Who were the Ten Commandments given to — Israel or the Gentiles?
The Ten Commandments were given directly to the nation of Israel, not to the Gentile world. However, because they are the Law of the sovereign Creator God, their influence extends to the ends of the earth, so all the world—Jew and Gentile—becomes guilty before God.
Les explains that the Ten Commandments were directly given to the nation of Israel, not to the Gentile world. Yet because they are the Law of the sovereign Creator God, their influence reaches to the ends of the earth. The result is that every mouth may be stopped: even a Gentile cannot claim innocence after stealing, because God's Law says stealing is against His will. So all the world, not just Israel, becomes guilty before God. Therefore by deeds of the Law, by law-keeping or works, no flesh—Jew or Gentile—will be justified. The Law's one function is to show mankind how sinful they really are, not to earn favor. Les also notes that trying to keep the Commandments to make brownie points or slip in under the door will not work.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
More Questions
How far does the influence of God's law reach if it was only given to Israel?
Because the law is the law of the sovereign Creator God, its influence reaches to the ends of the earth.