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VIII. The Law Of God

Chapter 87 :

The Moral and Ceremonial Laws

1. WHAT title of distinction is given the law of God?
"If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors." James 2:8,9.
 
2. By what law is the knowledge of sin?
"I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Rom. 7:7.

NOTE.-The law which says, "Thou shalt not covet" is the ten commandments.

3. By what are all men to be finally judged?
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man: For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccl. 12:13,14. "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." James 2:12.

NOTE.-The law which is here called " the law or liberty," is the law which says, "Do not commit adultery" and "Do not kill," for these commandments had just been quoted in the verse immediately preceding. In verse 8, this same law is styled "the royal law;" that is, the kingly law. This is the law by which men are to be judged.

4. What system was established on account of man's transgression of the law of God?
The sacrificial system, with its rites and ceremonies pointing to Christ.

5. Why did the patriarch Job offer burnt offerings?
"And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually." Job 1:4,5.

6. How early was this sacrificial system known?
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts." Heb. 11:4. See Gen. 4:3-5; 8:20.

7. By whom was the ten commandment law proclaimed?
"And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And He declared unto you H is covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone." Deut. 4:12,13.

8. How was the ceremonial law made known to Israel?
"And the Lord called unto Moses, . . . saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering," etc. Lev. 1:1,2. "This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the trespass-offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace-offering; which the Lord commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that He commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai." Lev. 7:37,38.

9. Were the ten commandments a distinct and complete law by themselves?
"These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and He added no more. And He wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me." Deut. 5:22. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written." Ex. 24:12.

10. Was the ceremonial law a complete law in itself?
"The law of commandments contained in ordinances." Eph. 2:15.

11. On what did God write the ten commandments?
"And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone." Deut. 4:13.

12. In what were the laws or commandments respecting sacrifices and burnt offerings written?
"And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses." 2 Chron. 35:12.

13. Where were the ten commandments placed?
"And he took and put the testimony into the ark, . . . and put the mercy-seat above upon the ark." Ex. 40:20.

14. Where did Moses command the Levites to put the book of the law which he had written?
"Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God." Deut, 31:25,26.

15. What is the nature of the moral law?
"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Ps. 19:7. "For we know that the law is spiritual." Rom. 7:14.

16. Could the offerings commanded by the ceremonial law satisfy or make perfect the conscience of the believer?
"Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience." Heb. 9:9.

17. Until what time did the ceremonial law impose the service performed in the worldly sanctuary?
"Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation." Verse 10.

18. When was this time of reformation?
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Verses 11,12.

19. How did Christ's death affect the ceremonial law?
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross." Col. 2:14. "Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances." Eph. 2:15.

20. Why was the ceremonial law taken away?
"For there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God." Heb. 7:18,19, R. V.

21. What miraculous event occurred at the death of Christ, signifying that the sacrificial system was forever at an end?
"Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." Matt. 27:50,51.

22. In what words had the prophet Daniel foretold this?
"And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." Dan. 9:27.

23. How enduring is the moral law?
"Concerning Thy testimonies, I have known of old that Thou hast founded them forever." Ps. 119:152.

 
THE TWO LAWS CONTRASTED