The Law
Reflects Its Author
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1
Let's pray together before opening the Word of God:
Our Heavenly Father,
During our last lesson, we have learned that Your Ten Commandments are truly important in
Your eyes, and this is why we want to continue to study Your law.
Please teach us what we have to know to shape our life according to Your will, through the
power of the Holy Spirit working within us.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Acts 17:11
These [Jews] were more fair-minded than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the
Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
When confronted with God's Ten Commandments, some people claim that they were
changed, that they were given only to the Jews (although we have seen that they were
already present at the Creation), or that they were abolished a long time ago.
These are quite serious allegations: to see if they are true, we need to search the
Scriptures.
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Luke 18:19
Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is,
God.
Romans 7:12
The commandment is (...) good.
This lesson aims to develop our respect for God's law.
We will see, indeed, that the Ten Commandments possess all the qualities which belong to
God: in fact, they perfectly reflect their Author's character.
So, let's be careful before saying that the law has been changed or abolished... We walk
on holy ground!
Now, the first characteristic: both God and His law are good.
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1 John 3:3
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself,
just as [God] is pure.
Psalm 19:8
The commandment of the Lord is pure.
Then, both God and His commandments are pure.
(A summary will be presented at the end of this lesson, containing all the characteristics
of both God and His law, and the Bible references for each one of them.)
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John 3:33
He who has received His testimony has certified that God
is true.
Psalm 119:142
Your law is truth.
Psalm 119:151
You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are
truth.
Truth is another characteristic which is attributed to both God and His
commandments.
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1 John 4:8
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law.
God, being a God of love, has created a law based on love.
When we keep His commandments, through the Holy Spirit's power working within us, we prove
our love for God (by keeping the first four commandments) and for our neighbor (by keeping
the last six).
For more details about this, we invite you to review the previous lesson «When God's Finger Writes».
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2 Samuel 7:22
Therefore You are great, O Lord God.
Isaiah 42:21
[The Lord] will magnify the law.
Greatness is another quality common to God and to His law.
As we see more and more traits of character belonging to both God and His commandments,
our respect toward them can only increase accordingly.
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Matthew 5:48
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in
heaven is perfect.
Psalm 19:7
The law of the Lord is perfect.
James 1:25
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and
continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be
blessed in what he does.
Think about it: why would God change a law which is perfect, just like Him?
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Leviticus 19:2
You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
Romans 7:12
Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and
just and good.
Joshua 5:15
Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you
stand is holy.
Another very important quality: holiness.
Therefore, since the law is holy in the same way as its Author, how could we be entitled
to do whatever we want with it? How should we act toward a thing declared holy by God?
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Genesis 21:33
[Abraham] called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting
God.
Psalm 119:44
So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever.
Detractors of God's law would surely have preferred that the Scriptures keep
silent on that point!
Indeed, the Word of God affirms that the law bears the seal of eternity: being good, holy,
righteous, perfect, pure, the Ten Commandments really deserve to endure throughout
eternity, as the following verses will show us.
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The law of God is eternal:
«It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for
one tittle of the law to fail.» (LUKE 16:17)
«All [the Lord's] precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever.» (PSALM 111:7,8)
«The law, and the commandment which [the Lord] wrote for you, you shall be careful to
observe forever.» (2 KINGS 17:37)
«I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and
nothing taken from it.» (ECCLESIASTES 3:14)
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Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 119:47
And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I
love.
Both the Lord and His commandments are delightful.
The psalmist tells us that keeping God's law is not burdensome.
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1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom you were called into the
fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 119:86
All Your commandments are faithful.
Faithfulness is another trait of character that we find both in God and His
commandments.
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James 1:17
Every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Luke 16:17
It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for
one tittle of the law to fail.
God and His law are immutable: they will never change.
The law of God was made perfect: it must not be changed to be adjusted to new
circumstances.
It is rather our responsability to adjust ourselves to God's law!
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Deuteronomy 4:2
You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor
take anything from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I
command you.
Job 23:12
I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I
have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
The law of God being immutable, we must therefore yield our will to «the words
of His mouth», not the contrary.
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Jeremiah 23:6
This is His name by which He will be called: The Lord our
Righteousness.
Deuteronomy 4:8
And what great nation is there that has such statutes and
righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?
Psalm 119:172
My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your
commandments are righteousness.
Once again, God and His law display the same quality: righteousness.
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Job 37:14
Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the
wondrous works of God.
Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your
law.
The works of God, including His commandments, are wondrous.
May we discover some of the numerous wonders hidden in God's law!
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Psalm 104:1
O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with
honor.
Isaiah 42:21
[The Lord] will magnify the law and make it honorable.
The list of common characteristics gets longer and longer!
This time, the Word of God teaches us that God and His law are both honorable.
