The
law
before Sinai
Joseph E. Lahud
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November 25, 2008
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“In
the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth, and God
saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And
the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the Heavens and
the Earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the
seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested. And
God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it
He had rested from all His work which God had created and made”
(Gen.1:1,31, 2:1-3). The account of creation reveals that God beheld
His created work and considered it “very good”. There
was the absence of sin. God did not create sin. Sin was first born
in the heart of a free moral individual, a created being, in the
midst of the Heavenly court. Sin is a choice every free moral agent
is allowed to choose. But how would a free moral agent know what
constitutes sin? “For by the law is the knowledge of sin”
also “Nay, I had not known sin but by the law” (Rom.
3:20, 7:7). Our Heavenly Father desires us to know with certainty,
the difference between right and wrong. “The law of the Lord
is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple” “Moreover by them is thy servant
warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward” (Psalm
19:7, 11). There are those who although sincere in their belief,
hold to the idea that the Almighty God, Creator of the Heavens and
the Earth, First introduced His laws upon planet Earth only to the
ancient Nation of Israel at the time of the exodus from Egypt, on
Mount Sinai through
His servant Moses. That this giving of God’s law was only for
the Hebrew people, and that this law did not exist prior to the
account as found in Exodus 20:1-17, where we find the Ten
Commandments (the moral law) inclusive also of the Old Covenant. It
is further claimed by some that God’s laws are not for us
Christians today, for we are the New Testament dispensation, under
the New Covenant, saved by grace. The great Apostle Paul declares:
“In that He saith, a new covenant, He hath made the first old.
Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away”
(Heb. 8:13). This verse, as well as other verses which may be found,
seem to uphold this idea—that God gave His
sacred law first to the Nation of Israel at Mount Sinai, that this
law only pertained to the Old Covenant, further, that the law given
was later abolished at the cross. But this same author, credited
with writing much of the New Testament, also writes in the same
Epistle to the Hebrews: “This is the covenant that I will make
with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put My laws into
their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:16, 17).
Paul is repeating this message for he first declares it a few verses
earlier in chapter eight, verse ten. He is actually quoting the Old
Testament from the book of one of the Major Prophets in the
Scriptures -Jeremiah. (Read this account in Jer. 31:31). At a
glance, this seems to create a seeming conflict. For earlier, we
read from Paul’s own pen which seems to say that
the law was indeed old, that it was decayed, and being
waxed old, was ready to vanish away. Why then would
our Heavenly Father several times promise us that He is going to
“place His laws in our hearts, and write them in our minds?”
(The word “heart” is Strong’s #2588 is defined as
“mind”. They are interchangeable, they both mean the
same thing.) Would our Heavenly Father promise to us that He is
going to place in our hearts/minds something which is decayed,
waxing old, and passing away? We will see just what it is
that Paul was referring to as decayed, waxed old, and
ready to pass away. It is most certainly not the law of our
Heavenly Father. His law was in effect ever since He created the
first free moral agents–the angels. The law provides the
correct moral guidance for them to follow, as well as to His Earthly
children–mankind. Regarding our Heavenly Father’s law,
the inspired psalmist declares: “The works of His hands are
verity and judgment: all His commandments [laws] are sure. They
stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness”
(Psalm 111:7, 8). Angels fell. Man sinned. This is plain evidence
that the law existed even in Heaven for, “Sin is not imputed
where there is no law” (Romans 5:13).
What is the law?
It is the purpose
of my heart to reveal to the reader from the Scriptures, that the
law of our Creator not only existed before given to the
Nation of Israel at Mount Horeb (or Sinai), but that the importance
of obedience to His law applies for us today. The Law of God is a
reflection of His character, It mirrors the content of His heart, it
is His righteousness. Regarding the necessary things of this life,
our Savior taught: “But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and His righteousness; and
all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).
