The Law of God by H. W. Cottrell

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 21, 1913

The Law of God

By H. W. Cottrell

By H. W. Cottrell

The Immutability of the Law

IN our last article, we found the character of the law of God to be perfect. A perfect law expresses the perfect character of the giver of the law, and in the very nature of the Deity, its Giver, it is not even subject to change.

The immutability of the law of God is eternally fixed in the perfect, holy, spiritual character of the divine instrument. It being immutable, it is not susceptible to alteration. While the law is perfect, and does perfect work in making known every sin of every nature, yet it is not capable of change, either by increase or decrease.

When that document — the moral law of ten precepts — was reiterated by the Lord from the quaking Mount Sinai, that unchangeable emphasis might be placed upon the immutable ten “words” (Deut. 10: 4, margin), He carved them with His own finger in the two tables of rock, and gave direction that His servant Moses place them in the ark of God. “And I will write on the tables the words, . . . and thou shalt put them in the ark. . . . And He wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the Lord commanded me.” Deut. 10: 2-5.

“There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there.” 1 Kings 8: 9. Only the law of God written on stone, was placed within the ark of God, that the immutability of the law might be impressed upon His people then and now.

Other Laws

Of other commands, statutes, and judgments directing forms of worship, we read, “And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.” Deut. 4: 14. “The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep.” Ex. 34: 18. “And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks.” Verse 22. “Thou shalt not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven.” Verse 25. “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.” Verse 26. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words.” Verse 27. “And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark.” Deut. 31: 9. “And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark.” Deut. 31: 24-26. And this law is called “The law of Moses.” Acts 15: 5.

God ordained that His immutable law — the Ten Commandments — have a vivid setting, by contrast with all ceremonial and civil laws, so He wrote His law on tables of stone, and Moses put it in the ark. Moses wrote the law directing forms of worship. He wrote it in a book, and this book of the law was put in the side of the ark.

There are three codes of law referred to in the Bible: (1) the moral law of Ten Commandments, which is the law of God; (2) the law directing forms of worship, which is called Moses’ law; (3) the law directing national affairs, which was the civil law of the Jews.

The law of God is eternal.

The law of Moses ended at the cross of Christ, when type met antitype.

Their civil law ended by limitation when the Jews were scattered abroad, ceasing to govern themselves as a nation.

Written in the Heart

The unchangeable Son of God said, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Ps. 40: 8. Of the righteous it is said, “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” Ps. 37: 31.

Our heavenly Father, who wrote His law on tables of stone, puts it in the mind and writes it in the heart of each one of His true children, that they may remember not to violate it, and love to obey Him in its requirements. “I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.” Heb. 8: 10. “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.” Heb. 10: 16.

God has been putting and writing, and He continues to put and write His law in the mind and heart of every one who will permit Him to accomplish His purpose in his life. This work of God through the divine Christ, makes the new man. The law, stamped in the memory and engraved in the heart, establishes unquestionably the immutability of the law of God.

“I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should fear before Him.” Eccl. 3: 14.

[The next article in this series is entitled “The Eternity of the Law.”]