14 - The Law of God

Old Testament	New Testament	As Changed by Man
I Thou shalt have no other gods before me.	I “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.“ Mathew 4:10	I I am the lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me.
II Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.	II “Little children keep yourselves from idols.” Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” 1 John 5:21; Acts 17:29	[It will be observed that the second commandment as found in the Bible is left out and the tenth commandment is divided.] II Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
III Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.	III That the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.” l Timothy: 5:1	III Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. [“A Doctrinal Catechism,” (Catholic) page 174, has the following question and answer: “Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?” “A. Had she not such power could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week for Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”]
IV Remember the sabbath thy, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy. gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that’ in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.	IV “Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day” “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh thy from all his works.” “There remaineth therefore a keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God. For that he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His” “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth” Matthew: 24:20; Mark 2:27,28; Hebrews 4:4, 9, 10, margin; Colossians 1:16	IV Honor thy father and thy mother.
V Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.	V “Honor-thy father and thy mother” Matthew 19:19	V Thou shalt not kill.
VI Thou shalt not kill.	VI “Thou shalt not kill.” Romans 13:9	VI Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VII - Thou shalt not commit adultery.	VII “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Matthew 19:18	VII Thou shalt not steal.
VIII Thou shalt not steal.	VIII “Thou shalt not steal.” Romans 13:9	VIII Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
IX Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.	IX “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Romans 13:9	IX Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife.
X Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s. Exodus 20:3-17	X “Thou shalt not covet.” Romans 7:7	X Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor‘s goods. [See any “Catholic Catechism.”]
	“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea we establish the law.” Wherefor the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” “For by the law Is the knowledge of sin” Romans 3:31; 7:12; 3:20	“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say untio you, Till heavena and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5: 17, 18.

God’s Wonderful Plan

After man sinned, the promise of a Savior was given and the sacrificial offerings pointed forward to the death of Christ. God raised up a special people whom He organized into the nation of Israel. He nurtured, loved and led His people because He had something great in mind for them. The ordinance of circumcision became a sign of their pledge to be true, obedient followers of God. Their lives were to be guided by the principles of grace to show the world the benefits of obedient faith So God made a covenant with them — an agreement or contract.

Old Covenant

God’s Part:

He promised to bless His people.
He would give them possession of the land of Canaan.
He would make known His will to them.
He would send them the Messiah.
He would use them to make Christ known to the world. See Deut 8:18, 19; 11:22-27; 4:13; Gen. 12:1-3; 15:13-16; 19:5, 6.

Israel’s Part:

The people were to yield obedience and to cooperate with all God’s requirements. This was to be done by bringing God’s grace and power into their lives. See Ex. 19:4-6; Deut. 4:13, 36-40.

When was it made? It was first with Abraham and his posterity that it became fully and wholly effective. See Gen. 12:1-3.

How was it sealed? By blood sacrifices. See Ex. 24:5-8.

How was it broken? By rejecting and crucifying Christ the Jewish people renounced the covenant and were rejected as the chosen people. See Matt. 21:43.

If Israel bad been faithful to the old covenant, what would have happened? The Old Covenant was designed to enable those bound by its provisions to enter into the privileges and responsibilities of the New or Everlasting Covenant. They could have been given the joy of salvation through Jesus. But the tragedy is that they are still looking for the Messiah and do not see and accept the atoning sacrifice of God’s own Son.

New Covenant

God’s Part:

He promised to bless His people.
He would write His laws in our minds and hearts.
He would be our God.
We would be His people. See Heb. 8:8-10.

Our Part:

To be obedient to all of God’s requirements, through Christ and our close relationship with Him — not in our own strength, but by our reliance on Christ and His strength. See Rom. 9:31-33; Phil. 4:13; 3:9; Rev. 12:14.

When was it made? When Jesus was crucified, God transferred the privileges and responsibilities of the covenant relationship to His new chosen people, the Christian church. See Gal. 3:27-29.

How was it sealed? By the blood of Jesus when He died on the cross. See Luke 22.20; Heb. 9:14, 15.

What are the differences? The chief difference is that the “Old Covenant” was made with Israel as a nation, but the “New Covenant” is made with individual believers in Christ.

The Two Laws

God gave His people two sets of laws at Mt. Sinai — the Mosaic law and the Moral law. The following are the distinctions made between them.

GOD’S LAW

Called “the law of the Lord.” Isaiah 5:24.

Called “the royal law” James 2:8.

Written by God on stone. Exodus 31:18; 32:16.

Placed inside the ark. Exodus 40:20.

Will stand forever. Luke 16:17.

Points out sin. Romans 7:7; 3:20.

Not grievous. l John 5:3.

Judges all men. James 2:10-12.

Spiritual. Romans 7:14.

Perfect. Psalm 19:7.

MOSES’ LAW

Called “the law of Moses.” Luke 2:22.

Called “the.., law contained in ordinances” Ephesians 2:15.

Written by Moses in a hook. 2 Chronicles 35:12.

Placed in the side of the ark. Deuteronomy 31:26.

Ended at the cross. Ephesians 2:15.

Added because of sin. Galatians 3:19.

Contrary to us. Colossians 2:14-16.

Judges no man. Colossians 2:14-16.

Carnal. Hebrews 7:16.

Made nothing perfect. Hebrews 7:19.