My college friend threw a problem my way – something from his philosophy teacher. It’s called the Euthyphro Dilemma and it goes back at least to the time of Plato: Does God command something because it is good, or is it good because God commands it?
The solution is found in today’s passage: God is personal and so He has a certain character. That is, certain qualities are essential to the “nature” of God. His commands, then, are an expression of His nature. He is the ultimate good and His commands are always consistent with His character – or, who He is by nature. His commands are the faithful expression of these essential character traits.