What That Law Is by Milton C. Wilcox

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Feb 3, 1916

What That Law Is

By Milton C. Wilcox

The Law of God—No. 2

What That Law Is

MILTON C. WILCOX

1. God is a universal moral governor. It is one of the great thoughts in the beginning of that wonderful song which Moses taught his people Israel:— “I will proclaim the name of Jehovah: Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice; A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he.” Deut. 32: 3, 4, A. R. V.

Through the evangelical prophet our God thus declares himself:— “There is no God else beside me; A just God and a Saviour; There is none beside me.” Isa. 45: 21, R. V.

The psalmist echoes the same gracious truth:— “Jehovah is righteous in all his ways, And gracious in all his works.” Ps. 145: 17, A. R. V.

And that inspired “song for the Sabbath day” closes with this refrain:— “Jehovah is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Ps. 92: 15, A. R. V.

We close these testimonials, which might be greatly multiplied, with this prophecy of the eternal future of the kingdom of God's Son:— “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Heb. 1: 8, 9. This is the testimony of the Word in small part to the character of him who watches over all, whose kingdom is eternal.

2. The infinite and loving God desires that his children shall be like himself. In the very nature of things he must demand it. The fruitage of infinite righteousness is infinite grace, and it is “thoughts of peace” he has for his people. To ask that his people shall be like himself is the highest thing which could be asked, and not an arbitrary demand of authority. It was infinite love that said to Abraham, “Walk before me, and be thou perfect.” Gen. 17: 2. And it was infinite love on the part of the Son of God that said: “Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5: 48); not in wisdom or knowledge, but in motive and purpose, the very heart of character.

3. The infinite God, perfect in every moral attribute, demanding characters of his subjects like his own, must give them the transcript of that character in a perfect law.

This law is characterized by the same epithets that are applied to God himself. We have before learned that God is just and wise and righteous and holy, a God of truth and love. The law is described by the same adjectives. Call a few of the many witnesses:— “Thy law is truth.” Ps. 119: 142. “The law of Jehovah is perfect,” “is sure,” “right,” “pure,” “clean,” “true,” “righteous.” Ps. 19: 7-9. In this passage the terms used of the law are “testimony,” “precepts,” “commandment,” “fear,” “ordinances.” Each and every term applies to the same thing in slightly differing aspects. Add to the testimony given through David that borne by the apostle Paul: “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.” “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Rom. 7: 12, 14, A. R. V.

“God is love,” and “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” 1 John 4: 8; 5: 3.

God is perfect and wise and just and true and right and holy and pure, the One of all perfection. God's law is perfect and wise and just and true and right and holy and pure, the law of all perfection.

There is no wonder that when “the preacher” summed up in a word man's moral obligation he said: “This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12: 13, 14, R. V.

The force of the Scripture cannot be set aside. Man's duty is manifest in observing God's law: God's law is therefore the rule of human conduct. It is therefore fitting that the rule of human conduct shall be the rule of final judgment at God's tribunal.

A parallel scripture to the one last quoted is found in the New Testament:— “Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.” James 2: 8-12, A. R. V.

The “royal law” is the law of the great King. It is the law of the king according to the Scriptures. This must refer to that law preeminently given of God, spoken by his own voice in Mt. Sinai, “out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness;” engraved by his own fingers on tables of enduring rock; preserved in a holy ark under God's own direction in the holy of holies, the most sacred room on earth. See Ex. 20: 1-17; Deut. 5: 22; Ex. 31: 18; 32: 15, 16.

God's royal law, according to the Scriptures, is clearly the decalogue. This is further shown in the fact that two commandments of the decalogue are indirectly quoted, “Thou shalt not kill,” “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” It is a law of liberty to all who obey. Well said the writer of Psalm 119, “I shall walk at liberty; for I have sought thy precepts.” Verse 45.

Finally, like the “commandments” of Eccl. 12: 13, 14, it is the rule of God's judgment.

All this is confirmed by the apostle Paul. “Through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.” “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Rom. 3: 20; 7: 7, A. R. V.

The law of God “according to the Scriptures” is not therefore some vague, indefinite, changeable teaching, but a definite code, the decalogue, the ten commandments, the ten words of God. In their fulness of comprehension, in their holy demands, in their giving and preservation, they constitute the law of God. We may not see all this. That is not strange. His “commandment is exceeding broad,” and it is only by the enlightening power of the Holy Spirit that finite minds can fathom the character of God. As we follow these brief, imperfect studies, let us pray the inspired prayer, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” “Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” Ps. 119: 18, 33, 34, A. R. V.

And the prayer is possible of fulfilment in us through Christ Jesus, as we shall learn in future studies.