The Divine Government by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Oct 18, 1883

The Divine Government.

By Editor

(Concluded.)

PAUL's relation of his own conversion, in Rom. 7, is highly instructive on this point. He says: "I had not known sin, but by the law." "For I was alive without the law once." His conscience was at ease while he was in the way of sin. So little was he aware of the true nature of his own actions that he thought he was doing God service in persecuting the church of Christ. "But when the commandment came, sin revived." In the absence of the law, or of his understanding or receiving the law, sin did not appear. "I had not known sin, but by the law." And when sin revived, or he knew sin, then, says he, "I died." It will be noticed that he speaks of the life and death of sin, and the life and death of himself, but never of the life and death of the law. The contrary has been inferred from verse 6, which says, in the text, "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held." But the margin gives the correct reading: "Being dead to that wherein we were held." This is certain, for, 1. It agrees with all the context; see verse 4, and others. 2. Every other version, and all authorities, give this construction. 3. The original for "being dead" (apothanontes) is plural, and therefore cannot refer to the law, which is singular, but must refer to the brethren.

Turning back to chap. 6:1-8, he speaks of our being both dead and buried. Dead with Christ; dead to sin, or transgression; dead to the law as far as it has a claim on our lives on account of sin, for "the wages of sin is death." It was because Paul was a sinner that he found the law to be death unto him. It was "ordained unto life." This is confirmed by many scriptures. The Lord repeatedly said of his commandments that they who did them should live. Lev. 18:5; Neh. 9:29; Eze. 20:11; Gal. 3:12. Life and death were set before them in the commandments. Deut. 30:15-20; Matt. 19:17, 18, etc.

Some have become confused over the expressions, "dead to sin," "dead to the law," thinking, perhaps, there was identity in the two; but Paul directly contradicts that idea, in verse 7: "Is the law sin? God forbid." The law is against sin and the sinner. By the commandment sin becomes exceeding sinful. Verse 13. The conclusion to which the apostle comes is the point of great interest to us. Did conversion to Christ turn him away from the law, and lead him to speak of it in terms of disrespect? By no means. After the commandment, convincing him of sin, and thereby leading him to Christ, he said: "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." And again: "For we know that the law is spiritual." And of his own feelings—the feelings of a divinely renewed man—toward the law, he said: "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man." And of the relation of mankind in general to the law, he said: "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Conversion to Christ takes away the carnal mind, and removes the insubordination to, or rebellion against, the law of God.

If it be yet claimed that the law of God is abolished, we would say, there can be but two reasons urged why it should be abolished. 1. Because it was faulty in itself, and not worthy of being perpetuated. But this is a grave reflection on the wisdom of the Lawgiver; for if that law were not perfect, then he gave only a faulty law, not worthy of the respect of his creatures. This is, in effect, the position which some take. But we wonder they are not shocked at their own irreverence. And this reason also contradicts all the scriptures which have been quoted which speak of the law as holy, just, good, perfect, spiritual, and containing the whole duty of man. 2. It may be urged that the circumstances of the transgressors made it necessary. On this we refer to the remarks before made on the conditions of pardon. It is certainly not consistent with good government, with justice, to abolish a perfect, holy law because rebellious men have violated it. Nor can even that necessity be urged, since a system of pardon has been instituted which is sufficient to fully meet the wants of the transgressor. But in harmony with every principle of justice and right, it avails only for those who penitently turn away from their transgressions.

As this law is holy, just, good, and perfect, it must be so in all its parts. No one part of a holy law can be impure, or, of a perfect law be imperfect. But the man of sin, the papal power, despite its professions, has sought to corrupt and pervert or change the holy covenant. Dan. 7:25. To establish the worship of images, it has decided that the second commandment is ceremonial, and therefore not proper to be associated with moral laws. To introduce a festival day, the Roman Sun-day it has decided that the fourth commandment is ceremonial, so far as it relates to the observance of a particular day, notwithstanding God blessed and sanctified the particular day on which he rested, to wit: the seventh day.

