The Meaning of ‘The Law’

Let us see from God’s word what the law means. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John.1: 17). “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses described the righteousness which is of the law that the man which doeth these things shall live by them.” (Romans. 10: 5).

All that was conveyed through Moses to the children of Israel, in the form of commandments, ordinances, feasts and sacrifices, is called ‘The Law’. And through it God intended to show the meaning of righteousness, which he demands of man, and to which no man can attain by his own efforts. However Seventh day Adventists assert that the Ten Commandments were not included in the Law, but form a separate part by themselves. Thus they try to argue that though the Law has come to an end, the Ten Commandments still remain. They make a distinction between what they call Ceremonial Law and Moral Law, and say that the Ceremonial Law has come to an end but the Moral Law remains. Such a distinction is not made anywhere in the scriptures.

When the Lord Jesus Christ answered the lawyer who came to question Him, He made it plane that the Commandments were part of the Law. Let us see Matt.22: 34-40.

“But when the Pharisees had heard that He has put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Jesus said unto him,” thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. ”

In replying to the Pharisees and Sadducees the Lord groups the Old Testament into two parts, ‘the law’ and ‘the prophets’. Again in Luke 24: 27, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Our Lord calls the same two parts, ‘Moses’ and’ all the prophets’. It is therefore clear that all that God said to Moses on the Mount, that is, the Ten Commandments, divers Laws for every day life, the sacrifices offered in the Tabernacle and the feasts of Jehovah, all together form ‘The Law’. And so the Ten Commandments cannot be separated from circumcision or the sacrifices or anything else included in the Law.

Mark very carefully the words of the Question the Lawyer asked the Lord Jesus Christ, “Master which is the great commandment in the Law?” Note the Lords answer, ” Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and the great commandment, and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” According to Deut.6: 5, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy might” and Lev.19: 18, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.” We can say that the Lord included the Ten Commandments and all the other laws given by God to Moses, in the term, ‘The Law’.

Paul the Apostle when speaking of the law calls it “ the book of the law”: Gal.3: 10, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them”. This also refers to the observance of days, and months, times and years. Gal.4: 10, “Ye observe days and months and times and years”. Thus Paul too makes no distinction between Ceremonial Law and Moral law.

Again in Exodus chapters 19 to 22, we read that Moses went on the Mount to receive God’s commandments, and was instructed in various matters. In Exo.20: 1- 17, we have Ten Commandments, and then follow other diverse laws and ordinances. Therefore the Ten Commandments are the part of the Law.

The Seventh Day Adventists draw our attention to Exo.20: 10,”But the seventh day is Sabbath unto the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy men servant nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.” They say, what about this commandment? Do you observe the Ten Commandments and keep the Sabbath? You have to observe Saturday as Sabbath for your salvation. If not you are breaking God’s Commandments and are coming under God’s judgments”. They say that our Lord Jesus Christ observed the Sabbath and did not change it. They are such cultured liars; they mislead and misguide people and bring them into bondage by their deceptive and evil teaching. Without saying who they are in a very subtle wicked way to hide their true colors, they induce people in a correspondence course from Poona called “the Voice of Prophecy”. Printed lessons are received every week. Many people get interested in this course, which in the beginning contains some amount of Bible study, but their main purpose is to influence people into observing the Seventh Day.