p. 133 | God's Holy Law by Bennie H. Welch

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 8, 1873

God's Holy Law.

By Bennie H. Welch

How many of us realize the sacredness of this law? Let us look back to the time when God spoke his law in awful grandeur on Mount Sinai. God would not suffer his law to be spoken on any common occasion. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day.” Ex. 19: 10, 11. So we see that they had two days to prepare to hear this sacred law. God wrote the law (the ten commandments) on two tables of stone, and gave them to Moses, and they were afterwards placed in the most holy place of the sanctuary, where even the high priest was not allowed to enter only once a year because of the glory of the place, and the halo of glory surrounding it. It was a law so holy, so blessed, and perfect, that God required reverence and honor to be paid to it.

God gave his law to sinful man, that he might obey it. For, as David says in Ps. 19: 7, “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” If we obey this law, we shall be brought into favor with God, and form perfect characters, ready to meet our Redeemer with confidence when he comes.

The only way we can show our love to God is by keeping his law. Jesus says, “If ye love me keep my commandments.” How many in past ages have done this? Enoch and Elijah led such holy lives that they were translated to Heaven without seeing death. Moses, also, was resurrected soon after death. David said, “Oh! how love I thy law; it is my meditation all the day.” If David, the king of Israel, could find so much delight in it, can we not, too, share with him? Cannot we enjoy the same as those who lived in ancient times, if we will? I can see no reason why we cannot. God is no respecter of persons. He is unchangeable, and his law is without end.

Mankind had so far departed from the teachings of the law that the Son of God came down to earth, set an example for us to follow, and died, and a rich reward was promised to every one who will follow in his footsteps, which shall be given when the Judge of all the earth shall come to reckon with his people.

But this is not all. Our characters are to be measured by this law. God holds us responsible, and we must give an account of every deed, word, and even our thoughts; and if we prove ourselves unworthy of “eternal life,” we must be punished according to our works. “For God shall bring every work into Judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Eccl. 12: 14.

BENNIE H. WELCH.

Battle Creek, Mich.