None can deny that the Sabbath was instituted or made at creation; for then God rested on the seventh day. This day was not, therefore, a Jewish Sabbath, as it is so much claimed, but the Sabbath (rest) of the Lord, as the Bible always represents it to be. Space will not here admit of an argument on this point of the law, but we will notice two prominent objections urged against it, namely, that its observance was not required from the date of its institution; and that it is not moral as the other parts of the decalogue. In regard to the first, the Saviour says it "was made for man;" and we well know in what period of man's history it was made. The following remarks seem decisive on this point:—

"The Hebrew verb kadash, here rendered sanctified, and in the fourth commandment rendered hallowed, is defined by Gesenius, 'to pronounce holy, to sanctify; to institute an holy thing, to appoint.' It is repeatedly used in the Old Testament for a public appointment or proclamation. Thus when the cities of refuge were set apart in Israel, it is written: 'They appointed [margin, Heb. sanctified] Kadesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim,' &c. This sanctification or appointment of the cities of refuge, was by a public announcement to Israel that these cities were set apart for that purpose. This verb is also used for the appointment of a public fast, and for the gathering of a solemn assembly. Thus it is written: 'Sanctify [i. e., appoint] ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God.' 'Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, sanctify [i. e., appoint] a fast, call a solemn assembly.' And Jehu said, Proclaim [margin, Heb. sanctify] a solemn assembly for Baal.' Josh. 20:7; Joel 1:14; 2:15; 2 Kings 10:20, 21; Zeph. 1:7, margin. This appointment for Baal was so public that all the worshipers of Baal in all Israel were gathered together. These fasts and solemn assemblies were sanctified or set apart by a public appointment or proclamation of the fact. When, therefore, God set apart the seventh day to a holy use, it was necessary he should state that fact to those who had the days of the week to use. Without such announcement, the day could not be set apart from the others.

"But the most striking illustration of the meaning of this word may be found in the record of the sanctification of Mount Sinai. Ex. 19:12, 23. When God was about to speak the ten commandments in the hearing of all Israel, he sent Moses down from the top of Mount Sinai to restrain the people from touching the mount. 'And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount and sanctify it.' Turning back to the verse where God gave this charge to Moses, we read: 'And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves that ye go not up into the mount or touch the border of it.' Hence, to sanctify the mount was to command the people not to touch even the border of it, for God was about to descend in majesty upon it. In other words, to sanctify or set apart to a holy use Mount Sinai, was to tell the people that God would have them treat the mountain as sacred to himself; and thus also to sanctify the rest-day of the Lord was to tell Adam that he should treat the day as holy to the Lord.

"The declaration, 'God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,' is not indeed a commandment for the observance of that day; but it is the record that such a precept was given to Adam. For how could the Creator 'set apart to a holy use' the day of his rest, when those who were to use the day knew nothing of his will in the case? Let those answer who are able."—J. N. Andrews' History of the Sabbath, pp. 16–18.

In regard to the morality of this commandment, we may compare it with any of the others, assured that it will be sustained by any argument that will prove their morality. Take the eighth for example. No one can be proved guilty by merely proving that he took and used a certain piece of property; beyond this it must be proved that the property was another's, to which he had no right. Thus this commandment rests upon the right of property; and if this were not recognized, it would be a nullity. But surely no one can prove a clearer right, or put forth a more positive claim to any property, than has the Lord to the seventh day. Many times in his immutable word has he told us it is his; that he has hallowed it; and he warns us against desecrating it, or appropriating it to our own use. If it be an immorality to take without license what our neighbor claims as his, how much more so to take against God's positive prohibition what he claims as his own.

A little reflection or examination will be sufficient to convince every one that the position here taken in reference to the maintenance and perpetuity of the law of God is in strict harmony with the immutable principles of justice and good government. While every argument presented in favor of its abolition, is contrary to those principles, and subversive of government. No one who has regard for the honor of God and for the integrity of his Government, should hesitate for a moment to decide where the truth lies on this important subject.