What is His righteousness? “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: That, accordingly as it is written,
he that glorieth (boasts), let him glory in the LORD” (I
Cor.1:30, 31). Christ is not only made unto us righteousness but
also wisdom, for He is the wisdom of God (I Cor.1:24). It is
therefore evident that the righteousness that He is made to us is
the righteousness of God. So we again inquire, what is this
righteousness? “My tongue shall speak of thy word:
for all thy commandments [Law] are righteousness”
(Psalm119:172).
The commandments of God contained in His law are His
righteousness. For further proof, permit me to once again take you
to His word: “Lift up your eyes to the Heavens, and look upon
the Earth beneath; for the Heavens shall vanish away
like smoke, and the Earth shall wax old like a garment,
and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but My
salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness
shall not be abolished. Hearken unto Me, ye that know
righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law;
fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their
reviling” (Isaiah 51:6, 7). We see clearly in this verse
that those who know the righteousness of God are those in whose
heart/mind is His law, for the law of God (as we have read in the
Scriptures) is the righteousness of God. Notice also that these
saints of God will be “reviled”, which is to suffer
persecution from those that do not have God’s
righteousness, those that do not have His law in their heart/mind.
“But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him
that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now” (Gal.4:29).
The Apostle John declares: “He that saith, I know Him, and
keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in
him” (I John 2:4). To claim that we are walking in God’s
righteousness, while rejecting and disobedient to His law is
contrary to the teachings of the Bible. God’s inspired word
declares that individual a liar, and that there is no truth in him.
What is it to be contrary to His righteousness? It is sin. “All
unrighteousness is sin” (I John 5:17). The summary of all this
is plainly expressed: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth
also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John
3:4). Remember the verse we read earlier regarding some things which
were decaying, waxing old, and passing away? (Heb. 8:13)
In Isaiah 51:6, 7 this is referring to the old covenant and the ceremonial law
and not God’s moral law. To the earnest student of the
Scriptures, the word of God will not contradict itself, harmony will
be found, as sure as building upon a rock. (Luke 6:48) Dear friend,
do you desire to walk in wisdom? “The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His
commandments [His law]: His praise endures forever” (Psalm
111:10).
The
law cannot save
The purpose for
the law is to establish the boundaries between right-doing and
wrong-doing. The law is as a mirror, by which we may see the dirty
condition of our soul. It might surprise many professing Christians
today that the law is for the benefit of those whom are to be saved,
for the purpose it serves is to disclose our sins. The flesh is at
war with the Spirit: “For I know that in me (that is in my
flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but
how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I
would I do not: but the evil that I would not, that I do. Now if I
do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil
is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward
man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of
my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is
in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from
the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the
flesh the law of sin” (Rom.7:18-25). The Apostle Paul, whose
writings are most frequently miss-used to prove that the law has
been abolished and not for us today, has this to say regarding the
law: “what shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay,
I would not have known sin, but by the law: for I have not known
lust, except the law said, Thou shalt not covet. [Notice Paul is
quoting the tenth commandment in the Moral law] But sin, taking
occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of
concupiscence [lust, desire, longing for what is forbidden]. For
without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once:
but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. [before he
knew of his sins, he did not know that he was spiritually dead] And
the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and
by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy,
and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me?
God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me
by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become
exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am
carnal, sold under sin.” (Rom.7:7-14). Paul had the proper
understanding of the law, for he further admonishes us in this way:
“There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the
law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was
weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh but after the Spirit. For they that are in the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to
be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:1-6).
Speaking of the rebellion against God’s law which continually
manifested in the hearts of the Israelites (and others), Paul
reminds us: “Now these things happened unto them for
ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the
ends of the world are come” (I Cor.10:11). “Because the
carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God” (Rom.8:7, 8).
Dear brothers and sisters, we therefore need to become
“spiritually minded” that we may please God, and not be
in enmity (hostile, enemy, contrary) to our loving Heavenly Father
and His Only Begotten Son. Knowing that the carnal mind is contrary
to God’s law, that as long as we are carnally minded we will
not be subject to the law of God –His moral guidelines. We
need to prayerfully seek that He would create in us a heart by His
precious Holy Spirit, to surrender in obedience to His spoken word,
preserved for us in the Scriptures. “But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in
you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but
the Spirit is life because of righteousness” “For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are sons of God”
(Rom. 8:9, 10, 14).
