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The Moment of Truth - Lesson 29

The Law Reflects Its Author
 

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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 noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

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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 call you Me good? None is good, save one, that is, God.

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Romans 7:12

The commandment is (...) good.

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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 every man that has this hope in [God] purifies himself, even as He is pure.

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Psalm 19:8

The commandment of the Lord is pure.

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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 that has received His testimony has set to his seal that God is true.

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Psalm 119:142

Your law is the truth.

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Psalm 119:151

You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth.

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Truth is another characteristic which is attributed to both God and His commandments.




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1 John 4:8

He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.

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Romans 13:10

Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

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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

Why You are great, O Lord God.

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Isaiah 42:21

[The Lord] will magnify the law.

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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

Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

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Psalm 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect.

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James 1:25

But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

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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.

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Romans 7:12

Why the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

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Joshua 5:15

Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place where on you stand is holy.

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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 there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.

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Psalm 119:44

So shall I keep Your law continually, for ever and ever.

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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, than one pronunciation mark of the law to fail.» (Luke 16:17)

«All [the Lord’s] commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever.» (Psalm 111:7,8)

«The law, and the commandment which [the Lord] wrote for you, you shall observe to do for ever more.» (2 Kings 17:37)

«I know that, whatever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing 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.

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Psalm 119:47

And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I have loved.

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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 to the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Psalm 119:86

All Your commandments are faithful.

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Faithfulness is another trait of character that we find both in God and His commandments.




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James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no ficklenss, neither shadow of turning.

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Luke 16:17

It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one pronunciation mark of the law to fail.

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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, neither shall you diminish ought from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

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Job 23:12

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

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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 whereby He shall be called: The Lord our Righteousness.

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Deuteronomy 4:8

And what nation is there so great, that has statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

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Psalm 119:172

My tongue shall speak of Your word: for all Your commandments are righteousness.

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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.

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Psalm 119:18

Open You my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.

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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.

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Isaiah 42:21

[The Lord] will magnify the law, and make it honorable.

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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.

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Romans 7:14

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

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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 in very deed dwell with men on the earth?

Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.

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Psalm 119:96

I have seen an end of all perfection: but Your commandment is exceeding broad.

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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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Summary: The law perfectly reflects the character of God




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1 Thessalonians 5:21

Prove all things.

Hold fast that which is good.

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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.


The test of Lesson 29 is waiting for you!


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