|
What was Christ's attitude toward God's law?
"I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart". Psalm 40:8
How did Jesus address God's law in His most famous sermon?
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled". Matthew 5:17,18
How did God make His law known?
"And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God". Exodus 31:18
Note these facts about God's law:
No human element was involved in the formulating of the Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20:1-17. Everything else in the Bible was written by the prophets. Not so with the Ten Commandments! If some parts of the Word of God were purer than others, this would be the ultimate!
Government cannot exist without law and order. Society cannot function without rules. Men cannot do business without certain guidelines. Children cannot play games without rules. Even Nature has her laws! Should we be surprised then that God governs His Universe by law?
The Ten Commandment law, written on stone by God's own finger, was placed INSIDE the ark.
"At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first.... And I will write on the tables the words, that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. And he wrote on the tables... the ten commandments... and the Lord gave them unto me. And I... came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made". Deuteronomy 10:1-5
A second "law" was written by Moses in a book (instead of on stone), and placed IN THE SIDE of the ark.
"And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee". Deuteronomy 31:24-26
What is the purpose of the law of God?
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet". Romans 7:7
What is the purpose of the law of Moses?
"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions". Galatians 3:19
Note: Unfortunately, Paul does not differentiate between the two laws, but refers only to the "law". As a result many have concluded that God's law (Ten Commandments), has been done away with. However, as we read the context, we can readily discern which law Paul was referring to since he states that it was "written in the book of the law" and not on stone (See Galatians 3:10).
Those who love God and their fellow man, fulfill (keep) the Law of God!
Jesus said: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets". Matthew 22:37-40
Note: Some theorize that the Ten Commandments are the Father's, while Christ's commandments are just two, totally unrelated to the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament. A careful study of the Ten Commandments however, reveals that the first four deal with our love toward God, while the last six deal with our relationship to our neighbor. This is why Jesus said, "On these two commandments hang all the law". The Father's commandments and Christ's commandments are one and the same!
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love". John 15:10
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 5:19
"If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments". Matthew 19:17
Paul wrote:
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there by any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law". Romans 13:8-10
The Bible Conclusion:
Old Testament
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man". Ecclesiastes 12:13
New Testament
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty". James 2:10-12
[previous chapter] [Christian Way - Index] [next chapter]
|