The
law existed
in
Heaven
In the first known account of sin in the Heavenly Kingdom we read of
Lucifer’s fall. This may be found in Isaiah 14:12-17: “How
art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For
thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will
exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the
mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds; I will be like The Most High…”
Here we clearly witness the evidence against this once perfect,
glorious angel, now fallen. This account is also found in Ezekiel
28:11-19: “…Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up
the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in
Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering…the
workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in
the day that thou wast created…Thou wast perfect in thy ways
from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity [sin] was found
in thee…Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou
hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast
thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may
behold thee…Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the
multitude of thy iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic;
Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall
devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the Earth in the
sight of all them that behold thee…thou shalt be a terror,
and never shalt thou be any more.” Our Savior, speaking to the
Pharisees, compared them to this fallen enemy for He declares: “Ye
are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he
speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it”
(John8:44). Here we will find evidence that God’s Moral law
was in effect in Heaven, before the fall of man. We read in Isaiah,
Ezekiel, and John, testimony of Satan’s transgressions. Christ
refers to him as the father of lies, a murderer, the originator of
lusts. He coveted God’s throne. He is the originator of sin
and rebellion against God’s kingdom. According to the law as
revealed to us in the Scriptures, Satan broke the first Commandment
-he saw himself as god (Thou shalt have no other god’s before
Me). He broke the second (he saw himself in the image of God). He
broke the third (he took God’s Name in vain before the other
angels which joined him in his rebellion, a third fell with him)
(Rev. 12:4). He broke the fifth (Honor your Father and Mother), God
is his creator (Father). He broke the sixth (he is a murderer from
the beginning John 8:44). He committed spiritual adultery by the
lust for power seeking God’s position, breaking the seventh.
He tried to steal God’s throne breaking the eight. He is a
liar, breaking the ninth. And he coveted in his heart to rule Heaven
which belongs only to God, breaking the tenth. It could be accounted
that he also broke the fourth –God’s Sabbath—for
this is the only commandment which identifies the true Creator of
the Universe, and Satan coveted to have this place for himself, even
though he cannot create, he can only destroy and pervert that which
has already been created. We see here that God’s Moral law
contained in His Ten Commandments was clearly trespassed, evidence
of its existence. “…for by the law is the knowledge of
sin” (Rom.3:20). “He that committeth sin is of the
devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose
the son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of
the devil” (I John 3:8). This account of Satan’s fall is
also recorded in the New Testament by our precious Savior: “And
He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions,
and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means
hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are
subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written
in heaven” (Luke 10:18-20). Here Christ tells us that to
those whose names are written in the book of life, He will give
power against the enemy. “Ye are of God, little children, and
have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he
that is in the world” (I John 4:4). How may we know if Christ
is in us? “And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in
Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the
Spirit which He hath given us” (I John 3:24). So if Christ
dwells in us, we will keep His commandments and our names will be
written in the Lambs book of life. “Blessed are
they that do His commandments, that they may have the right to the
tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city”
(Rev.22:14).
Adam
was taught
the law
What did Adam
and Eve transgress? Picking fruit out of season? No. “Whosoever
committeth sin transgreseth also the law: for sin is the
transgression of the law” (I John3:4). They broke God’s
Moral law by disobedience, for God does not impute sin where there
is no law (Rom. 5:13). They placed knowledge in the place of God,
breaking the first Commandment. They broke the second by idolizing
something before God. They broke the fifth Commandment by not
honoring their Father (God). Their disobedience was a form of
rebellion. They broke also the tenth, for they coveted knowledge. It
has been said that when our first parents sinned, angels wept.
