of the Lord delivered the nation of Israel from its taskmasters. He took them to his holy mountain and there he personally wrote the Ten Commandments (Decalogue) and gave them to Moses for the people. God pours His sovereign law onto a tablet and writes it in the hearts of men. Through these laws, the Lord sets in motion His divine plan for the social, religious, and national order of all mankind. Fast forward a few millennia and we see another member of the Godhead reveal a new set of edicts given in the Beatitudes, during the Sermon on the Mount. When people conform to Jesus' will, they receive blessing. through the comparison and contrast between the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes we discover surprising truths. First, consider the hearts of the people in the audience during the broadcast of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. The collective heart condition of Israel predisposed them to reject God and His laws at Mount Sinai. This act of disobedience led the Lord to punish them. They had to wander in the wilderness for forty years until the disobedient members died. The people had sin in their hearts and the Lord did not possess it. They lay out their needs and desires before the Lord. They focused on their own flesh, not on their souls, not on their nation and certainly not on Jehovah. Likewise, Jesus encountered people's self-centered attitudes when he delivered the Beatitudes during the Sermon on the Mount. The crowd hoped that the Messiah would free them from Roman rule, restore the nation to regional prominence, and improve their standard of living. While some heard and believed His message, did the... center of the paper... ever reflect on the New Testament term “perfecting the saints?” God calls His people to aspire to the perfection of Jesus Christ. The original commandments showed us the impossibility of this need, but Jesus met this need. Hebrews 7:11 compares Jesus and Melchizedek: "Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than another priest?" of one who bears the name of Aaron?” 3 Our Creator's design becomes evident when we consider the result of the incorporation of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. God's Ten Commandments represent His demands for justice, and the Beatitudes embody His love and forgiveness. This distinctive sign becomes the narrative of the entire story of redemption .