ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE LAW OF MOSES?
Plain Truth Magazine
May 1934
Volume: Vol I, No.2
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ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE LAW OF MOSES?

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   And it is a law complete in itself, for HE ADDED NO MORE.
   Since this law did not come by or thru Moses, it cannot be called the law of Moses. Nowhere in all the Bible can you find a single one of the Ten Commandments mentioned in any text where words "law of Moses" are used! Nowhere does the Bible call the Ten Commandments the "law of Moses." And if the Bible does not, we should not. The Ten Commandments form the law referred to as "God's Law," or "His Commandment," and "My Commandments."
   Where shall we go for a clean-cut definition of SIN? Surely the Bible will clearly define anything as vital as SIN. "Sin is the transgression of the law!" (I John 3:4). WHAT law? Surely not, one which was done away. Surely, also, a very definite, cleanly-expressed law, and not just a collection of unrelated precepts scattered here and there, subject to our own decision as to which we think binding and which not. Jesus made it clear that the particular law it is sin to transgress is the Ten Commandments. Paul made this clear. So does James. So does John. Surely it is SIN to have other gods before Him, or to swear, or to lie, steal, murder, commit adultery.
   Notice, too, Moses did not WRITE this law. God wrote this law in two tables of stone. Since God gave this law direct to the people, with His own voice, and since its original—authorship was God's, written with the very finger of God, it is GOD'S law, and not Moses' law. And it is COMPLETE in itself. "He added no more." So if Moses gave them a law, it was not this law, or part of this law, or added to this law, for to this law God "added no more."

Moses Gave a Separate Law

   When, therefore, we read in Deut. 33:4 that "MOSES commanded us a law," we know it was an entirely different and separate law.
   Study also Nehemiah 9:14: "and commandedst them precepts, statutes and laws, BY THE HAND OF MOSES thy servant." These were different from the Commandments God commanded them direct from heaven, mentioned in verse 13.
   Now to prove there are TWO entirely separate laws — that the Ten Commandments are considered by God Himself as different and separate from the law of Moses — examine II Kings 21:8. God is speaking: "only if they will observe to do according to all that I HAVE COMMANDED THEM, and according to all the law that my servant MOSES commanded the. Read it again. God speaks—plainly of one law which He says "I have commanded them," and of another different law which He says, "My servant Moses commanded them." Surely no one can twist or wrest this into anything but TWO separate laws.

Written Differently

   Now how was Moses' law written? See Deut. 31:24-26. "When Moses had made an end of writing the words of THIS law in a book... Moses commanded... take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant."
   Notice Moses' law was written IN A BOOK, and is distinctly called "THE BOOK OF THE LAW." It was kept IN THE SIDE OF the ark.
   But how was God's Law written? "And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written WITH THE FINGER OF GOD! And on them was written according to all the words which the Lord spake with you." (Deut. 9:10, See also Ex. 31:18).
   Now wee where the Ten Commandments were kept. "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb." (II Chron. 5:10). Heb. 9:4 shows they were in the inner apartment, the Holy of Holies.
   Some will argue that Moses broke the original tables of stone. (Deut. 9:17), and then ask us to believe that Moses wrote the second set of tables which were in the ark. But read Deut. 10: 1-5. The Lord says, verse 2, "and I will write on the tables," and verse 4 says the Lord DID do the writing, and verse 5 says these were the same tables which were placed in the ark.
   Some, too, may argue that Moses wrote the Ten Commandments in the writing of the Old Testament, claiming that made it Moses law. But by the same argument, it is, then, MY law, for I, too, have written out all the Ten Commandments several times. When Moses wrote them, he was merely copying them, as thousands have done. Original writing establishes authorship, and the original writing was God's.
   To sum up, God gave the people a law direct, face to face, with His own voice. Another different law was given thru Moses. The Commandments were written with the very finger of God on two tables of stone. Moses' law was written by Moses in a book. The Commandments were kept INside the ark, in the Holy of Holies, under the mercy seat, (Ex. 25:21), but the "book of the law" of Moses was kept outside, in the side of the ark. And notice, too, that while Moses' law was written in a book — perishable, temporary material for a temporary law — God' law was written on the most enduring and permanent material, tables of STONE, for that law was to be enduring and permanent. The two laws were given differently, written differently, kept separately.

The Contrast

   Jesus, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, (Mat. 9:35), said we must keep the Ten Commandments to be saved, (Mat. 19:16-19). (While we are not saved BY our obedience to God's law, but by grace thru faith, yet we must REPENT of our sins in having transgressed that law, and this repentance — this turning FROM disobedience to willing obedience — is a necessary condition to being saved by grace. Also a Christian must continue to obey God's Law or he sins and falls from grace. So while obedience will not save us, yet we must obey the Commandments, to BE saved.) But the doers of the book of the law (of Moses) are under a curse (Gal. 3:10).
   To break a single point of the Ten Commandments is SIN, (Jas. 2:8-11); but when Jews told Gentile Christians at Antioch they must keep the law of Moses (Acts 15:5), the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostles to write they need to keep only four points of this ceremonial law (Acts 15:28, 29).
   It is only those who are willing to DO the Ten Commandments who shall enter in thru the gates into the City (Rev. 22:14), but the Law of Moses stood only in meats and drinks and diverse washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them only UNTIL the time of reformation (Heb. 9:10).
   Let us not be deceived. "Sin is the transgression of the law," (I John 3:4). That law is not a haphazard unrelated selection of precepts picked here and there according to the desires and whims and traditions of men, but a very definite, separate, distinct LAW, given by the very voice of God direct to the people, written with the very finger of God on permanent, enduring tables of stone — the Ten Commandments. The first four of these define LOVE to God. The last six define LOVE to fellow man. This law is LOVE.
   "ALL, His Commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, (Psalm 111:7, 8).
   "For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep HIS COMMANDMENTS, and HIS commandments are not grievous." (I John 5:3). Jesus spoke nothing of Himself, but the Father gave Him a commandment, what He should speak. He gave and brought no NEW Commandments. The two great commandments of love to God and love to fellow-man — of which the Ten are a definition — were quoted from the Old Testament. HIS Commandments were His Father's Commandments, the Ten. And He said, "If ye love me, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS." (John 14:15).
   Jesus had to die on the Cross because we sinned by breaking these same Commandments. They are God's Law of LOVE. Let us keep them!

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Plain Truth MagazineMay 1934Vol I, No.2