Heaven was bathed in tears. Sin has a twin, it
is called death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”
(Rom.6:23). After their transgression, God made it known to these
fallen children which He loved, the plan of redemption. For “The
soul that sinneth it shall die” (Eze. 18:20). The everlasting
covenant was made known to them, that Christ, the Lamb of God, would
come in the flesh and give His life as a sacrifice –the price
demanded for the transgression of God’s law. We find in
Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood:
and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for
your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the
soul.” Speaking of the atonement which Christ has done for us,
Paul also affirms: “And almost all things are by the law
purged with blood; and without blood is no remission”
(Heb.9:22). How may we prove that Adam was taught this? While it is
not plainly declared, we may see the evidence found in the account
of Cain and Abel. Here are the first offspring from the womb of
flesh. Adam was instructed to teach his children and their coming
generations the plan of redemption –the gospel of the coming
Savior, and His plan of Salvation through faith in Him. This is the
introduction of the sacrificial system, the “Ceremonial Law”.
This was given fully to the Nation of Israel, for the Ceremonial law
embodied the center of the Levitical priesthood. The tribe of
Levy—from which the sons of Aaron descended—were
ordained to minister the sacrificial animal offerings. This was to
be an illustration, symbolic of the sacrifice of the Son of God
represented by the innocent lamb. God was not pleased with the slain
animal itself. He was pleased with the emblem, the offering from a
penitent heart, declaring the acknowledgement of guilt; that through
faith in Christ, the slain animal was a substitute for the sinner.
When Christ gave His life for us on the Cross, this sacrificial
system ended. The world had been given the genuine article. No
longer did mankind need to look to the animal substitute, for the
promised Redeemer had finally come. “But Christ being come an
High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this
building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own
blood He entered in once into the Holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us” (Heb. 9:11, 12). This is the law
that was nailed to the cross: “Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took
it out of the way, nailing it to His cross” (Col.2:14). The
sacrificial system was the heart of the Ceremonial law. This is not
to be confused with the Moral law. Please note the distinction.
There were four distinct set of laws given to the Nation of Israel:
The Moral (has existed since creation), The Ceremonial (given to
Adam and carried through the Patriarchs until Christ fulfilled it on
the cross at Calvary), The Judicial Law (The principles by which we
respect our fellow man and his property, our constitution is founded
on these same principles) and the Health law (our bodies are the
temple of God) (I Cor. 3:16, 17). (The proper understanding of why
these laws were given and what they represent is worthy of further
study.) There is no other means of Salvation except through faith in
Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not by works, lest any man
should boast” (Eph.2:8, 9). This free gift of salvation
through faith came with a price. The Scriptures declare that a Son
was given. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is
given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name
shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The
sacrifice required for the remission of our sins was paid in full.
The cost was very high. Our Heavenly Father suffered a terrible
great cost to redeem us from the penalty of His broken law. “For
God so loved the world, that He gave
His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The anguish
suffered by our loving Heavenly Father is expressed in the account
of faithful Abraham. This account, this writer believes, was given
to us in the Scriptures that we might get a glimpse at what our
Heavenly Father suffered when He declares to Abraham: “…For
now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son from Me” (Gen.22:10-18). It
is with great emotion that we read the account of Isaac’s
deliverance, by which God provided a substitute –the ram
(verse 13). Dear friend, carefully consider: Where came the
substitute to spare God’s Only Begotten Son? There was none.
Christ, the Lamb of God, poured His soul unto death for our
salvation. “And He made His grave with the wicked, and with
the rich in His death; because He hath done no violence, neither was
any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He
hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an
offering for sin, He shall see His Seed, He shall prolong
His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He
shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His
knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He
shall bear their iniquities [sins]. Therefore
will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the
spoil with the strong; because He has poured out His soul unto
death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare
the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors” (Isaiah 53:9-12). It is indescribable mercy,
that the Almighty Creator of this Universe –His universe–
would allow His Only Begotten Son to suffer the undeserved
humiliation, agony and cruel death on a pagan Roman cross that we
would receive the pardon for the transgression of His law. Christ
was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Let
us consider carefully what the outcome will be for those who esteem
not the cost –the sacrifice paid- for the breaking of God’s
law. “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,
but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which
shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died
without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer
punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden
underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath
done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Heb.10:26-29).
Cain slew his brother because he hated Abel’s righteousness by
faith. Abel offered the unblemished innocent lamb on the altar.
