GOD’S DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO LAWS.
By C. E. Soper
WHEN Moses was about to depart this life, feeling a deep interest in the future welfare of the people he had led and instructed from childhood, he called all Israel before him and said, "Hear, O Israel." Then he went over carefully with them the account of all their journey through the wilderness, pointing out every important event, everything that God had done for them. Following this rehearsal, Moses cautioned the people, "Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day" (Deut. 8:11), and directed them to bind the laws upon themselves, and to talk of them constantly, in their homes and about their work, to their sons and to their sons’ sons, that the memory of God’s goodness might be ever before them. Altho the most of these "wonders" had been performed when those then alive were children—the time when impressions upon the mind are most vivid and lasting—still Moses considered it essential to "stir up" their "minds by way of remembrance," for they were "a stiff-necked people." Deut. 9:13. It is natural for fallen humanity to be most deeply impressed with those things or occurrences that most effect their temporal welfare, bringing loss of property, loss of life, loss of friends, etc. Moses knew this, and therefore tried to make most impressive those words, those rules of life, which more directly concerned them spiritually, and were in danger of being overlooked; so he drew special attention to them. "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; and teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather Me the people together, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children." Deut. 4:9, 10. So much was the verbal expression of God’s character; so much was God’s divine law, which was everlasting, co-existent with God. "Concerning Thy testimonies, I have known of old that Thou hast founded them forever." Ps. 119:152. Again, "The works of His hands are verity and judgment; all His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto His people; He hath commanded His covenant forever; holy and reverend is His name." Ps. 111:7-9. Accordingly, in order that man be in harmony with his Maker, this law was given them with a voice of power, that it might be stamped indelibly upon their hearts, and that they might be imbued with all its spirit, in order to impart it again to their children in a manner that would perpetuate it in their hearts. Then He says, "O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!" Their not having received it into their hearts forty years thereafter (see Deut. 29:4), was no fault of God’s. He had done His part; but they were looking for personal, worldly benefit. Concerning the fact that God placed distinction between the moral and the ceremonial law, we find: (1) The Ten Commandments were written on tables of stone, which would indicate their enduring nature (Deut. 4:13; 9:10; 10:4); while the ceremonial law was written in a book. Deut. 31:24. (2) The Ten Commandments were written by the finger of God, on two sets of tables—those that Moses broke (Ex. 24:12; Deut. 4:13; 9:10), and those that Moses hewed out (Deut. 10:4); while the ceremonial law was written by Moses. Deut. 31:24. (3) The Ten Commandments on tables of stone were put into the ark (Deut. 10:5; 1 Kings 8:9, 21), while the book of the law was placed in the side of the ark. Deut. 31:26. In Deut. 29:14, 15 we read, "Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day." The expression "him that is not here with us this day" would include everybody, even down until "time shall be no more." So it includes us, and if the Israelites are to be judged by this "law of liberty," so are we. It is the reed by which "the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein" (Rev. 11:1) are to be measured; it is that by which we shall be tested. Now in what point will we be particularly tested? The deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt very fully represents the deliverance of God’s people now, preparatory to their entering into their inheritance. We find in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus that God wished to test the children of Israel on keeping His law; so He singled out the fourth commandment and made the test wholly upon keeping the Sabbath. "Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no." "And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws." Ex. 16:4, 27, 28. And shall not we, at this similar time, be tested on the same point?