To Whom and When Given by MILTON C. WILCOX

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 10, 1916

To Whom and When Given

By MILTON C. WILCOX

The Law of God — No. 3

To Whom and When Given

MILTON C. WILCOX

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” God’s law, the decalogue, is found in Ex. 20: 3-17. We quote the first and second verses also:—

“God spake all these words, saying: I am Jehovah thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

I

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

II

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

III

“Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

IV

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah 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 Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: therefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

V

“Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.”

VI

“Thou shalt not kill.”

VII

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

VIII

“Thou shalt not steal.”

IX

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

X

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.”

The above is from the common English version, with one exception, namely, the covenant name of God, “Jehovah,” is substituted for “the Lord.” Now “there are lords many,” but there is only “one Jehovah.” Deut. 6:4. Whenever the word Lord, printed in capitals or small capitals, or with initial capital, occurs, it comes from the word Jehovah. The last term is distinctive, it is the name by which the God of the Bible designates himself. The word “lord” means only “master.” It is applied to human beings and heathen deities. The covenant name Jehovah will be often used in these articles.

The Lawgiver

Whose law is this? “And God spake all these words.” The law is therefore God’s law. It is not a result of human study, human devising, or human development. It came from God, adapted to fallen humanity.

God gave the law; not the God of the Jews, not the God of the Assyrians, not the God of the Philistines, not the God of the Gentiles in general or in particular, but the God of heaven and earth, to whom all are subject, to whom all are amenable, to whom the homage and obedience of all are due.

The Place of Giving

This, too, is indicated by the place where the law was given. God did not so speak it in Egypt. He did not wait till Israel came to Palestine. He led a people out into the desert wild, in no man’s land, and there amid the solitudes of the everlasting hills and the strength and steadfastness of the mountains, God spoke from Sinai’s blazing summit his holy law. It was given by the one God; it was given for all the world.

To Whom Committed

It must be committed to some on earth for their own upbuilding and for the salvation of all. It was committed to one of the smallest peoples of earth, a nation of slaves redeemed out of bondage, in order that the glory and the praise should be seen to be of God and not of man. It was God’s design that the custodians of his holy law, and all the blessed gospel truths connected therewith, should be an obedient people, “an holy nation,” “a kingdom of priests.” Ex. 19: 4-6. “The priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts.” Mal. 2: 7. The whole nation of Israel should be God’s priest to all the nations of the world, that the nations might learn of God and find in him salvation.

That holy trust committed to them by God—not because of their wealth, or their greatness, or their power—would be the thing that commended them to the nations. “Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as Jehovah my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, that shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what great nation is there, that hath a god so nigh unto them as Jehovah our God is whensoever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” Deut. 4: 5-8, A. R. V. Their very songs breathed the missionary spirit:—

“O give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name; Make known his doings among the peoples. . . . Show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.”

The Law and the Land

There is much more which clearly shows that God designed that Israel should be a missionary people. For that very reason he placed them in the little land that he did, the center of the earth, through which the travel of the world passed between Egypt and Babylonia. It was a great trust and a wonderful opportunity.

The decalogue was not therefore a law for the Hebrews alone, but for all the world through them, even as the salvation in Christ Jesus came through them. Rom. 9: 4, 5; John 4: 22.

One Law

God’s law is one law, even as God is one. There is no diversity in it, there are no contradictions, no inconsistencies. The same God who spoke one commandment, spoke all. The first precept is equally holy with the fifth, or seventh, or tenth. They are ten constituent, essential parts of one law. If any are wanting, the law is incomplete, the perfect chain broken. It no more represents the perfect character of God for his children. Rebellion against one is rebellion against all; for it is rebellion against the Lawgiver who requires its obedience. To choose to regard some precepts and to reject others is to exalt ourselves above God, and to condemn him. Thus we may see how, if we “offend in one point,” we “are guilty of all;” for it is not the mere cold legal precept to which we are subject, but to the God who gave the law.

These articles do not, nor can they in the nature of the case, bring out all the great evidences of unity and beauty in God’s law. It is hoped they will be suggestive of many excellent thoughts these studies do not contain.

Mountain View, Cal.