Abel was obedient in honoring God’s commandment, Cain was not.
The offering in obedience was accepted, the one in disobedience was
not. (Gen. 4:1-16). This wicked spirit which hates righteousness
(the fruit which sincere obedience to God produces in the hearts of
men) continues even today with great fury. “But as then he
that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the
Spirit, even so it is now” (Gal.4:29). Speaking of these
things the Apostle John declares: “Not as Cain, who was of
that wicked one and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him?
Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous”
(I John 3:12). “And it came to pass, when they were in the
field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And
the LORD said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I
know not: Am I my brothers keeper? ” (Gen. 4:8). In this verse
is made known the first account of mankind committing murder. After
slaying his brother, when God questioned him of Abel’s
whereabouts, Cain lied about it. Did Cain commit sins? The fifth
Commandment is: “Honor thy Father and thy Mother: that thy
days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee”
(Ex. 20:12). The sixth commandment is: “Thou shalt not kill”
(Ex. 20:13). Cain lied, breaking the ninth Commandment which is:
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor”
(Ex. 20:16). Here is plain evidence of God’s Moral law
existing upon the Earth right from creation.
The
law: before
the flood
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man
on the Earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the LORD said, I
will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the Earth;
both man, and beast, the creeping things, and the fowls of the air:
for it repenteth Me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in
the eyes of the LORD…Noah was a just man and perfect in his
generations, and Noah walked with God” (Gen. 6:5-9). The
Scriptures reveal a principle that you cannot please God without
faith: “For whatever is not of faith is sin”
(Rom.14:23). Likewise, you cannot please God unless you are
spiritually minded: “So then they that are in the flesh cannot
please God” (Rom. 8:8). Born again defines a spiritual birth
in the heart/mind of an individual. “ Jesus answered and said
unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…That which is born of
the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit”
(John 3:3&6). The condition existing at the time of Noah’s
account was far from what our Creator had purposed for mankind.
Earth’s condition was corrupt as a result of sin. Even in
nature this was to be found. Was this a result of obedience or
disobedience to God’s law? “And God looked upon the
Earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his
way upon the Earth” (Gen. 6:12). “O that thou hadst
hearkened to My commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river,
and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea” (Isaiah 48:18).
The only souls to be saved were Noah’s family. Why was that?
What set Noah apart from the rest of the antediluvians? “And
sparred not the old World, but saved Noah the eight person, a
preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the
World of the ungodly” (II Pet.2:5). Noah was a preacher of
righteousness “For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live
by faith” (Rom.1:17). Imagine for a moment the number of
people living at the time of the flood. Yet only seven souls
believed God through Noah’s preaching. Noah was preaching of
the righteousness of God. This righteousness is found in God’s
laws. “My tongue shall speak of thy word; for all thy
commandments are righteousness” (Ps.119:172). Only
sinners perished in the flood -those that were not walking in God’s
righteousness. “All unrighteousness is sin” (I John
5:17). Had mankind not strayed from the path of obedience to God’s
commandments—His Law— sin would not have caused the
destruction of the ancient world. “My son, forget not My law,
but let thine heart keep My commandments; for length of days, and
long life, and peace, shall they add to thee” (Prov. 3:1, 2).
As we study the Word of God, we find our Heavenly Father’s
loving counsel throughout the ages: “Hear, ye children, the
instruction of a Father, and attend to know understanding. For I
give you good doctrine, forsake ye not My law…He taught me
also, and said unto me, let thine heart retain My words: keep My
commandments and live” (Prov. 4:1, 2 & 4). “By
faith, Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved
with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which
he condemned the world, and became the heir of the righteousness
which is by faith” (Heb.11:7). And the flood came
upon the Earth… (Gen. 7:11-24).
The
law: after
the
flood
“And God
spake unto Noah, saying, go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife,
and thy sons, and thy son’s wives with thee. Bring forth with
thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh…that
they may breed abundantly in the Earth, and be fruitful, and
multiply upon the Earth” (Gen. 8:15-17). Noah and his family
are now faced with rebuilding their lives in a post-flood World.
