If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him
the plagues that are written in this book.
—Revelation 22:18
When the White House was being refurbished in the early 1900s, workers were cleaning two large entrance doors that had been repeatedly repainted. In readying the doors for another coat, they scraped away layers of paint until they reached the original wood. They were astonished to find heavy mahogany of a most exquisite grain. Instead of adding to the beauty of the original, the work of earlier decorators had concealed its natural elegance.
The Ten Commandments could be easily understood. But by adding layers of rules and regulations, the rabbis made understanding difficult and obedience impossible.
At the initial giving of the Law, Moses insisted that nothing be added or subtracted (Dt 4:2).
At the conclusion of divine revelation, John ordered that nothing be added or subtracted (Rv 22:18–19).
Divine perfection needs no human edits.