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1 Corinthians 10:4
For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them,
and that Rock was Christ.
Romans 7:14
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal,
sold under sin.
God and His law are both spiritual, in contrast with mankind whose nature is
carnal, slave of sin.
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2 Chronicles 6:18
But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth?
Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.
Psalm 119:96
I have seen the consummation of all perfection, but Your
commandment is exceedingly broad.
Finally, God and His commandments have no limit. Christ has shown us how the
law goes far deeper than it seems.
So we found 16 qualities common to God and His law, and some others could certainly be
discovered!
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1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
God and His law display the same character.
We now better understand why it is so thoughtless to declare that God's law has been
abolished, even only modified.
Nevertheless, many sincere people believe that God's Word teaches that the law has been
abolished: our next lesson will clearly show us where these people are mistaken in their
interpretation.
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Let's close this lesson by a prayer to God:
Our Lord,
We thank You for having taught us that Your law, just like You, is good, pure, truth,
love, great, perfect, holy, eternal, delightful, faithful, immutable, righteous, wondrous,
honorable, spiritual, and infinite.
Day after day, teach us to have the greatest respect for Your law, Your Ten Commandments,
and help us to yield our will to «the words of Your mouth»,
as Your servant Job did.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray.
Amen.
Source of the Pictures of this Lesson
Screen 1: In: «Photo Gallery 5,000 volume 1» by Media
Graphics International, 088_147.JPG. Screen 2: HARLAN, Russell. In: «The
Bible Story, volume 10» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1957,
p.92. Screen 3: ANDERSON, Harry. In: «The Bible Story, volume 2»
(MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1954, p.166. Screen 4:
AYRES, Robert. In: «Perspective Digest», Adventist Theological Society, Volume
2, Number 2, p.18. Screen 5: In: «Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories, volume
1» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Review and Herald Publishing Association and Pacific Press
Publishing Association, 1976, p.43. Screen 6: QUADE, Lester. In: «The
Bible Story, volume 9» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1957,
p.67. Screen 7: In: «The Bible for Children - Retold by Bridget Hadaway
& Jean Atcheson», London, Octopus Books Limited, 1973, p.84. Screen 8: VERLEYE,
J. In: «The Catholic Children's Bible» (THEOLA, Sister Mary), The Regina Press, 1983,
p.82. Screen 9: BARALDI, Severo. In: «The Bible for Children», New
York, Barnes & Noble Books, 1994, p.67. Screen 10: In: «Awake»
magazine (February 22, 1989), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.17.
Screen 11: CRUZ, Nery. In: «La Sentinelle» magazine (August 1984), Pacific
Press Publishing Association, p.14. Screen 12: In: «The Children's
Bible, volume 4», Golden Press, 1981, p.219. Screen 13: WENSELL, Ulises.
In: «Reader's Digest Bible for Children» (DELVAL, Marie-Hélène), Reader's Digest Young
Families, 1995, p.71. Screen 14: In: «Egermeier's Bible Story Book»
(EGERMEIER, Elsie E.), The Warner Press, 1963, p.98. Screen 15: DORÉ,
Gustave. In: «La Bible de Gustave Doré», Lausanne, Edita, 1994, p.181. Screen
16: RAPHAEL. «Moses Presenting the Stone Tablets», Stanza di Eliodoro, Vatican.
In: «Charlton Heston Presents the Bible», GT Publishing, New York, 1997, p.108.
Screen 17: PROVONSHA, Clyde. In: «Premiers pas» (PADDOCK, Charles L.), Pacific
Press Publishing Association, 1964, p.45. Screen 18: HARLAN, Russell. In:
«The Bible Story, volume 2» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing Association,
1954, p.152. Screen 19: WEST, William (1801-1861). «Israelites Passing
Through the Wilderness», City of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. In: «The Art of
Angels» (LOXTON, Howard), Regency House Publishing Limited, 1995, p.46. Screen
20: Composite picture by Cyberspace Ministry. 1. Photo from Hale Observatories.
In: «La Sentinelle» magazine (March 1994), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.6. 2.
In: «Egermeier's Bible Story Book» (EGERMEIER, Elsie E.), The Warner Press, 1963, p.8.
Screen 21: STEEL, John. In: «The Triumph of God's Love, volume 2» (WHITE, Ellen
G.), Pacific Press Publishing Association and Review and Herald Publishing Association,
1950, p.398. Screen 22: LEE, Elfred. In: «Revelation Seminars»,
Seminars Unlimited, 1986, lesson #11 («L'Observation du Dimanche et l'Apocalypse»), p.3.
Screen 23: In: «Photo Gallery 5,000 volume 1» by Media Graphics International,
060_147.JPG.
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The test of Lesson 29 is waiting for you!