Everywhere to be seen is the devastation from the destruction which
took place. What is the first thing that Noah set his heart to do?
Noah makes an altar to the Lord and offers a sacrifice of
thanksgiving. “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and
took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl,
and offered burnt offerings on the altar” (Gen.8:20). Here is
evidence again of the sacrificial system brought from the days of
Adam through Noah, given to mankind on this side of the flood. “And
the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in His heart, I
will not again curse the ground anymore for man’s sake; for
the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither
will I smite anymore every living thing, as I have done”
(Gen.8:21). I would have you notice also the mention of “clean”
animals which Noah was commanded to bring in quantities of seven
–not just two! (Gen.7:2). These were for sacrifices and for
eating (Gen. 9:3), evidence again of the knowledge of the
sacrificial system, also known as the “Ceremonial law”,
but also of the Health law, for later we find in the book of
Leviticus, chapter eleven, instructions as to what our Heavenly
Father declares clean for us to eat. Sadly, today many reject the
Health law. Any time we disregard the counsel of God—His
wisdom—as given to us through His word, we will suffer the
consequences. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple
of God, Him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are” (I Cor. 3:16, 17). The Ceremonial law, as we
have mentioned earlier, pointed forward to the coming of Christ.
This is the law which was also given to the Israelites. They were to
take the knowledge of the coming Messiah (Christ) to the rest of the
world. This is no other than the Gospel: salvation through faith in
Christ. The Patriarchs of old received their salvation through faith
in Christ the Messiah, looking forward by faith to His coming in the
future. By faith, God’s children today, receive salvation
through Christ by looking back at what took place at the cross.
Salvation always has, and always will be, by faith through
Christ the Messiah: “Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “For God hath not
appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus
Christ” (I Thes. 5:9). “And that from a child thou hast
known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim.
3:15).
God’s
friend
Abraham
“Now the
LORD had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy Father’s house, unto a land that I will
shew thee: And I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I
will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:
and in thee shall all families of the Earth be blessed” (Gen.
12:1-3). And again God says to Abraham: “And in thy Seed shall
all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My
voice” (Gen. 22:18). Here is a man which God has singled out
of all the other nations: to bless him, guard over him, promising
that through his Seed He would bless all the families of the Earth.
To him was given the promise of the coming Savior of the world to
redeem us from our sins, the rite of circumcision—the
covenant—and the law. “And I will establish My Covenant
between Me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their generations for
an everlasting Covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed
after thee” “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep
My Covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their
generations” “This is My Covenant, which ye shall keep,
between Me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among
you shall be circumcised” (Gen.17:7, 9, 10-14). This is
confirmed through Paul: “That the blessing of Abraham might
come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith” “Now to Abraham and
his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of
many; but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Christ”
(Gal.3:14, 16). Was faithful Abraham saved by the law? By
circumcision? No. “What shall we say then that Abraham our
father, as pertaining to the flesh hath found? For if Abraham were
justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was
counted unto him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:1-3). What does the
Almighty God declare upon Abraham? He calls him His friend: “But
thou, Israel, art My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of
Abraham My friend” (Isa. 41:8). The eternal record also
declares regarding Abraham: “Because that Abraham obeyed
My voice, and kept My charge, My
Commandments, My statutes, and My laws”
(Gen. 26:5). Dear friend, if our Heavenly Father speaks in this way
because of Abraham’s faith and obedience to His Commandments
and His laws, is this not sufficient to prove that the moral law
existed before given to the Hebrews? This was 550 years before the
Israelites ever set foot on the wilderness of Mount Sinai! This fact
should encourage one to study further.
Regarding the covenant of circumcision (Acts 7:8), that was
contained in the Ceremonial law, which became a heated controversy
between the converted Jews and the Greeks, Paul finally settles the
matter in his letter to the church at Corinth: “Circumcision
is nothing and un-circumcision is nothing, but the
keeping the Commandments of God” (I Cor. 7:19).
The circumcision of the heart is what is important. It is the inward
conversion which profits the soul, not merely an outward profession.
