THE LAW BEFORE MOSES by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jul 11, 1906

THE LAW BEFORE MOSES.

By G.

It is passing strange that men who profess to love and serve God should be so anxious to evade His law, which is the expression of His divine will. Ps. 40:7, 8; Eccl. 12:13. In order to escape obedience, they persistently maintain that there was no law until it was delivered from Mount Sinai. But the Scriptures give ample testimony to the fact that all the principles of the Ten Commandments were in force and recognized before the formal deliverance on Sinai. We will briefly note the evidence as touching the several commandments in order:

1. “And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean.” Gen. 35:1, 2. Why put away the “strange gods” if they were not forbidden? “Sin is not imputed when there is no law.” Rom. 5:13.

2. These “strange gods” were images (Gen. 31:19), and Jacob hid them from his people. Why?—Because Jacob had been taught the law of God. Abraham had obeyed it (Gen. 26:5), and had so taught his household (Gen. 18:17–19).

3. Among the sins for which the Canaanites were destroyed was their profaning the name of God. Lev. 18:3, 21, 27. If that was sin, there was law against it.

4. The Sabbath was established at Creation. Gen. 2:2, 3. Moses reminded the Israelites of the sanctity of the Sabbath day, and renewed its observance, one month before they came to Sinai. Ex. 16:1, 4, 5, 22–26. The Lord said this was a test, “that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no.” And it is a test for all ages.

5. A curse rested on Ham, son of Noah, because he dishonored his father. Gen. 9:20–25.

6. A curse was visited upon Cain because he killed his brother Abel. Gen. 4:8–12. Satan was “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44); therefore, if murder was a sin from the

beginning, the law forbidding murder must have existed, as “where no law is, there is no transgression.” Rom. 4:15.

7. Adultery was sin in Abraham’s time (Gen. 20:1–9); and would have brought dire punishment upon Abimelech, tho committed unwittingly. It was sin in Joseph’s time also, Gen. 39:7–9. The “sin” of Sodom and Gomorrah was “very grievous” (Gen. 18:20), and Peter ascribes to them “unlawful deeds” (2 Peter 2:8), while Jude specifies the sin of fornication (Jude 7).

8. God punished theft in Abraham’s day (Genesis 14), and it was deemed a heinous offense in the time of Jacob (Gen. 30:33; 31:26, 27) and of Joseph (Genesis 44).

9. False witnessing was a sin when Potiphar’s wife brought a false charge against Joseph. Gen. 39:7, 12–18. Christ charges Satan with being the father of lying. John 8:44. If that was sin, the law forbidding lying must have been in force when Satan told his first lie.

10. If Eve had not coveted the forbidden fruit, she would not have partaken of it. If Abimelech had not coveted Abraham’s wife, he would not have taken her for himself. If Jacob had not coveted Esau’s birthright and blessing, he would not have taken the unrighteous course he did to secure them. As covetousness is idolatry (Eph. 5:5) it was included in the acts of those who transgressed the first and second commandments.

Inasmuch as God is perfect (Matt. 5:48), and the law is perfect (Ps. 19:7); inasmuch as God is holy (Rev. 4:8), and the law is holy (Rom. 7:12); inasmuch as Christ is the truth (John 14:6) and the law is the truth (Ps. 119:142); and inasmuch as, under the everlasting covenant, the law is placed in the hearts of God’s people (Heb. 8:8–13), it follows that the principles of the law are suitable to the divine administration in all ages, under all circumstances. G.