The first five commandments, based on Jehovah God's uniqueness and jealousy, demand man to honor, serve, and love God as the unique and jealous God (Exo. 20:3-12). God's uniqueness and jealousy require that we honor, serve, and love Him.
It is significant that in the arrangement of the Ten Commandments, the commandment concerning honoring our parents, the fifth commandment, is ranked with the commandments regarding God and the keeping of the Sabbath. This indicates that, as children, we need to realize that our parents are our source, and as our source they should be considered God's representatives. Thus, the commandment concerning honoring our parents is ranked with the first four commandments concerning God and His Sabbath. To disobey, dishonor, despise, and do evil to our parents means that we reject God.
The last five commandments, based on Jehovah God's attributes of love, light, holiness, and righteousness, demand man to have virtues according to God's attributes in his relationship with others (Exo. 20:13-17). These commandments indicate that God wants us to express Him in our daily life.
The law of the Ten Commandments was given to test man and expose man as to his genuine nature and condition (Rom. 3:20b; 5:20a; 7:7b). If the Ten Commandments had not been given to us, our actual situation and condition could not be exposed to ourselves, and we would not be clear concerning ourselves. But through the trial of keeping the commandments of the law, our nature, situation, and condition are exposed and become clear to us.
The law of the Ten Commandments has become weak through man's flesh (Rom. 8:3a). In itself the law is good and spiritual; it has become "weak through the flesh." Because we are so fleshly, the law becomes weak.
Although the law has become weak through man's flesh, the law itself is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual (Rom. 7:12, 16, 14a).
Whereas the law is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual, man is fleshly, even fleshy. This is the reason Paul says, "I am fleshy, sold under sin" (Rom. 7:14b). Paul realized that he was contrary to all that was portrayed by the law. He also portrayed man as being fleshy and, having lost his liberty, as being sold under sin.