“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which
is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of
God” (Rom.2:28, 29). Notice what Paul is saying: he speaks
about an inward conversion, a transformation of the heart/mind by
the Spirit of God; and when this experience occurs, we receive the
praise from God! This is a “spiritual birth”: “We
know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but that he that is
begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him
not” (I John 5:18). Paul’s understanding was that when
we receive this “spiritual birth” we are no longer
carnally minded but spiritually minded. We become adopted as the
seed of Abraham. We become “spiritual Israel”. “There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if
ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs
according to the promise” (Gal. 3:28, 29).
God
promises to bless
you
when you keep
His commandments
In the account of
Melchizedek, the first paying of tithes is made known. This was done
by Abraham. We find also this tithe commandment in the book of the
prophet Malachi: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me.
But ye say, wherein have ye robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye
are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole
nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may
be meat in My house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of
hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you
out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”
(Malachi 3:8-10). Here is a perfect example of a Commandment given
by God for His children to be blessed. What God is saying to us,
through the prophet Malachi is this: if we will honor Him (trust in
Him with our possessions) He will bring the increase. This law is
carried out into the New Testament (Mt. 23:23, Lk. 18:12, Heb. 7:5).
This is a commandment which pertains to the Moral law, for by
honoring God with your money and other possessions, you are placing
God first: “Thou shalt have no other god’s before Me
(Ex. 20.:2, 3). In a parallel manner, when you honor God by keeping
the Fourth Commandment in the Moral law, He promises to bless you.
God promises to bless you if you keep His Commandments. “O
that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and
keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them and
with their children forever!” (Deut. 5:29). However, we just
read of a specific promise given if you tithe. There are two other
commandments with a promise attached to them. These are both found
in the Moral law. They are the fourth and the fifth. We will examine
these shortly. These two commandments are kept or obeyed first in
the mind/heart. Of course, all of God’s commandments need to
be obeyed with a pure transparency in our heart, not clouded by any
other impure motive; if not, you are not really keeping them. God
delights in a cheerful giver: “Every man according as he
purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (IICor.9:7). The
principle is that you obey our Heavenly Father’s law because
we love Him. Christ, speaking through the Psalmist, declares: “I
delight to do thy will, O My God: yea, thy law is within My heart”
(Psalm 40:8). Likewise, if you even look at a person to lust, you
have already committed adultery in your heart: “But I say unto
you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
already committed adultery with her already in his heart”
(Matt.5:28). So the key lies in the motivation of our heart. Do we
do something for God because we will receive a return? Or, do we
give Him our heart in loving devotion and fidelity because we purely
love Him? “By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of
God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not
grievous” (I John 5:2, 3). Let us now examine the two
commandments mentioned earlier and their attached promises:
The
fourth commandment is: “Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do
all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy
God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, thy manservant nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor
thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made
Heaven and Earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and
hallowed it” (Exodus20:8)
The
promise: “If thou turn
thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day;
and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable;
and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine
own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight
thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high
places of the Earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob
[Israel] thy Father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it”
(Isaiah 58:13, 14).
And the fifth, with its
promise is: “Honour thy Father and thy
Mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy
God giveth thee” (Exodus 20: 12).
Moses
before
Pharaoh
Moving forward through time we reach Moses as he has been
commissioned to deliver Israel from Egyptian slavery. Please note
the following: “And Pharaoh said [speaking to Moses], behold,
the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest
from their burdens” (Ex. 5:5). This word “rest”
is Strong’s #7673 (“Shabath”): rest,
keep Sabbath (as in the seventh day Sabbath which we just
read about, ordained by God at creation). Here again is evidence
that God’s Ten Commandments contained in His Moral law existed
prior to being given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai.
