Posted on 04/21/2007 6:18:02 AM PDT by DouglasKC
Many people assume that the Ten Commandments and the covenant God established with ancient Israel are identical—and that both were abolished by Jesus Christ's death. They believe that the Sinai Covenant and God's commandments came into existence together and went out of existence together.
But is such reasoning biblical? The facts show it is not. A close look at the Scriptures reveals that breaking the Ten Commandments was a sin before the covenant at Mt. Sinai, so arguments that they came into existence with that covenant and were terminated with it cannot be true. Let's notice the scriptural proof.
God's Word defines sin as "the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4, KJV) or "lawlessness" (New King James Version, NIV). Therefore, "where there is no law there is no transgression" (Romans 4:15). This is what the Bible clearly says! So do we find transgressions of the Ten Commandments described as sinful before Mt. Sinai? Clearly we do.
For example, Genesis 13:13 tells us that "the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord." Since sin is violating God's law, the people of Sodom could not have been punished for being wicked and sinful if no law condemned what they were doing. We must conclude, therefore, that God had already made available the knowledge of what is sinful.
Here is a clear example. Genesis 20:3-9 and 39:7-9 describe adultery as "a great sin" and a "sin against God." Adultery breaks the Seventh Commandment.
In Genesis 3:6 and 17, God punishes Adam and Eve for their coveting and stealing—breaking the Tenth and Eighth Commandments. They also dishonored Him as their parent, violating the Fifth Commandment.
In Genesis 4:9-12, God punishes Cain for murder and lying—violations of the Sixth and Ninth Commandments.
In Exodus 16:4, several days to several weeks before God established His covenant with the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, we find God giving them a test to see "whether they will walk in My law or not." His test involved whether they would rest on the seventh-day Sabbath as He commanded in the Fourth Commandment of that law—with which they were at least partly familiar. The seventh day had been hallowed—set aside as holy by God—from the time of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:1-3).
God's reaction to their disobedience is revealing. He exclaims, "How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?" (Exodus 16: 28). God clearly speaks of both His "commandments and . . . laws" as already existing and in force well before He listed the Ten Commandments verbally at Mt. Sinai, as described four chapters later! Therefore, the Ten Commandments were only codified—written in stone as part of a formal covenant—at Mt. Sinai. Scripture clearly shows that they existed and were in force well before then.
This is stated explicitly in Genesis 26:5, where God tells Isaac that He blessed his father Abraham "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." This event took place centuries before the covenant at Mt. Sinai, centuries before Moses and two generations before Judah, head of the tribe that much later would become known as the Jews, was born! (Be sure to read "Did Abraham Keep the Same Commandments God Gave to Moses?" on page 13).
In Leviticus 18:21 and 27, God calls the idolatrous practices of the people of the land of Canaan "abominations"—actions so filthy and degrading that God compared their expulsion to being "vomited out" of the land (verse 28). What was their sin? Among other things, idolatry (the worship of false gods) and human sacrifice, which violated the First, Second and Sixth Commandments.
The Bible shows that the Ten Commandments did not originate with Moses or in his time. Nor were they in any way limited only to the Jews. They were in effect and known long before Moses or a people known as the Jews existed. They are the foundation of God's laws that show us how to love God (defined by the first four Commandments) and how to love our fellow man (defined by the last six).
This is why, after Jesus Christ returns to establish His glorious Kingdom on earth, Isaiah 2:3 tells us that "many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
At that time, all of mankind will at last be taught to live according to all of God's laws and commandments!
Natural Law is that law within us where, if we were to observe one man doing away with another man because of something the second man had done, we would either help or at least not hinder the first man in carrying out his doing away of the second man because it is in accord with our inner notions of justice and right.
I.e., a man one catches man two attempting to murder a member of man one's family, or steal something from man one, or undermine the society man one belongs to, or commit adultery with man one's wife, or rape man one's daughter, or kidnap man one's son, etc. And man one, having caught man two, is observed by man three who either applauds or helps man one do away with man two.
Natural Law is the mode of justice which naturally occurs among men in the absence of State authority - i.e. in a frontier or wilderness, during natural disasters, etc., or which even springs up spontaneously in a civilized judicial culture in the absence of an immediate police presence during the commission of a crime (i.e. the rough justice given out to a mugger caught by the citizenry, or an intruder shot in a house).
Natural Law is the natural condemnation of murder, theft, adultery, lying, blasphemy, sacrilege, treason, rape, kidnapping, etc. because these things are wrong and harmful in and of themselves, and we know it without God revealing it to us by light of our own reason about how society is best ordered for the preservation of everyone's enjoyment of their life, liberty, and property.
As much as we can...But willingly, not as a debt...Not as a requirment for salvation...But because God has put it in our hearts to want to do so...
And if we fail, which we always do, we do not require a sacrifice as those did under the 10 Commandments...We have already received the Sacrifice...Once for all...
It is hardly singular. There are as many species as there are philosophers and theologicians. The Natural law most in use pertains to the state, but the Natural law of morals might be worth discussion although it's been done.
Basically it sounds like socialization...or how we are taught what "civilization" should be like. I think man can be taught to embrace all of the ills listed above given enough time and social pressure. A great case in point is abortion.
I have always thought that Jesus requires obedience as a requirement for salvation:
17 ¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honor thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17–22)
It appears to me that not only must we obey the Ten Commandments to inherit eternal life; we are also called to "take up the cross" and follow Jesus.
Am I missing something?
I agree. But we can do a lot with the spirit of Christ indwelling. We can overcome a myriad of sins and shortcomings by letting his spirit lead. But NOT trying, not overcoming, is tantamount to rejecting, not following, the spirit of Christ.
Hey Doug,
Just a question....Is there a reason you posted this on the Sabbath?
I’m assuming you don’t see posting as work.
Sincerely
I see it as spreading the word of God and the gospel of Christ. It's not work at all, it's joyful and part of what the sabbath was intended to be.
I had never looked at this, but after reading the article, it makes complete sense.
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Me either.
Many people have the misconception that sabbath keepers follow the work "rules" invented and kept by orthodox jews. Most of these rules and regulations are non-biblical in nature.
A computer is simply a tool. It can be used for work, or it can be used to spread the good news.
Yes, it does and it's a fascinating study. The ten commandments fall outside of any covenant. They are actually the essence, the written definition, of what love toward God and others should manifest as.
Do you mean that we can disregard everything Jesus said before the Crucifixion and Resurrection?
I suppose that could be what Jesus meant. However, it seems more likely to me that he meant exactly what he said: to obtain eternal life, we must obey the commandments, give up the things of the world, take up the cross and follow him.
And Satan is the accuser.
Amen!
I’ll try to get back to this later. I’ve got a lot of tools that need using right now.
Scubie
This is incorrect. The ten commandments are referred to in both the Old and New Testament as the "tablets of the covenant", clearly in the context of the covenant with Isreal.
Jesus didn't come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it, and He did fulfill it. He also came to set us free from the law. Paul, in Romans clearly establishes that we died to the law, and uses the tenth commandment as his example.
Those who cling to the ten commandments do so in ignorance of New Testament commandments.
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