God
delivers
Israel
“And it
shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand. And for a memorial
between thy eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in thy mouth: for
with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt”
(Ex. 13:9). God has just delivered Israel from four hundred and
thirty years of bondage. Moses has given Israel certain laws for
them to observe: The Passover, or the feast of unleavened bread
(which they were to observe on the fourteenth day of the first month
Abib, or Nisan). They were to take a lamb on the tenth day and keep
it (probably in the sight of all in the household for occasion to
prepare their hearts) until the fourteenth day, at which time they
killed it in the evening. “And they shall take of the blood,
and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of
the houses, wherein they shall eat it” “For I will pass
through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first
born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the
god’s of Egypt I will execute judgment: I Am the LORD”
(Ex. 12:7, 12). This Passover feast is pointing to Christ, evidence
that the Israelites were given the Gospel message through Moses:
“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that we may be a new
lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is
sacrificed for us” (I Cor. 5:7). This ordinance given to
Israel also contained two “ceremonial sabbaths”: one
observed on the first day of the feast, the other on the seventh day
or the last day. Please note that these “ceremonial sabbaths”
are distinct and separate from the seventh day Sabbath instituted at
creation. God gave through Moses other laws, for example: “And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto Me all the first
born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both
of man and of beast: it is Mine” (Ex. 13:1, 2).
The seventh day Sabbath, however, is a perpetual commandment. It
is God’s “sign” by which the people of God are
identified. It was given at creation before the fall of man. It was
placed in the very center of God’s Moral law. This is the only
commandment which identifies the true and Almighty Creator of the
universe. This shall remain forever: “Moreover I gave them My
Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know
that I Am the LORD that sanctify them” (Eze. 20:12). “For
as the new Heavens and the new Earth, which I will make, shall
remain before Me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name
remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to
another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to
worship before Me, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 66:22, 23).
Israel
in
the
wilderness
Further proof may
be found when the Israelites are in the wilderness: “Then
said the LORD unto Moses, behold, I will rain bread from Heaven for
you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every
day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no.
And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare
that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they
gather daily” (Ex.16:4, 5). The LORD mentions if they will
keep His law or not. Also, they are to gather manna six days,
gathering twice as much on the sixth day in preparation for God’s
Sabbath, for the Commandment is not to work on the Sabbath. This is
further evidence of the existence of the law before given to the
Nation of Israel on Mount Sinai, for this account is four chapters
before their arrival there! “And it came to pass, that there
went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and
they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, how long refuse ye to
keep My Commandments and My laws? See, for that the LORD hath given
you the Sabbath, therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread
of two days; abide ye everyman in his place, let no man go out of
his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh
day” (Ex.16:27, 29).
At this time, we
will now part with Moses and the children of Israel. They have now
reached the desert of Sinai and pitched their tents at the foot of
Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:1, 2) where they will receive the Law of God and
formally enter into the Covenant with the LORD. They will not only
hear His voice declare the Moral law to them, but they will also
receive the Moral law written by God’s own finger on two
tablets of stone. “And the tablets were the work of God, and
the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets”
(Ex. 32:16). The other three sets of laws (the Ceremonial, Judicial,
and Health laws) will be given to Moses by God and he will write
these down on animal skins or papyrus. Of special interest, we
should note, are the specific instructions given to Moses as to
where these testimonies—the law—should be placed. God
instructs Moses to place The Ten Commandments inside
the Ark of the Covenant under the mercy seat. (Ex.
25:21) The other laws were placed on the side of the
Ark. (Deu. 31:26) The pattern for the Ark, the Tabernacle (which
contained the Holy of Holies within the sanctuary and its
furnishings), will also be given to Moses. (Ex. 25-28).
We have examined
many accounts of the law and its existence prior to
that as given to the nation of Israel from Mount Sinai, as recorded
in the canon of sacred Scripture. As the Lord has placed the burden
in my heart to present these facts, I realize that I am not the most
qualified for this work. I humbly apologize for any errors which I
may have unknowingly signed my name to. It is my earnest prayer that
the reader will consider the facts presented here, and prayerfully
pursue a further study as to the law with regards to sin, our
atonement, and the relationship—our faith—in our loving
Heavenly Father and His only Begotten Son.
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: Yea, we
establish the law.” (Rom.3:31).
“If ye love Me keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
All
Scripture reference from King James translation
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